Jeremiah 12

1 You are in the right, O Lord, when I put my cause before you: still let me take up with you the question of your decisions: why does the evil-doer do well? why are the workers of deceit living in comfort?

“ʻE Sihova, ʻoku ke angatonu, ʻo kau ka tāpafua kiate koe: tuku ke u lea kiate koe ʻi hoʻo ngaahi fakamaau: ko e hā ʻoku monūʻia ai ʻae hala ʻoe angahala? Ko e hā ʻoku fiefia lahi ai ʻakinautolu ʻoku fai kākā lahi?

2 They have been planted by you, they have taken root; they go on and give fruit: you are near in their mouths but far from their thoughts.

Kuo ke tō ʻakinautolu, pea kuo nau aka: ʻoku nau tupu, ʻio, ʻoku nau fua; ʻoku ke ofi ʻi honau ngutu, kae mamaʻo ʻi honau loto.

3 But you, O Lord, have knowledge of me; you see me, searching and testing how my heart is with you: let them be pulled out like sheep to be put to death, make them ready for the day of death.

Ka ko koe, ʻE Sihova, ʻoku ke ʻiloʻi au; kuo ke ʻafioʻi au, pea ʻahiʻahi hoku loto kiate koe: toho kituaʻā kinautolu ʻo hangē ko e fanga sipi ke tāmateʻi, pea teuteu ʻakinautolu ki he ʻaho ʻoe tāmateʻi.

4 How long will the land have grief, and the plants of all the land be dry? because of the sins of the people living in it, destruction has overtaken the beasts and the birds; because they said, God does not see our ways.

‌ʻE fēfē hono fuoloa ʻoe tangi ʻae kelekele, pea mae ʻae mohuku ʻoe ngoue, koeʻuhi ko e angahala ʻanautolu ʻoku nofo ai? Kuo fakaʻauha ʻae ngaahi manu veʻe fā, mo e ngaahi manupuna; koeʻuhi naʻa nau pehē, ‘ʻE ʻikai te ne ʻafioʻi hotau ikuʻanga.’”

5 If running with the fighting-men has made you tired, how will you be able to keep up with horses? and if in a land of peace you go in flight, what will become of you in the thick growth of Jordan?

“Kapau kuo ke lele mo e kau tangata, pea kuo nau fakaongosiaʻi koe, te ke fakapuepue fēfē mo e fanga hoosi? Pea kapau kuo nau fakaongosiaʻi koe ʻi he fonua fiemālie, ʻaia naʻa ke falala ki ai, ko e hā te ke fai ʻi he lōmaki mai ʻa Sioatani?

6 For even your brothers, your father's family, even they have been untrue to you, crying loudly after you: have no faith in them, though they say fair words to you.

He ko ho kāinga, mo e fale ʻo hoʻo tamai, ʻio, naʻa mo kinautolu kuo nau fai kākā kiate koe; kuo nau kalanga mo tuli kiate koe: kaeʻoua naʻa ke tui kiate kinautolu ʻi heʻenau lea fakafiemālie kiate koe.”

7 I have given up my house, I have let my heritage go; I have given the loved one of my soul into the hands of her haters.

“Kuo u liʻaki hoku fale, kuo u tukuange hoku tofiʻa; kuo u tuku ki he nima ʻo hono ngaahi fili ʻaia naʻe ʻofa ki ai hoku laumālie.

8 My heritage has become like a lion in the woodland to me; her voice has been loud against me; so I have hate for her.

Ko hoku tofiʻa ʻoku hangē ko e laione ʻi he vao kiate au; ʻoku ne kalou mai kiate au: ko ia ʻoku ou fehiʻa ai kiate ia.

9 My heritage is like a brightly coloured bird to me; the cruel birds are attacking her on every side: go, get together all the beasts of the field, make them come for destruction.

Ko hoku tofiʻa ʻoku hangē ko e manupuna ʻoku pulepule hono fulufulu, ʻoku tauʻi ia ʻe he manupuna kotoa pē; haʻu ʻakimoutolu ʻae fanga manu ʻoe vao, ke mou fakataha mai ʻo kai.

10 The keepers of sheep have been the destruction of my vine-garden, crushing my heritage under their feet; they have made my fair heritage an unplanted waste;

Kuo maumauʻi ʻeku ngoue vaine ʻe he kau tauhi tokolahi, kuo nau malamalaki ʻa hoku ʻapi, kuo nau ngaohi hoku tofiʻa lelei ko e vao lala.

11 They have made it waste; it is weeping to me, being wasted; all the land is made waste, because no man takes it to heart.

Kuo nau fakalala ia, pea ʻi heʻene lala ʻoku ne tangi kiate au; kuo fakalala ʻae fonua kotoa pē, koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai tokanga ki ai ʻe ha tangata.

12 Those who make waste have come on all the open hilltops in the waste land; for the sword of the Lord sends destruction from one end of the land to the other end of the land: no flesh has peace.

Kuo haʻu ʻae kau fakaʻauha ki he ngaahi potu māʻolunga kotoa pē ʻi he toafa: koeʻuhi ʻe fakaʻauha ʻaki ʻae heletā ʻa Sihova mei he ngataʻanga ʻe taha ʻoe fonua, ʻio, ʻo aʻu ki he ngataʻanga ʻe taha ʻoe fonua: pea ʻe ʻikai ha fiemālie ki ha taha.

13 Though good grain was planted, they have got in thorns: they have given themselves pain without profit: they will be shamed on account of their produce, because of the burning wrath of the Lord.

Kuo nau tūtuuʻi ʻae uite, ka te nau utu ʻae ʻakau talatala: ʻoku nau feinga, ka ʻe ʻikai ʻaonga ia kiate kinautolu: pea te mou mā ʻi hoʻomou koloa, koeʻuhi ko e houhau kakaha ʻo Sihova.”

14 This is what the Lord has said against all my evil neighbours, who put their hands on the heritage which I gave my people Israel: See, I will have them uprooted from their land, uprooting the people of Judah from among them.

ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “Ki hoku kaungāʻapi kovi kotoa pē, ʻakinautolu ʻoku ala ki he tofiʻa kuo u fakanofo ai ʻa hoku kakai ko ʻIsileli; vakai te u taʻaki ʻakinautolu ʻi honau fonua, pea taʻaki ʻae fale ʻo Siuta ʻiate kinautolu.

15 And it will come about that, after they have been uprooted, I will again have pity on them; and I will take them back, every man to his heritage and every man to his land.

Pea ʻe hoko ʻo pehē, hili ʻeku taʻaki ʻakinautolu, te u foki pea ʻaloʻofa kiate kinautolu, pea te u toe ʻomi ʻakinautolu ko e tangata taki taha ki hono ʻapi, pea ko e tangata taki taha ki hono fonua.

16 And it will be that, if they give their minds to learning the ways of my people, using my name in their oaths, By the living Lord; as they have been teaching my people to take oaths by the Baal; then their place will be made certain among my people.

Pea ʻe hoko ʻo pehē, kapau te nau hangahanga ako ki he ngaahi hala ʻo hoku kakai, ke fuakava ʻi hoku huafa, ‘ʻOku moʻui ʻa Sihova;’ ʻo hangē ko ʻenau ako ki hoku kakai ke fuakava kia Peali; pehē ʻe langa hake ʻakinautolu ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo hoku kakai.”

17 But if they will not give ear, then I will have that nation uprooted, and given to destruction, says the Lord.

Ka ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, “Kapau ʻe ʻikai te nau talangofua, te u taʻaki moʻoni pea fakaʻauha ʻae puleʻanga ko ia.”