Yeremia 29
1 Haya ndiyo maneno ya ile barua ambayo nabii Yeremia aliituma kutoka Yerusalemu kwenda kwa wazee waliobaki miongoni mwa wale waliohamishwa, na kwa makuhani, manabii na watu wengine wote ambao Nebukadneza alikuwa amewachukua kwenda uhamishoni Babeli kutoka Yerusalemu.
Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
2 (Hii ilikuwa ni baada ya Mfalme Yekonia na malkia mamaye, maafisa wa mahakama, viongozi wa Yuda na wa Yerusalemu, mafundi na wahunzi kwenda uhamishoni kutoka Yerusalemu.)
(After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem; )
3 Barua ilikabidhiwa kwa Elasa mwana wa Shafani, na kwa Gemaria mwana wa Hilkia, ambao Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda aliwatuma kwa Mfalme Nebukadneza huko Babeli. Barua yenyewe ilisema:
By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
4 Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, awaambialo wale wote niliowapeleka kutoka Yerusalemu kwenda uhamishoni Babeli:
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon;
5 “Jengeni nyumba na mstarehe, pandeni bustani na mle mazao yake.
Build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
6 Oeni wake na mzae wana na binti, waozeni wana wenu wake, nanyi watoeni binti zenu waolewe, ili nao pia wazae wana na binti. Ongezekeni idadi yenu huko, wala msipungue.
Take you wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that you may be increased there, and not diminished.
7 Pia tafuteni amani na mafanikio ya mji ambamo nimewapeleka uhamishoni. Mwombeni Bwana kwa ajili ya mji huo, kwa sababu ukistawi, ninyi pia mtastawi.”
And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray to the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall you have peace.
8 Naam, hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: “Msikubali manabii na wabashiri walioko miongoni mwenu wawadanganye. Msisikilize ndoto ambazo mmewatia moyo kuota.
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the middle of you, deceive you, neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
9 Wanawatabiria ninyi uongo kwa jina langu. Sikuwatuma,” asema Bwana.
For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not sent them, says the LORD.
10 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Miaka sabini itakapotimia kwa ajili ya Babeli, nitakuja kwenu na kutimiza ahadi yangu ya rehema ya kuwarudisha mahali hapa.
For thus says the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 Kwa maana ninajua mipango niliyo nayo kwa ajili yenu,” asema Bwana, “ni mipango ya kuwafanikisha na wala si ya kuwadhuru, ni mipango ya kuwapa tumaini katika siku zijazo.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Kisha mtaniita, na mtakuja na kuniomba, nami nitawasikiliza.
Then shall you call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 Mtanitafuta na kuniona, mtakaponitafuta kwa moyo wenu wote.
And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
14 Nitaonekana kwenu,” asema Bwana, “nami nitawarudisha watu wenu waliotekwa. Nitawakusanya kutoka mataifa yote na mahali pote nilipokuwa nimewafukuzia, nami nitawarudisha mahali ambapo nilikuwa nimewatoa walipochukuliwa uhamishoni,” asema Bwana.
And I will be found of you, said the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.
15 Mnaweza mkasema, “Bwana ameinua manabii kwa ajili yetu huku Babeli,”
Because you have said, The LORD has raised us up prophets in Babylon;
16 lakini hili ndilo asemalo Bwana kuhusu mfalme aketiaye kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, na watu wa kwenu wote wanaobaki katika mji huu, ndugu zenu ambao hawakwenda pamoja nanyi uhamishoni.
Know that thus says the LORD of the king that sits on the throne of David, and of all the people that dwells in this city, and of your brothers that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
17 Naam, hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Nitatuma upanga, njaa na tauni dhidi yao, nami nitawafanya kuwa kama tini dhaifu zile ambazo ni mbovu sana zisizofaa kuliwa.
Thus says the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
18 Nitawafukuza kwa upanga, kwa njaa na kwa tauni, nami nitawafanya kitu cha kuchukiza sana kwa falme zote za dunia, na kuwa kitu cha laana na cha kuogofya, cha dharau na kukemewa, miongoni mwa mataifa yote nitakakowafukuzia.
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them:
19 Kwa kuwa hawakuyasikiliza maneno yangu,” asema Bwana, “maneno ambayo niliwatumia tena na tena kupitia watumishi wangu manabii. Wala ninyi watu wa uhamisho hamkusikiliza pia,” asema Bwana.
Because they have not listened to my words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear, said the LORD.
20 Kwa hiyo, sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi nyote mlio uhamishoni, niliowapeleka Babeli kutoka Yerusalemu.
Hear you therefore the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
21 Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo kuhusu Ahabu mwana wa Kolaya, na Sedekia mwana wa Maaseya, wanaowatabiria uongo kwa jina langu: “Nitawatia mikononi mwa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, naye atawaua mbele ya macho yenu hasa.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie to you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
22 Kwa ajili yao, watu wote wa uhamisho kutoka Yuda walioko Babeli watatumia laana hii: ‘Bwana na akutendee kama Sedekia na Ahabu, ambao mfalme wa Babeli aliwachoma kwa moto.’
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
23 Kwa kuwa wamefanya mambo maovu kabisa katika Israeli, wamezini na wake za majirani zao, tena kwa Jina langu wamesema uongo, mambo ambayo sikuwaambia kuyafanya. Nami nayajua haya, na ni shahidi wa jambo hilo,” asema Bwana.
Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.
24 Mwambie Shemaya Mnehelami,
Thus shall you also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25 “Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: Ulituma barua kwa jina lako mwenyewe kwa watu wote wa Yerusalemu, kwa Sefania mwana wa kuhani Maaseya na kwa makuhani wengine wote. Ulimwambia Sefania,
Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because you have sent letters in your name to all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26 ‘Bwana amekuweka wewe uwe kuhani badala ya Yehoyada ili uwe msimamizi wa nyumba ya Bwana. Unapaswa kufunga kwa mikatale na mnyororo wa shingoni mwendawazimu yeyote anayejifanya nabii.
The LORD has made you priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that you should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in prison, and in the stocks.
27 Kwa nini basi hukumkemea Yeremia Mwanathothi, aliyejifanya kama nabii miongoni mwenu?
Now therefore why have you not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which makes himself a prophet to you?
28 Ametutumia ujumbe huu huku Babeli: Mtakuwako huko muda mrefu. Kwa hiyo jengeni nyumba mkakae; pandeni mashamba na mle mazao yake.’”
For therefore he sent to us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
29 Kuhani Sefania, hata hivyo, akamsomea nabii Yeremia ile barua.
And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Ndipo neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia kusema:
Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,
31 “Tuma ujumbe huu kwa watu wote walio uhamishoni: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo kuhusu Shemaya Mnehelami: Kwa sababu Shemaya amewatabiria ninyi, hata ingawa sikumtuma, naye amewafanya kuamini uongo,
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
32 hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: Hakika nitamwadhibu Shemaya Mnehelami pamoja na uzao wake. Hapatakuwa na yeyote atakayebaki miongoni mwa watu hawa, wala hataona mema nitakayowatendea watu wangu, asema Bwana, kwa sababu ametangaza uasi dhidi yangu.’”
Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, said the LORD; because he has taught rebellion against the LORD.
