Selemaia 13

1 ‌ʻOku pehē mai ʻe Sihova kiate au, “ʻAlu ʻo toʻo kiate koe ʻae noʻo ʻoe tupenu lelei, pea ʻai ia ki ho kongaloto, pea ʻoua naʻa tuku ia ki he vai.”

[One day] Yahweh said to me, “Go and buy a linen waistcloth. Put it on, but do not wash it.”

2 Pea naʻaku toʻo ʻae noʻo ʻo ʻai ia ki hoku kongaloto, ʻo hangē ko e folofola ʻa Sihova.

So I bought a [very nice] waistcloth, which is what Yahweh told me to do, and I put it on.

3 Pea naʻe hoko ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ko hono liunga ua, ʻo pehē,

Then [later] Yahweh gave me another message.

4 “Toʻo ʻae noʻo ʻaia ʻoku ʻiate koe, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi ho kongaloto, pea ke tuʻu, ʻo ʻalu ki ʻIufaletesi, pea fakafufū ia ʻi he ʻanaʻi maka.”

He said, “Go to the small Perath Stream [near Jerusalem] and hide your waistcloth in a crevice/hole in the rocks.”

5 Pea ne u ʻalu ʻo fakafufū ia, ʻo ofi ki ʻIufaletesi, ʻo hangē ko e fekau ʻa Sihova.

So I went to the stream and did what Yahweh told me to do.

6 Pea naʻe hoko, ʻo pehē, ʻi he hili ʻae ngaahi ʻaho lahi, naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate au, “Tuʻu, pea ke ʻalu ki ʻIufaletesi, pea toʻo mei ai ʻae noʻo, ʻaia naʻaku fekau ke ke fakafufū ʻi ai.”

A long time later, Yahweh said to me, “Go [back] to that stream and get the waistcloth that I told you to hide there.”

7 Pea ne u ʻalu ki ʻIufaletesi, mo keli, pea toʻo mai ʻae noʻo mei he potu ne u fakafufū ai ia: pea vakai, kuo maumauʻi ʻae noʻo, pea naʻe ʻikai siʻi ʻaonga ia.

So I went to the Perath Stream and dug out the waistcloth from the crevice/hole in which I had hidden it. But it was ruined, and useless.

8 Pea naʻe hoko ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ʻo pehē,

Then Yahweh gave me this message:

9 “ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, Te u maumauʻi pehē ʻae fielahi ʻa Siuta, pea mo e laukau lahi ʻa Selūsalema.

“[What happened to your waistcloth] shows that I will destroy the things that [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah are very proud of.

10 Ko e kakai kovi ni, ʻoku nau fakaongo tuli ki heʻeku ngaahi lea, pea ʻeveʻeva ʻi he mahalo vaʻinga ʻo honau loto, pea muimui ki he ngaahi ʻotua kehe, ʻo tauhi ʻakinautolu, pea lotu kiate kinautolu: te nau hangē ko e noʻo ni, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai siʻi ʻaonga.

Those wicked people refuse to pay attention to what I say. They stubbornly do just what they desire to do; they worship other gods. Therefore, they will become completely useless, like your waistcloth.

11 Koeʻuhi hangē ʻoku pipiki ʻae noʻo ki he kongaloto ʻoe tangata, naʻe pehē ʻeku fakapipiki kiate au ʻae fale kotoa ʻo ʻIsileli, pea mo e fale kotoa ʻo Siuta, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova: koeʻuhi ke nau hoko kiate au ko e kakai, mo e hingoa, mo e fakamālō mo e nāunau: ka naʻa nau fakaongotuli pe.”

Just like a waistcloth clings closely/tightly to a man’s waist, I wanted the people [MTY] of Israel and Judah to cling closely to me. I wanted them to be my people, people who would praise me and honor me. But they would not pay attention [to me]. “

12 “Ko ia ke ke lea ʻaki ʻae lea ni kiate kinautolu: ‘ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻE fakapito ʻaki ʻae uaine ʻae hina kotoa pē: pea te nau pehē kiate koe, ʻIkai ʻoku mau ʻilo pau ʻe fakapito ʻaki ʻae uaine ʻae hina kotoa pē.

“[So], tell this to them: ‘Yahweh, the God whom you Israeli [people worship], says that every leather wineskin should be filled with wine.’ And [when you tell that to them], they will reply, ‘(Of course/Certainly) we know [RHQ] that all wineskins should be filled with wine!’

13 Pea te ke toki lea pehē kiate kinautolu, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, Vakai, te u fakapito ʻaki ʻae kona, ʻae kakai kotoa pē ʻoe fonua ni, ʻio, ʻae ngaahi tuʻi ʻoku nofo ʻi he nofoʻanga fakaʻeiʻeiki ʻo Tevita, mo e kau taulaʻeiki, pea mo e kau palōfita, pea mo e kakai kotoa pē ʻo Selūsalema.

And then you must tell them, ‘No, that is not what Yahweh means. What he said means that he will cause this land to be filled with people who are drunk. [That will include all of you]—the king who sits on the throne that King David previously sat on, the priests and the prophets, and even the common people of Jerusalem.’

14 Pea ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, Te u fakafetēleni ke laiki ʻakinautolu, ko e ngaahi tamai ki he ngaahi foha: ʻE ʻikai te u ʻofa, pe fakamoʻui, pe fai ʻaloʻofa, ka ʻe fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu.”

[He is saying], ‘I will cause you to bash each other. [Even] parents will bash their children. I will not pity you or act mercifully toward you at all; pitying you will not prevent me from getting rid of you.’”

15 Mou fanongo, mo tokanga; pea ʻoua naʻa fielahi: he kuo folofola ʻa Sihova.

[You people of Judah], pay very careful attention [DOU]. Do not be proud, because Yahweh has spoken to you.

