Yeremia 22
1 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Shuka kwenye jumba la kifalme la mfalme wa Yuda, utangaze ujumbe huu huko:
This is what the Lord says: Go to the palace of the king of Judah and give this message.
2 ‘Sikia neno la Bwana, ee mfalme wa Yuda, wewe uketiye kwenye kiti cha enzi cha Daudi: wewe, maafisa wako na watu wako mnaopitia malango haya.
Tell them: Listen to what the Lord has to say to you, king of Judah, sitting on the throne of David, you and your officials and the people here with you.
3 Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: Tenda haki na adili. Mwokoe mkononi mwa mdhalimu yeye aliyetekwa nyara. Usimtendee mabaya wala ukatili mgeni, yatima au mjane, wala usimwage damu isiyo na hatia mahali hapa.
This is what the Lord says: Do what is fair and right. Protect those who are being unjustly treated by corrupt people. Don't do anything wrong to foreigners, orphans, or the widows. Don't use violence against them. Don't kill innocent people.
4 Kwa kuwa ukiwa mwangalifu kushika maagizo haya, ndipo wafalme watakaokalia kiti cha enzi cha Daudi watakapoingia kupitia malango ya jumba hili la kifalme, wakiwa wamepanda magari na farasi, huku wakifuatana na maafisa wao na watu wao.
If you will honestly do what I tell you, then kings who sit on David's throne will ride on chariots and horses with their officials through the gates of this palace. They'll be accompanied by the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.
5 Lakini kama hutayatii maagizo haya, asema Bwana, ninaapa kwa nafsi yangu kwamba jumba hili litakuwa gofu.’”
But if you refuse to obey what I say, then I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this palace will be turned into rubble.
6 Kwa kuwa hili ndilo Bwana asemalo kuhusu jumba la kifalme la mfalme wa Yuda: “Ingawa uko kama Gileadi kwangu, kama kilele cha Lebanoni, hakika nitakufanya uwe kama jangwa, kama miji ambayo haijakaliwa na watu.
This is what the Lord says about the royal family of the king of Judah: You are as dear to me as the forests on Gilead and on the mountains of Lebanon. But I will turn you into a desert, into towns where no one lives.
7 Nitawatuma waharabu dhidi yako, kila mtu akiwa na silaha zake, nao watazikata boriti zako nzuri za mierezi na kuzitupa motoni.
I will choose men to come and destroy you, each with their own ax. They will chop down your fine cedars and throw them in the fire.
8 “Watu kutoka mataifa mengi watapitia karibu na mji huu na kuulizana, ‘Kwa nini Bwana amefanya jambo la namna hii juu ya mji huu mkubwa?’
Foreigners from many nations will pass by this city and ask each another, “Why has the Lord done such terrible things to this great city?”
9 Nalo jibu litakuwa: ‘Kwa sababu wameliacha agano la Bwana, Mungu wao, na wameabudu na kuitumikia miungu mingine.’”
People will answer, “Because they broke the agreement of the Lord their God. They went and worshiped other gods.”
10 Usimlilie yeye aliyekufa, wala usimwombolezee; badala yake, afadhali umlilie kwa uchungu yule aliyepelekwa uhamishoni, kwa sababu kamwe hatairudia wala kuiona tena nchi yake alikozaliwa.
Don't weep over the king that died. Don't mourn for him. Instead weep for the king who is exiled, who will never return, who will never see his homeland again.
11 Kwa kuwa hili ndilo asemalo Bwana kuhusu Shalumu mwana wa Yosia, aliyeingia mahali pa baba yake kuwa mfalme wa Yuda, lakini ameondoka mahali hapa: “Yeye kamwe hatarudi tena.
This is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz of Josiah, king of Judah. He succeeded his father Josiah but was taken away. He will never return.
12 Atafia huko mahali walipompeleka kuwa mateka; hataiona tena nchi hii.”
He will die in exile; he will never see this country again.
13 “Ole wake yeye ajengaye jumba lake la kifalme kwa njia ya dhuluma, vyumba vyake vya juu kwa udhalimu, akiwatumikisha watu wa nchi yake pasipo malipo, bila kuwalipa kwa utumishi wao.
Trouble is coming to Jehoiakim because he mistreats others in building his palace, by dealing unfairly with those constructing the upper floors. He makes his own people work for nothing—he doesn't pay them any wages.
14 Asema, ‘Nitajijengea jumba kuu la kifalme, na vyumba vya juu vyenye nafasi kubwa.’ Hivyo anaweka ndani yake madirisha makubwa, huweka kuta za mbao za mierezi, na kuipamba kwa rangi nyekundu.
He says to himself, “I'm going to build myself a great palace, with large upper rooms.” He has windows inserted, puts in cedar panels, and paints it bright red with vermilion.
15 “Je, inakufanya kuwa mfalme huko kuongeza idadi ya mierezi? Je, baba yako hakuwa na chakula na kinywaji? Alifanya yaliyo sawa na haki, hivyo yeye akafanikiwa katika yote.
