Yeremia 13
1 Hili ndilo Bwana aliloniambia: “Nenda ununue mkanda wa kitani, ujivike kiunoni mwako, lakini usiuache uguse maji.”
This is what the Lord told me to do: Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it on, but don't wash it.
2 Kwa hiyo nikanunua mkanda, kama Bwana alivyoniagiza, nikajivika kiunoni.
So I went and bought a loincloth as the Lord had instructed me, and I put it on.
3 Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kwa mara ya pili:
Then the Lord gave me another message:
4 “Chukua mkanda ulionunua ambao umeuvaa kiunoni mwako, uende sasa Frati uufiche ndani ya ufa mdogo kwenye mwamba.”
Take the loincloth that you bought and put on, and go immediately to the River Perath and hide it there in a hole among the rocks.
5 Ndipo nikaenda na kuuficha ule mkanda huko Frati, kama Bwana alivyoniamuru.
So I went and hid it at the River Perath, as the Lord had told me.
6 Baada ya siku nyingi Bwana akaniambia, “Nenda sasa Frati ukauchukue ule mkanda niliokuambia uufiche huko.”
A long time later the Lord told me, Go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I ordered you to hide there.
7 Hivyo nikaenda Frati na kuuchimbua ule mkanda kutoka pale nilipokuwa nimeuficha, lakini sasa ulikuwa umeharibika na haufai tena kabisa.
I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and removed it from where I'd hidden it. Obviously it was ruined—completely useless.
8 Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia:
Then a message from the Lord came to me:
9 “Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: ‘Vivyo hivyo ndivyo nitakavyokiharibu kiburi cha Yuda na kiburi kikuu cha Yerusalemu.
This is what the Lord says: I will ruin the arrogance of Judah and the great arrogance of Jerusalem in exactly the same way.
10 Watu hawa waovu, wanaokataa kusikiliza maneno yangu, wafuatao ukaidi wa mioyo yao na kufuata miungu mingine kuitumikia na kuiabudu, watakuwa kama mkanda huu ambao haufai kabisa!
These evil people refuse to listen to what I tell them. They follow their own stubborn and evil thinking and run off to worship other gods—they will be like this loincloth, completely useless.
11 Kwa maana kama vile mkanda ufungwavyo kiunoni mwa mtu, ndivyo nilivyojifunga nyumba yote ya Israeli na nyumba yote ya Yuda,’ asema Bwana, ‘ili wawe watu wangu kwa ajili ya utukufu wangu, sifa na heshima yangu. Lakini hawajasikiliza.’
In the same way that a loincloth holds tightly to the body, so I made all the people of Israel and Judah hold tightly to me, declares the Lord. Then they could have been my people, representing me, giving me honor and praise. But they refused to listen.
12 “Waambie: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: kila kiriba inapasa kijazwe mvinyo.’ Kama wao wakikuambia, ‘Kwani hatujui kwamba kila kiriba inapasa kijazwe mvinyo?’
So tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wine jar shall be filled with wine. When they reply, “Don't we know that already? Of course every wine jar should be filled with wine!”
13 Kisha uwaambie, ‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: nitawajaza ulevi wote waishio katika nchi hii, pamoja na wafalme waketio juu ya kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, makuhani, manabii na wale wote waishio Yerusalemu.
then tell them that this is what the Lord says: I'm going to make everyone who lives in this land drunk—the kings sitting on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.
14 Nitawagonganisha kila mmoja na mwenzake, baba na wana wao, asema Bwana. Sitawarehemu wala kuwahurumia ili niache kuwaangamiza.’”
I'm going to smash them against each other like wine jars, both parents and children, declares the Lord. I won't let any mercy or pity or compassion stop me from destroying them.
15 Sikieni na mzingatie, msiwe na kiburi, kwa kuwa Bwana amenena.
Listen and pay attention. Don't be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.
16 Mpeni utukufu Bwana Mungu wenu, kabla hajaleta giza, kabla miguu yenu haijajikwaa juu ya vilima vitakavyotiwa giza. Mlitarajia nuru, lakini ataifanya kuwa giza nene na kuibadili kuwa huzuni kubwa.
Honor the Lord your God before he brings the darkness, before you trip and fall in the twilight on the mountains. You long for light to come, but he send only gloom and complete darkness.
17 Lakini kama hamtasikiliza, nitalia sirini kwa ajili ya kiburi chenu; macho yangu yatalia kwa uchungu, yakitiririka machozi, kwa sababu kundi la kondoo la Bwana litachukuliwa mateka.
But if you refuse to listen, I will weep secretly inside because of your pride. My tears pouring down because the Lord's flock has been captured.
18 Mwambie mfalme na mamaye, “Shukeni kutoka kwenye viti vyenu vya enzi, kwa kuwa taji zenu za utukufu zitaanguka kutoka vichwani mwenu.”
Tell the king and the queen mother: Get down from your thrones, because your splendid crowns have fallen from your heads.
19 Miji iliyoko Negebu itafungwa, wala hapatakuwa na mtu wa kuifungua. Watu wa Yuda wote watapelekwa uhamishoni, wakichukuliwa kabisa waende mbali.
The towns in the Negev are surrounded; no one can get through to them. The whole of Judah has been taken away into exile, everyone has been exiled.
20 Inua macho yako uone wale wanaokuja kutoka kaskazini. Liko wapi lile kundi ulilokabidhiwa, kondoo wale uliojivunia?
Look up and you'll see the invaders coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you to look after? Where are the sheep you were so proud of?
21 Utasema nini Bwana atakapowaweka juu yako wale ulioungana nao kama marafiki wako maalum? Je, hutapatwa na utungu kama mwanamke aliye katika utungu wa kuzaa?
What are you going to say when he puts your enemies in charge of you, people you once counted as your friends? Won't you suffer pains like a woman in labor?
22 Nawe kama ukijiuliza, “Kwa nini haya yamenitokea?” Ni kwa sababu ya dhambi zako nyingi ndipo marinda yako yameraruliwa na mwili wako umetendewa vibaya.
If you say to yourself, Why has this happened to me? it's because you have been so wicked. That's why your skirts were stripped off and you were raped.
23 Je, Mkushi aweza kubadili ngozi yake au chui kubadili madoadoa yake? Vivyo hivyo nawe huwezi kufanya mema wewe uliyezoea kutenda mabaya.
Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin? Can a leopard change its spots? In the same way you can't change and do good because you're so used to doing evil.
24 “Nitawatawanya kama makapi yapeperushwayo na upepo wa jangwani.
I'm going to scatter you like chaff blown away by the desert wind.
25 Hii ndiyo kura yako, fungu nililokuamuria,” asema Bwana, “kwa sababu umenisahau mimi na kuamini miungu ya uongo.
This is what's going to happen to you; this is what I have decided to do to you, declares the Lord, because you have forgotten me and believed in lies.
26 Nitayafunua marinda yako mpaka juu ya uso wako ili aibu yako ionekane:
I will pull your skirts up over your face, so you will be seen naked and ashamed.
27 uzinzi wako na kulia kwako kama farasi kulikojaa tamaa, ukahaba wako usio na aibu! Nimeyaona matendo yako ya machukizo juu ya vilima na mashambani. Ole wako, ee Yerusalemu! Utaendelea kuwa najisi mpaka lini?”
I watched your acts of adultery and lust, how you prostituted yourselves shamelessly, worshiping idols on the hills and in the fields. Yes, I saw the disgusting things you did. Disaster is coming to you, Jerusalem! How long are you going to remain unclean?
