Jerusalema usingagalikemoyo
1 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 2 “Nkololo we Nthu, lingisa Jerusalema mishingo yawo inoshimisa 3 ube uti, ‘Tjinolebgwa ndi She Yahwe ku Jerusalema etji, Wakatangisa ku shango ye Bakanana kwawakazwaligwa, tate babo bakabe bali N'amori, ngono mme yabo bali Nhiti. 4 Zhuba lawakazwagwa ikombo tjitjo atjizothubugwa, awuzongudziwa nge vula kuti ube mbuyanana, auzotshikitidziwa mwenyu kene ukapetegwa nge matyila. 5 Akuna wakakuhwila zogwadza, kene kukuhwila ngoni kakuthamila tjimwe tje zwithu izwezwi, koga wakalashigwa kutjena ngoti wakashimiwa mu zhuba lawakazwagwa ndilo.
6 “ ‘Ndakapinda pawakabe walashigwa akubona uthulana mu malopa awo, ngono ukati ulilele ipapo abe nditi ku kuli, “Tjila!” 7 Ndakakuthama kuti ukule se nti umu nnda. Wakakula ukabundila ukabe mbuya kupinda. Mazhamu awo kabhuda ne mavudzi awo kakula, iwe wakabe uli mbujo. 8 Ndakapinda pakuli kakale akulinga, ngono bona wakula walizana ludo. Ndakamilidza bhapilo le hazu yangu akufukidza kusafuka kuko. Ndakatuna ku kuli ngono angina mu tjidumano nawe ngono ukabe wangu. Koleba She Yahwe.
9 “ ‘Ipapo akungudza nge vula adusa malopa mukuli ngono akuzhodza mafuta. 10 Ndakakuambadza zwiambalo zwakanakisiwa ne shangu dze ganda buya. Ndakakuambadza zwiambalo zwe jila lakanaka ne zwifuko zwe themba ipezhugwi. 11 Ndakakunakisa nge zwakanaka: Ndakakuambadza maseka mu maboko awo ne ndalama mu ntshibha uwo, 12 ne ng'ina mu tjimilo tjitjo ne mang'ina mu zebe dzidzo ndibe ndikuambadza tjiala tjakanaka mu nsholo uwo. 13 Wakabe wakanakisiwa nge golide ne siliva, zwiambalo zwizo zwakabe zwili zwe jila buya zwe themba ipezhugwi, jila lakanakisiwa nge thali. Zojiwa zwizo zwakabe zwili bgwisa gwakanathiwa ne butji ne mafuta. Wakati ukanaka kwazo ngono ukalizana kube nfumakadzi. 14 Kuzibika kuko kukayenda nge njudzi ngekwe bubuya gugo ngoti gwakabe gwakapelela nge kukunakisa kwandakakuthama. Koleba She Yahwe. 15 Koga iwe ukabiga mu bubuya gugo ngono ngozibika kuko ungafukula. Wakada mmwe ne mmwe wakapinda pakuli bubuya gugo gukabe gugwe. 16 Wakatola zwimwe zwe zwiambalo zwizo ukazwibakila unakisa paunonamatila uthama bufebe gugo. Akuna tjakajali tjakatongoshingikala kene tjitjawoshingikala kakale. 17 Iwe kakale wakatola zwakanaka zwakathamiwa nge golide yangu ne siliva yandakakupa ube uzwithamila midzimu ye zwifano ye tjilume ube ufukula nayo. 18 Ngono wa katola zwiambalo zwizo zwakathumiwa nge thali ukazwifukidza ukazwipa mafuta angu ne motsha. 19 Zojiwa zwandakakupa naizobo, bgwisa gwakanathiwa ne mafuta ne butji zwandakakupa kuti uje, wakazwipa se nnuhwo unozipa ku zwili. Ikoku ndiko kwakashingikala. Koleba She Yahwe.
