Israel's Unfaithfulness
1 The Lord told me 2 to go to Jerusalem and tell everyone that he had said:
When you were my young bride,
you loved me and followed me
through the barren desert.
3 You belonged to me alone,
like the first part of the harvest,
and I severely punished
those who mistreated you.
4 Listen, people of Israel,
5 and I, the Lord, will speak.
I was never unfair
to your ancestors,
but they left me
and became worthless
by following worthless idols.
6 Your ancestors refused
to ask for my help,
though I had rescued them
from Egypt
and led them through
a treacherous, barren desert,
where no one lives
or dares to travel.
7 I brought you here to my land,
where food is abundant,
but you made my land filthy
with your sins.
8 The priests who teach my laws
don't care to know me.
Your leaders rebel against me;
your prophets
give messages from Baal
and worship false gods.
The Lord Accuses His People
9 I will take you to court
and accuse you
and your descendants
* 10 of a crime that no nation
has ever committed before.
Just ask anyone, anywhere,
from the eastern deserts
to the islands in the west.
11 You will find that no nation
has ever abandoned its gods
even though they were false.
I am the true and glorious God,
but you have rejected me
to worship idols.
12 Tell the heavens
to tremble with fear!
13 You, my people, have sinned
in two ways—
you have rejected me, the source
of life-giving water,
and you've tried to collect water
in cracked and leaking pits
dug in the ground.
14 People of Israel,
you weren't born slaves;
you were captured in war.
15 Enemies roared like lions
and destroyed your land;
towns lie burned and empty.
16 Soldiers from the Egyptian towns
of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have cracked your skulls.
17 It's all your own fault!
You stopped following me,
the Lord your God,
18 and you trusted the power
of Egypt and Assyria.
19 Your own sins will punish you,
because it was a bitter mistake
for you to reject me
without fear of punishment.
I, the Lord All-Powerful,
have spoken.
20 Long ago you left me
and broke all ties between us,
refusing to be my servant.
Now you worship other gods
by having sex
on hilltops or in the shade
of large trees.
21 You were a choice grapevine,
but you have become
a wild, useless vine.
Israel Is Stained with Guilt
22 The Lord said:
People of Israel,
you are stained with guilt,
and no soap or bleach
can wash it away.
23 You deny your sins
and say, “We aren't unclean.
We haven't worshiped Baal.”
But think about what you do
in Hinnom Valley.
You run back and forth
like young camels,
as you rush to worship one idol
after another.
24 You are a female donkey
sniffing the desert air,
wanting to mate
with just anyone.
You are an easy catch!
25 Your shoes are worn out,
and your throat is parched
from running here and there
to worship foreign gods.
“Stop!” I shouted,
but you replied, “No!
I love those gods too much.”
26 You and your leaders
are more disgraceful
than thieves—
you and your kings,
your priests and prophets
27 worship stone idols
and sacred poles
as if they had created you
and had given you life.
You have rejected me,
but when you're in trouble,
you cry to me for help.
28 Go cry to the gods you made!
There should be enough of them
to save you,
because Judah has as many gods
as it has towns.
Israel Rebels against the Lord
29 The Lord said to Israel:
You accuse me of not saving you,
but I say you have rebelled.
30 I tried punishing you,
but you refused
to come back to me,
and like fierce lions
you killed my prophets.
31 Now listen to what I say!
Did I abandon you in the desert
or surround you with darkness?
You are my people,
yet you have told me,
“We'll do what we want,
and we refuse
to worship you!”
32 A bride could not forget
to wear her jewelry
to her wedding,
but you have forgotten me
day after day.
33 You are so clever
at finding lovers
that you could give lessons
to a prostitute.
34 You killed innocent people
for no reason at all.
And even though their blood
can be seen on your clothes,
35 you claim to be innocent,
and you want me to stop
being angry with you.
So I'll take you to court,
and we'll see who is right.
36 When Assyria let you down,
you quickly ran to Egypt,
but you'll find no help there,
37 and you will leave
in great sadness.
I won't let you find help
from those you trust.
