Jeremias 32
Hili ndilo neno lililomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Bwana, katika mwaka wa kumi wa utawala wa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda, ambao ulikuwa mwaka wa kumi na nane wa utawala wa Mfalme Nebukadneza.
Wakati huo jeshi la mfalme wa Babeli lilikuwa limeuzunguka mji wa Yerusalemu, naye nabii Yeremia alikuwa amezuiliwa katika ua wa walinzi katika jumba la kifalme la Yuda.
Basi Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda alikuwa amemfunga huko akisema, “Kwa nini unatabiri hivyo? Wewe unasema, ‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Ninakaribia kuutia mji huu mkononi mwa mfalme wa Babeli, naye atauteka.
Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda hataweza kuponyoka mikononi mwa Wakaldayo, lakini kwa hakika atatiwa mikononi mwa mfalme wa Babeli, naye atazungumza naye ana kwa ana na kumwona kwa macho yake mwenyewe.
Atamchukua Sedekia hadi Babeli, mahali atakapoishi mpaka nitakapomshughulikia, asema Bwana. Kama utapigana dhidi ya Wakaldayo, hutashinda.’”
Yeremia akasema, “Neno la Bwana lilinijia kusema:
Hanameli mwana wa Shalumu mjomba wako atakuja kwako na kusema, ‘Nunua shamba langu huko Anathothi, kwa sababu wewe kama jamaa ya karibu ni haki na wajibu wako kulinunua.’
“Kisha, kama Bwana alivyosema, binamu yangu Hanameli alinijia katika ua wa walinzi na kusema: ‘Nunua shamba langu lililoko Anathothi katika nchi ya Benyamini. Kwa kuwa ni haki yako kulikomboa na kulimiliki, jinunulie.’ “Nilijua kwamba hili lilikuwa neno la Bwana.
Hivyo nikalinunua shamba hilo lililoko Anathothi kutoka kwa binamu yangu Hanameli, nami nikampimia shekeli kumi na saba za fedha.
Nikatia sahihi na kuweka muhuri hati ya kumiliki, nikaweka mashahidi, na kupima ile fedha kwenye mizani.
Nikachukua ile hati ya kununulia, nakala iliyotiwa muhuri yenye makubaliano na masharti, pia pamoja na ile nakala isiyo na muhuri,
nami nikampa Baruku mwana wa Neria, mwana wa Maaseya, hati hii mbele ya binamu yangu Hanameli, na mbele ya mashahidi waliokuwa wameweka sahihi kwenye hati hii na mbele ya Wayahudi wote waliokuwa wameketi katika ua wa walinzi.
“Nilimpa Baruku maelezo haya mbele yao:
‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: Chukua hati hizi, yaani nakala zote zenye muhuri na zisizo na muhuri za hati ya kununulia, na uziweke kwenye gudulia la udongo wa mfinyanzi ili zidumu kwa muda mrefu.
15 Thus said the Lord God of Israel; Take the cup of this unmixed wine from mine hand, and you shall cause all the nations to drink, to whom I send you.
Kwa kuwa hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: Nyumba, mashamba na mashamba ya mizabibu yatanunuliwa tena katika nchi hii.’
16 And they shall drink, and vomit, and be mad, because of the sword which I send amongst them.
“Baada ya kumkabidhi Baruku mwana wa Neria hii hati ya kununulia, nilimwomba Bwana:
17 So I took the cup out of the Lord's hand, and caused the nations to whom the Lord sent me to drink:
“Ee Bwana Mwenyezi, umeumba mbingu na nchi kwa uwezo wako mkuu na kwa mkono ulionyooshwa. Hakuna jambo lililo gumu usiloliweza.
18 Jerusalem, and the cities of Juda, and the kings of Juda, and his princes, to make them a desert place, a desolation, and a hissing;
Wewe huonyesha upendo kwa maelfu, lakini huleta adhabu kwa ajili ya dhambi za baba mapajani mwa watoto wao baada yao. Ee Mungu mkuu na mwenye uweza, ambaye jina lako ni Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote,
19 and Pharao king of Egypt, and his servants, and his nobles, and all his people;
makusudi yako ni makuu, na matendo yako ni yenye uwezo. Macho yako yanaona njia zote za wanadamu, nawe humlipa kila mmoja kulingana na mwenendo wake, na kama yanavyostahili matendo yake.
20 and all the mingled [people], and all the kings of the Philistines, and Ascalon, and Gaza, and Accaron, and the remnant of Azotus,
Ulitenda ishara za miujiza na maajabu huko Misri, na umeyaendeleza mpaka leo, katika Israeli na miongoni mwa wanadamu wote, nawe umejulikana na kufahamika hivyo mpaka leo.
21 and Idumea, and the land of Moab, and the children of Ammon,
Uliwatoa watu wako Israeli kutoka Misri kwa ishara na maajabu, kwa mkono wenye nguvu na ulionyooshwa na kwa matisho makuu.
22 and the kings of Tyre, and the kings of Sidon, and the kings in the [country] beyond the sea,
Uliwapa nchi hii uliyokuwa umeapa kuwapa baba zao, nchi inayotiririka maziwa na asali.
23 and Daedan, and Thaeman, and Ros, and every one that is shaved round about the face,
Waliingia na kuimiliki, lakini hawakukutii wala kuifuata sheria yako. Hawakufanya kile ulichowaamuru kufanya. Hivyo ukaleta maafa haya yote juu yao.
24 and all the mingled [people] lodging in the wilderness,
“Tazama jinsi tumezungukwa na jeshi ili kuuteka mji huu. Kwa sababu ya upanga, njaa na tauni, mji utatiwa mikononi mwa Wakaldayo ambao wanaushambulia. Ulilosema limetokea kama vile unavyoona sasa.
