Jeremiah 46
1 These are messages that Yahweh gave to the prophet Jeremiah about [other] nations.
Hili ni neno la Bwana lililomjia nabii Yeremia kuhusu mataifa:
2 After Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah, had been ruling Judah for almost four years, this message about Egypt was given [by Yahweh]. It was when the army of King Neco of Egypt was defeated by the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon along the Euphrates River. [This is what Yahweh said: “The officers of the army of Egypt are saying to their troops],
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 ‘Prepare your shields and march out to fight the battle!
“Wekeni tayari ngao zenu, kubwa na ndogo, mtoke kwa ajili ya vita!
4 Put harnesses on your horses, and get on their backs. (Get into your positions/Line up) [for the battle]; put on your helmets. Sharpen your spears, and put on your armor!’
Fungieni farasi lijamu, pandeni farasi! Shikeni nafasi zenu mkiwa mmevaa chapeo! Isugueni mikuki yenu, vaeni dirii vifuani!
5 But what [RHQ] do I see? I see that the soldiers of Egypt will be terrified and will be fleeing. [Even] the bravest of their soldiers will be running away, without [even] looking backward! [I, ] Yahweh, say that [their soldiers] will be terrified on all sides!
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 [Even] the fastest [runners] will try to run away, but [even the greatest of] their warriors will not escape. In the north, by the Euphrates [River], they will stumble and fall.
Walio wepesi na wenye mbio hawawezi kukimbia, wala wenye nguvu hawawezi kutoroka. Kaskazini, kando ya Mto Frati, wanajikwaa na kuanguka.
7 What group is this that will be covering the land like the water of the Nile [River] covers the land when it floods?
“Ni nani huyu ajiinuaye kama Mto Naili, kama mito yenye maji yanayofanya mawimbi?
8 [It is the army of] Egypt that will be covering the land like a surging/huge flood, and they will boast that they will cover the earth and will destroy cities and the people [who live in them].
Misri hujiinua kama Mto Naili, kama mito yenye maji yanayofanya mawimbi. Husema, ‘Nitainuka na kufunika dunia, nitaiangamiza miji na watu wake.’
9 You [riders of] horses, charge/rush [into the battle]! You [drivers of] chariots, drive furiously! [All] you warriors from Ethiopia and Libya who carry your shields, you warriors from Lydia who shoot arrows, you come!
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 But, [you need to know that] this is the day when [I], Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, will get revenge on my enemies. With my sword [PRS] I will kill [my enemies] until I am satisfied; my sword will [be like a monster that] [MET, PRS] drinks the blood [of the animals it kills] until it is no longer thirsty. [The enemy soldiers who will be killed] in the north beside the Euphrates River [will be like] [MET] a sacrifice to [me], the Commander of the armies of angels.
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 You people [IDM] of Egypt, go up to the Gilead [region] to obtain medicine; but it will be useless to take all those medicines; you will not be healed.
“Panda hadi Gileadi ukapate zeri, ee Bikira Binti wa Misri. Lakini umetumia dawa nyingi bila mafanikio; huwezi kupona.
12 [People in] the [other] nations will hear how you were humiliated. [People] all over the earth will hear you wailing. [Your mighty] warriors will stumble over each other and they will all fall down together.”
Mataifa yatasikia juu ya aibu yako, kilio chako kitaijaza dunia. Shujaa mmoja atajikwaa juu ya mwingine, nao wataanguka chini pamoja.”
13 [Then] Yahweh gave me this message about King Nebuchadnezzar when he planned to attack Egypt [with his army]:
Huu ndio ujumbe Bwana aliomwambia nabii Yeremia kuhusu kuja kwa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli ili kuishambulia Misri:
14 “Shout [this message] throughout Egypt! Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpenes [cities]! ‘(Get into your positions/Line up) [for the battle]; Prepare to defend yourselves, because [everyone] around you will be killed.’ [PRS, MTY]
“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 Your god is a bull; Why does he fall down? He will not be able to stand up, because Yahweh will knock him down.
