Jeremia 4
1 “Haiwa Israeri, kana muchida kudzoka, dzokai kwandiri,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha. “Kana mukabvisa pamberi pangu zvifananidzo zvenyu zvinonyangadza uye mukasarasikazve,
Israel, if you want to come back, then come back to me, declares the Lord. If you get rid of these disgusting idols I see, and don't wander away,
2 kana mukapika muchokwadi, nokururama uye nenzira yakarurama muchiti: ‘Zvirokwazvo naJehovha mupenyu,’ ipapo ndudzi dzicharopafadzwa naye uye dzichazvirumbidza maari.”
and if when you make your vows, you do so only to me, sincerely, truly, and honestly, then the nations will be blessed by me, and they will praise me.
3 Izvi ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha kuvanhu veJudha neJerusarema: “Zviundirei gombo murege kudyara pakati peminzwa.
This is what the Lord is saying to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: Plow your unplowed ground, and don't sow among the thorns.
4 Zvidzingisirei kuna Jehovha, dzingisai mwoyo yenyu, imi varume veJudha nemi vanhu veJerusarema, kuti kutsamwa kwangu kurege kukubudirai kukapisa somoto, nokuda kwezvakaipa zvamakaita, iko kupisa kusina angakudzima.
Dedicate yourselves to the Lord; be totally committed to him, people of Judah and Jerusalem. Otherwise, my anger will blaze like fire, burning so hard that no one can put it out because of the evil you've done.
5 “Zivisai munyika yaJudha uye muparidze muJerusarema muchiti: ‘Ridzai hwamanda munyika yose!’ Danidzirai nesimba muchiti: ‘Unganai pamwe chete! Ngatitizirei kumaguta akakomberedzwa!’
Announce this warning throughout Judah and Jerusalem! Tell them: Blow the trumpet everywhere in the country! Shout out, “Hurry! Let's run to the fortified towns for protection!”
6 Simudzai mureza wokuenda kuZioni! Tizai muvande musinganonoki! Nokuti ndiri kuuyisa njodzi inobva kumusoro, iko kuparadza kwakaipisisa.”
Raise the danger flag; go to Zion! Find somewhere safe! Don't hesitate! I'm bringing enemies from the north who will cause terrible destruction.
7 Shumba yabuda mudenhere rayo; muparadzi wendudzi abuda. Asiya nzvimbo yake kuti aparadze nyika yenyu. Maguta enyu achava matongo pasina achagaramo.
A lion has left his hiding place; a destroyer of nations has started out. He has left his den to come and turn your country into a wasteland. Your towns will be demolished, and no one will live there.
8 Naizvozvo pfekai masaga, chemai muungudze, nokuti kutsamwa kwaJehovha kunotyisa hakuna kubva kwatiri.
Wear clothes made of sackcloth, weep and wail, crying out, “The Lord's furious anger against us hasn't stopped.”
9 “Pazuva iro,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha, “mambo namachinda vachaora mwoyo, vaprista vachatyiswa, uye vaprofita vachavhundutswa.”
When that happens declares the Lord, the king and officials will lose heart, the priests will be devastated, and the prophets will be shocked.
10 Ipapo ndakati, “Haiwa, Ishe Jehovha, makanyengera kwazvo vanhu ava neJerusarema muchiti, ‘Muchava norugare,’ nyamba munondo uri pahuro dzedu.”
Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, you have completely fooled the people of Jerusalem by telling them, ‘You will have peace,’ while holding a sword to our throats.”
11 Panguva iyoyo vanhu ava neJerusarema vachaudzwa kuti, “Mhepo inopisa inobva kunzvimbo dzakakwirira dzisina miti mugwenga inovhuvhuta yakananga vanhu vangu, asi isingapepeti kana kunatsa;
At that time the people of Jerusalem will be told, “A burning wind from the bare hills of the desert is blowing toward the Jerusalem, but not to blow away the chaff or the dust.
12 mhepo ine simba kwazvo kudarika iyoyo ichabva kwandiri. Zvino ndiwo wava mutongo wangu pamusoro pavo.”
No, this wind is too strong for that, and it comes from me. Now I'm also going to tell them how I will punish them.”
13 Tarirai! Ari kuuya samakore, ngoro dzake dzinouya sechamupupuri, mabhiza ake anomhanya kupfuura makondo, Tine nhamo! Taparara!
Look, he's rushing in like stormclouds; his chariots are like a whirlwind. His horses fly faster than eagles. “What a disaster! We're ruined!”
14 Haiwa Jerusarema, shamba zvakaipa zviri mumwoyo mako ugoponeswa. Ucharamba uchingoviga pfungwa dzako dzakaipa kusvikira riini?
Clean the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you can be saved. How long will you hold onto your evil thoughts?
15 Inzwi rinodanidzira richibva kuDhani, richizivisa nezvenjodzi inobva kuzvikomo zveEfuremu.
News is shouted out from Dan, announcing disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 “Zivisai izvi kumarudzi, zviparidzei kuJerusarema muchiti: ‘Hondo ichakukombai iri kuuya ichibva kunyika iri kure, ichidanidzira zvehondo yokurwisa maguta eJudha.
