< Jeremiah 3 >

1 “It is commonly said: ‘If a man has divorced his wife, and she departs from him, she will marry another man.’ So why would he return to her again? Is not that woman polluted and defiled? But you have fornicated yourself with many lovers. Even so, return to me, says the Lord, and I will accept you.
“Ọ bụrụ na nwoke agbaara nwunye ya alụkwaghị m, nwanyị ahụ ahapụ ya pụọ ga lụrụ nwoke ọzọ, di mbụ ya ahụ, o kwesiri ịlaghachi ka ọ lụọkwa ya ọzọ? Ọ bụ na agaghị emerụ ala ahụ nke ukwuu? Ma unu ebiela ndụ dịka ndị akwụna nwere ọtụtụ ndị iko, ọ bụ ugbu a ka unu ga-alaghachikwute m?” otu ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
2 Lift your eyes straight up, and see where you did not debase yourself. You were sitting in the roadways, waiting for them, like a robber in the wilderness. And you have polluted the land by your fornications and by your wickedness.
“Welie anya gị abụọ ma lee ebe niile nke dị elu nke ọhịa na-adịghị nʼala a, olee ebe gị na ndị ikom na-edinakọbeghị nʼịkwa iko? Ị na-anọ nʼakụkụ ụzọ niile na-eche ndị iko, na-anọkwa dịka onye Arebịa nʼọzara. Ị werela ịkwa iko gị niile na ihe ọjọọ gị merụọ ala a.
3 For this reason, the rain showers were withheld, and there were no late season rains. You made your face like that of a promiscuous woman; you were not willing to blush.
Ọ bụ nke a mere mmiri ji kwụsị izokwara unu, ọbụla dị mmiri nke na-ezo nʼoge ọkọchị. Nʼihi na unu bụ ndị akwụna, ndị ihere na-adịghị eme.
4 Therefore, at least from this moment on, call out to me: ‘You are my father, the guide of my virginity.’
Ọ dịbeghị anya mgbe unu kpọrọ m, sị m, ‘Nna m, ị bụ enyi m kemgbe m dị na nwantakịrị.
5 Why should you be angry unceasingly? And will you continue in this to the end? Behold, you have spoken and done evil, for you were able to do so.”
Iwe gị ọ ga-adịgide mgbe niile? Iwe gị dị ọkụ ọ ga-adịgide ebighị ebi?’ Otu a ka unu si ekwu okwu, ma unu nọgidesịrị ike na-eme ihe ọjọọ niile unu nwere ike ime.”
6 And, in the days of king Josiah, the Lord said to me: “Have you not seen what the apostate Israel has done? She has brought herself up to every lofty mountain, and she has lain down under every leafy tree, and she has committed fornication there.
Ozi a, nke si nʼọnụ Onyenwe anyị pụta, rutere m aka nʼoge eze Josaya na-achị. Lee ihe ọ gwara m. “Ị hụla ihe Izrel na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi na-eme? Ọ gaala nʼelu ugwu ọbụla dị elu nakwa nʼokpuru osisi ndụ ọbụla, na-akwa iko nʼebe ahụ.
7 And when she had done all these things, I said: ‘Return to me.’ But she did not return. And her deceitful sister Judah saw this:
Echere m na mgbe o mesịrị ihe ndị a niile na ọ ga-alọghachikwute m, ma ọ lọtaghị. Nwanne ya nwanyị bụ Juda, onye na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi hụkwara ya.
8 that because the apostate Israel had committed adultery, I had dismissed her and had given her a bill of divorce. Yet her deceitful sister Judah was not afraid. But she, too, went and committed fornication herself.
Enyere m Izrel na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi akwụkwọ alụkwaghị m, chụpụ ya nʼihi ndụ ịkwa iko ya, ma lee na nwanne ya nwanyị onye na-ekwesịkwaghị ntụkwasị obi bụ Juda atụghị egwu. Ọ gakwara nʼihu ịkwa iko.
9 And by the act of her fornication, she defiled the land. For she committed adultery with that which is stone and wood.
Ma nke a emeghị ka ihere mee ya. O merụọla ala, ọ na-akwakwa iko site nʼife nkume na osisi.
10 And after all these things, her deceitful sister Judah has not returned to me with her whole heart, but with lies, says the Lord.”
Nʼagbanyeghị nke a, nwanne ya nwanyị nke na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi, bụ Juda ejighị obi ya lọghachikwute m, maọbụ naanị nlọghachi aghụghọ,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
11 And the Lord said to me: “The apostate Israel has justified her own soul by comparing herself to the deceitful Judah.
Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị sịrị m, “Izrel na-adaghachi azụ na-egosi onwe ya nʼonye ezi omume karịa Juda onye na-aghọ aghụghọ.
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and you shall say: Return, O apostate Israel, says the Lord. For I will not avert my face from you. For I am holy, says the Lord, and I will not be angry forever.
Gaa, kwusaa ozi a nʼụzọ ugwu, na-asị, “‘Lọta, gị Izrel nke na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi,’ otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara, ‘Agaghị m ewesokwa gị iwe ọzọ, nʼihi na abụ m onye obi ebere,’ otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara, ‘Agaghị m ewe iwe ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.
13 So then, truly acknowledge your iniquity, that you have betrayed the Lord your God, and that you have spread your ways to strangers, under every leafy tree, and that you have not listened to my voice, says the Lord.
