God's Care for Israel
1 The Lord told me 2 to proclaim this message to everyone in Jerusalem.
“I remember how faithful you were when you were young,
how you loved me when we were first married;
you followed me through the desert,
through a land that had not been planted.
3 Israel, you belonged to me alone;
you were my sacred possession.
I sent suffering and disaster
on everyone who hurt you.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
The Sin of Israel's Ancestors
4 Listen to the Lord's message, you descendants of Jacob, you tribes of Israel. 5 The Lord says:
“What accusation did your ancestors bring against me?
What made them turn away from me?
They worshiped worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not care about me,
even though I rescued them from Egypt
and led them through the wilderness:
a land of deserts and sand pits,
a dry and dangerous land
where no one lives
and no one will even travel.
7 I brought them into a fertile land,
to enjoy its harvests and its other good things.
But instead they ruined my land;
they defiled the country I had given them.
8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’
My own priests did not know me.
The rulers rebelled against me;
the prophets spoke in the name of Baal
and worshiped useless idols.
The Lord's Case against His People
9 “And so I, the Lord, will state my case against my people again.
I will bring charges against their descendants.
10 Go west to the island of Cyprus,
and send someone eastward to the land of Kedar.
You will see that nothing like this has ever happened before.
11 No other nation has ever changed its gods,
even though they were not real.
But my people have exchanged me,
the God who has brought them honor,
for gods that can do nothing for them.
12 And so I command the sky to shake with horror,
to be amazed and astonished,
13 for my people have committed two sins:
they have turned away from me,
the spring of fresh water,
and they have dug cisterns,
cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all.
The Results of Israel's Unfaithfulness
14 “Israel is not a slave;
he was not born into slavery.
Why then do his enemies hunt him down?
15 They have roared at him like lions;
they have made his land a desert,
and his towns lie in ruins, completely abandoned.
16 Yes, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have cracked his skull.
17 Israel, you brought this on yourself!
You deserted me, the Lord your God,
while I was leading you along the way.
18 What do you think you will gain by going to Egypt
to drink water from the Nile?
What do you think you will gain by going to Assyria
to drink water from the Euphrates?
19 Your own evil will punish you,
and your turning from me will condemn you.
You will learn how bitter and wrong it is
to abandon me, the Lord your God,
and no longer to remain faithful to me.
I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, have spoken.”
Israel Refuses to Worship the Lord
20 The Sovereign Lord says,
“Israel, long ago you rejected my authority;
you refused to obey me and worship me.
On every high hill
and under every green tree
you worshiped fertility gods.
21 I planted you like a choice vine
from the very best seed.
But look what you have become!
You are like a rotten, worthless vine.
22 Even if you washed with the strongest soap,
I would still see the stain of your guilt.
23 How can you say you have not defiled yourself,
that you have never worshiped Baal?
Look how you sinned in the valley;
see what you have done.
You are like a wild camel in heat,
running around loose,
24 rushing into the desert.
When she is in heat, who can control her?
No male that wants her has to trouble himself;
she is always available in mating season.
25 Israel, don't wear your feet out,
or let your throat become dry
from chasing after other gods.
But you say, ‘No! I can't turn back.
I have loved foreign gods
and will go after them.’”
Israel Deserves to Be Punished
26 The Lord says, “Just as a thief is disgraced when caught, so all you people of Israel will be disgraced—your kings and officials, your priests and prophets. 27 You will all be disgraced—you that say that a tree is your father and that a rock is your mother. This will happen because you turned away from me instead of turning to me. But when you are in trouble, you ask me to come and save you.
28 “Where are the gods that you made for yourselves? When you are in trouble, let them save you—if they can! Judah, you have as many gods as you have cities. 29 What is your complaint? Why have you rebelled against me? 30 I punished you, but it did no good; you would not let me correct you. Like a raging lion, you have murdered your prophets. 31 People of Israel, listen to what I am saying. Have I been like a desert to you, like a dark and dangerous land? Why, then, do you say that you will do as you please, that you will never come back to me? 32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry, or a bride her wedding dress? But my people have forgotten me for more days than can be counted. 33 You certainly know how to chase after lovers. Even the worst of women can learn from you. 34 Your clothes are stained with the blood of the poor and innocent, not with the blood of burglars.