Does it make you a king just because you have more cedar than anyone else? Your father had food and drink, didn't he? He ruled fairly and honestly, and he had a good life because of this.
16 Aliwatetea maskini na wahitaji, hivyo yeye akafanikiwa katika yote. Je, hiyo si ndiyo maana ya kunijua mimi?” asema Bwana.
He defended the poor and those in need, and so things went well. Isn't this what knowing me really means? declares the Lord.
17 “Lakini macho yako na moyo wako vimeelekezwa tu katika mapato ya udhalimu, kwa kumwaga damu isiyo na hatia, kwa uonevu na ukatili.”
But all you're looking for, all you think about, is getting whatever you want, however dishonestly. You kill the innocent, you violently mistreat and exploit your people.
18 Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana kuhusu Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosia mfalme wa Yuda: “Hawatamwombolezea wakisema: ‘Ole, ndugu yangu! Ole, umbu langu!’ Hawatamwombolezea wakisema: ‘Ole, bwana wangu! Ole, fahari yake!’
So this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah: They won't mourn for him, saying: “How sad, my brother! How sad my sister!” They won't mourn for him, saying: “How sad, my lord! How sad, his majesty!”
19 Atazikwa maziko ya punda: ataburutwa na kutupwa nje ya malango ya Yerusalemu.”
His burial will be that of a donkey. He'll be dragged off and thrown away outside the gates of Jerusalem.
20 “Panda Lebanoni ukapige kelele, sauti yako na isikike huko Bashani, piga kelele toka Abarimu, kwa kuwa wote waliojiunga nawe wameangamizwa.
Go to Lebanon and cry for help! Shout in Bashan! Scream from Abarim! For all your lovers have been destroyed.
21 Nilikuonya wakati ulipojisikia kwamba uko salama, lakini ulisema, ‘Mimi sitasikiliza!’ Hii imekuwa kawaida yako tangu ujana wako; hujanitii mimi.
I warned you when you thought you were safe and sound. But you replied, “I'm not going to listen!” That's been your attitude since you were young—you never did what I told you.
22 Upepo utawaondoa wachungaji wako wote, na wale ulioungana nao wataenda uhamishoni. Kisha utaaibika na kufedheheka kwa sababu ya uovu wako wote.
The wind will blow away all your “shepherds,” and your lovers will go into exile. Then you will be shamed and disgraced because of all the evil things you've done.
23 Wewe uishiye Lebanoni, wewe uliyetulia kwenye majengo ya mierezi, tazama jinsi utakavyoomboleza maumivu makali yatakapokupata, maumivu kama yale ya mwanamke mwenye utungu wa kuzaa!
You who live in “Lebanon” in your cedar nest, how much you're going to groan when agonizing pains hit you like a woman in labor.
24 “Hakika kama niishivyo,” asema Bwana, “hata kama wewe, Yekonia mwana wa Yehoyakimu mfalme wa Yuda, ungekuwa pete yangu ya muhuri katika mkono wangu wa kuume, bado ningekungʼoa hapo.
The Lord said to Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah: As I live, declares the Lord, even if you were a signet ring on a finger of my right hand, I would pull you off.
25 Nitakutia mikononi mwa wale wanaotafuta uhai wako, wale unaowaogopa, yaani Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli na kwa Wakaldayo.
I'm going to hand you over to those who terrify you and who want to kill you, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and the Babylonians.
26 Nitakutupa mbali wewe na mama aliyekuzaa mwende katika nchi nyingine, ambayo hakuna hata mmoja wenu aliyezaliwa huko, nanyi mtafia huko.
I'm going to throw you out—you and the mother who gave birth to you—sending you to another country. Neither of you were born there, but both of you will die there.
27 Kamwe hamtarudi katika nchi mliyotamani kuirudia.”
You won't ever return to the country you love so much.
28 Je, huyu mtu Yekonia ni chungu kilichodharauliwa, chungu kilichovunjika, chombo kisichotakiwa na mtu yeyote? Kwa nini yeye na watoto wake watupwe nje kwa nguvu, na kutupwa kwenye nchi wasioijua?
Who is this man Jehoiachin? A broken pot that's been thrown away, something nobody wants? Why has he and his children been thrown out, exiled in an unfamiliar country?
29 Ee nchi, nchi, nchi, sikia neno la Bwana!
My country, my country, my country! Listen to what the Lord has to say!
30 Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: “Mwandike huyu mtu kama asiye na mtoto, mtu ambaye hatafanikiwa maisha yake yote, kwa maana hakuna mtoto wake atakayefanikiwa, wala kukaa kwenye kiti cha enzi cha Daudi wala kuendelea kutawala katika Yuda.”
This is what the Lord says: Put this man down as having no children. He's a man who won't ever be successful in his whole life. None of his children will ever be successful either. None of them will sit on David's throne or be king in Judah.
