Amosi 5
1 Sikia neno hili, ee nyumba ya Israeli, ombolezo hili ninalifanya kuwahusu ninyi:
Hear ye this word which I take up against you, as a lamentation, O house of Israel.
2 “Bikira Israeli ameanguka, kamwe hatainuka tena, ameachwa pweke katika nchi yake, hakuna yeyote wa kumwinua.”
She is fallen, she will not rise again—the virgin of Israel: she is thrown down upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
3 Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: “Wakati mmoja wa miji yako utakapopeleka watu elfu moja vitani kwa ajili ya Israeli, mia moja tu watarudi; wakati mji utakapopeleka mia moja, kumi tu ndio watarudi hai.”
For thus hath said the Lord Eternal, The city that goeth forth with a thousand shall retain but a hundred, and she that goeth forth with a hundred shall retain but ten, [left] to the house of Israel.
4 Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo kwa nyumba ya Israeli: “Nitafuteni mpate kuishi;
For thus hath said the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye for me, and ye shall live;
5 msitafute Betheli, msiende Gilgali, msisafiri kwenda Beer-Sheba. Kwa maana kwa hakika Gilgali itakwenda uhamishoni, na Betheli itafanywa kuwa si kitu.”
But seek not for Beth-el, and into Gilgal enter not, and to Beer-sheba' do not pass over; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Beth-el shall become naught.
6 Mtafuteni Bwana mpate kuishi, au atafagia nyumba ya Yosefu kama moto; utawateketeza, nayo Betheli haitakuwa na yeyote wa kuuzima.
Seek for the Lord, and ye shall live: so that he come not suddenly like fire over the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el;
7 Ninyi ambao mnageuza haki kuwa uchungu na kuiangusha haki chini
Ye who change justice into wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth!
8 (yeye ambaye alifanya Kilimia na Orioni, ambaye hugeuza giza kuwa mapambazuko na mchana kuwa usiku, ambaye huyaita maji ya bahari na kuyamwaga juu ya uso wa nchi: Bwana ndilo jina lake;
[But] he maketh the seven stars and Orion, and changeth into morning the shadow of death, and maketh the day dark into night; he it is that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out over the face of the earth: The Lord is his name;
9 yeye hufanya maangamizo kwenye ngome na kufanya mji uliozungushiwa ngome kuwa ukiwa),
That causeth wasting to prevail against the strong, so that wasting shall come against the fortress.
10 mnamchukia yule akemeaye mahakamani, na kumdharau yule ambaye husema kweli.
They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and him that speaketh uprightly they abhor.
11 Mnamgandamiza maskini na kumlazimisha awape nafaka. Kwa hiyo, ingawa mmejenga majumba ya mawe ya fahari, hamtaishi ndani yake; ingawa mmepanda mashamba mazuri ya mizabibu, hamtakunywa divai yake.
Therefore forasmuch as you tread down upon the poor, and ye take from him onerous contributions of corn: if ye have built houses of hewn stone, ye shall not dwell in them; if ye have planted pleasant vineyards, ye shall not drink their wine.
12 Kwa kuwa ninajua hesabu ya makosa yenu na ukubwa wa dhambi zenu. Mmewaonea wenye haki na kupokea rushwa na kuzuia haki ya maskini mahakamani.
For I know your manifold transgressions and your numerous sins: ye are those that are the adversaries of the just, that take a ransom, and that wrest [the cause of] the needy in the gate.
13 Kwa hiyo mtu mwenye busara hunyamaza kimya nyakati kama hizo, kwa kuwa nyakati ni mbaya.
Therefore will the intelligent keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
14 Tafuteni mema, wala si mabaya, ili mpate kuishi. Ndipo Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote atakuwa pamoja nanyi, kama msemavyo yupo nanyi.
Seek for the good, and not the evil, in order that ye may live: and so will the Lord, the God of hosts, be with you, as ye have said.
15 Yachukieni maovu, yapendeni mema; dumisheni haki mahakamani. Yamkini Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote atawahurumia mabaki ya Yosefu.
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice firmly in the gate: perhaps the Lord the God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
16 Kwa hiyo hili ndilo Bwana, Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote, asemalo: “Kutakuwepo maombolezo katika barabara zote na vilio vya uchungu katika njia kuu zote. Wakulima wataitwa kuja kulia, na waombolezaji waje kuomboleza.
Therefore thus hath said the Eternal, the God of hosts, the Lord, On all public places there is lamentation, and in all the streets they cry, Woe! woe! and they call the husbandman to mourning, and to lamentation those skilled in wailing.
17 Kutakuwepo kuomboleza katika mashamba yote ya mizabibu, kwa kuwa nitapita katikati yenu,” asema Bwana.
And in all vineyards there is lamentation; for I will pass through thy midst, saith the Lord.
18 Ole wenu ninyi mnaoitamani siku ya Bwana! Kwa nini mnaitamani siku ya Bwana? Siku hiyo itakuwa giza, si nuru.
Woe unto you that long for the day of the Lord! for what do you wish the day of the Lord? it is [one of] darkness, and not of light.
19 Itakuwa kama vile mtu aliyemkimbia simba kumbe akakutana na dubu, kama vile mtu aliyeingia nyumbani mwake na kuupumzisha mkono wake kwenye ukuta, kumbe akaumwa na nyoka.
As if a man were to flee from a lion, and a bear should meet him; and he enter into the house, and lean his hand against the wall, and a serpent should bite him.
20 Je, siku ya Bwana haitakuwa giza, na si nuru: giza nene, bila mwonzi wa mwanga?
Behold the day of the Lord is [one of] darkness, and not of light; yea, it is obscure, and hath no brightness.
21 “Ninachukia, ninazidharau sikukuu zenu za dini; siwezi kuvumilia makusanyiko yenu.
I hate, I despise your feast-days, and I will not smell [the sacrifices] on your festive assemblies.
22 Hata ingawa mnaniletea sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa na sadaka za nafaka, sitazikubali. Ingawa mnaniletea sadaka nzuri za amani, sitazitambua.
For though ye should offer me burnt-offerings and your meat-offerings, I will not accept them in favor: and the peace-offerings of your fatted cattle will I not look at.
23 Niondoleeni kelele za nyimbo zenu! Sitasikiliza sauti za vinubi vyenu.
Remove thou from around me the noise of thy songs: and the playing of thy psalteries I will not hear.
24 Lakini acheni haki itiririke kama mto, na uadilifu uwe kama kijito kisichokauka!
But let justice roll along like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
25 “Je, mliniletea dhabihu na sadaka kwa miaka arobaini kule jangwani, ee nyumba ya Israeli?
Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and meat-offerings in the wilderness [during] forty years, O house of Israel?
26 Mmeyainua madhabahu ya mfalme wenu, Sikuthi mungu wenu mtawala, na Kiuni mungu wenu wa nyota, ambao mliwatengeneza wenyewe.
Bear then the canopy of your chief idol, and the figure of your images, the star of your god, which ye have made for yourselves.
27 Kwa sababu hiyo nitawapeleka uhamishoni mbali kupita Dameski,” asema Bwana, ambaye jina lake ni Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
And I will cause you to go into exile far beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, The God of hosts is his name.
