Yeremia 3
1 Wanaema, 'Mwanamume akimfukuza mke wake, naye akaondoka kwake na kuwa mke wa mwanamume mwingine. Je, anaweza kumrudia tena? Je huyo si najisi kabisa?' Huyo mwanamke ndiyo hii nchi! Mmetenda kama kama Kahaba aliye na wapenzi wengi, na sasa mnapenda kurudi kwangu tena? - asema BWANA wa majeshi.
It is commonly said: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and marry another man, shall he return to her any more? shall not that woman be polluted, and defiled? but thou hast prostituted thyself to many lovers: nevertheless return to me, saith the Lord, and I will receive thee.
2 Inua macho yako uvitazame vielele tasa! Je kuna mahali ambapo hukufanya ukahaba? Pembeni mwa barabara ulikaa ukisubiri wapenzi wako, kama vile Mwarabu jangwani. Uneiharibu nchi kwa ukahaba na uovu wako.
Lift up thy eyes on high: and see where thou hast not prostituted thyself: Thou didst sit in the ways, waiting for them as a robber in the wilderness: and thou hast polluted the land with thy fornications, and with thy wickedness.
3 Kwa hiyo chemichemi za mvua zilizuiliwa na mvua za vuli hazikunyesha. Lakini uso wako una kiburi, kama uso wa mwanamke kahaba. Unakataa kuona aibu.
Therefore the showers were withholden, and there was no lateward rain: thou hadst a harlot’s forehead, thou wouldst not blush.
4 Na sasa hutaniita mimi: 'Baba yangu, hata marafiki zangu wa tangu ujanani! Je, atakuwa na hasira dhidi yangu milele?
Therefore at least at this time call to me: Thou art my father, the guide of my virginity:
5 Je, utaendelea kuwa na hasira zako?' Tazama! Umesema kuwa utatenda maovu, na kweli umetenda hivyo. kwa hiyo endelea kufanya hivyo!”
Wilt thou be angry for ever, or wilt thou continue until the end? Behold, thou hast spoken, and hast done evil things, and hast been able.
6 Kisha BWANA akanena nami katika siku za mfalme Yosia, “Je, unaona jinsi Israeli alivyoniasi? Yeye anaenda kwenye kila kilima na katika kila mti wenye majani mabichi, na kule anafanya kama mwanamke kahaba.
And the Lord said to me in the days of king Josias: Hast thou seen what rebellious Israel hast done? she hath gone out of herself upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and hath played the harlot there.
7 Nikisema, 'Baada ya kuwa amefanya mambo haya yote, atanirudia,' lakini hakurudi. Kisha dada yake Yuda ambaye ni mwasi pia aliona alichokifanya.
And when she had done all these things, I said: Return to me, and she did not return. And her treacherous sister Juda saw,
8 Kwa hiyo nami nikaona kuwa kwa sababu amefanya uzinzi huu wote. Huyo Israeli aliyeasi! Nilimfukuza na kumpatia talaka ya ndoa. Lakini dada yake Yuda mwenye hiana hakuwa na hofu, na yeye akaenda kuafanya kama mwanamke kahaba!
That because the rebellious Israel had played the harlot, I had put her away, and had given her a bill of divorce: yet her treacherous sister Juda was not afraid, but went and played the harlot also herself.
9 Hukusikitika kuwa ameinajisi nchi, kwa hiyo wakatengeneza sanamu za mti na za jiwe.
And by the facility of her fornication she defiled the land, and played the harlot with stones and with stocks.
10 Kisha baada ya haya yote, wala Yuda dada yake muasi hakurudi kwangu na moyo wake wote, bali alikuja na uongo! -asema BWANA wa majeshi,”
And after all this, her treacherous sister Juda hath not returned to me with her whole heart, but with falsehood, saith the Lord.
11 Kisha BWANA akanena na mimi, “Israeli muasi amekuwa mwenye haki zaidi kuliko Yuda muasi!
And the Lord said to me: The rebellious Israel hath justified her soul, in comparison of the treacherous Juda.
12 Nenda ukaseme maneno haya huko kaskazini. Uwaambie, 'Rudi wewe Israeli uliyeasi! - asema BWANA - sitakuwa na hasira dhidi yako. Kwa kuwa mimi ni mwaminifu - asema BWANA - sitakuwa na hasira milele.
Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and thou shalt say: Return, O rebellious Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not turn away my face from you: for I am holy, saith the Lord, and I will not be angry for ever.