“But in spite of all this, 35 you say, ‘I am innocent; surely the Lord is no longer angry with me.’ But I, the Lord, will punish you because you deny that you have sinned. 36 You have cheapened yourself by turning to the gods of other nations. You will be disappointed by Egypt, just as you were by Assyria. 37 You will turn away from Egypt, hanging your head in shame. I, the Lord, have rejected those you trust; you will not gain anything from them.”
Iziraela inofupatila Ndzimu
1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti,
2 “Yenda unoleba mu zebe dze Jerusalema uti,
‘Yahwe bakati, “Ndokumbula kuzwipa kwe butjetjana gugo
ne ludo gugo gwakabe gunga gwe nlongo,
ugala wakandisala shule mu tjilambanyika,
mu shango isakadzwagwa tjimwe.
3 Iziraela yakabe yakayengemala kuna Yahwe,
ntjelo we kutanga we kuvuna kukwe.
Bose bakabatja bakazwibona nlandu
bubi gukabawila,” ’ ”
koleba Yahwe.
4 Ihwani dama la Yahwe imwi ng'umba ya Jakubo ne misha yose ye ng'umba ye Iziraela. 5 Yahwe bakati,
“Nlandu wakawang'wa ndi bobatategulu benyu mu ndili ndiupi,
wakayita kuti bayendile kule nami,
basale shule midzimu isina bhatsho
ngono bakabe basi betjimwe kundili kene?
6 Abazobhuzwa beti, ‘Yahwe bangayi kene,
ibo bakatidusa mu shango ye Egipiti,
ibo bakatitungamila mu tjilambanyika,
mu shango yakakwakwalala ina makomba,
mu shango ye bhamba ne zhalima demadema,
mu shango isina unoipalama,
kusina nthu unogala muili kene?’
7 Ndakamuzhisa mu shango ye bhokonyogwa,
kuti muje mitjelo yayo na zose zwayo zwakanaka.
Koga makati mungina muili mukatemapadza shango yangu,
mukathama thaka yangu tjinoshimisa.
8 Bapirisiti abazobhuzwa beti, ‘Yahwe bangayi kene?’
Ibo bakabe beshinga nge nlayo bakabe basinga ndizibe,
balauli bakandipandukila,
balebesambeli belebelekelambeli na Bhaale,
bakasala shule midzimu isina bhatsho.
9 “Ndizo ndina ndebo namwi,”
koleba Yahwe.
“Nenge bana be bana benyu ndowobe ne ndebo nabo.
10 Tjulukilani ku tjekelo dze Khitimu mubone,
kene tumani bathu ku Kedari banolingisisa nge njele,
mubone kuti kwakatongobe ne tjakajali kene.
11 Apa itjaba tjakatongo teetshanya midzimu yatjo,
nenguba isi midzimu dumbu kene?
Koga bathu bangu bakateetshanya gudzo labo,
nge midzimu isina bhatsho.
12 Kaabalani imwi mazhuzhugwi ngekwa itjetji,
Lobgwani ne hana musale musina mate,”
koleba Yahwe.
13 “Ngoti bathu bangu bathama zwibi zwibili,
bakandifupatila,
imi tshime le vula ye butjilo,
bakazwitshila matshime abo,
matshime ana mikhwe asingabhate vula.
14 “Apa Iziraela i nlanda kene?
Apa wakazwaligwa mu bulanda kene?
Ini ngono abe thundu inotapiwa?
15 Shumba dzakambombela,
dzakabombela pezhugwi.
Dzakathama kuti shango iye ithukudzike,
mizi mikulu iye matongo asina bagali.
16 Pezhugwi kwa ipapo balume be Memifisi ne Tahefanesi
bakapkhwanya ipepe tje nsholo uwo.
17 Apa amuzozwizhisila itjetji pezhugwi kwenyu,
nge kufupatila Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu,
tjibaka tjabakabe bakamutungamila mu zila kene?
18 Ngwenu mobuyigwa ngeni kuyenda ku Egipiti,
kunong'wa vula dze Naili kene?
Kene mobuyigwa ngeni ngoyenda ku Asiriya
kunong'wa vula dze Yufuratesi kene?
19 Bubi gwenyu gowomuloba shamu,
kuzwilasha kwenyu kowomutjemela.
