< Jeremiah 46 >
1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremias the prophet against the Gentiles,
Hili ni neno la Bwana lililomjia nabii Yeremia kuhusu mataifa:
2 Against Egypt, against the army of Pharao Nechao king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Charcamis, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon defeated, in the fourth year of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda.
Kuhusu Misri: Huu ni ujumbe dhidi ya jeshi la Farao Neko mfalme wa Misri, lililoshindwa huko Karkemishi kwenye Mto Frati na Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, katika mwaka wa nne wa utawala wa Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosia mfalme wa Yuda:
3 Prepare ye the shield and buckler, and go forth to battle.
“Wekeni tayari ngao zenu, kubwa na ndogo, mtoke kwa ajili ya vita!
4 Harness the horses, and get up, ye horsemen: stand forth with helmets, furbish the spears, put on coats of mail.
Fungieni farasi lijamu, pandeni farasi! Shikeni nafasi zenu mkiwa mmevaa chapeo! Isugueni mikuki yenu, vaeni dirii vifuani!
5 What then? I have seen them dismayed, and turning their backs, their valiant ones slain: they fled apace, and they looked not back: terror was round about, saith the Lord.
Je, ninaona nini? Wametiwa hofu, wanarudi nyuma, askari wao wameshindwa. Wanakimbia kwa haraka pasipo kutazama nyuma, tena kuna hofu kuu kila upande,” asema Bwana.
6 Let not the swift flee away, nor the strong think to escape: they are overthrown, and fallen down, towards the north by the river Euphrates.
Walio wepesi na wenye mbio hawawezi kukimbia, wala wenye nguvu hawawezi kutoroka. Kaskazini, kando ya Mto Frati, wanajikwaa na kuanguka.
7 Who is this that cometh up as a flood: and his streams swell like those of rivers?
“Ni nani huyu ajiinuaye kama Mto Naili, kama mito yenye maji yanayofanya mawimbi?
8 Egypt riseth up like a flood, and the waves thereof shall be moved as rivers, and he shall say: I will go up and will cover the earth: I will destroy the city, and its inhabitants.
Misri hujiinua kama Mto Naili, kama mito yenye maji yanayofanya mawimbi. Husema, ‘Nitainuka na kufunika dunia, nitaiangamiza miji na watu wake.’
9 Get ye up on horses, and glory in chariots, and let the valiant men come forth, the Ethiopians, and the Libyans that hold the shield, and the Lydians that take, and shoot arrows.
Songeni mbele, enyi farasi! Endesheni kwa ukali, enyi magari ya farasi, Endeleeni mbele, enyi mashujaa: watu wa Kushi na Putu wachukuao ngao, watu wa Ludi wavutao upinde.
10 For this is the day of the Lord the God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may revenge himself of his enemies: the sword shall devour, and shall be filled, and shall be drunk with their blood: for there is a sacrifice of the Lord God of hosts in the north country, by the river Euphrates.
Lakini ile siku ni ya Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, siku ya kulipiza kisasi, kisasi juu ya adui zake. Upanga utakula hata utakapotosheka, hadi utakapozima kiu yake kwa damu. Kwa maana Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, atatoa dhabihu kwenye nchi ya kaskazini, kando ya Mto Frati.
11 Go up into Galaad, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou multiply medicines, there shall be no cure for thee.
“Panda hadi Gileadi ukapate zeri, ee Bikira Binti wa Misri. Lakini umetumia dawa nyingi bila mafanikio; huwezi kupona.
12 The nations have heard of thy disgrace, and thy howling hath filled the land: for the strong hath stumbled against the strong, and both are fallen together.
Mataifa yatasikia juu ya aibu yako, kilio chako kitaijaza dunia. Shujaa mmoja atajikwaa juu ya mwingine, nao wataanguka chini pamoja.”
13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremias the prophet, how Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt:
Huu ndio ujumbe Bwana aliomwambia nabii Yeremia kuhusu kuja kwa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli ili kuishambulia Misri:
14 Declare ye to Egypt, and publish it in Magdal, and let it be known in Memphis, and in Taphnis: say ye: Stand up, and prepare thyself: for the sword shall devour all round about thee.
“Tangaza hili katika Misri, nawe ulihubiri katika Migdoli, hubiri pia katika Memfisi na Tahpanhesi: ‘Shikeni nafasi zenu na mwe tayari, kwa kuwa upanga unawala wale wanaokuzunguka.’
