Jeremiah 34
1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the country ruled by his power, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all its cities, saying,
Wakati Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli na jeshi lake lote, pamoja na falme zote na mataifa katika himaya aliyotawala walipokuwa wakipigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu pamoja na miji yote inayoizunguka, neno hili lilimjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Bwana:
2 Thus hath said the Lord, the God of Israel, Go and speak to Zedekiah the king of Judah, and say to him, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will give up this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, that he may burn it with fire:
“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, kusema: Nenda kwa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda umwambie, ‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Ninakaribia kuutia mji huu mikononi mwa mfalme wa Babeli, naye atauteketeza kwa moto.
3 And thou thyself shalt not escape out of his hand; but thou shalt surely be caught, and be delivered into his hand; and thy eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and his mouth shall speak with thy mouth, and to Babylon shalt thou go.
Hutaweza kuepuka mkono wake, bali hakika utatekwa na kukabidhiwa kwake. Utamwona mfalme wa Babeli kwa macho yako mwenyewe, naye atazungumza nawe ana kwa ana. Nawe utakwenda Babeli.
4 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah, Thus hath said the Lord respecting thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:
“‘Lakini sikia ahadi ya Bwana, ee Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda. Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana kukuhusu: Hutakufa kwa upanga,
5 In peace shalt thou die; and as burnings were made for thy fathers, the former kings who were before thee, so shall they make burnings for thee; and “Ah lord” shall they lament for thee; for I have spoken the word, saith the Lord.
utakufa kwa amani. Kama vile watu walivyowasha moto wa maziko kwa heshima ya baba zako, wafalme waliokutangulia, ndivyo watu watakavyowasha moto kwa heshima yako na kuomboleza, wakisema: “Ole, Ee Bwana!” Mimi mwenyewe ninaweka ahadi hii, asema Bwana.’”
6 And Jeremiah the prophet spoke unto Zedekiah the king of Judah all these words in Jerusalem,
Ndipo nabii Yeremia akamwambia Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda mambo haya yote huko Yerusalemu,
7 When the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against 'Azekah; for these had been left of the cities of Judah as fortified cities.
wakati jeshi la mfalme wa Babeli lilipokuwa likipigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu na miji mingine ya Yuda ambayo bado ilikuwa imara, yaani Lakishi na Azeka. Hii ilikuwa miji pekee yenye ngome iliyobaki katika Yuda.
8 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim among themselves freedom;
Hili ndilo neno lililomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Bwana, baada ya Mfalme Sedekia kufanya agano na watu wote huko Yerusalemu ili kutangaza uhuru kwa watumwa.
9 That every man should dismiss his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, being a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, free; so that no man among them should exact labor of a Jew, his brother.
Kila mmoja alipaswa kuwaacha huru watumwa wake wa Kiebrania, wanawake na wanaume. Hakuna yeyote aliyeruhusiwa kumshikilia Myahudi mwenzake kama mtumwa.
10 And all the princes had hearkened, with all the people, who had entered into the covenant, that every one should dismiss his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, free, that no one should exact labor of them any more: and they had obeyed, and dismissed them.
Kwa hiyo maafisa wote na watu walioingia katika agano hili wakakubali kwamba watawaacha huru watumwa wao wa kiume na wa kike, na hawatawashikilia tena kama watumwa. Wakakubali na wakawaacha huru.
11 But they had turned afterward, and they had brought back the men-servants and the maid-servants whom they had dismissed as free, and had subjected them to become men-servants and maid-servants.
Lakini baadaye wakabadili mawazo yao, na kuwarudisha wale watumwa waliokuwa wamewaacha huru, wakawafanya tena watumwa.
12 And the word of the Lord [then] came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Ndipo neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia kusema:
13 Thus hath said the Lord, the God of Israel, —I myself made a covenant with your fathers on the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,
“Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli: Nilifanya agano na baba zenu nilipowatoa Misri, kutoka nchi ya utumwa. Nilisema,
14 At the end of seven years shall ye dismiss every man his brother the Hebrew, who may have been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, then shalt thou dismiss him from thee; but your fathers hearkened not unto me, and inclined not their ear.
‘Kila mwaka wa saba, kila mmoja wenu ni lazima amwache huru mtumwa ambaye ni Mwebrania mwenzenu aliyejiuza kwenu. Baada ya kukutumikia kwa miaka sita, ni lazima umwache huru aende zake.’ Hata hivyo baba zenu hawakunisikiliza wala kunijali.
15 And ye had turned this day, and done what is right in my eyes, to proclaim freedom every man to his neighbor; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house over which my name is called;
Hivi karibuni tu mlitubu na kufanya yaliyo sawa machoni pangu: Kila mmoja wenu aliwatangazia uhuru Waebrania wake. Hata mlifanya agano mbele zangu ndani ya nyumba iitwayo kwa Jina langu.
16 But ye have turned again, and profaned my name, and ye have brought back every man his man-servant, and every man his woman-servant, whom ye had dismissed as free at their pleasure, and have subjected them to be unto you for men-servants and for women-servants.
Lakini sasa mmegeuka na kulinajisi jina langu. Kila mmoja wenu amemrudisha mtumwa wa kiume na wa kike ambao mlikuwa mmewaacha huru waende zao walikotaka. Mmewalazimisha kuwa watumwa wenu tena.
17 Therefore thus hath said the Lord, Ye indeed have not hearkened unto me, to proclaim freedom, every one to his brother, and every one to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim a freedom over you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you a horror unto all the kingdoms of the earth.
“Kwa hiyo, hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Hamkunitii mimi. Hamkutangaza uhuru kwa ndugu zenu. Hivyo sasa, ninawatangazia ninyi ‘uhuru,’ asema Bwana: ‘uhuru’ ili kuanguka kwa upanga, tauni na njaa. Nitawafanya mwe chukizo kwa falme zote za dunia.
18 And I will give up the men that have transgressed my covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they had made before me, at the calf which they cut in twain, and between the parts whereof they passed,
Watu waliovunja agano langu, na ambao hawakutunza masharti ya agano walilofanya mbele zangu, nitawafanya kama ndama waliyemkata vipande viwili, kisha wakatembea kati ya vile vipande vya huyo ndama.
19 The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the court-servants, and the priests, and all the people of the land, who have passed between the parts of the calf;
Viongozi wa Yuda na Yerusalemu, maafisa wa mahakama, makuhani na watu wote wa nchi waliopita kati ya vile vipande vya ndama,
20 [Yea] I will give them up into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall become food unto the fowls of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth.
nitawatia mikononi mwa adui zao wanaotafuta uhai wao. Maiti zao zitakuwa chakula cha ndege wa angani na wanyama wa nchi.
21 And Zedekiah the king of Judah and his princes will I give up into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, that are [now] gone away from you.
“Nitamtia Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda na maafisa wake mikononi mwa adui zao wanaotafuta uhai wao, kwa jeshi la mfalme wa Babeli, lililokuwa limeondoka kwenu.
22 Behold, I will command, speaketh the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city; and they shall fight against it, and capture it, and burn it with fire: and the cities of Judah will I make a desert without an inhabitant.
Nitatoa amri, asema Bwana, nami nitawarudisha tena katika mji huu. Watapigana dhidi yake, wautwae na kuuteketeza kwa moto. Nami nitaiangamiza miji ya Yuda hivyo pasiwe na yeyote atakayeweza kuishi humo.”