“Let the nations know! Look what's happening! Announce this to Jerusalem: An army is coming to besiege you from a distant country; shouting war-cries against the towns of Judah.
17 Vanorikomba savanhu vakarinda munda, nokuti rakandimukira,’” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.
They encircle her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me, declares the Lord.
18 “Tsika dzako namabasa ako ndizvo zvauyisa izvi pamusoro pako. Ichi ndicho chirango chako. Haiwa, zvinovava sei! Haiwa, zvinobaya sei mwoyo!”
You've brought this on yourself by your own attitudes and actions. This is your punishment, and it's so painful, it's like being stabbed in the heart!”
19 Maiwe, kurwadziwa kwangu, kurwadziwa kwangu! Ndiri kubidirika nokurwadziwa. Haiwa, kurwadza kwomwoyo wangu! Hana yangu inorova mukati mangu, handinganyarari. Nokuti ndanzwa kurira kwehwamanda; ndanzwa mheremhere yehondo.
“I'm in agony, absolute agony! My heart is breaking! It's beating wildly in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I can't keep quiet because I've heard the trumpet, the signal for battle.
20 Njodzi inotevera njodzi; nyika yose yava dongo. Munguva shoma shoma, matende angu aparadzwa, musha wangu nenguva diki diki.
News of one disaster after another comes flooding in, for the whole country is in ruins. My own home is destroyed in a moment, and everything inside.
21 Ndicharamba ndichiona mureza wehondo kusvikira riniko, uye ndichanzwa kurira kwehwamanda kusvikira riniko?
How long do I have to see the flags of war and hear the trumpets of battle?”
22 “Vanhu vangu mapenzi; havandizivi ini. Vana vasina pfungwa; havanzwisisi. Vakangwarira kuita zvakaipa; havazivi kuita zvakanaka.”
“My people are stupid; they don't know me. They are foolish children who just don't understand. They're experts at doing evil, but they don't know how to do good.”
23 Ndakatarira nyika, yakanga isina kugadzirwa, isina chinhu; uye nokumatenga, chiedza chawo chakanga chisisipo.
I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; I looked to the heavens, and its light was gone.
24 Ndakatarira pamakomo, tarirai, aidengenyeka; zvikomo zvose zvaizeya.
I looked at the mountains, and saw that they were shaking; all the hills were swaying to and fro.
25 Ndakatarira, ipapo pakanga pasina vanhu; shiri dzose dzedenga dzakanga dzabhururuka dzikaenda kure.
I looked, and nobody was left; all the birds had flown away.
26 Ndakatarira, ndokuona nyika yaibereka zvibereko yava gwenga; maguta ayo ose ava matongo pamberi paJehovha, pamberi pehasha dzake dzinotyisa.
I looked, and the productive fields were a desert. All the towns were demolished because of the Lord's furious anger.
27 Zvanzi naJehovha: “Nyika yose ichaparadzwa, kunyange hangu ndisingazoiparadzi zvachose.
This is what the Lord says: “The whole country will be devastated, but I won't do so completely.
28 Naizvozvo nyika ichachema uye matenga kumusoro achava rima nokuti ndini ndazvitaura uye handingaregi kuzviita, ndini ndazvisarudza uye handingadzokeri shure.”
The earth will mourn and the heavens above will go dark. I have spoken; this is what I have ordered. I'm not going to stop or change my mind.”
29 Paanonzwa kutinhira kwavatasvi vamabhiza nokwavawemburi vouta, maguta ose anotiza. Vamwe vanopinda mumatenhere; vamwe vanokwira pakati pamatombo. Maguta ose asara asina munhu; hapana anogaramo.
People from every town: run away when they hear the enemy horsemen and archers coming. They hide in the forest and among the rocks. All the towns are abandoned; no one lives in them.
30 Uchaiteiko, iwe wokuparadzwa? Wapfekereiko nguo tsvuku, uye unoshongereiko zvishongo zvegoridhe? Wazorereiko meso ako pendi? Unongozvishongedzera pasina. Zvikomba zvako zvinokushora; zvinotsvaka kukuuraya.
You, Jerusalem, now desolate, what are you going to do? Even though you dress in scarlet clothes, and put on gold jewelry, and paint your eyes with make-up, all your dressing-up is pointless! Your lovers hate you; they want to kill you!
31 Ndiri kunzwa kuchema sekwomukadzi anorwadziwa pakusununguka, kugomera sekwomukadzi opona dangwe rake, kuchema kwoMwanasikana weZioni ari kufemedzeka, achitambanudza maoko ake achiti, “Maiwe! Ndoziya; upenyu hwangu hwaiswa kuvaurayi.”
I hear the cries like a woman in labor, the agonizing moans of a woman giving birth to her first child. These are the cries of the Daughter of Zion gasping for air, holding out her hands, saying, “Please help me, I'm being murdered!”
