Jeremiah 29
1 This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Haya ndiyo maneno ya ile barua ambayo nabii Yeremia aliituma kutoka Yerusalemu kwenda kwa wazee waliobaki miongoni mwa wale waliohamishwa, na kwa makuhani, manabii na watu wengine wote ambao Nebukadneza alikuwa amewachukua kwenda uhamishoni Babeli kutoka Yerusalemu.
2 (This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)
(Hii ilikuwa ni baada ya Mfalme Yekonia na malkia mamaye, maafisa wa mahakama, viongozi wa Yuda na wa Yerusalemu, mafundi na wahunzi kwenda uhamishoni kutoka Yerusalemu.)
3 The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:
Barua ilikabidhiwa kwa Elasa mwana wa Shafani, na kwa Gemaria mwana wa Hilkia, ambao Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda aliwatuma kwa Mfalme Nebukadneza huko Babeli. Barua yenyewe ilisema:
4 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, awaambialo wale wote niliowapeleka kutoka Yerusalemu kwenda uhamishoni Babeli:
5 “Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.
“Jengeni nyumba na mstarehe, pandeni bustani na mle mazao yake.
6 Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.
Oeni wake na mzae wana na binti, waozeni wana wenu wake, nanyi watoeni binti zenu waolewe, ili nao pia wazae wana na binti. Ongezekeni idadi yenu huko, wala msipungue.
7 Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Pia tafuteni amani na mafanikio ya mji ambamo nimewapeleka uhamishoni. Mwombeni Bwana kwa ajili ya mji huo, kwa sababu ukistawi, ninyi pia mtastawi.”
8 For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.
Naam, hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: “Msikubali manabii na wabashiri walioko miongoni mwenu wawadanganye. Msisikilize ndoto ambazo mmewatia moyo kuota.
9 For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
Wanawatabiria ninyi uongo kwa jina langu. Sikuwatuma,” asema Bwana.
10 For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Miaka sabini itakapotimia kwa ajili ya Babeli, nitakuja kwenu na kutimiza ahadi yangu ya rehema ya kuwarudisha mahali hapa.
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
Kwa maana ninajua mipango niliyo nayo kwa ajili yenu,” asema Bwana, “ni mipango ya kuwafanikisha na wala si ya kuwadhuru, ni mipango ya kuwapa tumaini katika siku zijazo.
12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Kisha mtaniita, na mtakuja na kuniomba, nami nitawasikiliza.
13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Mtanitafuta na kuniona, mtakaponitafuta kwa moyo wenu wote.
14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
Nitaonekana kwenu,” asema Bwana, “nami nitawarudisha watu wenu waliotekwa. Nitawakusanya kutoka mataifa yote na mahali pote nilipokuwa nimewafukuzia, nami nitawarudisha mahali ambapo nilikuwa nimewatoa walipochukuliwa uhamishoni,” asema Bwana.
15 Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”
Mnaweza mkasema, “Bwana ameinua manabii kwa ajili yetu huku Babeli,”
16 this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—
lakini hili ndilo asemalo Bwana kuhusu mfalme aketiaye kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, na watu wa kwenu wote wanaobaki katika mji huu, ndugu zenu ambao hawakwenda pamoja nanyi uhamishoni.
17 this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.
Naam, hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Nitatuma upanga, njaa na tauni dhidi yao, nami nitawafanya kuwa kama tini dhaifu zile ambazo ni mbovu sana zisizofaa kuliwa.
18 I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.
Nitawafukuza kwa upanga, kwa njaa na kwa tauni, nami nitawafanya kitu cha kuchukiza sana kwa falme zote za dunia, na kuwa kitu cha laana na cha kuogofya, cha dharau na kukemewa, miongoni mwa mataifa yote nitakakowafukuzia.
19 I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”
Kwa kuwa hawakuyasikiliza maneno yangu,” asema Bwana, “maneno ambayo niliwatumia tena na tena kupitia watumishi wangu manabii. Wala ninyi watu wa uhamisho hamkusikiliza pia,” asema Bwana.
20 So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Kwa hiyo, sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi nyote mlio uhamishoni, niliowapeleka Babeli kutoka Yerusalemu.
21 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.
Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo kuhusu Ahabu mwana wa Kolaya, na Sedekia mwana wa Maaseya, wanaowatabiria uongo kwa jina langu: “Nitawatia mikononi mwa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, naye atawaua mbele ya macho yenu hasa.
22 Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
Kwa ajili yao, watu wote wa uhamisho kutoka Yuda walioko Babeli watatumia laana hii: ‘Bwana na akutendee kama Sedekia na Ahabu, ambao mfalme wa Babeli aliwachoma kwa moto.’
23 For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”
Kwa kuwa wamefanya mambo maovu kabisa katika Israeli, wamezini na wake za majirani zao, tena kwa Jina langu wamesema uongo, mambo ambayo sikuwaambia kuyafanya. Nami nayajua haya, na ni shahidi wa jambo hilo,” asema Bwana.
24 You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that
Mwambie Shemaya Mnehelami,
25 this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:
“Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: Ulituma barua kwa jina lako mwenyewe kwa watu wote wa Yerusalemu, kwa Sefania mwana wa kuhani Maaseya na kwa makuhani wengine wote. Ulimwambia Sefania,
26 ‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.
‘Bwana amekuweka wewe uwe kuhani badala ya Yehoyada ili uwe msimamizi wa nyumba ya Bwana. Unapaswa kufunga kwa mikatale na mnyororo wa shingoni mwendawazimu yeyote anayejifanya nabii.
27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
Kwa nini basi hukumkemea Yeremia Mwanathothi, aliyejifanya kama nabii miongoni mwenu?
28 For he has sent to us in Babylon, claiming: Since the exile will be lengthy, build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce.’”
Ametutumia ujumbe huu huku Babeli: Mtakuwako huko muda mrefu. Kwa hiyo jengeni nyumba mkakae; pandeni mashamba na mle mazao yake.’”
29 (Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
Kuhani Sefania, hata hivyo, akamsomea nabii Yeremia ile barua.
30 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
Ndipo neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia kusema:
31 “Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
“Tuma ujumbe huu kwa watu wote walio uhamishoni: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo kuhusu Shemaya Mnehelami: Kwa sababu Shemaya amewatabiria ninyi, hata ingawa sikumtuma, naye amewafanya kuamini uongo,
32 this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”
hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: Hakika nitamwadhibu Shemaya Mnehelami pamoja na uzao wake. Hapatakuwa na yeyote atakayebaki miongoni mwa watu hawa, wala hataona mema nitakayowatendea watu wangu, asema Bwana, kwa sababu ametangaza uasi dhidi yangu.’”
