< Jeremiah 12 >
1 You are in the right, O Lord, when I put my cause before you: still let me take up with you the question of your decisions: why does the evil-doer do well? why are the workers of deceit living in comfort?
Wewe ni mwenye haki, Bwana, wakati wowote ninapoleta mashitaka kwako. Lazima nikuambie sababu yangu ya kulalamika: Kwa nini njia za waovu hufanikiwa? Watu wote wasiokuwa na imani wanafanikiwa.
2 They have been planted by you, they have taken root; they go on and give fruit: you are near in their mouths but far from their thoughts.
Wewe uliwapanda nao wakawa na mizizi. Wanaendelea kuzaa matunda. Wewe upo karibu nao katika vinywa vyao, lakini mbali na mioyo yao.
3 But you, O Lord, have knowledge of me; you see me, searching and testing how my heart is with you: let them be pulled out like sheep to be put to death, make them ready for the day of death.
Lakini wewe mwenyewe unanijua, Bwana. Umeona mimi na kuchunguza moyo wangu. Waondoe kama kondoo wa kuchinjwa. Ukakaweke tayari kwa siku ya kuchinjwa.
4 How long will the land have grief, and the plants of all the land be dry? because of the sins of the people living in it, destruction has overtaken the beasts and the birds; because they said, God does not see our ways.
Je! Nchi itakauka kwa muda gani, na mimea katika kila shamba itaota kwa sababu ya uovu wa wenyeji wake? Wanyama na ndege wameondolewa. Hakika, watu wanasema, “Mungu hajui nini kitatokea kwetu.”
5 If running with the fighting-men has made you tired, how will you be able to keep up with horses? and if in a land of peace you go in flight, what will become of you in the thick growth of Jordan?
Bwana akasema, “Kweli, wewe, Yeremia, umetembea na askari wa miguu na wamechoka, unawezaje kushindana dhidi ya farasi? Ikiwa unashuka chini ya nchi iliyo salama, utafanyaje katika misitu karibu na Yordani?
6 For even your brothers, your father's family, even they have been untrue to you, crying loudly after you: have no faith in them, though they say fair words to you.
Kwa maana hata ndugu zako na familia ya baba yako wamekudharau na kukukemea kwa sauti kubwa. Usiwaamini, hata kama wanasema mambo mazuri kwako.
7 I have given up my house, I have let my heritage go; I have given the loved one of my soul into the hands of her haters.
Nimeiacha nyumba yangu; Nimeacha urithi wangu. Nimewatia watu wangu wapendwa mikononi mwa adui zake.
8 My heritage has become like a lion in the woodland to me; her voice has been loud against me; so I have hate for her.
Urithi wangu umekuwa kwangu kama simba katika tundu; yeye hujiweka juu yangu kwa sauti yake mwenyewe, hivyo nimemchukia.
9 My heritage is like a brightly coloured bird to me; the cruel birds are attacking her on every side: go, get together all the beasts of the field, make them come for destruction.
Malipo yangu ya thamani ni fisi, na ndege wenye madoadoa karibu na kichwa chake. Nenda, ukakusanye viumbe vyote vilivyomo katika mashamba, na uwalete ili wale.
10 The keepers of sheep have been the destruction of my vine-garden, crushing my heritage under their feet; they have made my fair heritage an unplanted waste;
Wachungaji wengi wameharibu shamba langu la mizabibu. Wameipoteza sehemu yangu yote ya ardhi; Waligeuza sehemu yangu nzuri kuwa jangwa, ukiwa.
11 They have made it waste; it is weeping to me, being wasted; all the land is made waste, because no man takes it to heart.
Wamemfanya kuwa ukiwa. Ninaomboleza kwa ajili yake; yeye ni ukiwa. Nchi yote imefanywa kuwa ukiwa, kwa maana hakuna mtu aliyeweka haya moyoni mwake.
12 Those who make waste have come on all the open hilltops in the waste land; for the sword of the Lord sends destruction from one end of the land to the other end of the land: no flesh has peace.
Waangamizi wamekuja juu ya maeneo yote yaliyo wazi jangwani, kwa maana upanga wa Bwana unakula kutoka upande mmoja wa nchi hadi mwingine. Hakuna usalama katika nchi kwa kiumbe chochote kilicho hai.
13 Though good grain was planted, they have got in thorns: they have given themselves pain without profit: they will be shamed on account of their produce, because of the burning wrath of the Lord.
Walipanda ngano lakini mavuno ya miiba. Wao wamechoka kutokana na kazi lakini hawajapata chochote. Basi muaibike kwa faida yenu kwa sababu ya ghadhabu ya Bwana.”
14 This is what the Lord has said against all my evil neighbours, who put their hands on the heritage which I gave my people Israel: See, I will have them uprooted from their land, uprooting the people of Judah from among them.
Bwana asema hivi dhidi ya majirani zangu wote, waovu wanaopiga milki niliyowarithisha watu wangu Israeli, “Tazama, mimi ndimi ambaye nitawafukuza kutoka nchi yao wenyewe, nami nitaifuta nyumba ya Yuda kutoka kati yao.
15 And it will come about that, after they have been uprooted, I will again have pity on them; and I will take them back, every man to his heritage and every man to his land.
Ndipo baada ya kuangamiza mataifa hayo, itatokea kwamba nitakuwa na huruma juu yao na kuwaleta tena; Nitawarudi-kila mtu kwa urithi wake na nchi yake.
16 And it will be that, if they give their minds to learning the ways of my people, using my name in their oaths, By the living Lord; as they have been teaching my people to take oaths by the Baal; then their place will be made certain among my people.
Kisha itakuwa ikiwa mataifa hayo yatajifunza kwa makini njia za watu wangu, kuapa kwa jina langu 'Kama Bwana anaishivyo!' vile vile kama walivyowafundishwa watu wangu kuapa kwa Baali, basi watajengwa katikati ya watu wangu.
17 But if they will not give ear, then I will have that nation uprooted, and given to destruction, says the Lord.
Lakini kama hakuna yeyote anayesikiliza, basi nitaling'oa taifa hilo. Kwa hakika litang'olewa na kuharibiwa-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana.”