< Jeremiah 13 >

1 Thus said the Lord unto me, Go and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it around thy loins, and lay it not in water.
Hili ndilo Bwana aliloniambia: “Nenda ununue mkanda wa kitani, ujivike kiunoni mwako, lakini usiuache uguse maji.”
2 So I bought the girdle, according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my loins.
Kwa hiyo nikanunua mkanda, kama Bwana alivyoniagiza, nikajivika kiunoni.
3 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying,
Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kwa mara ya pili:
4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is around thy loins; and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.
“Chukua mkanda ulionunua ambao umeuvaa kiunoni mwako, uende sasa Frati uufiche ndani ya ufa mdogo kwenye mwamba.”
5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord has commanded me.
Ndipo nikaenda na kuuficha ule mkanda huko Frati, kama Bwana alivyoniamuru.
6 And it came to pass at the end of many days, that the Lord said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the girdle, which I commanded thee to hide there.
Baada ya siku nyingi Bwana akaniambia, “Nenda sasa Frati ukauchukue ule mkanda niliokuambia uufiche huko.”
7 And I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle from the place where I had hidden it: and, behold, the girdle was spoiled, it was useful for nothing.
Hivyo nikaenda Frati na kuuchimbua ule mkanda kutoka pale nilipokuwa nimeuficha, lakini sasa ulikuwa umeharibika na haufai tena kabisa.
8 Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,
Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia:
9 Thus hath said the Lord, After this manner will I destroy the pride of Judah, and the pride of Jerusalem, which is great.
“Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: ‘Vivyo hivyo ndivyo nitakavyokiharibu kiburi cha Yuda na kiburi kikuu cha Yerusalemu.
10 And this bad people, who refuse to hearken to my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have followed other gods, to serve them, and to bow down to them, shall even be as this girdle which is useful for nothing.
Watu hawa waovu, wanaokataa kusikiliza maneno yangu, wafuatao ukaidi wa mioyo yao na kufuata miungu mingine kuitumikia na kuiabudu, watakuwa kama mkanda huu ambao haufai kabisa!
11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so had I caused to cleave unto me all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, —to become unto me a people, and [to be] for a name, and for praise, and for honor; but they would not hear.
Kwa maana kama vile mkanda ufungwavyo kiunoni mwa mtu, ndivyo nilivyojifunga nyumba yote ya Israeli na nyumba yote ya Yuda,’ asema Bwana, ‘ili wawe watu wangu kwa ajili ya utukufu wangu, sifa na heshima yangu. Lakini hawajasikiliza.’
12 Therefore shalt thou say unto them this word, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and when they will say unto thee, Do we not know full well that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
“Waambie: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: kila kiriba inapasa kijazwe mvinyo.’ Kama wao wakikuambia, ‘Kwani hatujui kwamba kila kiriba inapasa kijazwe mvinyo?’
13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit after David upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
Kisha uwaambie, ‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: nitawajaza ulevi wote waishio katika nchi hii, pamoja na wafalme waketio juu ya kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, makuhani, manabii na wale wote waishio Yerusalemu.
14 And I will dash them one against the other, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, so as not to destroy them.
Nitawagonganisha kila mmoja na mwenzake, baba na wana wao, asema Bwana. Sitawarehemu wala kuwahurumia ili niache kuwaangamiza.’”
15 Hear ye, and bend your ear: be not proud; for the Lord hath spoken.
Sikieni na mzingatie, msiwe na kiburi, kwa kuwa Bwana amenena.
16 Give unto the Lord your God glory, before he cause darkness, and before your feet strike upon the mountains of twilight, and [where], while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and change it into gross darkness.
Mpeni utukufu Bwana Mungu wenu, kabla hajaleta giza, kabla miguu yenu haijajikwaa juu ya vilima vitakavyotiwa giza. Mlitarajia nuru, lakini ataifanya kuwa giza nene na kuibadili kuwa huzuni kubwa.
17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places because of [your] pride; and my eye shall weep sorely, and run down with tears, because the flock of the Lord is driven away captive.
Lakini kama hamtasikiliza, nitalia sirini kwa ajili ya kiburi chenu; macho yangu yatalia kwa uchungu, yakitiririka machozi, kwa sababu kundi la kondoo la Bwana litachukuliwa mateka.
18 Say unto the king and to the queen-mother, Sit down very lowly; for sunk down are your head-attires, the crown of your ornament.
Mwambie mfalme na mamaye, “Shukeni kutoka kwenye viti vyenu vya enzi, kwa kuwa taji zenu za utukufu zitaanguka kutoka vichwani mwenu.”
19 The cities of the south are shut up, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away into exile altogether, it is carried into exile completely.
Miji iliyoko Negebu itafungwa, wala hapatakuwa na mtu wa kuifungua. Watu wa Yuda wote watapelekwa uhamishoni, wakichukuliwa kabisa waende mbali.
20 Lift up your eyes, and see those that are coming from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy splendid flock?
Inua macho yako uone wale wanaokuja kutoka kaskazini. Liko wapi lile kundi ulilokabidhiwa, kondoo wale uliojivunia?
21 What wilt thou say when he will punish thee? since thou hast accustomed them to be over thee captains, and chiefs? shall not pangs seize upon thee, as on a woman in travail?
Utasema nini Bwana atakapowaweka juu yako wale ulioungana nao kama marafiki wako maalum? Je, hutapatwa na utungu kama mwanamke aliye katika utungu wa kuzaa?
22 And if thou wilt say in thy heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts laid open, thy heels are made bare violently.
Nawe kama ukijiuliza, “Kwa nini haya yamenitokea?” Ni kwa sababu ya dhambi zako nyingi ndipo marinda yako yameraruliwa na mwili wako umetendewa vibaya.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
Je, Mkushi aweza kubadili ngozi yake au chui kubadili madoadoa yake? Vivyo hivyo nawe huwezi kufanya mema wewe uliyezoea kutenda mabaya.
24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away before the wind of the wilderness.
“Nitawatawanya kama makapi yapeperushwayo na upepo wa jangwani.
25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
Hii ndiyo kura yako, fungu nililokuamuria,” asema Bwana, “kwa sababu umenisahau mimi na kuamini miungu ya uongo.
26 Therefore do I also strip up thy skirts over thy face, that thy shame may be seen.
Nitayafunua marinda yako mpaka juu ya uso wako ili aibu yako ionekane:
27 Thy adulteries and thy loud shoutings, the lewdness of thy incest, thy abominations on the hills in the fields have I seen. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean after ever so long a time.
uzinzi wako na kulia kwako kama farasi kulikojaa tamaa, ukahaba wako usio na aibu! Nimeyaona matendo yako ya machukizo juu ya vilima na mashambani. Ole wako, ee Yerusalemu! Utaendelea kuwa najisi mpaka lini?”

< Jeremiah 13 >