Yeremia 3
1 “Kama mtu akimpa talaka mkewe, naye akamwacha na akaolewa na mtu mwingine, je, huyo mume aweza kumrudia tena? Je, hiyo nchi haitanajisika kabisa? Lakini umeishi kama kahaba na wapenzi wengi: je, sasa utanirudia tena?” asema Bwana.
“They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says the LORD.
2 “Inua macho utazame miinuko iliyo kame na uone. Je, pana mahali ambapo hawajalala nawe? Uliketi kando ya barabara ukiwasubiri wapenzi, ukakaa kama yeye ahamahamaye jangwani. Umeinajisi nchi kwa ukahaba wako na uovu wako.
“Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been lain with? You have sat waiting for them by the road, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness.
3 Kwa hiyo mvua imezuiliwa, nazo mvua za vuli hazikunyesha. Hata hivyo, una uso usio na haya kama wa kahaba; unakataa kutahayari kwa aibu.
Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.
4 Je, wewe hujaniita hivi punde tu: ‘Baba yangu, rafiki yangu tangu ujana wangu,
Will you not from this time cry to me, ‘My Father, you are the guide of my youth!’?
5 je, utakasirika siku zote? Je, ghadhabu yako itaendelea milele?’ Hivi ndivyo unavyozungumza, lakini unafanya maovu yote uwezayo.”
“‘Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.”
6 Wakati wa utawala wa Mfalme Yosia, Bwana aliniambia, “Umeona kile Israeli asiye mwaminifu amekifanya? Amepanda juu ya kila kilima kirefu, na chini ya kila mti uliotanda na amefanya uzinzi huko.
Moreover, the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and has played the prostitute there.
7 Mimi nilifikiri kuwa baada ya kuyafanya yote haya angelinirudia, lakini hakurudi, naye dada yake Yuda mdanganyifu aliona hili.
I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me;’ but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 Nilimpa Israeli asiye mwaminifu hati yake ya talaka, na kumfukuza kwa ajili ya uzinzi wake wote. Hata hivyo nikaona kuwa Yuda dada yake mdanganyifu hakuogopa. Yeye pia alitoka na kufanya uzinzi.
I saw when, for this very cause, that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, had no fear, but she also went and played the prostitute.
9 Kwa sababu uasherati wa Israeli haukuwa kitu kwake, Yuda aliinajisi nchi kwa kuzini na mawe na miti.
Because she took her prostitution lightly, the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with wood.
10 Pamoja na hayo yote, Yuda dada yake mdanganyifu hakunirudia kwa moyo wake wote, bali kwa kujifanya tu,” asema Bwana.
Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense,” says the LORD.
11 Bwana akaniambia, “Israeli asiye mwaminifu ana haki kuliko Yuda mdanganyifu.
The LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12 Nenda, ukatangaze ujumbe huu kuelekea kaskazini: “‘Rudi, Israeli usiye mwaminifu,’ asema Bwana, ‘sitakutazama tena kwa uso uliokunjamana, kwa kuwa mimi ni mwenye huruma,’ asema Bwana, ‘Sitashika hasira yangu milele.
Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,’ says the LORD. ‘I will not keep anger forever.
13 Ungama dhambi zako tu: kwamba umemwasi Bwana Mungu wako, umetapanya wema wako kwa miungu ya kigeni chini ya kila mti unaotanda, nawe hukunitii mimi,’” asema Bwana.
Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’” says the LORD.
14 “Rudini, enyi watu msio waaminifu, kwa kuwa mimi ni mume wenu,” asema Bwana. “Nitawachagua ninyi, mmoja kutoka kwenye mji, na wawili kutoka kwenye ukoo, nami nitawaleta Sayuni.
“Return, backsliding children,” says the LORD, “for I am a husband to you. I will take one of you from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15 Kisha nitawapeni wachungaji wanipendezao moyo wangu, ambao watawaongoza kwa maarifa na ufahamu.
I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 Katika siku hizo, idadi yenu itakapokuwa imeongezeka sana katika nchi, watu hawatasema tena, ‘Sanduku la Agano la Bwana,’” asema Bwana. “Halitaingia tena kwenye mawazo yao wala kukumbukwa, hawatalihitaji wala halitatengenezwa jingine.
It will come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘the ark of the LORD’s covenant!’ It will not come to mind. They will not remember it. They will not miss it, nor will another be made.
17 Wakati huo, wataita Yerusalemu kuwa Kiti cha Enzi cha Bwana, nayo mataifa yote watakusanyika Yerusalemu kuliheshimu jina la Bwana. Hawatafuata tena ukaidi wa mioyo yao miovu.
At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The LORD’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the LORD’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18 Katika siku hizo, nyumba ya Yuda itaungana na nyumba ya Israeli, wao kwa pamoja watakuja kutoka nchi ya kaskazini hadi nchi niliyowapa baba zenu kama urithi.
In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers.
19 “Mimi mwenyewe nilisema, “‘Tazama jinsi nitakavyowatunza kwa furaha kama wana na kuwapa nchi nzuri, urithi ulio mzuri kuliko wa taifa jingine lolote.’ Nilidhani mngeniita ‘Baba,’ na msingegeuka, mkaacha kunifuata.
“But I said, ‘How I desire to put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me “My Father”, and shall not turn away from following me.’
20 Lakini kama mwanamke asiye mwaminifu kwa mumewe, vivyo hivyo mmekosa uaminifu kwangu pia, ee nyumba ya Israeli,” asema Bwana.
“Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says the LORD.
21 Kilio kinasikika juu ya miinuko iliyo kame, kulia na kuomboleza kwa watu wa Israeli, kwa sababu wamepotoka katika njia zao na wamemsahau Bwana Mungu wao.
A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the LORD their God.
22 “Rudini, enyi watu msio waaminifu, nami nitawaponya ukengeufu wenu.” “Naam, tutakuja kwako, kwa maana wewe ni Bwana Mungu wetu.
Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding. “Behold, we have come to you; for you are the LORD our God.
23 Hakika zile ghasia za kuabudu sanamu kwenye vilima na milimani ni udanganyifu; hakika katika Bwana, Mungu wetu, uko wokovu wa Israeli.
Truly help from the hills, the tumult on the mountains, is in vain. Truly the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.
24 Tangu ujana wetu miungu ya aibu imeyala matunda ya kazi za baba zetu: makundi yao ya kondoo na ngʼombe, wana wao na binti zao.
But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 Sisi na tulale chini katika aibu yetu, na fedheha yetu itufunike. Tumetenda dhambi dhidi ya Bwana Mungu wetu, sisi na mababa zetu; tangu ujana wetu hadi leo hatukumtii Bwana Mungu wetu.”
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the LORD our God’s voice.”
