Yeremia 16
1 Kisha neno la Bwana likanijia:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 “Kamwe usioe na kuwa na wana wala binti mahali hapa.”
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have thee sons and daughters in this place.
3 Kwa maana hili ndilo asemalo Bwana kuhusu wana na binti wazaliwao katika nchi hii, na kuhusu wale wanawake ambao ni mama zao, na wale wanaume ambao ni baba zao:
For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and daughters, that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them: and concerning their fathers, of whom they were born in this land:
4 “Watakufa kwa magonjwa ya kufisha. Hawataombolezewa wala kuzikwa, lakini watakuwa kama mavi yaliyosambaa juu ya ardhi. Watakufa kwa upanga na kwa njaa, nazo maiti zao zitakuwa chakula cha ndege wa angani, na cha wanyama wa nchi.”
They shall die by the death of grievous illnesses: they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed with the sword, and with famine: and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of the air, and for the beasts of the earth.
5 Kwa kuwa hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Usiingie katika nyumba ambayo kuna chakula cha matanga, usiende kuwaombolezea wala kuwahurumia, kwa sababu nimeziondoa baraka zangu, upendo wangu na huruma zangu kutoka kwa watu hawa,” asema Bwana.
For thus saith the Lord: Enter not into the house of feasting, neither go thou to mourn, nor to comfort them: because I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, my mercy and commiserations.
6 “Wakubwa na wadogo watakufa katika nchi hii. Hawatazikwa wala kuombolezewa, na hakuna atakayejikatakata au kunyoa nywele za kichwa chake kwa ajili yao.
Both the great and the little shall die in the land: they shall not be buried nor lamented, and men shall not cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them.
7 Hakuna yeyote atakayewapa chakula ili kuwafariji wale waombolezao kwa ajili ya wale waliokufa, hata akiwa amefiwa na baba au mama, wala hakuna yeyote atakayewapa kinywaji ili kuwafariji.
And they shall not break bread among them to him that mourneth, to comfort him for the dead: neither shall they give them to drink of the cup, to comfort them for their father and mother.
8 “Usiingie katika nyumba ambayo kuna karamu, na kuketi humo ili kula na kunywa.
And do not thou go into the house of feasting, to sit with them, and to eat and drink.
9 Kwa kuwa hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, aliye Mungu wa Israeli: ‘Mbele ya macho yako na katika siku zako, nitakomesha sauti zote za shangwe na za furaha, na pia sauti za bibi arusi na bwana arusi mahali hapa.’
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold I will take away out of this place in your sight, and in your days the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.
10 “Utakapowaambia watu hawa mambo haya yote na wakakuuliza, ‘Kwa nini Bwana ameamuru maafa makubwa kama haya dhidi yetu? Tumefanya kosa gani? Tumetenda dhambi gani dhidi ya Bwana, Mungu wetu?’
And when thou shalt tell this people all these words, and they shall say to thee: Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced against us all this great evil? what is our iniquity? and what is our sin, that we have sinned against the Lord our God?
11 Basi waambie, ‘Ni kwa sababu baba zenu waliniacha mimi, wakafuata miungu mingine ili kuitumikia na kuiabudu. Waliniacha mimi na hawakuishika sheria yangu,’ asema Bwana.
Thou shalt say to them: Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord: and went after strange gods, and served them, and adored them: and they forsook me, and kept not my law.
12 ‘Lakini ninyi mmetenda uovu zaidi kuliko baba zenu. Tazama jinsi ambavyo kila mmoja wenu anafuata ukaidi wa moyo wake mbaya, badala ya kunitii mimi.
And you also have done worse than your fathers: for behold every one of you walketh after the perverseness of his evil heart, so as not to hearken to me.
13 Kwa hiyo nitawaondoa katika nchi hii na kuwatupa katika nchi ambayo ninyi wala baba zenu hamkuijua, nako huko mtaitumikia miungu mingine usiku na mchana, kwa maana sitawapa fadhili zangu huko.’
So I will cast you forth out of this land, into a land which you know not, nor you fathers: and there you shall serve strange gods day and night, which shall not give you any rest.
14 “Hata hivyo, siku zinakuja,” asema Bwana, “wakati ambapo watu hawatasema tena, ‘Hakika kama Bwana aishivyo, aliyewapandisha Waisraeli kutoka Misri,’
Therefore behold the days come, saith the Lord, when it shall be said no more: The Lord liveth, that brought for the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt:
15 bali watasema, ‘Hakika kama Bwana aishivyo, aliyewatoa wana wa Israeli kutoka nchi ya kaskazini na nchi zote alizokuwa amewafukuzia.’ Maana nitawarudisha katika nchi niliyowapa baba zao.
But, the Lord liveth, that brought the children of Israel out of the land of the north, and out of all the lands to which I cast them out: and I will bring them again into their land, which I gave to their fathers.
16 “Lakini sasa nitawaagiza wavuvi wengi,” asema Bwana, “nao watawavua. Baada ya hilo, nitawaagizia wawindaji wengi, nao watawawinda kwenye kila mlima na kilima, na katika nyufa za miamba.
Behold I will send many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them: and after this I will send them many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
17 Macho yangu yanaziona njia zao zote, hazikufichika kwangu, wala dhambi yao haikusitirika.
For my eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, and their iniquity hath not been hid from my eyes.
18 Nitawalipiza maradufu kwa ajili ya uovu wao na dhambi yao, kwa sababu wameinajisi nchi yangu kwa maumbo yasiyo na uhai ya vinyago vyao vibaya, na kuujaza urithi wangu na sanamu za kuchukiza.”
And I will repay first their double iniquities, and their sins: because they have defiled my land with the carcasses of their idols, and they have filled my inheritance with their abominations.
19 Ee Bwana, nguvu zangu na ngome yangu, kimbilio langu wakati wa taabu, kwako mataifa yatakujia kutoka miisho ya dunia na kusema, “Baba zetu hawakuwa na chochote zaidi ya miungu ya uongo, sanamu zisizofaa kitu ambazo hazikuwafaidia lolote.
O Lord, my might, and my strength, and my refuge in the day of tribulation: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the ends of the earth, and shall say: Surely our fathers have possessed lies, a vanity which hath not profited them.
20 Je, watu hujitengenezea miungu yao wenyewe? Naam, lakini hao si miungu!”
Shall a man make gods unto himself, and there are no gods?
21 “Kwa hiyo nitawafundisha: wakati huu nitawafundisha nguvu zangu na uwezo wangu. Ndipo watakapojua kuwa Jina langu ndimi Bwana.
Therefore, behold I will this once cause them to know, I will shew them my hand and my power: and they shall know that my name is the Lord.