Zibani kakale bonani kuti kwakabipa kakale kobaba
kufupatila She Yahwe wenyu,
kunditja akupo mu muli,”
koleba Yahwe Ndzimu Masimbawose.
20 “Ngoti kwatjibe tjibaka makavuna jokwi lenyu
makathubula misungo yenyu,
ngono muti, ‘Atitowomushingila.’
Ee, mu duthu limwe ne limwe lefulefu,
ne kusi kwe miti mimwe ne mimwe mitala
mukalala pasi se fukula.
21 Ngono imi ndakamudzwala muli nzhambi mbuyanana,
muli mbewu yakanaka dumbu.
Kwakazha tjini kuti mundishandukile mube bakabola
mube nzhambi we shango kene?
22 Nenguba mungula nge isipa
mukashingisa isipa tjinjinji,
kubasa kwe jinyo lenyu kutji mbeli kwangu,
koleba She Yahwe.
23 Mungaleba tjini wali muti, ‘Atizotemapala
atizotobela bo Bhaale?’
Bonani kuti makazwibhata tjini ku nkuku,
bonani zwamakathama,
monga kamela hadzi,
inolabuka iyenda yeno na yeno itjuluka zila ishaka ndume,
24 monga donki tje shango tjakawolobela tjilambanyika,
tjinuhwidza phepo tjikwiyigwa,
ndiyani ungadziba njemulo dzatjo wali?
Bose banotjishaka akuna unozwinyadza nge kwatjo,
mu tjibaka tje kukwiyigwa banowotjibona.
25 Musitizhe kudzina matshambo enyu esubuka
ne hwulo dzenyu dzikawomelela nge nyota.
Koga makati, ‘Akutobhatsha,
ngoti takada midzimu ipoga,
ngono towoitobela.’
26 “Koga se mbava inobhakhwa nge shoni yabhakhwa
ne ng'umba ye Iziraela bo inobhakhwa nge shoni,
ibo na bomambo babo ne makulukota abo
ne bapirisiti babo ne balebesambeli babo,
27 ibo banoti ku guni, ‘U tate bedu,’
ku bgwe bakati, ‘Makatizwala,’
ngoti bakandifupatila
pana kuti bashandukile kundili,
koga abali mu mang'oni banoti,
‘Milikani mutitjidze!’
28 Midzimu yenyu ingayi,
iyo yamakazwithamila kene?
Ngaimilike ha ingamutjidza,
mu tjibaka tje mang'oni enyu,
ngoti koga se bunji gwe mizi yenyu
ne midzimu yenyu minji bo, imwi Bajuda.
29 “Ini mung'ong'ola nge kwangu?
Makandipandukila,
koleba Yahwe.
30 “Bana benyu ndakabalobela suli,
abazo tjemeleka,
mathumo enyu anolobesa balebesambeli benyu
se shumba inozandabula.
31 Koga tjizekugwana ndimwi bhulutanani dama la Yahwe.
Apa ndakatongobe tjilambanyika ku Iziraela kene,
kene abe shango ye ishaka tjakati tshi?
Ngono ini bathu bangu beti, ‘Takasununguka,
atingazhe kumuli kene?’
32 Apa mwanadi ungakangang'wa zwizholo zwizwe,
kene nlongo thako iye ye ndobolo kene?
Bathu bangu bakandikangang'wa,
kwe mazhuba asina mbalo.
33 “Moziba seni zila yenyu yekushaka ludo
bakadzi be zwinyanya bangazwidiya mu muli.
34 Ne mu zwiambalo zwenyu kowanika
malopa e bashayi basina nlandu,
koga musakabawana bepkhwanya ng'umba,
ne kwakajalo,
35 moti, ‘Atina nlandu,
nge malebeswa gwadzamoyo kwabo kwashanduka patili.’
Bonani, ndowomuzhisa kuti musumikilisiwe,
ngoti makati, ‘Amuzo thama tjibi.’
36 Ini mugala mushandula zila dzenyu tjinyolotjo?
Mowobhatisiwa shoni ne Egipiti
sekwa makabhatisiwa shoni ne Asiriya.
37 Ne muili mowobhuda koga,
makasenga maboko mu misholo yenyu,
ngoti Yahwe balamba ibabo bamunogalabgwe,
ngono amutowobhudilila nge kwabo.