< 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.
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 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 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 chemichemi za mvua zilizuiliwa na mvua za vuli hazikunyesha. Lakini uso wako una kiburi, kama uso wa mwanamke kahaba. Unakataa kuona aibu.
And you did retain many shepherds for a stumbling block to yourself: you had a whore's face, you did become shameless towards all.
4 Na sasa hutaniita mimi: 'Baba yangu, hata marafiki zangu wa tangu ujanani! Je, atakuwa na hasira dhidi yangu milele?
Hast you not called me as it were a home, and the father and guide of your virgin-time?
5 Je, utaendelea kuwa na hasira zako?' Tazama! Umesema kuwa utatenda maovu, na kweli umetenda hivyo. kwa hiyo endelea kufanya hivyo!”
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 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 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 Nikisema, 'Baada ya kuwa amefanya mambo haya yote, atanirudia,' lakini hakurudi. Kisha dada yake Yuda ambaye ni mwasi pia aliona alichokifanya.
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 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!
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 Hukusikitika kuwa ameinajisi nchi, kwa hiyo wakatengeneza sanamu za mti na za jiwe.
And her fornication was nothing accounted of; and she committed adultery with wood and stone.
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 for all these things faithless Juda turned not to me with all her heart, but falsely.
11 Kisha BWANA akanena na mimi, “Israeli muasi amekuwa mwenye haki zaidi kuliko Yuda muasi!
And the Lord said to me, Israel has justified himself more than faithless 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 read these words towards 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 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.
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 waasi! - asema BWANA - kwa kuwa mimi nimekuoa wewe! Nitakurudisha wewe mmoja katika mji, wawili katika ukoo mmoja, na nitawarudisha 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 Nitawapa wachungaji niwapendao, na watawachunga kwa maarifa na ufahamu.
and I will give you shepherds after my heart, and they shall certainly tend you with knowledge.
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 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 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.
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 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 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 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.
And I said, So be it, Lord, for [you said] I will set you amongst 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 aliyemwasi mume wake, mmenisaliti, enyi 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 Sauti ilisikika juu ya nyanda, kilio na kusihi kwa watu wa Israeli! kwa kuwa wamezibadili njia; 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 mlioasi! Nami nitawaponya na uasi wenu!” “Tazama! tutakuja kwako, kwa kuwa 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 Uongo hutoka kwenye vilima, kutoka kwenye milima mingi. Kwa hakika wokovu wa Israeli unapatikana kwa BWANA, Mungu wetu.
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 Lakini miungu ya aibu imeramba kazi ambayo mababu zetu waliifanya - makundi yao ya kondoo na ng'ombe, wana wao na binti zao!
But shame has consumed the labours of our fathers from our youth; their sheep and their calves, and 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 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.

< Yeremia 3 >