Jeremiah 46
1 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations:
Hili ni neno la Bwana lililomjia nabii Yeremia kuhusu mataifa:
2 Concerning Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho the king of Egypt, which was [posted] by the river Euphrates in Karkemish, which Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoyakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah.
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 Make ye ready shield and buckler, and draw near to the battle.
“Wekeni tayari ngao zenu, kubwa na ndogo, mtoke kwa ajili ya vita!
4 Harness the horses, and mount, ye horsemen, and stand forth with helmets: sharpen the spears, and put on the coats of mail.
Fungieni farasi lijamu, pandeni farasi! Shikeni nafasi zenu mkiwa mmevaa chapeo! Isugueni mikuki yenu, vaeni dirii vifuani!
5 Wherefore have I seen them dismayed, moving backward? while their mighty ones are beaten down, and seek safety in flight, and look not back? There is terror 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 The swift cannot flee away, nor can the mighty man escape: toward the north by the shore of the river Euphrates do they stumble and fall.
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 like a stream, whose waters are upheaved like the rivers?
“Ni nani huyu ajiinuaye kama Mto Naili, kama mito yenye maji yanayofanya mawimbi?
8 Egypt cometh up like a stream, and like the rivers are the waters upheaved; and he saith, I will go up, I will cover the land; I will destroy the city and those that dwell therein.
Misri hujiinua kama Mto Naili, kama mito yenye maji yanayofanya mawimbi. Husema, ‘Nitainuka na kufunika dunia, nitaiangamiza miji na watu wake.’
9 Come up, ye horses; and rush along wildly, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth: Cush and Put, that grasp the shield, and the Ludim, that grasp and bend the bow.
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 And this same day is for the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, a day of vengeance, to be avenged on his adversaries; that the sword may devour, and may be satiated and made drunken with their blood; for there is a sacrifice for the Lord the Eternal 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 Gil'ad, and fetch balm, O virgin, daughter of Egypt: in vain usest thou many remedies; there is no recovery for thee.
“Panda hadi Gileadi ukapate zeri, ee Bikira Binti wa Misri. Lakini umetumia dawa nyingi bila mafanikio; huwezi kupona.
12 Nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry of anguish hath filled the earth; for the mighty man over the mighty have they stumbled, together are both of them fallen.
Mataifa yatasikia juu ya aibu yako, kilio chako kitaijaza dunia. Shujaa mmoja atajikwaa juu ya mwingine, nao wataanguka chini pamoja.”
13 The word which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, to smite the land of Egypt.
Huu ndio ujumbe Bwana aliomwambia nabii Yeremia kuhusu kuja kwa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli ili kuishambulia Misri:
14 Announce ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Thachpanches: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thyself; for the sword devoureth 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 swept away? not one hath stood, because the Lord did drive him off.
Kwa nini mashujaa wako wamesombwa na kupelekwa mbali? Hawawezi kusimama, kwa maana Bwana atawasukuma awaangushe chini.
16 He caused many to stumble; yea, one also fell over the other; and they said, Arise, and let us return to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from before the wasting sword.
Watajikwaa mara kwa mara, wataangukiana wao kwa wao. Watasema, ‘Amka, turudi kwa watu wetu na nchi yetu, mbali na upanga wa mtesi.’
17 They called out there, Pharaoh is king of Egypt, it was but vaunting, he hath let the time appointed pass by.
Huko watatangaza, ‘Farao mfalme wa Misri ni makelele tu, amekosa wasaa wake.’
18 As I live, saith the King, the Lord of hosts is his name, Surely as Thabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel is 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 Appurtenances of exile make for thyself, O thou inhabitress, daughter of Egypt; for Noph shall be made a waste and be left desolate without an inhabitant.
Funga mizigo yako kwenda uhamishoni, wewe ukaaye Misri, kwa kuwa Memfisi utaangamizwa na kuwa magofu pasipo mkazi.
20 O fairest heifer, Egypt! the butcher from the north cometh, he cometh.
“Misri ni mtamba mzuri, lakini kipanga anakuja dhidi yake kutoka kaskazini.
21 Also her hired troops in the midst of her are like fatted calves; for they also are turned round, are fled away together, they do not stand; because the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their punishment.
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 cry shall come like [the hissing of] a serpent; for with an army shall they march, and with axes do they come against her, like 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 cut down her forest, saith the Lord, though it cannot be searched out; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and there is no number to them.
Wataufyeka msitu wake,” asema Bwana, “hata kama umesongamana kiasi gani. Ni wengi kuliko nzige, hawawezi kuhesabika.
24 Ashamed hath been made the daughter of Egypt: she hath been given up 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 send visitation on Ahmon of No, and on Pharaoh, and on Egypt, and on her gods, and on her kings; even on Pharaoh, and on those that trust on 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 give them up into the hand of those that seek their life, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward shall she 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 But thou, —fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel; for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity: and Jacob shall return, and he shall be at rest and at ease, with none to make him afraid.
“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 Thou, —fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord; for I am with thee: and although I make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, yet of thee will I not make a full end; and I will correct thee in measure; yet wholly will I not leave thee unpunished.
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.”
