< Jeremia 4 >

1 “Haiwa Israeri, kana muchida kudzoka, dzokai kwandiri,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha. “Kana mukabvisa pamberi pangu zvifananidzo zvenyu zvinonyangadza uye mukasarasikazve,
If thou wilt return, O Israel, Declareth Yahweh, Unto me, mayst thou return, —And if thou wilt remove thine abominations from before me, Then shalt thou not become a wanderer.
2 kana mukapika muchokwadi, nokururama uye nenzira yakarurama muchiti: ‘Zvirokwazvo naJehovha mupenyu,’ ipapo ndudzi dzicharopafadzwa naye uye dzichazvirumbidza maari.”
If thou wilt swear, By the life of Yahweh! in faithfulness in justice and in righteousness, Then shall the nations bless themselves in him, And, in him, shall they glory.
3 Izvi ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha kuvanhu veJudha neJerusarema: “Zviundirei gombo murege kudyara pakati peminzwa.
For thus saith Yahweh Unto the men of Judah and unto Jerusalem, Till ye the untilled ground, —And do not sow among 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.
Circumcise yourselves unto Yahweh So shall ye remove the impurity of your heart, ye men of Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, —Lest mine indignation, go forth as fire, and burn and there be none to quench it, Because of the wickedness of your doings.
5 “Zivisai munyika yaJudha uye muparidze muJerusarema muchiti: ‘Ridzai hwamanda munyika yose!’ Danidzirai nesimba muchiti: ‘Unganai pamwe chete! Ngatitizirei kumaguta akakomberedzwa!’
Declare ye in Judah And in Jerusalem, let it be heard, And say, Blow ye a horn in the land, —Cry, with frill voice And say, Gather yourselves together, And let us enter the defenced cities.
6 Simudzai mureza wokuenda kuZioni! Tizai muvande musinganonoki! Nokuti ndiri kuuyisa njodzi inobva kumusoro, iko kuparadza kwakaipisisa.”
Lift up an ensign—Zion-ward, Bring into safety, do not tarry, —For, calamity, am, I, bringing in from the North, Even, a great destruction:
7 Shumba yabuda mudenhere rayo; muparadzi wendudzi abuda. Asiya nzvimbo yake kuti aparadze nyika yenyu. Maguta enyu achava matongo pasina achagaramo.
There hath come up a lion out of his thicket, Yea, a destroyer of nations—hath set forward, hath come forth out of his place, —To make thy land a desolation, Thy cities, shall fall in ruins, so as to have no inhabitant.
8 Naizvozvo pfekai masaga, chemai muungudze, nokuti kutsamwa kwaJehovha kunotyisa hakuna kubva kwatiri.
On this account, gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl, —Because the glow of the anger of Yahweh hath not turned from us.
9 “Pazuva iro,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha, “mambo namachinda vachaora mwoyo, vaprista vachatyiswa, uye vaprofita vachavhundutswa.”
And it shall come to pass, in that day, Declareth Yahweh, That the courage of the king shall fail, And the courage of the princes, —And the priests shall be astonished, And, the prophets, shall be amazed.
10 Ipapo ndakati, “Haiwa, Ishe Jehovha, makanyengera kwazvo vanhu ava neJerusarema muchiti, ‘Muchava norugare,’ nyamba munondo uri pahuro dzedu.”
Then said I, —Ah! My Lord Yahweh! Surely, thou hast suffered this people and Jerusalem to be beguiled, saying, Peace, shall ye have, —whereas the sword shall reach unto the soul.
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, shall it be said of this people and of Jerusalem, —The sharp wind of the bare heights in the desert, cometh towards the daughter of my people, —not to winnow nor to cleanse.
12 mhepo ine simba kwazvo kudarika iyoyo ichabva kwandiri. Zvino ndiwo wava mutongo wangu pamusoro pavo.”
A wind too strong for these, cometh in for me. Now, will, I also, pronounce sentences upon them:
13 Tarirai! Ari kuuya samakore, ngoro dzake dzinouya sechamupupuri, mabhiza ake anomhanya kupfuura makondo, Tine nhamo! Taparara!
Lo! like clouds, shall he come up, Even as a storm-wind, his chariots, Swifter than eagles, his horses, —Woe to us for we are laid waste!
14 Haiwa Jerusarema, shamba zvakaipa zviri mumwoyo mako ugoponeswa. Ucharamba uchingoviga pfungwa dzako dzakaipa kusvikira riini?
Wash from wickedness thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, —How long, shall lodge within thee thy wicked devices?
15 Inzwi rinodanidzira richibva kuDhani, richizivisa nezvenjodzi inobva kuzvikomo zveEfuremu.
For a voice, declareth from Dan, —And publisheth trouble from the hill country of Ephraim.
