Yeremia 12
1 Wewe daima u mwenye haki, Ee Bwana, niletapo mashtaka mbele yako. Hata hivyo nitazungumza nawe kuhusu hukumu yako: Kwa nini njia ya waovu inafanikiwa? Kwa nini wasio waaminifu wote wanaishi kwa raha?
[Too] righteous art thou, O Lord, that I could plead with thee; yet must I speak of [the principles of] justice with thee: Wherefore is the way of the wicked happy? do all those prosper that deal treacherously?
2 Umewapanda, nao wameota, wanakua na kuzaa matunda. Daima u midomoni mwao, lakini mbali na mioyo yao.
Thou hast planted them; they have also taken root; they grow; they also bring forth fruit: thou art near, in their mouth, and far from their mind.
3 Hata hivyo unanijua mimi, Ee Bwana; unaniona na kuyachunguza mawazo yangu kukuhusu wewe. Wakokote kama kondoo wanaokwenda kuchinjwa! Watenge kwa ajili ya siku ya kuchinjwa!
But thou, O Lord, knowest me; thou seest me, and probest my heart toward thee; set them apart like sheep for the slaughter, and destine them for the day of slaying.
4 Je, nchi itakaa katika hali ya kuomboleza mpaka lini, na majani katika kila shamba kunyauka? Kwa sababu wale waishio ndani yake ni waovu, wanyama na ndege wameangamia. Zaidi ya hayo, watu wanasema, “Bwana hataona yatakayotupata sisi.”
How long shall the land mourn, and the herb of all the field wither? Because of the wickedness of those that dwell therein are wholly removed the beasts and the birds; because they said, He will not see our last end.
5 “Ikiwa umeshindana mbio na watu kwa mguu na wakakushinda, unawezaje kushindana na farasi? Ikiwa unajikwaa kwenye nchi ambayo ni salama, utawezaje kwenye vichaka kando ya Yordani?
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, how then canst thou contend with the horses? and if in the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee, ] how then wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?
6 Ndugu zako, watu wa jamaa yako mwenyewe: hata wao wamekusaliti; wameinua kilio kikubwa dhidi yako. Usiwaamini, ingawa wanazungumza mema juu yako.
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, even they have called forth a crowd of men after thee: believe them not, though they speak kindly unto thee.
7 “Nitaiacha nyumba yangu, nitupe urithi wangu; nitamtia yeye nimpendaye mikononi mwa adui zake.
I have forsaken my house, I have abandoned my heritage; I have given up the most dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.
8 Urithi wangu umekuwa kwangu kama simba wa msituni. Huningurumia mimi, kwa hiyo ninamchukia.
My heritage is become unto me as a lion in the forest; it sent forth its voice against me: therefore do I hate it.
9 Je, urithi wangu haukuwa kama ndege wa mawindo wa madoadoa ambaye ndege wengine wawindao humzunguka na kumshambulia? Nenda ukawakusanye pamoja wanyama wote wa mwituni; walete ili wale.
Is my heritage become unto me as a bird of prey stained with blood? so that the birds of prey are all around it? Come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them hither to devour.
10 Wachungaji wengi wataliharibu shamba langu la mizabibu na kulikanyaga shamba langu; watalifanya shamba langu zuri kuwa jangwa la ukiwa.
Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden under foot my field, they have rendered my pleasant field a desolate wilderness.
11 Litafanywa kuwa jangwa, lililokauka na kuachwa ukiwa mbele zangu; nchi yote itafanywa jangwa kwa sababu hakuna hata mmoja anayejali.
They have made it a desert, and being desolate it mourneth before me: the whole land is made desolate, because no man laid it to heart.
12 Juu ya miinuko yote ilivyo kama jangwani mharabu atajaa, kwa maana upanga wa Bwana utawala, kuanzia ncha moja ya nchi hadi nyingine; hakuna hata mmoja atakayekuwa salama.
Over all the mountain-peaks in the wilderness did the destroyers come; for the sword of the Lord devoureth from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: there is no peace to any flesh.
13 Watapanda ngano lakini watavuna miiba; watajitaabisha lakini hawatafaidi chochote. Kwa hiyo beba aibu ya mavuno yako kwa sababu ya hasira kali ya Bwana Mungu.”
They have sown wheat, but they reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain [but] have no profit; be therefore ashamed of your products, because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
14 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Kwa habari ya majirani zangu wote wabaya wanaonyangʼanya urithi ambao ninawapa watu wangu Israeli, nitawangʼoa kutoka nchi zao, nami nitaingʼoa nyumba ya Yuda kutoka katikati yao.
Thus hath said the Lord against all my bad neighbors, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit, Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and the house of Judah will I pluck out from the midst of them.
15 Lakini baada ya kuwangʼoa, nitawahurumia tena na kumrudisha kila mmoja wao kwenye urithi wake mwenyewe na kwenye nchi yake mwenyewe.
And it shall come to pass, that, after I have plucked them out, and I will again have mercy on them, and will restore them, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
16 Ikiwa watajifunza vyema njia za watu wangu na kuapa kwa Jina langu, wakisema, ‘Hakika kama Bwana aishivyo,’ hata kama wakati fulani walifundisha watu wangu kuapa kwa Baali, ndipo watakapofanywa imara katikati ya watu wangu.
And it shall come to pass, if they will truly learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, As the Lord liveth; as they had taught my people to swear by Ba'al: that they shall then be built up in the midst of my people.
17 Lakini kama taifa lolote halitasikiliza na kutii, nitalingʼoa kabisa na kuliangamiza,” asema Bwana.
But if they will not hearken, then will I pluck out that nation, plucking out and exterminating [them], saith the Lord.