25 and all the kings of Aelam, and all the kings of the Persians,
Ingawa mji utatiwa mikononi mwa Wakaldayo, wewe, Ee Bwana Mwenyezi, uliniambia, ‘Nunua shamba kwa fedha, na jambo hilo lishuhudiwe.’”
26 and all the kings from the north, the far and the near, each one with his brother, and all the kingdoms which are on the face of the earth.
Ndipo neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia kusema:
27 And you shall say to them, Thus said the Lord Almighty; Drink you, be you drunken; and you shall vomit, and shall fall, and shall in nowise rise, because of the sword which I send amongst you.
“Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wa wote wenye mwili. Je, kuna jambo lolote lililo gumu nisiloliweza?
28 And it shall come to pass, when they refuse to take the cup out of your hand, to drink it, that you shall say, Thus said the Lord; You shall surely drink.
Kwa hiyo, hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Ninakaribia kuutia mji huu mikononi mwa Wakaldayo, na mwa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli ambaye atauteka.
29 For I am beginning to afflict the city whereon my name is called, and you shall by no means be held guiltless: for I am calling a sword upon all that dwell upon the earth.
Wakaldayo ambao wanaushambulia mji huu watakuja na kuuchoma moto na kuuteketeza, pamoja na nyumba ambamo watu wamenikasirisha kwa kumfukizia Baali uvumba katika mapaa na kumimina sadaka za vinywaji kwa miungu mingine.
30 And you shall prophesy against them these words, and shall say, The Lord shall speak from on high, from his sanctuary he will utter his voice; he will pronounce a declaration on his place; and these shall answer like men gathering grapes: and destruction is coming on them that dwell on the earth,
“Watu wa Israeli na wa Yuda hawakufanya kitu kingine ila uovu mbele zangu tangu ujana wao. Naam, watu wa Israeli hawakufanya kitu kingine ila kunikasirisha kwa kazi ambazo mikono yao imetengeneza, asema Bwana.
31 [even] upon [the extreme] part of the earth; for the Lord [has] a controversy with the nations, he is pleading with all flesh, and the ungodly are given to the sword, says the Lord.
Tangu siku ulipojengwa hadi sasa, mji huu umenikasirisha na kunighadhibisha kiasi kwamba ni lazima niuondoe machoni pangu.
32 Thus said the Lord; Behold, evils are proceeding from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind goes forth from the end of the earth.
Watu wa Israeli na wa Yuda wamenikasirisha kwa uovu wote waliofanya: wao, wafalme wao na maafisa wao, makuhani wao na manabii wao, watu wa Yuda na wakazi wa Yerusalemu.
33 And the slain of the Lord shall be in the day of the Lord from [one] end of the earth even to the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be buried; they shall be as dung on the face of the earth.
Walinigeuzia visogo vyao, wala si nyuso zao. Ingawa niliwafundisha tena na tena, hawakupenda kusikiliza wala kuitikia adhabu.
34 Howl, you shepherds, and cry; and lament, you rams of the flock: for your days have been completed for slaughter, and you shall fall as the choice rams.
Waliweka miungu yao ya kuchukiza sana katika nyumba iitwayo kwa Jina langu na kuinajisi.
35 And flight shall perish from the shepherds, and safety from the rams of the flock.
Wakajenga mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu kwa ajili ya Baali katika Bonde la Ben-Hinomu, ambapo walitoa wana wao na binti zao kafara kwa Moleki, ingawa kamwe sikuamuru, wala halikuingia akilini mwangu, kwamba watafanya chukizo kama hilo na kumfanya Yuda atende dhambi.
36 A voice of the crying of the shepherds, and a moaning of the sheep and the rams: for the Lord has destroyed their pastures.
“Mnasema kuhusu mji huu, ‘Kwa upanga, njaa na tauni, mji utatiwa mkononi mwa mfalme wa Babeli,’ lakini hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli asemalo:
37 And the peaceful abodes that remain shall be destroyed before the fierceness of my anger.
Hakika nitawakusanya kutoka nchi zote nilizowafukuzia katika hasira yangu kali na ghadhabu yangu kuu, nitawarudisha mahali hapa na kuwaruhusu waishi kwa salama.
38 He has forsaken his lair, as a lion: for their land is become desolate before the great sword.
Watakuwa watu wangu, nami nitakuwa Mungu wao.
Nitawapa moyo mmoja na kutenda pamoja, ili kwamba waniche daima kwa mema yao wenyewe na kwa mema ya watoto wao baada yao.
Nitafanya nao agano la milele: Kamwe sitaacha kuwatendea mema, nami nitawavuvia kunicha mimi, ili kamwe wasigeukie mbali nami.
Nitafurahia kuwatendea mema, na kwa hakika nitawapanda katika nchi hii kwa moyo wangu wote na roho yangu yote.
“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Kama nilivyoleta maafa haya makubwa kwa watu hawa, ndivyo nitakavyowapa mafanikio niliyowaahidi.
Kwa mara nyingine tena mashamba yatanunuliwa katika nchi hii ambayo mlisema, ‘Imekuwa ukiwa, isiyofaa, isiyo na watu wala wanyama, kwa sababu imetiwa mikononi mwa Wakaldayo.’
Mashamba yatanunuliwa kwa fedha, na hati zitatiwa sahihi, zitatiwa muhuri na kushuhudiwa katika nchi ya Benyamini, katika vijiji vinavyoizunguka Yerusalemu, katika miji ya Yuda na katika miji ya nchi ya vilima, sehemu za magharibi katika miji ya tambarare na katika Negebu, kwa sababu nitarudisha tena mafanikio yao, asema Bwana.”
