Yeremia 16
1 Kisha neno la Bwana likanijia:
And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
2 “Kamwe usioe na kuwa na wana wala binti mahali hapa.”
“You do not take a wife to yourself, Nor do you have 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 said YHWH, Of the sons and of the daughters who are born in this place, And of their mothers—those bearing them, And of their fathers—those begetting them 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 die painful deaths, They are not lamented, nor are they buried, For they are dung on the face of the ground, And are consumed by sword and by famine, And their carcass has been for food To the bird of the heavens, And to the beast 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 said YHWH: “Do not enter the house of a mourning-feast, Nor go to lament nor bemoan for them, For I have removed My peace from this people,” A declaration of YHWH, “The kindness and the mercies.
6 “Wakubwa na wadogo watakufa katika nchi hii. Hawatazikwa wala kuombolezewa, na hakuna atakayejikatakata au kunyoa nywele za kichwa chake kwa ajili yao.
And great and small have died in this land, They are not buried, and none lament for them, Nor does any cut himself, nor become 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.
Nor do they deal out to them for mourning, To comfort him concerning the dead, Nor cause them to drink a cup of consolations For his father and for his mother.
8 “Usiingie katika nyumba ambayo kuna karamu, na kuketi humo ili kula na kunywa.
You do not enter a house of banqueting, To sit with them, to eat and to 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 said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: “Behold, I am causing to cease from this place, Before your eyes, and in your days, The voice of joy, and the voice of rejoicing, The voice of bridegroom and voice of 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 it has come to pass, When you declare all these words to this people, And they have said to you, Why has YHWH spoken all this great evil against us? Indeed, what [is] our iniquity, and what [is] our sin, That we have sinned against our God YHWH?
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.
Then you have said to them: Because that your fathers have forsaken Me, A declaration of YHWH, And go after other gods, and serve them, And they bow themselves to them, And have forsaken Me, and not kept 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.
You also have done evil above your fathers, And behold, you are each walking after the stubbornness of his evil heart, So as not to listen 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.’
And I have cast you from off this land, On to a land that you have not known, You and your fathers, And you have served other gods there by day and by night, Where I do not give grace to you.
14 “Hata hivyo, siku zinakuja,” asema Bwana, “wakati ambapo watu hawatasema tena, ‘Hakika kama Bwana aishivyo, aliyewapandisha Waisraeli kutoka Misri,’
Therefore, behold, days are coming,” A declaration of YHWH, “And it is not said anymore, YHWH lives, who brought up the sons 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, YHWH lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of the north, And out of all the lands to where He drove them, And I have brought them back to their land, That 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 am sending for many fishers,” A declaration of YHWH, “And they have fished them, And after this I send for many hunters, And they have hunted them from off every mountain, And from off every hill, and from holes of the rocks.
17 Macho yangu yanaziona njia zao zote, hazikufichika kwangu, wala dhambi yao haikusitirika.
For My eyes [are] on all their ways, They have not been hidden from My face, Nor has their iniquity been concealed from before 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 have repaid a first—A second time—their iniquity and their sin, Because of their defiling My land, With the carcass of their detestable things, Indeed, their abominations have filled My inheritance.”
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 YHWH, my strength, and my fortress, And my refuge in a day of adversity, Nations come to You from the ends of the earth, And say, “Our fathers only inherited falsehood, Vanity, and none among them is profitable.”
20 Je, watu hujitengenezea miungu yao wenyewe? Naam, lakini hao si miungu!”
Does man make gods for himself, And they—no gods?
21 “Kwa hiyo nitawafundisha: wakati huu nitawafundisha nguvu zangu na uwezo wangu. Ndipo watakapojua kuwa Jina langu ndimi Bwana.
“Therefore, behold, I am causing them to know at this time, I cause them to know My hand and My might, And they have known that My Name [is] YHWH!”
