Not one is upright
1‘Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person
who deals honestly and seeks the truth,
I will forgive this city.
2Although they say, “As surely as the Lord lives,”
still they are swearing falsely.’
3Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
You struck them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.
They made their faces harder than stone
and refused to repent.
4I thought, ‘These are only the poor;
they are foolish,
for they do not know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
5So I will go to the leaders
and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.’
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds.
6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage them,
a leopard will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.
7‘Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn by gods that are not gods.
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.
8They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.
9Should I not punish them for this?’
declares the Lord.
‘Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?
10‘Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not destroy them completely.
Strip off her branches,
for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11The people of Israel and the people of Judah
have been utterly unfaithful to me,’
declares the Lord.
12They have lied about the Lord;
they said, ‘He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;
we will never see sword or famine.
13The prophets are but wind
and the word is not in them;
so let what they say be done to them.’
14Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:
‘Because the people have spoken these words,
I will make my words in your mouth a fire
and these people the wood it consumes.
15People of Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I am bringing a distant nation against you –
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16Their quivers are like an open grave;
all of them are mighty warriors.
17They will devour your harvests and food,
devour your sons and daughters;
they will devour your flocks and herds,
devour your vines and fig-trees.
With the sword they will destroy
the fortified cities in which you trust.
18‘Yet even in those days,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will not destroy you completely. 19And when the people ask, “Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?” you will tell them, “As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.”
20‘Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
and proclaim it in Judah:
21Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:
22Should you not fear me?’
declares the Lord.
‘Should you not tremble in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they have turned aside and gone away.
24They do not say to themselves,
“Let us fear the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.”
25Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.
26‘Among my people are the wicked
who lie in wait like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps to catch people.
27Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
they have become rich and powerful
28and have grown fat and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
29Should I not punish them for this?’
declares the Lord.
‘Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?
30‘A horrible and shocking thing
has happened in the land:
31the prophets prophesy lies,
the priests rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?
Palibe Munthu Wolungama
1“Pitani uku ndi uku mʼmisewu ya Yerusalemu,
mudzionere nokha,
funafunani mʼmabwalo ake.
Ngati mungapeze munthu mmodzi
amene amachita zachilungamo ndi kufunafuna choonadi,
ndipo ndidzakhululukira mzinda uno.
2Ngakhale anthu akulumbira kuti, ‘Pali Yehova wamoyo,’
komabe akungolumbira mwachinyengo.”
3Inu Yehova, kodi suja mumafuna anthu onena zoona?
Inu munawakantha anthuwo, koma sanamve kupweteka;
munawaphwanya anthuwo, koma sanatengepo phunziro.
Anawumitsa mitima yawo ngati mwala
ndipo anakaniratu kulapa.
4Ndiye ndinati, “Awa ndi amphawi chabe;
anthu ochita zopusa.
Sadziwa njira ya Yehova,
sazindikira zimene Mulungu wawo amafuna.
5Tsono ndidzapita kwa atsogoleri
ndi kukayankhula nawo;
ndithu iwo amadziwa njira ya Yehova,
amadziwa zomwe Mulungu wawo amafuna.”
Koma ayi, iwonso anathyola goli la Yehova
ndipo anadula msinga zawo.
6Choncho mkango wochokera ku nkhalango udzawapha,
mmbulu wochokera ku thengo udzawawononga,
kambuku adzawabisalira pafupi ndi mizinda yawo
kuti akhadzule aliyense amene adzayesera kutuluka mʼmizindamo
pakuti kuwukira kwawo ndi kwakukulu
ndipo abwerera mʼmbuyo kwambiri.
7Yehova akuti, “Kodi ndingakukhululukireni bwanji ndi zimene mwachita?
Ana anu andisiya Ine
ndipo amapembedza milungu imene si milungu konse.
Ine ndinawapatsa zonse zimene ankasowa,
komabe iwo anachita chigololo
namasonkhana ku nyumba za akazi achiwerewere.
8Monga amachitira akavalo onenepa akamamemesa,
aliyense wa iwo ankathamangira mkazi wa mnzake.
9Tsono ndingaleke kuwalanga chifukwa cha zimenezi?”
akutero Yehova.
“Kodi nʼkuleka kuwulipsira
mtundu woterewu?
10“Pitani ku minda yake ya mipesa ndi kukayiwononga,
koma musakayiwononge kotheratu.
Sadzani nthambi zake
pakuti anthu amenewa si a Yehova.