16 “Zivisai izvi kumarudzi, zviparidzei kuJerusarema muchiti: ‘Hondo ichakukombai iri kuuya ichibva kunyika iri kure, ichidanidzira zvehondo yokurwisa maguta eJudha.
Put ye in mind the nations Lo! publish ye against Jerusalem, Blockaders! are coming in from a land afar off, —And have uttered against the cities of Judah their voice:
17 Vanorikomba savanhu vakarinda munda, nokuti rakandimukira,’” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.
As the keepers of a field, have they come against her round about, —For against me, hath she rebelled, Declareth Yahweh.
18 “Tsika dzako namabasa ako ndizvo zvauyisa izvi pamusoro pako. Ichi ndicho chirango chako. Haiwa, zvinovava sei! Haiwa, zvinobaya sei mwoyo!”
Thine own way And thine own doings, Have done these things unto thee, —This thy wickedness, Surely it is bitter, Surely it hath reached unto thy 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.
My bowels! My bowels! I am pained in the walls of my heart My heart beateth aloud to me I cannot be still! For the sound of a horn, hast thou heard O my soul, The loud shout of war!
20 Njodzi inotevera njodzi; nyika yose yava dongo. Munguva shoma shoma, matende angu aparadzwa, musha wangu nenguva diki diki.
Breach upon breach, they cry, For ruined, is all the land, —Suddenly, are ruined my tents, In a moment, my curtains!
21 Ndicharamba ndichiona mureza wehondo kusvikira riniko, uye ndichanzwa kurira kwehwamanda kusvikira riniko?
How long shall I keep on seeing a standard, —continue to hear the sound of a horn?
22 “Vanhu vangu mapenzi; havandizivi ini. Vana vasina pfungwa; havanzwisisi. Vakangwarira kuita zvakaipa; havazivi kuita zvakanaka.”
Surely, perverse, is my people Me, have they not known, Foolish sons, they are, Yea without understanding, they are: Wise, they are to commit wickedness, But how to do well, they know not!
23 Ndakatarira nyika, yakanga isina kugadzirwa, isina chinhu; uye nokumatenga, chiedza chawo chakanga chisisipo.
I beheld, The earth; and lo! it was waste and wild, —The heavens also and their light was not:
24 Ndakatarira pamakomo, tarirai, aidengenyeka; zvikomo zvose zvaizeya.
I beheld, The mountains, and lo! they were trembling, —And all the hills, had been violently moved:
25 Ndakatarira, ipapo pakanga pasina vanhu; shiri dzose dzedenga dzakanga dzabhururuka dzikaenda kure.
I beheld, And lo! there was no human being, —Yea, all the birds of the heavens! had fled:
26 Ndakatarira, ndokuona nyika yaibereka zvibereko yava gwenga; maguta ayo ose ava matongo pamberi paJehovha, pamberi pehasha dzake dzinotyisa.
I beheld, And lo! the garden-land, was a desert, —And, all its cities, had been broken down, Because of Yahweh, Because of the glow of his anger!
27 Zvanzi naJehovha: “Nyika yose ichaparadzwa, kunyange hangu ndisingazoiparadzi zvachose.
For, thus, saith Yahweh, A desolation, shall all the land become—Nevertheless a full end, will I not make.
28 Naizvozvo nyika ichachema uye matenga kumusoro achava rima nokuti ndini ndazvitaura uye handingaregi kuzviita, ndini ndazvisarudza uye handingadzokeri shure.”
For this cause, shall the land mourn, and the heavens above be overcast: Because I have spoken have purposed, and have not repented nor will I turn back therefrom.
29 Paanonzwa kutinhira kwavatasvi vamabhiza nokwavawemburi vouta, maguta ose anotiza. Vamwe vanopinda mumatenhere; vamwe vanokwira pakati pamatombo. Maguta ose asara asina munhu; hapana anogaramo.
At the noise of horseman and archer, The whole city is in flight, They have entered dark thickets, Yea unto the crags, have they gone up, —Every city, is forsaken, There remaineth not in them a man!
30 Uchaiteiko, iwe wokuparadzwa? Wapfekereiko nguo tsvuku, uye unoshongereiko zvishongo zvegoridhe? Wazorereiko meso ako pendi? Unongozvishongedzera pasina. Zvikomba zvako zvinokushora; zvinotsvaka kukuuraya.
And when, thou, art laid waste, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothe thyself with crimson Though thou deck thyself with ornaments of gold Though thou enlarge with antimony thine eyes, In vain, shalt thou make thyself fair, —Paramours have rejected thee, Thy life, will they seek!
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.”
For a voice as of a woman in pangs, have I heard Anguish as of her that is bearing her firstborn. The voice of the daughter of Zion! She gaspeth for breath, She spreadeth forth her palms, —Surely woe to me! For my soul fainteth before murderers.

< Jeremia 4 >