Kalunga ta sile Israel oshimpwiyu
1 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje, 2 ndi ka uvithile aantu ayehe muJerusalem kutya Omuwa ota ti ngeyi:
“Otandi dhimbulukwa eopalo lyuugundjuka woye,
ohole yoye momasiku guufuko woye,
nkene wa landula ndje mombuga,
montale moka ihaamu kunwa.
3 Israel, ngoye ogwandjelela,
ngoye eliko lyandje eyapuki.
Ayehe mboka ye ku ningi nayi,
oyi ipetha ombedhi noya adhika koshiponga.
Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
Okuyona kwoohekulu yaIsrael
4 Uveni oohapu dhOmuwa, ne oluvalo lwaJakob, ne omazimo agehe gaIsrael.
5 Omuwa ota ti:
“Oohokulu oya mwene ndje ombedhi yashike?
Oshike she ya pilamenitha ndje?
Oya ka simaneka iimenka yaa na omwago,
noyo yene ya ningi aanima yowala.
6 Inaa kala ye na ko nasha nangame,
nando onde ya hupitha muEgipiti
nonde ya pandakanitha ombuga,
eha lyoontale nolyomakolombongo,
evi lya kalanda lya nika iiponga,
moka mwaa na nando olye,
nokaku na ngoka he li tokola ando.
7 Onde ya eta mevi lyo ondoka,
opo ya nyanyukilwe eteyo lyalyo nuuwanawa walyo wulwe.
Ihe oya shundula evi lyandje
noya nyateke oshilongo nde shi ya pe.
8 Aayambi inaa pula ya tye: ‘Omuwa oku li peni?’
Aayambi yandje mwene oya ningi kaaye shi ndje.
Aaleli oya tsu ondumbo nangame;
aahunganeki oyu uvitha medhina lyaBaal
noya longele iimenka yaa na omwago.”
Omuwa ta tamaneke aantu ye
9 “Onkee ano ngame Omuwa
tandi tamaneke aantu yandje,
notandi ka tamaneka aatekulu yawo.
10 Indeni kuuninginino kontuntu Kipro,
ne mu tume yamwe lwokuuzilo koshilongo Kedar.
Otamu ka mona kutya
kaku na nando osha sha fa mbika sha ningilwe nale.
11 Kaku na oshigwana shilwe sha pingakanithile ookalunga yasho,
nando yo yene kaye shi ookalunga.
Ihe aantu yandje oya pingakanitha ndje po,
Kalunga ngoka e ya simanekitha.
Oya pingakanitha ndje naashoka kaashi na ekwatho.
12 Onda lombwele eyalelo, li tale nuugelele
noli kumwe tali zi omahwilili.
13 Oshoka aantu yandje oya yono paali:
Oya pilamene ndje, othithiya yomeya omanamwenyo,
noyi ihupile omithima dhawo yene,
omithima dhiipopo, ndhoka itaadhi vulu okukala nomeya.”
Uuhethi waIsrael
14 “Israel ke shi omupika;
ina valelwa nando omuupika.
Omolwashike ano a ningi oshihakanwa shaatondi?
15 Oye mu gonene ya fa oonime;
oya mbugaleke oshilongo she,
niilando ye oya kumunwa po.
Oya thigwa po owala.
16 Eeno, aalumentu yokuMemfis naTakpanhes
oya kunya omutse gwe gu ninge ongwala.
17 Israel, ongoye mwene we shi iyetele!
Owe etha ndje, Omuwa Kalunga koye,
sho nda li tandi ku enditha nondjila.
18 Omolwashike to yi kuEgipiti,
u ka nwe omeya gaNiili?
Omolwashike to yi kuAssur,
u ka nwe omeya gaEufrat?
19 Uuwinayi woye mwene otau ku pangula,
nokupilamena ndje kwoye otaku ku tokola.
Oto ka koneka, nkene sha puka noshilulululu,
sho we etha ndje, Omuwa Kalunga koye,
noino inekela ndje we nando.
Ongame, Omupangeliawike Omuwa Omunankondoawike, nda popi.”