11Nyumba ya Israeli ndi nyumba ya Yuda
onse akhala osakhulupirika kotheratu kwa Ine.”
12Iwowa ankanama ponena za Yehova kuti,
“Yehova sangachite zimenezi!
Choyipa sichidzatigwera;
sitidzaona nkhondo kapena njala.
13Mawu a aneneri azidzangopita ngati mphepo;
ndipo mwa iwo mulibe uthenga wa Yehova.
Choncho zimene amanena zidzawachitikira okha.”
14Chifukwa chake Yehova Mulungu Wamphamvuzonse akuti,
“Popeza kuti anthu awa ayankhula mawu amenewa,
tsono mawu anga ndidzawasandutsa moto mʼkamwa mwako
ndipo anthu awa ndidzawasandutsa nkhuni zimene moto udzapserezeretu.
15Inu Aisraeli,” Yehova akuti,
“Ndikukubweretserani mtundu wa anthu ochokera kutali,
ndi mtundu umene sunagonjetsedwepo,
mtundu wakalekale umene chiyankhulo chawo inu simuchidziwa,
zimene akunena inu simungazimvetse.
16Zida zawo za nkhondo zapha anthu ambirimbiri;
onsewo ndi ankhondo amphamvu okhaokha.
17Adzakudyerani zokolola zanu ndi chakudya chanu,
adzapha ana anu aamuna ndi aakazi;
adzakupherani nkhosa zanu ndi ngʼombe zanu,
adzawononga mpesa wanu ndi mikuyu yanu.
Ndi malupanga awo adzagwetsa
mizinda yanu yotetezedwa imene mumayidalira.
18“Komabe pa masiku amenewo sindidzakuwonongani kotheratu,” akutero Yehova. 19Ndipo pamene anthu adzafunsa Yehova kuti, “Chifukwa chiyani Yehova Mulungu wathu wachita zimenezi?” Iwe udzawawuze kuti, “Monga momwe mwasiyira Ine ndi kutumikira milungu yachilendo mʼdziko mwanu, momwemonso mudzatumikira anthu a mʼdzikonso lachilendo.”
20“Lengeza izi kwa ana a Yakobo
ndipo mulalikire kwa anthu a ku Yuda kuti,
21Imvani izi, inu anthu opusa ndi opanda nzeru,
inu amene maso muli nawo koma simupenya,
amene makutu muli nawo koma simumva.
22Kodi simuyenera kuchita nane mantha?”
Akutero Yehova.
“Kodi simuyenera kunjenjemera pamaso panga?
Ine ndinayika mchenga kuti ukhale malire a nyanja,
malire a muyaya amene nyanjayo singadutsepo.
Mafunde angawombe motani, koma sangathe kupitirira malirewo;
mafunde angakokome motani, koma sangadutse malirewo.
23Koma anthu awa ndi nkhutukumve ndiponso a mitima yowukira;
andifulatira ndipo andisiyiratu.
24Sananenepo mʼmitima mwawo kuti,
‘Tiyeni tizipembedza Yehova Mulungu wathu.
Kodi suja amatipatsa pa nthawi yake mvula yachizimalupsa ndi yamasika.
Iye salephera konse kutipatsa nyengo ya kholola.’
25Koma zolakwa zanu zalepheretsa zonsezi;
ndipo machimo anu akumanitsani zabwino.
26“Pakati pa anthu anga pali anthu ena oyipa
amene amabisalira anzawo monga amachitira mlenje mbalame
ndiponso ngati amene amatchera misampha kuti akole anthu anzawo.
27Nyumba zawo zadzaza ndi chuma chochipeza mwa chinyengo
ngati zikwere zodzaza ndi mbalame.
Nʼchifukwa chake asanduka otchuka ndi olemera.
28Ndipo ananenepa ndi kukhala ndi matupi osalala.
Ntchito zawo zoyipa nʼzopanda malire;
saweruza mwachilungamo nkhani ya ana amasiye kuti iyende bwino,
sateteza ufulu wa anthu osauka.
29Kodi Ine ndingaleke kuwalanga chifukwa cha zimenezi?
Kodi ndisawulipsire
mtundu woterewu?
Akutero Yehova.
30“Chinthu chothetsa nzeru ndi choopsa kwambiri
chachitika mʼdzikomo:
31Aneneri akunenera zabodza,
ndipo ansembe akuvomerezana nawo,
ndipo anthu anga akukonda zimenezi.
Koma mudzatani potsiriza?
