The nations judged
In Hebrew texts 3:1-21 is numbered 4:1-21. 1‘In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
2I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.3:2 Jehoshaphat means the Lord judges; also in verse 12.
There I will put them on trial
for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
3They cast lots for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine to drink.
4‘Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. 5For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.3:5 Or palaces 6You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.
7‘See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. 8I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.’ The Lord has spoken.
9Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10Beat your ploughshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
‘I am strong!’
11Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble there.
Bring down your warriors, Lord!
12‘Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit
to judge all the nations on every side.
13Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full
and the vats overflow –
so great is their wickedness!’
14Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near
in the valley of decision.
15The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
16The Lord will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;
the earth and the heavens will tremble.
But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Blessings for God’s people
17‘Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,
dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy;
never again will foreigners invade her.
18‘In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
and the hills will flow with milk;
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house
and will water the valley of acacias.3:18 Or Valley of Shittim
19But Egypt will be desolate,
Edom a desert waste,
because of violence done to the people of Judah,
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20Judah will be inhabited for ever
and Jerusalem through all generations.
21Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?
No, I will not.’
The Lord dwells in Zion!
Ndũrĩrĩ Gũtuĩrwo Ciira
1“Matukũ-inĩ macio, na ihinda rĩu,
rĩrĩa ngaacookeria Juda na Jerusalemu ũgaacĩru wacio-rĩ,
23:2 Zef 3:8; Ezek 36:5nĩngacookanĩrĩria ndũrĩrĩ ciothe,
na ndĩciikũrũkie nginya Gĩtuamba kĩa Jehoshafatu.3:2 Rĩĩtwa Jehoshafatu nĩ kuuga “Jehova nĩwe mũtuanĩri ciira”; Gĩtuamba kĩa Jehoshafatu no kĩo gĩĩtagwo gĩtuamba gĩa ituĩro (3:14).
Kũu nĩkuo ngaamatuĩra ciira ũkoniĩ igai rĩakwa,
nĩo andũ akwa a Isiraeli,
nĩgũkorwo nĩmahurunjire andũ akwa ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ,
na makĩgayana bũrũri wakwa.
33:3 Ayub 6:27Nĩmacuukĩire andũ akwa mĩtĩ.
Maaheanire tũmwana twao tũrĩ irĩhi kũrĩ maraya;
na makĩendia airĩtu ndibei
nĩguo mamĩnyue.
43:4 Kĩam 10:15; Alaw 26:28“Na rĩrĩ, nĩ kĩĩ mũranjũria, inyuĩ Turo na Sidoni o na inyuĩ ngʼongo ciothe cia Filistia? Anga nĩmũkwĩrĩhĩria ũndũ ndanamwĩka? Akorwo nĩmũkwĩrĩhĩria-rĩ, na niĩ nĩngatũma mũcookererwo nĩ kwĩrĩhĩria kũu kwanyu o narua na ihenya. 53:5 1Ath 15:18; 2Maũ 21:16-17Nĩgũkorwo nĩmuoire betha na thahabu ciakwa, na mũgĩkuua mĩthiithũ ya indo ciakwa iria njega mũno mũgĩcitwara hekarũ-inĩ cianyu. 6Nĩmwendirie andũ a Juda na a Jerusalemu kũrĩ Ayunani nĩguo mũmatware kũndũ kũraya na bũrũri wao.
73:7 Isa 43:5-6“Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩngũmarahũra moime kũndũ kũrĩa guothe mwamendirie, na nĩngamũcookereria ũndũ ũcio mwĩkĩte. 8Niĩ nĩngendia ariũ anyu na airĩtu anyu kũrĩ andũ a Juda, nao mamenderie andũ a Sheba, rũrĩrĩ rwa kũraya mũno.” Nĩ Jehova warĩtie ũndũ ũcio.
9Hunjanĩriai ũhoro ũyũ ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ:
Mwĩhaarĩriei gũthiĩ mbaara-inĩ!
Arahũrai njamba cia ita!