20 “ ‘Ipapo wakatola bakololo ne bakololokadzi babo bawakandizwalila ube ubathama zwibhayilo zwe zojiwa ku midzimu ye zwifano. Kukanga kunodwa kuti bufukula gugo aguzogutshika. 21 Wakabulaya bana bangu ukabathama zwibhayilo zwe midzimu. 22 Ngono mu mishingo iyo yose inoshimika ne bufebe gugo auzokumbula mazhuba e butjetjana gugo, pawakabe uli mbujo usakambala, uthulana mu malopa awo.
23 “ ‘Yee mme wee! Wapalala ngekwe bubi gugo. Koleba She Yahwe, 24 wakazwibakila dala ukazwithamila bugalo gupezhugwi mu tjibata tjimwe ne tjimwe. 25 Ku mapelelo e zila imwe ne imwe ukabaka matembezelelo awo akakula ukafukula nge bubuya gugo, uzwipa mu mmwe ne mmwe unopinda paulipo uwatsha bufebe gugo. 26 Wakangina mu bufebe ne Baegipiti, babakidzani nawe be yemula mbi, undithumula kuti ndigwadze moyo nge kuwandisa bufebe gugo. 27 Ndizo ndakamilidza luboko gwangu kukuloba, ndakatapudza ntuthu uwo abe ndikulonga mu maboko e zwita zwizo, bakololokadzi be Bafilisitiya ibo bakabhatisiwa shoni nge bufebe gugo. 28 Wakafukula ne Baasiriya, ngono wakabe usingagutshike, wakafukula nabo ngono ukasigutshikezo. 29 Ipapo ukawatsha bufukula gugo nge Bakhaladiya, shango ye baseenyi ngono ukasigutshikezo ndiyibaba.
30 “ ‘Moyo uwo nlelulelu kungapani, koleba She Yahwe, kwaunodza ukashinga zwithu zose izwezwi, mishingo ye fukula isingatjatilimuke. 31 Unobaka dala mu mapelelo e zila imwe ne imwe, uthama paunonamatila pakamilikila pezhugwi mu tjibata tjimwe ne tjimwe! Koga usingange fukula nge kulamba mari anokulipa. 32 Phombgwekadzi ndiwe unoda bataya kupinda nlume uwo! 33 Fukula imwe ne imwe inoamutjila tja inolipiwa nditjo, koga iwe wakapa zwamba zwizo zose zwipo, ubatenga kuzha ku kuli kudwa kumwe ne kumwe kwaunofukulila. 34 Ndizo wali mu bufukula gugo autonga bamwe, akuna unokusala shule ekushaka. Autonga bamwe, iwe unolipa koga iwe usingalipiwe. 35 Ndizo wali iwe fukula, ihwa dama la Yahwe. 36 Tjinolebgwa ndi She Yahwe etji, Nge kuti yemula dzidzo wakadziletjedzela, wakaambuka ukasala uli mbujo mu bufebe gugo ne zwamba zwizo, kakale nenge kwe midzimu iyo yose ye zwifano inoshimika, nenge kuti wakaipa malopa e bana babo, 37 ndizo wali ndowokubunganya zwamba zwizo zose bawakatongo shatha nabo, ibabo bakabe bekuda ne bakabe bekubenga. Ndowobakubunganya bedwa mu mbizho dzose kugwa nawe ngono ndowokuambula mbeli kwabo ngono banowobona bumbujo gugo gose. 38 Ndowokusumikilisila shamu ye bakadzi banothama bupombgwe kakale betebula malopa, ndowokubgwilizila nge bushongola gwangu ndakagwadza moyo nlandu we kutebula malopa. 39 Ndowokulonga mu maboko abo, ngono banowoliga dala lilo ngono bakakolomodza matembezelelo awo akamilidzika. Banowokumbula zwiambalo zwizo ngono bakatola zwakanaka zwizo ngono bakakusiya uli mbujo. 40 Banowokudanila mbunga unowokukatsha nge mabgwe ukakutemelela nge bukano. 41 Banowopisa ng'umba dzidzo bakakuloba shamu mbeli kwe bakadzi banjinji. Ndowomisa bufukula gugo, ne zwamba zwizo autjowozwilipa. 42 Ndizo bushongola gwangu gowotapudzika ne kugwadzamoyo kwangu nge fupa nge kuko kowopela, ndowogadzikana ndisingatjagwadze moyo.
