< Jeremiah 42 >

1 Then all the commanders of the forces, along with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, approached
Ndipo maafisa wote wa jeshi, pamoja na Yohanani mwana wa Karea, na Yezania mwana wa Hoshaya, na watu wote kuanzia aliye mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkuu sana wakamjia
2 Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes.
Yeremia nabii na kumwambia, “Tafadhali sikia maombi yetu na umwombe Bwana Mungu wako kwa ajili ya watu hawa wote waliosalia. Kwa kuwa kama unavyoona sasa, ingawa wakati fulani tulikuwa wengi, sasa tumesalia wachache tu.
3 Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.”
Omba ili Bwana Mungu wako atuambie twende wapi na tufanye nini.”
4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will surely pray to the LORD your God as you request, and I will tell you everything that the LORD answers; I will not withhold a word from you.”
Nabii Yeremia akajibu, “Nimewasikia. Kwa hakika nitamwomba Bwana Mungu wenu kama mlivyoomba. Nitawaambia kila kitu asemacho Bwana, wala sitawaficha chochote.”
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act upon every word that the LORD your God sends you to tell us.
Kisha wakamwambia Yeremia, “Bwana na awe shahidi wa kweli na mwaminifu kati yetu kama hatutafanya sawasawa na kila kitu Bwana Mungu wako atakachokutuma utuambie.
6 Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us, for we will obey the voice of the LORD our God!”
Likiwa jema au likiwa baya, tutamtii Bwana Mungu wetu, ambaye tunakutuma kwake, ili mambo yote yawe mema kwetu, kwa maana tutamtii Bwana Mungu wetu.”
7 After ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah,
Baada ya siku kumi, neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia.
8 and he summoned Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.
Kwa hiyo akawaita pamoja Yohanani mwana wa Karea, na maafisa wote wa jeshi waliokuwa pamoja naye na watu wote kuanzia mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkuu sana.
9 Jeremiah told them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition:
Akawaambia, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ambaye mlinituma kuwasilisha maombi yenu:
10 ‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I will relent of the disaster I have brought upon you.
‘Kama mkikaa katika nchi hii, nitawajenga wala sitawabomoa, nitawapanda wala sitawangʼoa, kwani ninahuzunishwa na maafa niliyowapiga nayo.
11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear; do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you to save you and deliver you from him.
Msimwogope mfalme wa Babeli, ambaye sasa mnamwogopa. Msimwogope, asema Bwana, kwa kuwa niko pamoja nanyi, nami nitawaokoa na kuwaponya kutoka mikononi mwake.
12 And I will show you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land.’
Nitawaonea huruma ili naye awe na huruma nanyi na kuwarudisha katika nchi yenu.’
13 But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and you thus disobey the voice of the LORD your God,
“Hata hivyo, kama mkisema, ‘Hatutakaa katika nchi hii,’ hivyo mkaacha kumtii Bwana Mungu wenu,
14 and if you say, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt and live there, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn or hunger for bread,’
nanyi kama mkisema, ‘Hapana, tutakwenda kuishi Misri, mahali ambapo hatutaona vita au kusikia sauti ya tarumbeta au kuwa na njaa ya chakula,’
15 then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and reside there,
basi sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi mabaki ya Yuda. Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: ‘Ikiwa mmekusudia kwenda Misri na kufanya makazi huko,
16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels into Egypt, and you will die there.
basi ule upanga mnaouogopa utawapata huko, na njaa mnayoihofia itawafuata huko Misri, nanyi mtafia huko.
17 So all who resolve to go to Egypt to reside there will die by sword and famine and plague. Not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring upon them.’
Naam, wote waliokusudia kwenda kuishi Misri watakufa kwa upanga, njaa na tauni; hakuna hata mmoja wao atakayenusurika au kuokoka maafa nitakayoyaleta juu yao.’
18 For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the residents of Jerusalem, so will My wrath be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’
Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: ‘Kama vile hasira yangu na ghadhabu yangu ilivyomwagwa juu ya wale walioishi Yerusalemu, ndivyo ghadhabu yangu itakavyomwagwa juu yenu mtakapokwenda Misri. Mtakuwa kitu cha kulaania na cha kutisha, cha kulaumia na cha kushutumia, nanyi kamwe hamtaona mahali hapa tena.’
19 The LORD has told you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for sure that I have warned you today!
“Enyi mabaki ya Yuda, Bwana amewaambia, ‘Msiende Misri.’ Hakikisheni jambo hili: Ninawaonya leo
20 For you have deceived yourselves by sending me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray to the LORD our God on our behalf, and as for all that the LORD our God says, tell it to us and we will do it.’
kwamba mmefanya kosa kubwa mioyoni mwenu mliponituma kwa Bwana Mungu wenu na kusema, ‘Mwombe Bwana Mungu wetu kwa ajili yetu, nawe utuambie kila kitu atakachosema, nasi tutafanya.’
21 For I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in all He has sent me to tell you.
Nimewaambieni leo, lakini bado ninyi hamtaki kumtii Bwana Mungu wenu katika yote aliyonituma niwaambie.
22 Now therefore, know for sure that by sword and famine and plague you will die in the place where you desire to go to reside.”
Basi sasa, hakikisheni jambo hili: Mtakufa kwa upanga, njaa na tauni mahali ambapo mnataka kwenda kuishi.”

< Jeremiah 42 >