Andũ othe a ita nĩmakuhĩrĩrie, matharĩkĩre.
103:10 Isa 2:4; Zek 12:8Turai mĩraũ yanyu ĩtuĩke hiũ cia njora,
o nacio hiũ cianyu cia gũceeha mĩtĩ ituĩke matimũ.
Mũndũ ũrĩa ũtarĩ hinya nĩoige atĩrĩ,
“Niĩ ndĩ na hinya!”
11Ũkai na ihenya, inyuĩ ndũrĩrĩ cia kũndũ guothe,
mũngane, mwĩcookanĩrĩrie hamwe.
Wee Jehova, tũma njamba ciaku cia ita ciikũrũke kuo.
123:12 Thab 82:1; Isa 2:4“Ndũrĩrĩ nĩciarahũrwo;
nĩcithiĩ Gĩtuamba kĩa Jehoshafatu,
nĩgũkorwo kũu nĩkuo ngaikarĩra gĩtĩ,
nduĩre ndũrĩrĩ ciothe cia mĩena yothe ciira.
133:13 Mar 4:29; Kũg 14:15-19; Atiir 6:11Hiũria-i rũhiũ rwa kũgetha,
nĩgũkorwo magetha nĩ makinyu.
Ũkai, rangĩrĩriai thabibũ,
nĩgũkorwo kĩhihĩro kĩa ndibei nĩkĩiyũru,
na mĩtũngi ĩkaiyũra, ĩgaitĩkĩrĩra thĩ:
ũguo noguo waganu wao ũnenehete!”
143:14 Isa 13:4; Zef 1:7Gũgaakorwo irĩndĩ na irĩndĩ,
kũu gĩtuamba gĩa ituĩro!
Nĩgũkorwo mũthenya wa Jehova
wa gũkinya kũu gĩtuamba gĩa ituĩro ũrĩ hakuhĩ.
15Riũa na mweri nĩikaagĩa nduma,
nacio njata itigacooka kwara rĩngĩ.
163:16 Amos 1:2; Thab 46:1; 2Sam 22:3Jehova nĩakararama arĩ kũu Zayuni
na arurume ta ngwa arĩ Jerusalemu;
thĩ na igũrũ nĩikainaina.
No rĩrĩ, Jehova nĩwe ũgaatuĩka rĩũrĩro rĩa andũ ake,
na atuĩke kĩĩhitho kĩrũmu kĩa andũ a Isiraeli.
Irathimo cia Andũ a Ngai
17“Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩguo mũkaamenya atĩ niĩ, Jehova Ngai wanyu,
ndũũraga Zayuni, kĩrĩma-inĩ gĩakwa kĩrĩa gĩtheru.
Narĩo itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu rĩgaakorwo rĩrĩ rĩamũre;
gũtirĩ hĩndĩ ĩngĩ andũ a kũngĩ magaacooka kũrĩtharĩkĩra.
183:18 Isa 30:25; Ndar 25:11“Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, irĩma-inĩ nĩgũgatataga ndibei ya mũhihano,
na tũrĩma-inĩ nĩgũgathereraga iria,
natuo tũrũũĩ tuothe twa Juda nĩtũgathereraga maaĩ.
Nakuo nyũmba ya Jehova nĩgũgakunũka gĩthima,
na maaĩ makĩo maikũrũkage o kũu Gĩtuamba gĩa Shitimu.
19No bũrũri wa Misiri nĩgũkira ũgaakira ihooru,
nakuo Edomu gũtuĩke werũ ũtarĩ kĩndũ,
nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ ma ũhinya marĩa meekire andũ a Juda,
ma gũitithia thakame ĩtarĩ na ũũru kũu bũrũri wao.
203:20 Amos 9:15; Ezar 9:12Juda gũgaatũũrwo tene na tene,
nakuo Jerusalemu gũtũũrwo njiarwa na njiarwa.
21Wĩhia wao wa ũiti wa thakame,
ũcio itarĩ ndaamarekera-rĩ, nĩngamarekera.”
Jehova atũũraga Zayuni!
