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.
If a man put away his wife, and she depart from him, and become another man's, shall she return to him any more at all? shall not that woman be utterly defiled? you you have gone a-whoring with many shepherds, and have returned 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 look] straight forward, and see where you have not been utterly defiled. You have sat for them by the wayside as a deserted crow, and have defiled the land with your fornications and 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.
And you did retain many shepherds for a stumbling block to yourself: you had a whore's face, you did become shameless toward all.
4 Je, wewe hujaniita hivi punde tu: ‘Baba yangu, rafiki yangu tangu ujana wangu,
Hast you not called me as it were a home, and the father and guide of your virgin-time?
5 je, utakasirika siku zote? Je, ghadhabu yako itaendelea milele?’ Hivi ndivyo unavyozungumza, lakini unafanya maovu yote uwezayo.”
Will [God's anger] continue for ever, or be preserved to the end? Behold, you have spoken and done these bad things, and had power [to do them].
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.
And the Lord said to me in the days of Josias the king, Hast you seen what things the house of Israel has done to me? they have gone on every high mountain, and under every shady tree, and have committed fornication there.
7 Mimi nilifikiri kuwa baada ya kuyafanya yote haya angelinirudia, lakini hakurudi, naye dada yake Yuda mdanganyifu aliona hili.
And I said after she had committed all these acts of fornication, Turn again to me. Yet she returned not. And faithless Juda saw her faithlessness.
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.
And I saw that (for all the sins of which she was convicted, wherein the house of Israel committed adultery, and I put her away, and gave into her hands a bill of divorcement, ) yet faithless Juda feared not, but went and herself also committed fornication.
9 Kwa sababu uasherati wa Israeli haukuwa kitu kwake, Yuda aliinajisi nchi kwa kuzini na mawe na miti.
And her fornication was nothing accounted of; and she committed adultery with wood and stone.
10 Pamoja na hayo yote, Yuda dada yake mdanganyifu hakunirudia kwa moyo wake wote, bali kwa kujifanya tu,” asema Bwana.
And for all these things faithless Juda turned not to me with all her heart, but falsely.
11 Bwana akaniambia, “Israeli asiye mwaminifu ana haki kuliko Yuda mdanganyifu.
And the Lord said to me, Israel has justified himself more than faithless Juda.
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 read these words toward the north, and you shall say, Return to me, O house of Israel, says the Lord; and I will not set my face against you: for I am merciful, says the Lord, and I will not be angry with you for ever.
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.
Nevertheless, know your iniquity, that you have sinned against the Lord your God, and have scattered your ways to strangers under every shady tree, but you did not listen to 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.
Turn, you children that have revolted, says the Lord; for I will rule over you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you in to Sion:
15 Kisha nitawapeni wachungaji wanipendezao moyo wangu, ambao watawaongoza kwa maarifa na ufahamu.
and I will give you shepherds after my heart, and they shall certainly tend you with knowledge.
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.
And it shall come to pass that when you are multiplied and increased upon the land, says the Lord, in those days they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Holy One of Israel: it shall not come to mind; it shall not be named; neither shall it be visited; nor shall [this] be done any more.
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.
In those days and at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered to it: and they shall not walk any more after the imaginations 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 Juda, shall come together to the house of Israel, and they shall come, together, from the land of the north, and from all the countries, to the land, which I caused their fathers to inherit.
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.
And I said, So be it, Lord, for [you said] I will set you among children, and will give you a choice land, the inheritance of the Almighty God of the Gentiles: and I said, You shall call me Father; and you shall not turn away from me.
20 Lakini kama mwanamke asiye mwaminifu kwa mumewe, vivyo hivyo mmekosa uaminifu kwangu pia, ee nyumba ya Israeli,” asema Bwana.
But as a wife acts treacherously against her husband, so has the house of Israel dealt treacherously against me, 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 from the lips was heard, [even] of weeping and supplication of the children of Israel: for they have dealt unrighteously in their ways, they have forgotten God their Holy One.
22 “Rudini, enyi watu msio waaminifu, nami nitawaponya ukengeufu wenu.” “Naam, tutakuja kwako, kwa maana wewe ni Bwana Mungu wetu.
Turn, you children that are given to turning, and I will heal your bruises. Behold, we will be your servants; 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 the hills and the strength of the mountains were a lying refuge: but by the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
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 shame has consumed the labors of our fathers from our youth; their sheep and their calves, and 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.”
We have lain down in our shame, and our disgrace has covered us: because we and our fathers have sinned before our God, from our youth until this day; and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.