16 Mou fakaongoongoleleiʻi ʻa Sihova ko homou ʻOtua, ʻi he teʻeki ai te ne fakatupu ʻae fakapoʻuli, pea ʻi he teʻeki ai ke tūkia homou vaʻe ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga ʻoe fakapoʻuli, pea lolotonga hoʻomou ʻamanaki ki he maama, te ne liliu ia ko e poʻuli matolu, pea mo e malumalu ʻoe mate.

[It is as though] he is ready to bring darkness on you and to cause you to stumble and fall [as you walk] on the hills when it is becoming dark. [So] praise/honor Yahweh your God before that happens. If you do not do that, you will look for light, but all you will see is darkness and gloom.

17 Pea kapau ʻe ʻikai te mou fanongo ki ai ʻe tangi hoku laumālie ʻi he ngaahi potu lilo koeʻuhi ko hoʻomou fielahi; pea ʻe tangi lahi hoku mata, pea ʻe tafe hifo ʻae ngaahi loʻimata, koeʻuhi kuo ʻave fakapōpula ʻae fanga sipi ʻa Sihova.

And if you [still] refuse to heed what he says, [what will happen to you because of] your being proud will cause me to cry when I am alone. My eyes will be filled with tears because [you], Yahweh’s people, [whom he takes care of like a shepherd takes care of] [MET] his flock, will [all] be [captured by your enemies and] taken to other countries.

18 Ke ke lea ki he tuʻi mo e tuʻi fefine, Mo fakavaivai ʻakimoua, ʻo nofo hifo: he te ne tō hifo mei homo ʻulu ʻae tatā ʻo homo nāunau.

[You people of Judah], say to the king and to his mother, “Come down from sitting on your thrones and [humbly] sit in the dust, because [your enemies] will soon snatch from your heads your glorious crowns.”

19 ‌ʻE tāpuni ʻae ngaahi kolo ʻi he feituʻu tonga, pea ʻe ʻikai toʻo ʻe ha taha: ʻE fetuku fakapōpula ʻa Siuta kātoa; ʻe ʻave ia kotoa pē ʻo fakapōpulaʻi.

The towns in the southern part of Judah will be surrounded by your enemies, and no one will be able to get through their lines [to rescue the people in those towns]. [You people of] Judah will be captured and taken away; you will all be (exiled/taken [to foreign countries)].

20 Hanga hake homou mata, ʻo mamata kiate kinautolu kuo haʻu mei he tokelau: ko e fē ʻae fanga sipi naʻe tuku kiate koe, ko hoʻo fanga sipi matamatalelei?

[You leaders of Jerusalem], open your eyes and look: [The enemy armies are ready to] march down from the north. [When that happens], what will happen to [RHQ] the [people of Judah who are like] a beautiful flock of sheep, people that he gave to you to take care of?

21 Ko e hā te ke lea ʻaki ʻoka tautea ʻe ia ʻa koe? He kuo ke akonakiʻi ʻakinautolu ke nau ʻeiki, mo pule kiate koe: ʻikai te ke moʻua ʻi he ngaahi mamahi, ʻo hangē ko e langā ʻae fefine?

What will you say [RHQ] when Yahweh appoints people from other countries to rule over you, people who you [mistakenly] thought were your friends? You will [RHQ] suffer very much pain, like a woman who is about to give birth to a baby.

22 Pea kapau te ke pehē ʻi ho loto, Ko e hā kuo hoko ai ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni kiate au? Ko e meʻa ʻi hono lahi ʻo hoʻo hia, ko ia kuo fakatelefuaʻi koe, kuo fakatelefua ʻa ho mui vaʻe.

You will ask yourselves, “Why is this happening to us?” [I will reply that] it is because of your many sins. That is why [soldiers of the invading armies] will lift up the skirts [of your women] and rape them.

23 ‌ʻE faʻa liliu ʻe he ʻItiopea hono kili, pe ko e lēpati hono pulepule? Pea te mou toki faʻa fai lelei foki, ʻakimoutolu ʻoku maheni ai ʻi he fai kovi.

A man from Ethiopia certainly cannot [RHQ] change the color of his [black] skin, and a leopard certainly cannot [RHQ] change its spots. Similarly, you cannot start doing what is good, because you have always done what is evil.

24 Ko ia te u fakamovetevete ai ʻakimoutolu ʻo hangē ko e mohuku ʻoku ʻave ʻe he matangi ki he toafa.

[Yahweh says], “I will scatter you like chaff that is blown away by the wind from the desert.

25 Ko ho ʻinasi eni, ko ho vahe kuo fuofua meiate au, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova; koeʻuhi kuo ke fakangalongaloʻi au, mo ke falala ki he loi.

That is what is certainly going to happen to you; the things that I have determined will happen to you, because you have forgotten me, and you are trusting in false [gods].

26 Ko ia te u fakatelefuaʻi koe, ke hā mai ai hoʻo mā.

[It is as though] I myself will pull your skirts up over your faces and cause you to be very ashamed because everyone will be able to see your sex organs.

27 Kuo u mamata ki hoʻo tonotangata, mo hoʻo holi, mo hono lahi ʻo hoʻo feʻauaki, mo hoʻo fai fakalielia ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga mo e ngoue. ʻE malaʻia koe, ʻE Selūsalema! ʻOku ʻikai te ke fie maʻa? ʻE hoko fakakū ia?”

I have seen that you [act like men who are eager to commit adultery]; you are like male horses that whinny when they desire [to have sex with] a female horse. I have seen that you worship disgusting idols in the fields and on the hills. [You people of] Jerusalem, terrible things will happen to you! How long will it be [RHQ] until you are acceptable to me [again]?”