< Yeremia 37 >
1 Sedekia mwana wa Yosia akafanywa kuwa mfalme wa Yuda na Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, naye akatawala mahali pa Yehoyakini mwana wa Yehoyakimu.
And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2 Lakini sio Sedekia, wala watumishi wake, wala watu wa nchi walisikiliza maneno ya Bwana aliyonena kupitia kwa nabii Yeremia.
But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, hearkened to the words of the LORD, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 Hata hivyo, Mfalme Sedekia akamtuma Yehukali mwana wa Shelemia, pamoja na kuhani Sefania mwana wa Maaseya kwa nabii Yeremia na ujumbe huu: “Tafadhali utuombee kwa Bwana, Mungu wetu.”
And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now to the LORD our God for us.
4 Wakati huu Yeremia alikuwa huru kuingia na kutoka katikati ya watu, kwa sababu alikuwa bado hajatiwa gerezani.
Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.
5 Jeshi la Farao lilikuwa limetoka Misri, nao Wakaldayo waliokuwa wameuzunguka Yerusalemu kwa majeshi waliposikia taarifa kuhusu jeshi hilo walijiondoa Yerusalemu.
Then Pharaoh's army had come from Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
6 Ndipo neno la Bwana likamjia nabii Yeremia kusema:
Then came the word of the LORD to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7 “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli: Mwambie mfalme wa Yuda aliyekutuma uniulize mimi, ‘Jeshi la Farao lililotoka kuja kukusaidia litarudi katika nchi yake yenyewe, yaani Misri.
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you to me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which hath come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
8 Kisha Wakaldayo watarudi na kushambulia mji huu, watauteka na kuuchoma moto.’
And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
9 “Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: Msijidanganye wenyewe mkifikiri, ‘Hakika Wakaldayo watatuacha na kwenda zao.’ Hakika hawatawaacha!
Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans will surely depart from us: for they will not depart.
10 Hata kama mngelishinda jeshi lote la Wakaldayo linalowashambulia ninyi, na wakawa ni watu waliojeruhiwa tu waliobaki kwenye mahema yao, wangetoka na kuuchoma mji huu moto.”
For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained [but] wounded men among them, [yet] would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
11 Baada ya jeshi la Wakaldayo kujiondoa kutoka Yerusalemu kwa sababu ya jeshi la Farao,
And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,
12 Yeremia akaanza kuondoka mjini ili kwenda nchi ya Benyamini ili akapate sehemu yake ya milki miongoni mwa watu huko.
Then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.
13 Lakini alipofika kwenye Lango la Benyamini, mkuu wa walinzi, ambaye jina lake lilikuwa Iriya mwana wa Shelemia mwana wa Hanania, akamkamata Yeremia na kusema, “Wewe unakwenda kujiunga na Wakaldayo!”
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward [was] there, whose name [was] Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
14 Yeremia akasema, “Hiyo si kweli, mimi sijiungi na Wakaldayo.” Lakini Iriya hakumsikiliza; badala yake, akamkamata Yeremia na kumpeleka kwa maafisa.
Then said Jeremiah, [It is] false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15 Wakamkasirikia Yeremia, wakaamuru apigwe, na akafungwa katika nyumba ya Yonathani mwandishi waliyokuwa wameifanya gereza.
Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and beat him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
16 Yeremia akawekwa kwenye chumba kilichofukuliwa chini, kilichojengwa kwa zege ndani ya gereza chini ya ngome, akakaa huko kwa muda mrefu.
When Jeremiah had entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
17 Kisha Mfalme Sedekia akatumana aletwe katika jumba la kifalme, mahali alipomuuliza kwa siri, “Je, kuna neno lolote kutoka kwa Bwana?” Yeremia akajibu, “Ndiyo, utatiwa mikononi mwa mfalme wa Babeli.”
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there [any] word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18 Kisha Yeremia akamwambia Mfalme Sedekia, “Nimefanya kosa gani dhidi yako na maafisa wako au watu hawa, hata ukanitia gerezani?
Moreover Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah, In what have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19 Wako wapi manabii wako waliokutabiria wakisema, ‘Mfalme wa Babeli hatakushambulia wewe wala nchi hii?’
Where [are] now your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20 Lakini sasa, bwana wangu mfalme, tafadhali sikiliza. Niruhusu nilete maombi yangu mbele yako, usinirudishe kwenye nyumba ya Yonathani mwandishi, nisije nikafia humo.”
Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
21 Ndipo Mfalme Sedekia akatoa maagizo Yeremia awekwe katika ua wa walinzi, na apewe mkate kutoka mitaa ya waokaji kila siku mpaka mikate yote katika mji itakapokwisha. Kwa hiyo Yeremia akabaki katika ua wa walinzi.
Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the baker's street, until all the bread in the city should be consumed. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.