Kwa nini mashujaa wako wamesombwa na kupelekwa mbali? Hawawezi kusimama, kwa maana Bwana atawasukuma awaangushe chini.
16 The soldiers from other countries will stumble and fall over each other, and [then] they will say to each other, ‘Let’s get up and go back to our own people, to our own land. Let’s get away from the swords of our enemies!’
Watajikwaa mara kwa mara, wataangukiana wao kwa wao. Watasema, ‘Amka, turudi kwa watu wetu na nchi yetu, mbali na upanga wa mtesi.’
17 There [in Egypt] they will say, ‘The king of Egypt talks loudly, but when our [army] had an opportunity [to defeat our enemies], they failed.’
Huko watatangaza, ‘Farao mfalme wa Misri ni makelele tu, amekosa wasaa wake.’
18 [I, ] the King, who am called the Commander of the armies of angels, say this: ‘As [surely as] I live, someone’s army will be coming [to fight against the army of Egypt]. They will be [extremely powerful], [as though they were as tall] as Tabor Hill, or [as high] as Carmel [Mountain] close to the [Mediterranean] Sea.
“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 [All] you people who live in Egypt, pack your possessions/clothes and prepare to be exiled. Memphis [city] will be destroyed; it will become a ruin, and no one will be living there.
Funga mizigo yako kwenda uhamishoni, wewe ukaaye Misri, kwa kuwa Memfisi utaangamizwa na kuwa magofu pasipo mkazi.
20 Egypt is [like] [SIM] a beautiful young cow, but [the army of a powerful king] from the northeast will come to attack it [like] a horsefly [MET] [bites a cow].
“Misri ni mtamba mzuri, lakini kipanga anakuja dhidi yake kutoka kaskazini.
21 The (mercenaries/soldiers [from other countries] who have been hired) will become like [SIM] fat calves; but they also will turn around and run away; they will not stand [there and fight], because it will be a day when there will be a [great] disaster in Egypt, a day when their people will be [greatly] punished.
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 [The soldiers of] Egypt will run away, as silently as a snake scurries/crawls away. [The army of] the enemy will advance; they will march along carrying their axes like [SIM] men who cut down trees.
Misri atatoa sauti kama ya nyoka anayekimbia kadiri adui anavyowasogelea na majeshi, watakuja dhidi yake wakiwa na mashoka, kama watu wakatao miti.
23 [I, ] Yahweh, say that they will kill the soldiers [of Egypt] as though [SIM] they were a forest of trees, because the enemy soldiers will be as numerous as [a swarm of] locusts.
Wataufyeka msitu wake,” asema Bwana, “hata kama umesongamana kiasi gani. Ni wengi kuliko nzige, hawawezi kuhesabika.
24 The people of Egypt will be humiliated; they will be conquered by people from the northeast.’
Binti wa Misri ataaibishwa, atatiwa mikononi mwa watu wa kaskazini.”
25 [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom the Israelis [worship], say, ‘I will punish Amon, [the god whom the people] of Thebes [city] worship, and [all] the [other] gods in Egypt. [I will punish] the King of Egypt and [all] those who trust in 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 I will cause them to be captured by those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, and his army officers. But many years later, people will live in Egypt again. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.’
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 you people of Israel who serve me, do not be at all dismayed [DOU] now, because some day I will bring you back from distant places; I will bring your descendants from the land to which they were exiled. [Then you] Israeli people will again live peacefully and safely, and there will not be any [nation] to cause you to be terrified.
“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 [I, ] Yahweh, say to you people of Israel who serve me, ‘Do not be afraid, because I will be with you. I will completely destroy the nations among whom I have scattered you, but I will not completely get rid of you. I will punish you, but I will punish you only as severely as you deserve: It would be wrong if I did not punish you at all.’”
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.”
