Israel Forsakes God
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
“This is what the Lord says:
“ ‘I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,
through a land not sown.
3Israel was holy to the Lord,
the firstfruits of his harvest;
all who devoured her were held guilty,
and disaster overtook them,’ ”
declares the Lord.
4Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
all you clans of Israel.
5This is what the Lord says:
“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and ravines,
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
9“Therefore I bring charges against you again,”
declares the Lord.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols.
12Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15Lions have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste his land;
his towns are burned and deserted.
16Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have cracked your skull.
17Have you not brought this on yourselves
by forsaking the Lord your God
when he led you in the way?
18Now why go to Egypt
to drink water from the Nile2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile?
And why go to Assyria
to drink water from the Euphrates?
19Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the Lord your God
and have no awe of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
20“Long ago you broke off your yoke
and tore off your bonds;
you said, ‘I will not serve you!’
Indeed, on every high hill
and under every spreading tree
you lay down as a prostitute.
21I had planted you like a choice vine
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt, wild vine?
22Although you wash yourself with soap
and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.
23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;
I have not run after the Baals’?
See how you behaved in the valley;
consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
running here and there,
24a wild donkey accustomed to the desert,
sniffing the wind in her craving—
in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
at mating time they will find her.
25Do not run until your feet are bare
and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!
I love foreign gods,
and I must go after them.’
26“As a thief is disgraced when he is caught,
so the people of Israel are disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
their priests and their prophets.
27They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’
and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs to me
and not their faces;
yet when they are in trouble, they say,
‘Come and save us!’
28Where then are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them come if they can save you
when you are in trouble!
For you, Judah, have as many gods
as you have towns.
29“Why do you bring charges against me?
You have all rebelled against me,”
declares the Lord.
30“In vain I punished your people;
they did not respond to correction.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
like a ravenous lion.
31“You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord:
“Have I been a desert to Israel
or a land of great darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
we will come to you no more’?
32Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
33How skilled you are at pursuing love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34On your clothes is found
the lifeblood of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all this
35you say, ‘I am innocent;
he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment on you
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36Why do you go about so much,
changing your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt
as you were by Assyria.
37You will also leave that place
with your hands on your head,
for the Lord has rejected those you trust;
you will not be helped by them.
Aisraeli Asiya Mulungu
1Yehova anandiwuza kuti, 2“Pita ukalengeze kwa anthu a ku Yerusalemu kuti Yehova akuti,
“ ‘Ine ndikukumbukira mmene umakhulupirikira pa unyamata wako,
mmene unkandikondera ngati momwe amachitira mkwatibwi,
mmene unkanditsata mʼchipululu muja;
mʼdziko losadzalamo kanthu.
3Israeli anali wopatulika wa Yehova,
anali ngati zipatso zake zoyamba kucha pa nthawi yokolola;
onse amene anamuzunza anapezeka kuti ndi olakwa
ndipo mavuto anawagwera,’ ”
akutero Yehova.
4Imvani mawu a Yehova, inu zidzukulu za Yakobo,
inu mafuko onse a Israeli.
5Yehova akuti,
“Kodi makolo anu anandipeza nʼcholakwa chanji,
kuti andithawe?
Iwo anatsata milungu yachabechabe,
nawonso nʼkusanduka achabechabe.
6Iwo sanafunse nʼkomwe kuti, ‘Kodi Yehova ali kuti,
amene anatitulutsa mʼdziko la Igupto
natitsogolera mʼchipululu mʼdziko lowuma
ndi lokumbikakumbika,
mʼdziko lopanda mvula ndi la mdima,
dziko limene munthu sadutsamo ndipo simukhala munthu aliyense?’
7Ndinakufikitsani ku dziko lachonde
kuti mudye zipatso zake ndi zabwino zake zina.
Koma inu mutafika munaliyipitsa dziko langa
ndi kusandutsa cholowa changa kukhala chonyansa.
8Ansembe nawonso sanafunse kuti,
‘Yehova ali kuti?’
Iwo amene amaphunzitsa malamulo sanandidziwe;
atsogoleri anandiwukira.
Aneneri ankanenera mʼdzina la Baala,
ndi kutsatira mafano achabechabe.
9“Chifukwa chake Ine ndidzakuyimbaninso mlandu,”
akutero Yehova.
“Ndipo ndidzayimbanso mlandu zidzukulu zanu.
10Pitani kumadzulo ku chilumba cha Kitimu, ndipo mukaone,
tumizani anthu ku Kedara kuti akafufuze bwino;
ndipo muona kuti zinthu zoterezi sizinachitikepo nʼkale lomwe:
11Kodi ulipo mtundu wa anthu uliwonse umene unasinthapo milungu yake?
(Ngakhale kuti si milungu nʼkomwe).
Koma anthu anga asinthitsa Mulungu wawo waulemerero
ndi mafano achabechabe.
12Inu mayiko akumwamba, dabwani ndi zimenezi,
ndipo njenjemerani ndi mantha aakulu,”
akutero Yehova.
13“Popeza anthu anga achita machimo awiri:
Andisiya Ine
kasupe wa madzi a moyo,
ndi kukadzikumbira zitsime zawo,
zitsime zongʼaluka, zomwe sizingathe kusunga madzi.
14Israeli si wantchito kapena kapolo wobadwira mʼnyumba, ayi.
Nanga nʼchifukwa chiyani amuwononga chotere?
