Amosi 5
1 Sikia neno hili, ee nyumba ya Israeli, ombolezo hili ninalifanya kuwahusu ninyi:
Listen to the words of the funeral song I am singing for you, Israel:
2 “Bikira Israeli ameanguka, kamwe hatainuka tena, ameachwa pweke katika nchi yake, hakuna yeyote wa kumwinua.”
Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel! Hurled down upon her own soil she lies, with no one to lift 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 the Lord God says this: The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers has only a hundred left, and the one that marches out with a hundred has only ten left.
4 Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo kwa nyumba ya Israeli: “Nitafuteni mpate kuishi;
For the Lord says this to Israel: Seek me and live,
5 msitafute Betheli, msiende Gilgali, msisafiri kwenda Beer-Sheba. Kwa maana kwa hakika Gilgali itakwenda uhamishoni, na Betheli itafanywa kuwa si kitu.”
But do not seek Bethel, do not enter Gilgal, do not go over to Beer-sheba. For Gilgal will enter exile, and Bethel will go to destruction.
6 Mtafuteni Bwana mpate kuishi, au atafagia nyumba ya Yosefu kama moto; utawateketeza, nayo Betheli haitakuwa na yeyote wa kuuzima.
Seek the Lord and live, or he will cast fire on the house of Joseph, and it will devour and there will be no one to quench it for Bethel.
7 Ninyi ambao mnageuza haki kuwa uchungu na kuiangusha haki chini
You who turn judgment to bitter wormwood, and cast righteousness into the dirt:
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;
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns deep darkness into dawn, who darkens day again into night, who summons the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the earth’s surface, the Lord is his name!
9 yeye hufanya maangamizo kwenye ngome na kufanya mji uliozungushiwa ngome kuwa ukiwa),
He causes destruction to burst over the strong. He brings devastation on the fortress.
10 mnamchukia yule akemeaye mahakamani, na kumdharau yule ambaye husema kweli.
You who hate the arbiters at the city gate, and abhor anyone who speaks the truth:
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.
Because you trample on the weak, and tax their grain, although you have built houses of hewn stone, you will not live in them, although you have planted charming vineyards, you will 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 how many are your crimes, and how great are your sins! You persecutors of the righteous, takers of bribes! You deny the poor their justice at the city gate.
13 Kwa hiyo mtu mwenye busara hunyamaza kimya nyakati kama hizo, kwa kuwa nyakati ni mbaya.
It would be wise to keep quiet in such 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 good and not evil, that you may live, so the Lord, God of hosts, may be with you, as you have claimed he is.
15 Yachukieni maovu, yapendeni mema; dumisheni haki mahakamani. Yamkini Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote atawahurumia mabaki ya Yosefu.
Hate evil and love good, establish justice at the city gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to a surviving 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 the Lord, the God of hosts, says: In all the public squares there will be wailing, in every street the sound of mourning. They will summon the farmers to mourning, and professional mourners to wailing.
17 Kutakuwepo kuomboleza katika mashamba yote ya mizabibu, kwa kuwa nitapita katikati yenu,” asema Bwana.
In all vineyards there will be lamenting, when I pass through your midst, says the Lord.
18 Ole wenu ninyi mnaoitamani siku ya Bwana! Kwa nini mnaitamani siku ya Bwana? Siku hiyo itakuwa giza, si nuru.
Fools who long for the day of the Lord! What does the day of the Lord mean to you? It is darkness, and not 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.
It is as when one flees from a lion, and is attacked by a bear, as when one reaches home, leans his hand on the wall, and a snake bites him.
20 Je, siku ya Bwana haitakuwa giza, na si nuru: giza nene, bila mwonzi wa mwanga?
Won’t the Lord’s day be darkness and not light, murky darkness without a ray of light in it?
21 “Ninachukia, ninazidharau sikukuu zenu za dini; siwezi kuvumilia makusanyiko yenu.
I hate, I despise your feasts, I will not smell the savor of your festivals,
22 Hata ingawa mnaniletea sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa na sadaka za nafaka, sitazikubali. Ingawa mnaniletea sadaka nzuri za amani, sitazitambua.
I will not be pleased with your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, I will not accept the peace offerings of your fattened calves.
23 Niondoleeni kelele za nyimbo zenu! Sitasikiliza sauti za vinubi vyenu.
Spare me the noise of your songs, I will not listen to the melody of your lyres.
24 Lakini acheni haki itiririke kama mto, na uadilifu uwe kama kijito kisichokauka!
But let justice roll on as a flood of waters, and righteousness like an unfailing stream.
25 “Je, mliniletea dhabihu na sadaka kwa miaka arobaini kule jangwani, ee nyumba ya Israeli?
Was it only sacrifices and grain offerings you brought me during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel?
26 Mmeyainua madhabahu ya mfalme wenu, Sikuthi mungu wenu mtawala, na Kiuni mungu wenu wa nyota, ambao mliwatengeneza wenyewe.
But now you will lift up your “king” Sikkuth and “star god” Kiyyun, your idols which you have made for yourselves,
27 Kwa sababu hiyo nitawapeleka uhamishoni mbali kupita Dameski,” asema Bwana, ambaye jina lake ni Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
as I drive you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.
