Jeremiah 37
1 And then king Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, reigned in place of Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim. For Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, appointed him as king in the land of Judah.
Sasa Sedekia mwana wa Yosia alitawala kama mfalme badala ya Yehoyachin mwana wa Yehoyakimu. Nebukadreza mfalme wa Babeli alikuwa amemfanya Sedekia mfalme juu ya nchi ya Yuda.
2 And neither he himself, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, obeyed the words of the Lord, which he spoke by the hand of Jeremiah, the prophet.
Lakini Sedekia, wajakazi wake, na watu wa nchi hawakusikiliza maneno ya Yahwe ambayo alitangaza kwa mkono wa Yeremia nabii.
3 And king Zedekiah sent Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “Pray to the Lord our God for us.”
Kwa hiyo Mfalme Sedekia, Yehukali mwana wa Shelemia, na Zefania mwana wa Maaseia kuhani alituma ujumbe kwa Yeremia nabii. Walisema, “Omba kwa niaba kwa Yahwe Mungu wetu.”
4 Now Jeremiah was walking freely in the midst of the people. For they had not yet sent him into the custody of the prison.
Sasa Yeremia alikuwa anakuja na kwenda miongoni mwa watu, kwa kuwa alikuwa bado hajawekwa ndani ya gereza.
5 And then the army of Pharaoh went forth from Egypt. And hearing this, the Chaldeans, who were besieging Jerusalem, withdrew from Jerusalem.
Jeshi la Farao lilitoka Misri, na Wakaldayo waliozingira Yerusalem walisikia habari kuhusu wao na kuondoka Yerusalem.
6 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
Kisha neno la Yahwe lilikuja kwa Yeremia nabii na kusema,
7 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: So shall you say to the king of Judah, who sent you to question me: Behold, the army of Pharaoh, which has gone forth in assistance to you, will return to their own land, into Egypt.
“Yahwe, Mungu wa Israel, asema hivi: Hiki ndivyo utakavyosema kwa mfalme wa Yuda, kwa sababu amekutuma wewe kutafuta ushauri toka kwangu, 'Ona, jeshi la Farao, ambalo lilikuja kukusaidia, liko tayari kurudi Misri, kwenye nchi yao.
8 And the Chaldeans will return and will make war against this city. And they will seize it and burn it with fire.
Wakaldayo watarudi. Watapigana dhidi ya mji huu, kuuteka, na kuuchoma.'
9 Thus says the Lord: Do not be willing to deceive your own souls, saying: ‘The Chaldeans will certainly withdraw and go away from us.’ For they will not go away.
Yahwe asema hivi: Msidaganyane kwa kusema, “Hakika Wakaldayo wanatuacha sisi,' kwa kuwa hawatatuacha.
10 But even if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and if there were left behind from among them only a few wounded men, they would rise up, each one from his tent, and they would burn this city with fire.”
Hata kama mmelishinda jeshi la Wakaldayo lote ambalo linapigana nanyi ili kwamba wanaume waliojeruhiwa walibakizwa katika mahema yao, wangeweza kunyanyuka na kuchoma mji huu.”
11 Therefore, when the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army,
Basi ilikuwa wakati jeshi la Wakaldayo lilipoondoka Yerusalem wakati jeshi la Farao lilikuwa linakuja,
12 Jeremiah went forth from Jerusalem, to go into the land of Benjamin, and to distribute a possession there, in the sight of the citizens.
kisha Yeremia alienda toka Yerusalem kwenda nchi ya Benjamini. Alitaka kumiliki njia ya nchi huko miongoni mwa watu wake.
13 And when he had arrived at the gate of Benjamin, the keeper of the gate, whose turn it was to be there, was named Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah. And he apprehended Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are fleeing to the Chaldeans.”
Kama alivyokuwa katika mlango wa Benjamini, mlinzi mkuu aliyekuwa hapo. Jina lake lilikuwa Yeria mwana wa Shelemia mwana wa Hanania. Alimshika kwa kumnyakua Yeremia nabii na kusema, “Mnatoka jangwani kwa Wakaldayo.”
14 And Jeremiah responded: “That is false. I am not fleeing to the Chaldeans.” But he did not listen to him. And so Irijah took Jeremiah, and he brought him to the leaders.
Lakini Yeremia alisema, “Hiyo si kweli. Siendi jangwani kwa Wakaldayo.” Lakini Yeria hakumsikiliza. Alimchukua Yeremia na kumleta kwa maafisa.
15 Therefore, the leaders were angry with Jeremiah, and so they beat him and sent him to the prison that was in the house of Jonathan, the scribe. For he was the chief over the prison.
Maafisa walikuwa wamemkasirikia Yeremia. Walimpiga na kumweka gerezani, ambayo ilikuwa nyumba ya Yonathani mwandishi, kwa kuwa waligeuza kuwa gereza.
16 And so Jeremiah went into the house of the prison and into a dungeon. And Jeremiah sat there for many days.
Kwa hiyo Yeremia alikuwa amewekwa kwenye kifungo cha chini, ambako alikuwa huko kwa siku nyingi.
17 Then Zedekiah the king, sending, took him out and questioned him secretly in his house, and he said: “Do you think that there is any word from the Lord?” And Jeremiah said: “There is.” And he said: “You will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.”
Kisha mfalme Sedekia alimtuma mtu mmoja aliyemleta kwenye ikulu. Kwenye nyumba yake, mfalme alimuuliza binafsi, “Kuna neno: Utatiwa kwenye mkono wa mfalme wa Babeli.”
18 And Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah: “How have I sinned against you, or your servants, or your people, such that you would cast me into a house of imprisonment?
Kisha Yeremia alisema kwa mfalme Sedekia, “Kwa namna gani nimekutenda dhambi, mjakazi wako, au watu hawa kwamba umeniweke mimi kwenye gereza?
19 Where are your prophets, who were prophesying to you, and who were saying: ‘The king of Babylon will not overwhelm you and this land?’
Wako wapi nabii wako, wale waliotabiri kwa ajili yako na kusema mfalme wa Babeli hatakuja dhidi yako au dhidi ya nchi hii?
20 Now therefore, listen, I beg you, my lord the king. Let my petition prevail in your sight. And do not send me back into the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”
Lakini sasa sikiliza, bwana wangu mfalme! Acha ombi langu liwe mbele yako. Usinirudie mimi kwenye nyumba ya Yonathani mwandishi, au nitakufa huko.”
21 Then king Zedekiah instructed that Jeremiah be confined to the vestibule of the prison, and that they should give him a twist of bread daily, along with stew, until all the bread in the city had been consumed. And Jeremiah remained at the entrance of the prison.
Kwa hiyo mfalme Sedekia alitoa amri. Wajakazi wake walimwekea mipaka Yeremia katika uwanja wa walinzi. Alipewa mkate kila siku kutoka mtaa wa waokaji mkate, mpaka mkate wote mjini uliisha. Basi Yeremia alibaki kwenye uwanja walinzi.