43 “ ‘Nge kuti auzokumbula mazhuba e butjetjana gugo koga ukandigwadzisa moyo nge zwithu zose izwezwi, ndizo wali ndakabgwilizila mishingo iyo. Koleba She Yahwe. Apa auzopaphidza mishingo iyo yose yakabipa nge bufebe gugo kene?
44 “ ‘Mmwe ne mmwe unoshingisa makungulupeswa, unoleba gungulupeswa eli ngekuko, “Nkololokadzi unotodza mmeyabe.” 45 Iwe u nkololokadzi wa mmeyabo nge malebeswa, ibo bakashima nlume wabo ne bana babo kakale u nnung'una we malebeswa ku bakulu babo be tjikadzi, ibo bakashima balume babo ne bana babo. Mmeyabo bakabe bali Nhiti, tate babo bali N'amori. 46 Nkulu uwo hwola we tjikadzi ndi Samariya wakabe egala ku bunandzwa gugo ne bakololokadzi babe, nnung'una uwo we tjikadzi wakabe egala ku burwa gugo ndi Sodoma ana bakololokadzi babe. 47 Iwe auzoyenda mu zila dzabo uka idzelela mipanga yabo inoshimika koga, mu tjibaka tjitukununu wanyanya mu zila dzidzo. 48 Nge malebeswa se ndi tjila, koleba She Yahwe, nnung'una uwo we tjikadzi Sodoma ne bakololokadzi babe abazotongo thama iwe tjawakathama ne bakololokadzi babo.
49 “ ‘Nlandu we nnung'una uwo we tjikadzi Sodoma ndiwoyu: Iye ne bakololokadzi babe bakabe bezwida, beguta, basina anya, abazoda kubhatsha bashayi ne banosheta. 50 Bakabe bezwikudza bethama zwithu zwinoshimika mbeli kwangu. Ndizo wali ndakabalobesa sekwa unoziba. 51 Samariya aazothama gaswa le zwibi zwawakathama. Iwe wakathama zwinoshimika kubapinda, ngono nge mishingo iyo yawakashinga ukathama nkulu uwo we tjikadzi ne nnung'una uwo bakanga bakalulwama. 52 Senga mabhatisashoni awo, ngoti wathama kuti nkulu uwo ne nnung'una uwo bawang'we bakalulwama. Zwibi zwizo sezwakabipa kupinda zwabo, banolingika bakalulwama kukupinda. Ndizo wali bhakhwa nge shoni usenge mabhatisashoni awo, nge kuti wathama nkulu uwo ne nnung'una uwo bakalingika bakalulwama.
53 “ ‘Ndowobabgwiliza mu tjimo tjabo, tjimo tje Sodoma ne bakololokadzi babe ne tjimo tje Samariya ne bakololokadzi babe ne tjimo tjitjo kang'ompela ne zwabo, 54 kuita kuti usenge mabhatisashoni awo ndizo ubhakhwe nge shoni ngekwe mishingo yose yawakashinga kubapa kushatha. 55 Ngekwe nkulu uwo ne nnung'una uwo, Sodoma ne bakololokadzi babe banowobgwilila mu tjimo tjabo tje kutanga, Samariya ne bakololokadzi babe banowobgwilila mu tjimo tjabo tje kutanga, iwe ne bakololokadzi babo mowobgwilila mu tjimo tjenyu tje kutanga. 56 Wakabe usingake ukadana zina le nnung'una uwo Sodoma tjibaka tjawakabe utjazwida, 57 tjibaka tjakabe mbipo iyo isathu ikazwimbunugwa. Ngwenu utjiseko ku bakololokadzi ba Aramu ne ku babakidzani naye, ne ku bakololokadzi be Bafilisitiya, bose koga kukupoteleka banokushima. 58 Wakafanila uamutjile shamu ye bufukula gugo ne mishingo iyo yakabipa. Koleba She Yahwe.