15Adani ake abangulira
ndi kumuopseza ngati mikango.
Dziko lake analisandutsa bwinja;
mizinda yake anayitentha popanda wokhalamo.
16Ndiponso Aigupto a ku Mefisi ndi a ku Tapanesi
akuphwanyani mitu.
17Zimenezitu zakuchitikirani
chifukwa munasiya Yehova Mulungu wanu
pamene Iye ankakutsogolerani pa njira yanu?
18Tsopano mudzapindula chiyani mukapita ku Igupto,
kukamwa madzi a mu Sihori?
Ndipo mudzapindulanji mukapita ku Asiriya,
kukamwa madzi a mu mtsinje wa Yufurate?
19Kuyipa kwanuko kudzakulangani;
kubwerera mʼmbuyo kwanuko kudzakutsutsani.
Tsono ganizirani bwino,
popeza ndi chinthu choyipa
kundisiya Ine Yehova Mulungu wanu;
ndi chinthu chowawa ndithu kusandiopa Ine Mulungu wanu.
Akutero Ambuye Yehova Wamphamvuzonse.
20“Kuyambira kalekale inu munathyola goli lanu
ndi kudula msinga zanu;
munanena kuti, ‘Sitidzakutumikirani!’
Ndithudi, inu mwakhala ngati mkazi wachiwerewere.
Mukupembedza milungu ina pa phiri lililonse lalitali
ndiponso pansi pa mtengo uliwonse wa masamba ambiri.
21Ine ndinakudzala iwe ngati mtengo wampesa wosankhika;
unali mpesa wabwino kwambiri ndi wodalirika.
Nanga nʼchifukwa chiyani wasanduka mpesa
wachabechabe wonga wa kutchire?
22Ngakhale utasamba ndi soda
kapena kusambira sopo wambiri,
kuthimbirira kwa machimo ako kumaonekabe pamaso panga,”
akutero Ambuye Yehova.
23“Iwe ukunena bwanji kuti, ‘Ine sindinadziyipitse;
sindinatsatire Abaala’?
Takumbukira mmene unkandichimwira mʼchigwa muja;
zindikira bwino zomwe wachita.
Iwe uli ngati ngamira yayikazi yaliwiro
yomangothamanga uku ndi uku,
24wakhala ngati mbidzi yozolowera mʼchipululu,
yonka ninunkhiza pa nthawi yachisika.
Ndani angayiretse chilakolako chakecho?
Mphongo iliyonse yoyikhumba sidzavutika.
Pa nthawi yachisika chakecho mphongoyo idzayipeza.
25Iwe usathamange, nsapato zingakuthere kuphazi
ndi kukhosi kwako kuwuma ndi ludzu.
Koma unati, ‘Zamkutu!
Ine ndimakonda milungu yachilendo,
ndipo ndidzayitsatira.’
26“Monga momwe mbala imachitira manyazi pamene yagwidwa,
moteronso nyumba ya Israeli idzachita manyazi;
Aisraeliwo, mafumu ndi akuluakulu awo,
ansembe ndi aneneri awo.
27Iwo amawuza mtengo kuti, ‘Iwe ndiwe abambo athu,’
ndipo amawuza mwala kuti, ‘Iwe ndiye amene unatibala.’
Iwo andifulatira Ine,
ndipo safuna kundiyangʼana;
Koma akakhala pa mavuto amati,
‘Bwerani mudzatipulumutse!’
28Nanga ili kuti milungu yanu imene munadzipangira nokha?
Ibweretu ngati ingathe kukupulumutsani
pamene muli pamavuto!
Inu anthu a ku Yuda,
milungu yanu ndi yambiri kuchuluka kwake ngati mizinda yanu.
29“Kodi mukundizengeranji mlandu?
Nonse mwandiwukira,”
akutero Yehova.
30“Ine ndinalanga anthu ako popanda phindu;
iwo sanaphunzirepo kanthu.
Monga mkango wolusa,
lupanga lanu lapha aneneri anu.
31“Inu anthu a mʼbado uno, ganizirani bwino mawu a Yehova:
“Kodi Ine ndinakhalapo ngati chipululu kwa Israeli
kapena ngati dziko la mdima wandiweyani?
Chifukwa chiyani anthu anga akunena kuti, ‘Ife tili ndi ufulu omayendayenda;
sitidzabweranso kwa Inu’?
32Kodi namwali amayiwala zokongoletsera zake,
kapena kuyiwala zovala zake za ukwati?
Komatu anthu anga andiyiwala
masiku osawerengeka.
33Mumadziwa bwino njira zopezera zibwenzi!
Choncho ngakhale akazi oyipa omwe mumawaphunzitsa njira zanu.
34Ngakhale pa zovala zako anthu amapezapo
magazi a anthu osauka osalakwa.
Anthuwo simunawapeze akuthyola nyumba.
Komabe ngakhale zinthu zili chomwechi,
35inu mukunena kuti, ‘Ndife osalakwa,
sadzatikwiyira.’
Ndidzakuyimbani mlandu
chifukwa mukunena kuti, ‘Ife sitinachimwe.’
36Chifukwa chiyani
mukunkabe nimusinthasintha njira zanu?
Aigupto adzakukhumudwitsani
monga momwe Asiriya anakuchititsani manyazi.
37Mudzachokanso kumeneko
manja ali kunkhongo.
Popeza Ine Yehova ndawakana anthu amene munkawadalira,
choncho sadzakuthandizani konse.