15 Why are thy valiant men come to nothing? they stood not: because the Lord hath overthrown them.
Kwa nini mashujaa wako wamesombwa na kupelekwa mbali? Hawawezi kusimama, kwa maana Bwana atawasukuma awaangushe chini.
16 He hath multiplied them that fall, and one hath fallen upon another, and they shall say: Arise, and let us return to our own people, and to the land our nativity, from the sword of the dove.
Watajikwaa mara kwa mara, wataangukiana wao kwa wao. Watasema, ‘Amka, turudi kwa watu wetu na nchi yetu, mbali na upanga wa mtesi.’
17 Call ye the name of Pharao king Egypt, a tumult time hath brought.
Huko watatangaza, ‘Farao mfalme wa Misri ni makelele tu, amekosa wasaa wake.’
18 As I live, (saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, ) as Thabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
“Kwa hakika kama niishivyo,” asema Mfalme, ambaye jina lake ni Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, “mmoja atakuja ambaye ni kama Tabori miongoni mwa milima, kama Karmeli kando ya bahari.
19 Furnish thyself to go into captivity, thou daughter inhabitant of Egypt: for Memphis shall be made desolate, and shall be forsaken and uninhabited.
Funga mizigo yako kwenda uhamishoni, wewe ukaaye Misri, kwa kuwa Memfisi utaangamizwa na kuwa magofu pasipo mkazi.
20 Egypt is like a fair and beautiful heifer: there shall come from the north one that shall goad her.
“Misri ni mtamba mzuri, lakini kipanga anakuja dhidi yake kutoka kaskazini.
21 Her hirelings also that lived in the midst of her, like fatted calves are turned back, and are fled away together, and they could not stand, for the day of their slaughter is come upon them, the time of their visitation.
Askari wake waliokodiwa katika safu zake wako kama ndama walionenepeshwa. Wao pia watageuka na kukimbia pamoja, hawataweza kuhimili vita, kwa maana siku ya msiba inakuja juu yao, wakati wao wa kuadhibiwa.
22 Her voice shall sound like brass, for they shall hasten with an army, and with axes they shall come against her, as hewers of wood.
Misri atatoa sauti kama ya nyoka anayekimbia kadiri adui anavyowasogelea na majeshi, watakuja dhidi yake wakiwa na mashoka, kama watu wakatao miti.
23 They have cut down her forest, saith the Lord, which cannot be counted: they are multiplied above locusts, and are without number.
Wataufyeka msitu wake,” asema Bwana, “hata kama umesongamana kiasi gani. Ni wengi kuliko nzige, hawawezi kuhesabika.
24 The daughter of Egypt is confounded, and delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
Binti wa Misri ataaibishwa, atatiwa mikononi mwa watu wa kaskazini.”
25 The Lord of hosts the God of Israel hath said: Behold I will visit upon the tumult of Alexandria, and upon Pharao, and upon Egypt, and upon her gods, and upon her kings, and upon Pharao, upon them that trust in him.
Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asema: “Nakaribia kuleta adhabu juu ya Amoni mungu wa Thebesi, na juu ya Farao, Misri na miungu yake, na wafalme wake, pamoja na wale wanaomtegemea Farao.
26 And I will deliver them into the hand of them that seek their lives, into the hand of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord.
Nitawatia mikononi mwa wale wanaotafuta uhai wao, yaani Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli na maafisa wake. Hatimaye, hata hivyo, Misri itakaliwa kama nyakati zilizopita,” asema Bwana.
27 And thou my servant Jacob, fear not and be not thou dismayed, O Israel: for behold I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed out of the land of thy captivity: and Jacob shall return and be at rest, and prosper: and there shall be none to terrify him.
“Usiogope, ee Yakobo mtumishi wangu, usifadhaike, ee Israeli. Hakika nitakuokoa kutoka nchi za mbali, uzao wako kutoka nchi ya uhamisho wao. Yakobo atakuwa tena na amani na salama, wala hakuna hata mmoja atakayewatia hofu.
28 And thou, my servant Jacob, fear not, saith the Lord: because I am with thee, for I will consume all the nations to which I have cast thee out: but thee I will not consume, but I will correct thee in judgment, neither will I spare thee as if thou wert innocent.
Usiogope, ee Yakobo mtumishi wangu, kwa maana mimi niko pamoja nawe,” asema Bwana. “Ingawa nitayaangamiza kabisa mataifa yote ambayo miongoni mwake nimekutawanya, sitakuangamiza wewe kabisa. Nitakurudi, lakini kwa haki tu, wala sitakuacha kabisa bila kukuadhibu.”