Naanị nabata na ị bụ onye ikpe mara, na i nupula isi megide Onyenwe anyị, bụ Chineke gị. Kwupụta na i werela onwe gị kesara ndị mba ọzọ dị iche iche nʼokpuru osisi ndụ niile, na ị jụkwara irubere m isi.’” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
14 Convert, O rebellious sons, says the Lord. For I am your leader. And so, I will take you, one from a city, and two from a family, and I will lead you into Zion.
“Lọghachinụ unu ndị na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi,” ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara, sị, “nʼihi abụ m di unu. M ga-ahọrọ unu, otu onye site nʼotu obodo na mmadụ abụọ site nʼotu agbụrụ. M ga-akpọghachi unu Zayọn.
15 And I will give you pastors according to my own heart. And they will feed you with knowledge and doctrine.
Mgbe ahụ, aga m enye unu ndị ọzụzụ atụrụ masịrị m, ndị ga-eji amamihe na nghọta duo unu.
16 And when you have been multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, they will no longer say: ‘The Ark of the covenant of the Lord!’ And it will not enter into the heart, and they will not call it to mind. It will neither be visited, nor made use of, any longer.
Nʼụbọchị ahụ, mgbe ọnụọgụgụ unu mụbara dị ukwuu nʼala ahụ,” otu ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri ya, “ndị mmadụ agaghị asịkwa ọzọ, ‘igbe ọgbụgba ndụ nke Onyenwe anyị.’ Ọ gaghị abakwa ha nʼobi maọbụ ha echeta ya; ọ gaghị adịkwa ha mkpa maọbụ emepụtakwa ọzọ.
17 In that time, Jerusalem will be called: ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ And all the nations will be gathered to it, in the name of the Lord, in Jerusalem. And they will not walk after the depravity of their own most wicked heart.
Mgbe oge ahụ ruru, aha a ga-akpọ Jerusalem bụ Ocheeze Onyenwe anyị. Mba niile kwa ga-ezukọta nʼebe ahụ ife m ofufe. Ha agakwaghị agbaso echiche obi ọjọọ ha.
18 In those days, the house of Judah will go to the house of Israel, and they will come from the land of the north, at the same time, to the land that I gave to your fathers.
Nʼụbọchị ahụ ndị Juda ga-adịnyere ndị Izrel, ha abụọ ga-ejikọta aka site nʼala ahụ dị nʼugwu bịa nʼala nke m nyere nna nna unu dịka ihe nketa.”
19 But I said: How shall I place you among the sons, and distribute to you a desirable land, the preeminent inheritance of the host of the Gentiles? And I said: You will call me Father, and you will not cease to walk after me.
“Mụ onwe m kwuru sị, “‘Lee ka ọ ga-esi masị m imeso unu mmeso dịka unu bụ ụmụ m ndị ikom, nye unu ala dị mma nke ga-ewetara unu ọṅụ, nke bụ ihe nketa kachasị mma na mba niile.’ Ana m eche na unu ga-akpọ m ‘Nna’ ma hapụ iwezuga onwe unu site nʼịgbaso m.
20 But, in the same way that a woman spurns her lover, so also has the house of Israel spurned me, says the Lord.”
Ma dịka nwunye na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi, i gosila onwe gị, O Izrel na ị bụ onye a na-ekwesighị ịtụkwasị obi” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
21 A voice has been heard in the highways, the weeping and wailing of the sons of Israel. For they have made their own ways sinful; they have forgotten the Lord their God.
A na-anụ ụzụ mkpu akwa nʼelu ugwu. Ọ bụ ụzụ akwa ụmụ Izrel ndị na-arịọ arịrịọ nʼihi na ha ebiela ndụ mmehie; ha echefuokwala Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke ha.
22 “Convert, O rebellious sons! And I will heal your rebelliousness.” “Behold, we are returning to you. For you are the Lord our God!
“Lọghachinụ, unu bụ ndị na-adaghachi azụ. Mụ onwe m ga-agwọ unu ndaghachi azụ unu.” Ma unu na-aza sị, “E, anyị na-alọghachikwute gị nʼihi na gị onwe gị bụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị.
23 Truly, the hills were liars, with the multitude of the mountains. Truly, the salvation of Israel is in the Lord our God.
Nʼezie, aghụghọ, ka mkpọtụ ofufe nke arụsị niile, nʼelu ugwu nta dị iche iche na nʼelu ugwu niile bụ, nʼezie, nʼime Onyenwe anyị, bụ Chineke anyị ka nzọpụta Izrel dị.
24 Confusion has devoured the labor of our fathers, from our youth, with their flocks and their herds, with their sons and their daughters.
Ma site mgbe anyị dị na nwantakịrị, ihe ihere ahụ eripịala mkpụrụ sitere na ndọgbu nʼọrụ nke nna nna anyị ha igwe anụ ụlọ na ehi ha, ụmụ ha ndị ikom na ụmụ ha ndị inyom.
25 We will sleep in our confusion, and our disgrace will cover us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God: we and our fathers, from our youth, even to this day. And we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.”
Ka anyị dinara ala nʼihere anyị, ka ọnọdụ oke ihere dịrị anyị kpuchikwa anyị. Anyị na nna nna anyị ha emehiela megide Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị; site mgbe anyị dị na nwantakịrị ruo taa o nwebeghị mgbe anyị ji rube isi ime ihe Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị nyere nʼiwu.”

< Jeremiah 3 >