Jeremiah 10
1 Listen to the message the Lord is sending to you, people of Israel.
“Sikilizeni neno ambalo BWANA anawaambieni, enyi nyumba ya Israeli.
2 This is what the Lord says: Don't adopt the practices of other nations. Don't be terrified as they are by signs in the heavens that they interpret as predicting disaster.
BWANA asema hivi, 'msijifunze njia za mataifa, na msishangazwe na ishara za mbinguni, kwa kuwa mataifa hushangazwa na haya.
3 The religious beliefs of the peoples are pointless. They chop down a tree in the forest and a craftsman carves the wood with a tool to make an idol.
Kwa kuwa desturi za watu ni ubatili. Kwa kuwa mtu mmoja hukata mti msituni; kazi ya mikono ya mtu na shoka.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold, and nail it down with a hammer so it won't fall over.
Kisha huzipamba kwa fedha na dhahabu. Huikaza kwa misumari na nyundo ili isitikisike.
5 Just like a scarecrow in a field of cucumbers, their idols can't speak. They have to be carried around because they can't walk. You don't have to be afraid of them because they can't hurt you—and they can't do you any good either.
Sanamu hizi ni mfano wa sanamu za kutishia ndege katika shamba la matango, kwa kuwa haziwezi kusema chochote. Hubebwa, kwa kuwa haziwezi hata kusogea hatua moja. Usiwaogope, Kwani hawawezi kutenda maovu wala mema.”
6 There's no one like you, Lord! You are so great! You are incredibly powerful!
Hakuna aliye kama wewe, BWANA. Wewe ni mkuu, na jina lako lina nguvu.
7 Everyone should respect you, King of the nations. This is how you should be treated. There's no one like you among all the wise men of every nation and kingdom.
Ni nani asiyekuwa na hofu juu yako, wafalme wa mataifa? Kwa kuwa hiki ndicho unachostahili, kwa kuwa hakuna wa kuwa kama wewe kati ya wote wenye hekima katika mataifa yote au katika hali yao ya enzi.
8 Yet these “wise men” are completely foolish and stupid, because they think they can be taught by useless idols made of wood!
Wote wako sawa, ni kama wanyama na wapumbavu, wanafunzi wa samamu ambazo si chochote isipokuwa miti tu.
9 Sheets of hammered silver are shipped in from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, to be used by craftsmen and metalworkers. These idols are dressed in clothes of blue and purple made by experts.
Wanaleta fedha iliyofuliwa kutoka Tarshishi, na dhahabu kutoka Ufazi iliyotengenezwa na sonara, ni kazi ya ustadi. Mavazi yao ni ya rangi ya samawi na urujuani. Watu wao stadi waliyafanya haya yote.
10 But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and eternal King. The earth shakes when he is angry; the nations can't withstand his fury.
Lakini BWANA ni Mungu wa kweli. Yeye ni Mungu aliye hai na mfalme wa milele. Matetemeko yako katika hasira yake, na mataifa hayawezi kuvumilia hasira yake.
11 This is what you are to tell the nations: “These gods, who didn't make either the heavens or the earth, will be wiped out from this earth and from under these heavens.”
Utawaambia hivi, “Miungu ambayo haikuumba mbingu na nchi itaangamia katika dunia hii na chini ya mbingu.”
12 It was God who made the earth by his power. He created the world by his wisdom and by his understanding he put the heavens in place.
Aliyeiumba dunia kwa nguvu zake aliumba nchi kavu kwa hekima zake na kuzitandaza mbingu kwa fahamu zake.
13 The waters of the heavens rain down with a roar at his command. He makes the clouds to rise all over the earth. He makes lightning to accompany rain, and sends the wind from his storehouses.
Sauti yake ndiyo itengenezayo muungurumo wa maji mbinguni, naye huzileta mbingu katika mwisho wa dunia. Hutengeneza radi kwa ajili ya mvua na kutuma upepo kutoka katika hazina yake.
14 Everyone is stupid; they don't know anything. Every metalworker is embarrassed by the idols they make. For their images made of molten metal are fraudulent—they're not alive!
Kila mtu amekuwa mjinga, hawana maarifa. Kila mfua chuma ameaibishwa kwa sanamu zake. Maana sanamu yake ya kuyeyushwa ni uongo; hakuna pumzi ndani yake.
15 They are useless, an object to be laughed at. They will be destroyed at the time of their punishment.
Ni ubatili tu, ni kazi ya udanganyifu; zitapotea wakati wa hukumu.
16 The God of Jacob is not like these idols, for he is the Creator of everything, and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him. The Lord Almighty is his name.
Lakini Mungu ni fungu la Yakobo, si kama hawa, kwa kuwa yeye ndiye aliyeviumba vitu vyote. Israeli ni kabila ya urithi wake; BWANA wa majeshi ndiye jina lake.
17 You people living in Jerusalem under siege, get all your things together ready to leave,
Kusanya vitu vyako na uiache nchi, wewe ambaye umekuwa ukiishi katika mazingiwa haya.
18 because this is what the Lord says: Look! Right now I'm about to throw out the people living in this country, bringing them trouble they will really feel.
Kwa kuwa BWANA asema hivi, “Tazama, Ni tayari kuwatupa wakazi wa nchi nje wakati huu. Nitawasababishia huzuni, na itakuwa hivyo.”
19 The people of Jerusalem responded, “We're suffering terribly because we've been badly hurt—our injuries are really serious. We thought it wouldn't be that bad and that we could bear it.
Ole wangu! Kwa sababu ya mifupa yangu iliyovunjika, Jeraha zangu zimeumia. Kwa hiyo nilisema. “Hakika haya ni maumivu, lakini lazima nivumilie.”
20 Our tents have been destroyed; all our ropes have been broken. Our children have been taken from us and are no more. We don't have anyone left to put up our tents or hang our curtains.”
Hema yangu imeharibiwa, na kamba za hema yangu zote zimekatwa. Wamewachukua watoto wangu wote, Kwa hiyo hawaishi tena. Hakuna tena mtu wa kuitandaza hema yangu au wa kuziinua pazia za hema yangu.
21 The “shepherds” have become stupid—they don't ask the Lord for advice. That's why they have failed, and all their flock has been scattered.
Kwa kuwa wachungaji wamekuwa wapumbavu. Hawamtafuti BWANA. Kwa hiyo hawana mafanikio; Kondoo wao wote wamesambaa.
22 Listen to the news that an noisy army is invading from a country to the north. The towns of Judah will be knocked down, they will be places where only jackals live.
Taarifa imewadia, “Tazama! inakuja, tetemeko kubwa linakuja kutoka katika nchi ya kaskazini kuifanya miji ya Yuda kuwa ukiwa, na maficho ya mbweha.
23 I realize, Lord, that people don't control their own lives—no one really knows how to choose their way.
Ninajua, BWANA, kwamba njia ya mtu haiji kutoka kwake. Wala hakuna mtu atembeaye anayeongoza hatua zake mwenyewe.
24 Please discipline me fairly, Lord—not while you're angry, otherwise you'll kill me!
Ee BWANA, unirudi, kwa hukumu za haki, si kwa hasira zako vinginevyo utaniangamiza.
25 Pour out your fury on the nations that don't recognize you as God, and on their families that don't worship you. For they have completely destroyed the Israelites, wiping us out. They have devastated our country.
Mwaga hasira zako kwa mataifa ambao hawakujui na katika familia ambazo hawakuiti kwa jina lako. Kwa kuwa wamemla Yakobo na kumwangamiza kabisa na kuyafanya makao yake kuwa ukiwa.