13 Kiri uovu wako, kwa kuwa umefanya dhambi dhidi ya BWANA, Mungu wako; umemshirikisha njia zako mgeni chini ya kila mti wenye majani mabichi! wala hukuisikiliza sauti yangu! - asema BWANA.
But yet acknowledge thy iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God: and thou hast scattered thy ways to strangers under every green tree, and hast not heard my voice, saith the Lord.
14 Rudini, enyi watu waasi! - asema BWANA - kwa kuwa mimi nimekuoa wewe! Nitakurudisha wewe mmoja katika mji, wawili katika ukoo mmoja, na nitawarudisha Sayuni!
Return, O ye revolting children, saith the Lord: for I am your husband: and I will take you, one of a city, and two of a kindred, and will bring you into Sion.
15 Nitawapa wachungaji niwapendao, na watawachunga kwa maarifa na ufahamu.
And I will give you pastors according to my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine.
16 Ndipo itakapotokea kuwa utaongezeka na kuzaa matunda katika nchi hiyo siku hizo-asema BWANA. Hawataweza kusema kuwa, “Sanduku la agano la BWANA! Jambo hili hawatalikumbuka tena katika mioyo yao, kwa kuwa hawataliwaza tena wala kulijali tena. Usemi huu hawatausema tena.'
And when you shall be multiplied, and increase in the land in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more: The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come upon the heart, neither shall they remember it, neither shall it be visited, neither shall that be done any more.
17 Katiak wakati huo watasema juu ya Yerusalemu, 'Hii ndiyo enzi ya BWANA,' na mataifa mengine yote yatakusanyika Yerusalemu katika jna la BWANA. Hawataishi katika taabu ya uovu wa mioyo yao.
At that time Jerusalem shall be called the thrown of the Lord: and all the nations shall be gathered together to it, in the name of the Lord to Jerusalem, and they shall not walk after the perversity of their most wicked heart.
18 Katika siku hizo, nyumba ya Yuda itaishi na nyumba ya Israeli. Watarudi pamoja kutoka katika nchi ya kaskazini katika nchi niliyowapa mababu wao kuwa urithi.
In those days the house of Juda shall go to the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land which I gave to your fathers.
19 Lakini mimi, Nilisema, 'Jinsi nipendavyo kukuheshimu kama mwanangu na kukupa nchi ipendezayo, kuwa urithi mzuri kuliko ulio katika taifa lolote!' Nami nikasema, ''mtaniita baba yangu''.'Nami nitasema kwamba hamtageuka na kuacha kunifuata.
But I said: How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a lovely land, the goodly inheritance of the armies of the Gentiles? And I said: Thou shalt call me father and shalt cease to walk after me.
20 Lakini kama mwanamke aliyemwasi mume wake, mmenisaliti, enyi nyumba ya Israeli - asema BWANA.”
But as a woman that despiseth her lover, so hath the house of Israel despised me, saith the Lord.
21 Sauti ilisikika juu ya nyanda, kilio na kusihi kwa watu wa Israeli! kwa kuwa wamezibadili njia; wamemsahau BWANA, Mungu wao.
A voice was heard in the highways, weeping and howling of the children of Israel: because they have made their way wicked, they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Rudini enyi watu mlioasi! Nami nitawaponya na uasi wenu!” “Tazama! tutakuja kwako, kwa kuwa wewe ni BWANA, Mungu wetu!
Return, you rebellious children, and I will heal your rebellions. Behold we come to thee: for thou art the Lord our God.
23 Uongo hutoka kwenye vilima, kutoka kwenye milima mingi. Kwa hakika wokovu wa Israeli unapatikana kwa BWANA, Mungu wetu.
In very deed the hills were liars. and the multitude of the mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 Lakini miungu ya aibu imeramba kazi ambayo mababu zetu waliifanya - makundi yao ya kondoo na ng'ombe, wana wao na binti zao!
Confusion hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 Na tulale chini kwa aibu. Aibu yetu na itufunike, kwa kuwa tumefanya dhambi dhidi ya BWANA, Mungu wetu! Sisi wenyewe na mababu zetu, kutoka wakati wa ujana wetu hadi leo, hatujaisikiliza sauti ya BWANA, Mungu wetu!”
We shall sleep in our confusion, and our shame shall cover us, because we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers from our youth even to this day, and we have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God.
