< Jeremiah 34 >

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities.
Neno lililomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Yahwe, wakati Nebukadreza mfalme wa Babeli, majeshi yake yote, pamoja na falme zote za dunia, maeneo yote yaliyo chini ya mamlaka yake, na watu wake wote walikuwa wanapigana vita dhidi ya Yerusalemu na miji yake yote, kusema:
2 The LORD, the God of Israel, told Jeremiah to go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.
'Yahwe, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi: Nenda na uzungumze kwa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda na useme kwake, 'Yahwe asema hivi: Angalia, niko karibu kuutia mji huu mkononi mwa mfalme wa Babeli. Atauchoma moto.
3 And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon.
Hautapona kutoka mkono wake, kwa maana kwa hakika utakamatwa na kutiwa mkononi mwake. Macho yako yatayaangalia macho ya mfalme wa Babeli; atazungumza kwako moja kwa moja ukiwa unaenda Babeli.'
4 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD says concerning you: You will not die by the sword;
Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda, sikiliza neno la Yahwe! Yahwe anasema hivi kuhusu wewe, 'Hautakufa kwa upanga.
5 you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have spoken this word, declares the LORD.”
Utakufa katika amani. Kama kwenye mafukizo ya babu zako, wafalme waliokuwepo kabla yako, watauchoma mwili wako. Watasema, 'Ole, bwana!” Watakuomboleza. Sasa nimesema—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe.”
6 In Jerusalem, then, Jeremiah the prophet relayed all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah
Kwa hiyo Yeremia nabii akatangaza kwa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda maneno haya yote katika Yerusalemu.
7 as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.
Jeshi la mfalme wa Babeli likafanya dhidi ya Yerusalemu na miji yote ya Yuda iliyobaki: Lakishi, na Azeka. Miji hii ya yuda ilisalia kama miji yenye maboma.
8 After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD
Neno lilomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Yahwe baada ya mfalme Sedekia kufanya agano na watu wote katika Yurusalemu, ili kuwatanagazia uhuru
9 that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.
ya kwamba kila mtu lazima amwachie huru mtumwa wake wa Kiebrania, wote wa kiume na wa kike, kwa hiyo mtu alipaswa kutomtumikisha Myahudi, ambaye alikuwa ndugu yake.
10 So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,
Kwa hiyo watu wote na viongozi wakaingia katika agano kwamba kila mtu amwachie huru mtumwa wake wa kiume na waikke ili asiwe mtumwa tena. Walitii na kuwaweka huru.
11 but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.
Lakini baada ya hapo walibadili akili zao. Wakawarudisha watumwa ambao walikuwa wamewaachia huru. Wakawalazimisha kuwa wataumwa tena.
12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Kwa hiyo neno la Yahwe likaja kwa Yeremia, likisema,
13 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying:
“Yahwe, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi, 'Mimi mwenyewe nilifanya agano na babu zenu katika siku ambayo niliwatoa nje ya nchi ya Misiri, nje ya nyumba ya utumwa. Hapo ndipo niliposema,
14 Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.
Katika mwisho wa mwaka wa saba, kila mtu lazima amwachie ndugu yake, Mwebrania mwenzake aliyejiuza mwenyewe kwako ili kukutumikia kwa miaka sita. Mwagize aende kwa uhuru.” Lakini babu zenu hawakunisikiliza wala kutega masikio yao kwangu.
15 Recently you repented and did what pleased Me; each of you proclaimed freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me in the house that bears My Name.
Sasa ninyi wenyewe mlitubu na kuanza yaliyomema katika macho yangu. Mlitangaza uhuru, kila mtu kwa jirani yake, na mlifanya agano mbele zangu kwenye nyumba iitwayo kwa jina langu.
16 But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.
Lakini tena mmegeuka na kulichafua jina langu; mmemsababisha kila mtu kumleta tena mtumwa wake wa kiume na wa kike, wale mliowachie kwenda walikotaka. Mmewalazimisha kuwa watumwa tena.'
17 Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
Kwa hiyo Yahwe asema hivi, 'Ninyi wenyewe hamkunisikiliza. Mlipaswa kuwa mmetangaza uhuru, kila mmoja wenu, kwa ndugu zenu na Waisraeli wenzenu. Kwa hiyo angalia! Niko karibu kutangaza uhuru kwenu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—uhuru wa upanga, tauni, na njaa, kwa maana naenda kuwafanya kitu cha ajabu katika macho aya kila ufalme juu ya dunia.
18 And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.
Kisha nitashughulika na watu waliolivuja agano langu, ambao hawakuyashika maneno ya agano ambalo walilithibitisha mbele zangu walipomkata ng'ombe dume katika vipande viwili na kutembea katika vipande vyake,
19 The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf,
na kisha viongozi wa Yuda na Yerusalemu, matowashi na makuhani, na watu wote wa nchi wakatembea katika vipande vya yule ng'ombe dume.
20 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
Nitawatia katika mikono ya adui zao na katika mikono ya hao wanaoutafuta uhai wao. Miili yao itakuwa chakula cha ndege wa angani na wanyama juu ya dunia.
21 And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon that had withdrawn from you.
Kwa hiyo nitawatia Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda na viongozi wake kwenye mikono ya adui zao na kwenye miko ya wale wanaoutafuta uhai wao na katika mikono ya majeshi ya mfalme wa Babeli ambayo yameinuka dhidi yenu.
22 Behold, I am going to give the command, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”
Angalia, niko karibu kutoa amari—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—na nitawaleta tena kwenye mji huu ili wapigane dhidi yake, na kuunguza kwa moto. Kwa maana nitaigeuza miji ya Yuda kuwa sehemu za ukiwa ambamo hapatakuwa na wakaaji.”

< Jeremiah 34 >