Israel ta tindi okulongela Omuwa
20 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota ti:
“Israel, owe ekelehi ndje nalenale;
owa tindi okuvulika kungame nokulongela ndje.
Owa longele iikalunga yoluvalo koondundu adhihe oondeendeka
nomomizile dhomiti adhihe omitalala.
21 Onde ku tsike ngaashi omuviinu gwa hogololwa,
ombuto ya hogololekeka.
Ihe tala utale, nkene wa tya!
Owa fa omuviinu gwaa na oshilonga nogwo ola.
22 Nando u iyoge nomeya gomutoko
nenge nothewa yekoha,
ondi wete natango oontongo dhoondjo dhoye.
23 Oto vulu ngiini okutya ino inyateka,
nokutya ino longela Baal?
Tala, nkene wa yono molusilu;
tala shoka wa ningi.
Owa fa ongamelo ongundjuka ya nikula,
notayi pwampwauka yu uka huka naahwiyaka,
24 tayi tondauka nombuga.
Ngele ya nikula, olye ta vulu oku yi pangela?
Ondumentu ndjoka ye yi hala,
itayi pumbwa okwiivulitha;
otayi monika nuupu pethimbo lyenikulo.
25 Israel, ino matuka, sigo oompadhi dhoye dha kala owala,
nomuligu gwoye tagu kukuta kokulandula iikalunga.
Ihe oto ti: ‘Aawe! Ite vulu okushuna.
Ondi hole iikalunga iikwiilongo notandi yi landula.’ ”
Israel okwi ilongele okugeelwa
26 Omuwa ota ti: “Aaisraeli ne, otamu ka sithwa ohoni ngashika omufuthi ngoka a adhikilila. Aakwaniilwa, omalenga, aayambi naahunganeki yeni otaa ka sithwa ohoni. 27 Amuhe mboka tamu ti, omuti ogwo ho nemanya olyo nyoko, otamu ka sithwa ohoni, oshoka omwa pilamene ndje peha lyokugalukila kungame. Ihe uuna tamu adhika kuudhigu, otamu ithana ndje ndi ye oku mu hupitha.
28 “Iikalunga mbyoka wi ihambulile, oyi li peni? Nayi ku hupithe, sho wa adhika kuudhigu — ngele otayi shi vulu! Juda, omwaalu gwiikalunga yoye ogu thike pamwe nomwaalu gwiilando yoye. 29 Oto tamananene shike? Omolwashike wa tsu ondumbo nangame? 30 Onde ku geele, ihe inashi eta uuwanawa. Ino pitika, ndi ku tule mondjila. Aahunganeki yoye owe ya dhipaga wa fa onime ya pindjala. 31 Aaisraeli ne, pulakeneni shoka tandi popi. Kune ano onda fa ombuga, onda fa oshilongo shomilema shi na iiponga? Omolwashike ano tamu ti, otamu ningi shoka mwa hala noitamu galukile we kungame? 32 Omukadhona oha dhimbwa tuu uulenga we nomufuko ofeyi ye? Ihe aantu yandje oya dhimbwa ndje omasiku ogendji gaa shi kuyalulwa. 33 Ku na uudhigu washa okumona ondjila, ngele oto kongo aaholi yiipala. Eeno, nuuwinayi womukiintu otau konekwa mungoye. 34 Oonguwo dhoye odha nyata kombinzi yoohepele naakaanandjo, hakombinzi yaakolokoshi.
“Onkene tuu 35 oto ti: ‘Kandi na ondjo; oshili, Omuwa ina geela ndje.’ Ihe ngame, Omuwa, otandi ke ku geela, molwashoka wa tindi okuzimina kutya ou na ondjo. 36 Owi iningi gwowala, sho wi igameke kiikalunga yiigwana yilwe. Oto ka sithwa ohoni kuEgipiti, naanaa ngaashi wa ningilwe kuAssur. 37 Naankoka oto ka za ko wi ikwata ombandamutse, molwashoka Omuwa okwe ekelehi mboka wa li wi inekela, noito ka kwathwa kuyo.”