Tjidumano tjisingapele
59 “ ‘She Yahwe bakati, Ndowokubhata nge zila yakalingisana ne tjawakashinga, wakazwikangang'wisa kutuna kwangu nge kutjuluka tjidumano tjangu. 60 Koga ndowokumbula tjidumano tjangu tjandakathama nawe mu mazhuba e butjetjana gugo, ngono ndowothama tjidumano nawe tjisingapele. 61 Ipapo unowokumbula zila dzidzo ngono ukabhakhwa nge shoni uamutjila nkulu uwo ne nnung'una uwo be tjikadzi. Ndowokupa ibo kube bakololokadzi babo, koga kuzhe kwe tjidumano tjangu nawe. 62 Ndowothama tjidumano tjangu nawe, ngono unowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe. 63 Ndowoti ndithama mbakisano nawe ngekwe zwawakathama, unowokumbula ngono ukabhakhwa nge shoni ngono ukasitongo zhula nlomo kakale ngekwe kuzwiyisa pasi kuko. Koleba She Yahwe.’ ”
Jerusalem the Unfaithful
1 The Lord spoke to me again. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “point out to Jerusalem what disgusting things she has done. 3 Tell Jerusalem what the Sovereign Lord is saying to her:
“You were born in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. 4 When you were born, no one cut your umbilical cord or washed you or rubbed you with salt or wrapped you in cloths. 5 No one took enough pity on you to do any of these things for you. When you were born, no one loved you. You were thrown out in an open field.
6 “Then I passed by and saw you squirming in your own blood. You were covered with blood, but I wouldn't let you die. 7 I made you grow like a healthy plant. You grew strong and tall and became a young woman. Your breasts were well-formed, and your hair had grown, but you were naked.
8 “As I passed by again, I saw that the time had come for you to fall in love. I covered your naked body with my coat and promised to love you. Yes, I made a marriage covenant with you, and you became mine.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.
9 “Then I took water and washed the blood off you. I rubbed olive oil on your skin. 10 I dressed you in embroidered gowns and gave you shoes of the best leather, a linen headband, and a silk cloak. 11 I put jewels on you—bracelets and necklaces. 12 I gave you a nose ring and earrings and a beautiful crown to wear. 13 You had ornaments of gold and silver, and you always wore clothes of embroidered linen and silk. You ate bread made from the best flour, and had honey and olive oil to eat. Your beauty was dazzling, and you became a queen. 14 You became famous in every nation for your perfect beauty, because I was the one who made you so lovely.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.
15 “But you took advantage of your beauty and fame to sleep with everyone who came along. 16 You used some of your clothes to decorate your places of worship, and just like a prostitute, you gave yourself to everyone. 17 You took the silver and gold jewelry that I had given you, used it to make male images, and committed adultery with them. 18 You took the embroidered clothes I gave you and put them on the images, and you offered to the images the olive oil and incense I had given you. 19 I gave you food—the best flour, olive oil, and honey—but you offered it as a sacrifice to win the favor of idols.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.
20 “Then you took the sons and the daughters you had borne me and offered them as sacrifices to idols. Wasn't it bad enough to be unfaithful to me, 21 without taking my children and sacrificing them to idols? 22 During your disgusting life as a prostitute you never once remembered your childhood—when you were naked, squirming in your own blood.”
Jerusalem's Life as a Prostitute
23 The Sovereign Lord said, “You are doomed! Doomed! You did all that evil, and then 24 by the side of every road you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. 25 You dragged your beauty through the mud. You offered yourself to everyone who came by, and you were more of a prostitute every day. 26 You let your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, go to bed with you, and you used your prostitution to make me angry.
