Jeremiah 9
1 Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
Laiti kichwa changu kingekuwa chemchemi ya maji na macho yangu yangekuwa kisima cha machozi! Ningelia usiku na mchana kwa kuuawa kwa watu wangu.
2 Oh that I were in the wilderness, in a lodging-place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
Laiti ningekuwa na nyumba ya kukaa wasafiri jangwani, ningewaacha watu wangu na kwenda mbali nao, kwa kuwa wote ni wazinzi, kundi la watu wadanganyifu.
3 And they bend their tongue, their bow of falsehood; and they are grown mighty in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and Me they know not, saith the LORD.
“Huweka tayari ndimi zao kama upinde, ili kurusha uongo; wamekuwa na nguvu katika nchi lakini si katika ukweli. Wanatoka dhambi moja hadi nyingine, hawanitambui mimi,” asema Bwana.
4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother acteth subtly, and every neighbour goeth about with slanders.
“Jihadhari na rafiki zako; usiwaamini ndugu zako. Kwa kuwa kila ndugu ni mdanganyifu, na kila rafiki ni msingiziaji.
5 And they deceive every one his neighbour, and truth they speak not; they have taught their tongue to speak lies, they weary themselves to commit iniquity.
Rafiki humdanganya rafiki, hakuna yeyote asemaye kweli. Wamefundisha ndimi zao kudanganya, wanajichosha wenyewe katika kutenda dhambi.
6 Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me, saith the LORD.
Unakaa katikati ya udanganyifu; katika udanganyifu wao wanakataa kunitambua mimi,” asema Bwana.
7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will smelt them, and try them; for how else should I do, because of the daughter of My people?
Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Tazama, nitawasafisha na kuwajaribu, kwani ni nini kingine niwezacho kufanya kwa sababu ya dhambi ya watu wangu?
8 Their tongue is a sharpened arrow, it speaketh deceit; one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth wait for him.
Ndimi zao ni mshale wenye sumu, hunena kwa udanganyifu. Kwa kinywa chake kila mmoja huzungumza maneno mazuri na jirani yake, lakini moyoni mwake humtegea mtego.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things? saith the LORD; Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Je, nisiwaadhibu kwa ajili ya jambo hili?” asema Bwana. “Je, nisijilipizie kisasi kwa taifa kama hili?”
10 For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none passeth through. And they hear not the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled, and gone.
Nitalia na kuomboleza kwa ajili ya milima na kuomboleza kuhusu malisho ya jangwani. Yamekuwa ukiwa, wala hakuna apitaye humo, milio ya ngʼombe haisikiki. Ndege wa angani wametoroka na wanyama wamekimbia.
11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, a lair of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without an inhabitant.
“Nitaifanya Yerusalemu lundo la magofu, makao ya mbweha; nami nitaifanya miji ya Yuda kuwa ukiwa ili asiwepo atakayeishi humo.”
12 Who is the wise man, that he may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it? Wherefore is the land perished and laid waste like a wilderness, so that none passeth through?
Ni mtu yupi aliye na hekima ya kutosha ayaelewe haya? Ni nani aliyefundishwa na Bwana awezaye kuyaeleza haya? Kwa nini nchi imeharibiwa na kufanywa ukiwa kama jangwa ambapo hakuna awezaye kupita?
13 And the LORD saith: Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not hearkened to My voice, neither walked therein;
Bwana akasema, “Ni kwa sababu wameiacha sheria yangu, niliyoiweka mbele yao: hawajaniheshimu mimi wala kufuata sheria yangu.
14 But have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baalim, which their fathers taught them.
Badala yake wamefuata ukaidi wa mioyo yao, wamefuata Mabaali, kama vile baba zao walivyowafundisha.”
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
Kwa hiyo, hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: “Tazama, nitawafanya watu hawa wale chakula kichungu na kunywa maji yenye sumu.
16 I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them.
Nitawatawanya katika mataifa ambayo wao wala baba zao hawakuwajua, nikiwafuata kwa upanga mpaka niwe nimewaangamiza kabisa.”
17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the wise women, that they may come;
Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Fikiri sasa! Waite wanawake waombolezao waje, waite wale walio na ustadi kuliko wote.
18 And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.
Nao waje upesi na kutuombolezea, mpaka macho yetu yafurike machozi na vijito vya maji vitoke kwenye kope zetu.
19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion: 'How are we undone! We are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.'
Sauti ya kuomboleza imesikika kutoka Sayuni: ‘Tazama jinsi tulivyoangamizwa! Tazama jinsi aibu yetu ilivyo kubwa! Ni lazima tuihame nchi yetu kwa sababu nyumba zetu zimekuwa magofu.’”
20 Yea, hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of His mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation:
Basi, enyi wanawake, sikieni neno la Bwana; fungueni masikio yenu msikie maneno ya kinywa chake. Wafundisheni binti zenu kuomboleza; fundishaneni kila mmoja na mwenzake maombolezo.
21 'For death is come up into our windows, it is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from the street, and the young men from the broad places. —
Mauti imeingia ndani kupitia madirishani, imeingia kwenye majumba yetu ya fahari; imewakatilia mbali watoto katika barabara na vijana waume kutoka viwanja vya miji.
22 Speak: Thus saith the LORD — And the carcasses of men fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, which none gathereth.'
Sema, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “‘Maiti za wanaume zitalala kama mavi katika mashamba, kama malundo ya nafaka nyuma ya mvunaji, wala hakuna anayekusanya.’”
23 Thus saith the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches;
Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Mwenye hekima asijisifu katika hekima yake, au mwenye nguvu ajisifu katika nguvu zake, wala tajiri ajisifu katika utajiri wake,
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD who exercise mercy, justice, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
lakini yeye ajisifuye, na ajisifu kwa sababu hili: kwamba ananifahamu na kunijua mimi, kwamba mimi ndimi Bwana, nitendaye wema, hukumu na haki duniani, kwa kuwa napendezwa na haya,” asema Bwana.
25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them that are circumcised in their uncircumcision:
“Siku zinakuja, nitakapowaadhibu wale wote ambao wametahiriwa kimwili tu, asema Bwana,
26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners of their hair polled, that dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, but all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
yaani Misri, Yuda, Edomu, Amoni, Moabu na wote wanaoishi jangwani sehemu za mbali. Kwa maana mataifa haya yote hayakutahiriwa mioyo yao, nayo nyumba yote ya Israeli haikutahiriwa.”
