Yeremia 24
1 Baada ya Yekonia mwana wa Yehoyakimu mfalme wa Yuda, pamoja na maafisa, mafundi stadi na wahunzi wa Yuda, kuchukuliwa kutoka Yerusalemu kwenda Babeli na Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli kwenda uhamishoni huko Babeli, Bwana akanionyesha vikapu viwili vya tini vilivyowekwa mbele ya Hekalu la Bwana.
The LORD showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the LORD’s temple, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
2 Kikapu kimoja kilikuwa na tini nzuri sana, kama zile za mavuno ya kwanza. Kikapu cha pili kilikuwa na tini dhaifu sana, mbovu mno zisizofaa kuliwa.
One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first-ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
3 Kisha Bwana akaniuliza, “Je, Yeremia, unaona nini?” Nikamjibu, “Ninaona tini zile zilizo nzuri ni nzuri sana, lakini zilizo dhaifu ni mbovu mno zisizofaa kuliwa.”
Then the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs. The good figs are very good, and the bad are very bad, so bad that they can’t be eaten.”
4 Kisha neno la Bwana likanijia:
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
5 “Hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: ‘Kama zilivyo hizi tini nzuri, ndivyo ninavyowaona kuwa bora watu wa uhamisho kutoka Yuda, niliowaondoa kutoka mahali hapa kwenda katika nchi ya Wakaldayo.
“The LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, as good.
6 Macho yangu yatakuwa juu yao kwa ajili ya kuwapatia mema, nami nitawarudisha tena katika nchi hii. Nitawajenga wala sitawabomoa, nitawapanda wala sitawangʼoa,
For I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land. I will build them, and not pull them down. I will plant them, and not pluck them up.
7 nitawapa moyo wa kunifahamu mimi, kwamba mimi ndimi Bwana. Watakuwa watu wangu, nami nitakuwa Mungu wao, kwa maana watanirudia kwa moyo wao wote.
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God; for they will return to me with their whole heart.
8 “‘Lakini kama zilivyo zile tini dhaifu, ambazo ni mbovu mno zisizofaa kuliwa,’ asema Bwana, ‘ndivyo nitakavyomtendea Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda, maafisa wake na mabaki wengine kutoka Yerusalemu, wawe wamebaki katika nchi hii, au wanaishi Misri.
“‘As the bad figs, which can’t be eaten, they are so bad,’ surely the LORD says, ‘So I will give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt.
9 Nitawafanya kuwa chukizo kabisa na kitu cha kulaumiwa katika mataifa yote ya dunia, watakuwa aibu na kitu cha kudharauliwa, chombo cha dhihaka na kulaaniwa, popote nitakapowafukuzia.
I will even give them up to be tossed back and forth amongst all the kingdoms of the earth for evil, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I will drive them.
10 Nitautuma upanga, njaa na tauni dhidi yao hadi wawe wameangamia kutoka nchi niliyowapa wao na baba zao.’”
I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence amongst them, until they are consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.’”