27 “Now I have raised my hand to punish you and to take away your share of my blessing. I have handed you over to the Philistines, who hate you and are disgusted with your immoral actions.
28 “Because you were not satisfied by the others, you went running after the Assyrians. You were their prostitute, but they didn't satisfy you either. 29 You were also a prostitute for the Babylonians, that nation of merchants, but they didn't satisfy you either.”
30 This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “You have done all this like a shameless prostitute. 31 On every street you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. But you are not out for money like a common prostitute. 32 You are like a woman who commits adultery with strangers instead of loving her husband. 33 A prostitute is paid, but you gave presents to all your lovers and bribed them to come from everywhere to sleep with you. 34 You are a special kind of prostitute. No one forced you to become one. You didn't get paid; you paid them! Yes, you are different.”
God's Judgment on Jerusalem
35 Now then, Jerusalem, you whore! Hear what the Lord is saying.
36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “You stripped off your clothes, and like a prostitute, you gave yourself to your lovers and to all your disgusting idols, and you killed your children as sacrifices to idols. 37 Because of this I will bring all your former lovers together—the ones you liked and the ones you hated. I will bring them around you in a circle, and then I will strip off your clothes and let them see you naked. 38 I will condemn you for adultery and murder, and in my anger and fury I will punish you with death. 39 I will put you in their power, and they will tear down the places where you engage in prostitution and worship idols. They will take away your clothes and jewels and leave you completely naked.
40 “They will stir up a crowd to stone you, and they will cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn your houses down and let crowds of women see your punishment. I will make you stop being a prostitute and make you stop giving gifts to your lovers. 42 Then my anger will be over, and I will be calm. I will not be angry or jealous any more. 43 You have forgotten how I treated you when you were young, and you have made me angry by all the things you did. That is why I have made you pay for them all. Why did you add sexual immorality to all the other disgusting things you did?” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
Like Mother, Like Daughter
44 The Lord said, “People will use this proverb about you, Jerusalem: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You really are your mother's daughter. She detested her husband and her children. You are like your sisters, who hated their husbands and their children. You and your sister cities had a Hittite mother and an Amorite father.
46 “Your older sister, with her villages, is Samaria, in the north. Your younger sister, with her villages, is Sodom, in the south. 47 Were you satisfied to follow in their footsteps and copy their disgusting actions? No, in only a little while you were acting worse than they were in everything you did.
48 “As surely as I am the living God,” the Sovereign Lord says, “your sister Sodom and her villages never did the evil that you and your villages have done. 49 She and her daughters were proud because they had plenty to eat and lived in peace and quiet, but they did not take care of the poor and the underprivileged. 50 They were proud and stubborn and did the things that I hate, so I destroyed them, as you well know.
51 “Samaria did not sin half as much as you have. You have acted more disgustingly than she ever did. Your corruption makes your sisters look innocent by comparison. 52 And now you will have to endure your disgrace. Your sins are so much worse than those of your sisters that they look innocent beside you. Now blush and bear your shame, because you make your sisters look pure.”
Sodom and Samaria Will Be Restored
53 The Lord said to Jerusalem, “I will make them prosperous again—Sodom and her villages and Samaria and her villages. Yes, I will make you prosperous too. 54 You will be ashamed of yourself, and your disgrace will show your sisters how well-off they are. 55 They will become prosperous again, and you and your villages will also be restored. 56 Didn't you joke about Sodom in those days when you were proud 57 and before the evil you did had been exposed? Now you are just like her—a joke to the Edomites, the Philistines, and your other neighbors who hate you. 58 You must suffer for the obscene, disgusting things you have done.” The Lord has spoken.
A Covenant That Lasts Forever
59 The Sovereign Lord says, “I will treat you the way you deserve, because you ignored your promises and broke the covenant. 60 But I will honor the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. 61 You will remember how you have acted, and be ashamed of it when you get your older sister and your younger sister back. I will let them be like daughters to you, even though this was not part of my covenant with you. 62 I will renew my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.