Yeremia 38

1 Shefatia mwana wa Matani, na Gedalia mwana wa Pashuri, na Yehukali mwana wa Shelemia, na Pashuri mwana wa Malkiya wakasikia kile Yeremia alichokuwa akiwaambia watu wote wakati aliposema,

And Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah, heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying,

2 “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Yeyote akaaye ndani ya mji huu atakufa kwa upanga, njaa au tauni, lakini yeyote atakayejisalimisha kwa Wakaldayo ataishi. Atakayeyatoa maisha yake kama nyara, ataishi.’

Thus says Jehovah: He who abides in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey, and he shall live.

3 Tena hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Mji huu kwa hakika utatiwa mikononi mwa jeshi la mfalme wa Babeli, ambaye atauteka.’”

Thus says Jehovah: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.

4 Ndipo maafisa wakamwambia mfalme, “Mtu huyu imempasa kuuawa. Anawakatisha tamaa askari waliobaki katika mji huu, vivyo hivyo na watu wote pia, kwa ajili ya mambo anayowaambia. Mtu huyu hawatakii mema watu hawa, bali maangamizi yao.”

Then the rulers said to the king, Let this man, we pray thee, be put to death, inasmuch as he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them. For this man seeks not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

5 Mfalme Sedekia akajibu, “Yeye yuko mikononi mwenu! Mfalme hawezi kufanya lolote kuwapinga ninyi.”

And Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand, for the king is not he who can do anything against you.

6 Basi wakamchukua Yeremia na kumtia kwenye kisima cha Malkiya, mwana wa mfalme, kilichokuwa katika ua wa walinzi. Wakamteremsha Yeremia kwa kamba ndani ya kisima. Hakikuwa na maji ndani yake, ila tope tu, naye Yeremia akazama ndani ya matope.

Then they took Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard. And they let Jeremiah down with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire, and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

7 Lakini Ebed-Meleki Mkushi, aliyekuwa afisa katika jumba la kifalme, akasikia kuwa walikuwa wamemtia Yeremia ndani ya kisima. Wakati mfalme alipokuwa ameketi katika Lango la Benyamini,

Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin),

8 Ebed-Meleki akatoka nje ya jumba la kifalme na kumwambia,

Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying,

9 “Mfalme bwana wangu, watu hawa wamefanya uovu kwa yote waliomtendea nabii Yeremia. Wamemtupa ndani ya kisima, mahali ambapo atakufa kwa njaa wakati ambapo hakuna chakula popote katika mji.”

My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the dungeon. And he is likely to die in the place where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.

10 Basi mfalme akamwamuru Ebed-Meleki Mkushi, akisema, “Chukua watu thelathini kutoka hapa pamoja nawe, mkamtoe nabii Yeremia huko kwenye kisima kabla hajafa.”

Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.

11 Basi Ebed-Meleki akawachukua watu pamoja naye, wakaenda mpaka kwenye chumba kilichoko chini ya hazina ndani ya jumba la kifalme. Akachukua matambaa makuukuu pamoja na nguo zilizochakaa kutoka huko, na kumshushia Yeremia kwa kamba ndani ya kisima.

So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12 Ebed-Meleki Mkushi akamwambia Yeremia, “Weka haya matambaa makuukuu na hizo nguo zilizochakaa makwapani ili kuzuia kamba.” Yeremia akafanya hivyo,

And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Now put these rags and worn-out garments under thine armpits under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 nao wakamvuta juu kwa kamba na kumtoa katika kisima. Yeremia akakaa katika ua wa walinzi.

So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

14 Ndipo Mfalme Sedekia akatuma watu wamwitie nabii Yeremia wamlete kwake kwenye ingilio la tatu la Hekalu la Bwana. Mfalme akamwambia Yeremia, “Ninataka kukuuliza jambo fulani, usinifiche kitu chochote.”

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entry that is in the house of Jehovah. And the king said to Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

15 Yeremia akamwambia Sedekia, “Nikikupa jibu, je, hutaniua? Hata kama nikikupa shauri, wewe hutanisikiliza.”

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I declare it to thee, will thou not surely put me to death? And if I give thee counsel, thou will not hearken to me.

16 Lakini Mfalme Sedekia akamwapia Yeremia kiapo hiki kwa siri, akisema, “Hakika kama aishivyo Bwana, ambaye ametupa pumzi, sitakuua wala sitakutia mikononi mwa wale wanaotafuta uhai wako.”

So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, As Jehovah lives, who made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I give thee into the hand of these men who seek thy life.

17 Kisha Yeremia akamwambia Sedekia, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: ‘Ikiwa utajisalimisha kwa maafisa wa mfalme wa Babeli, maisha yako yatasalimika, na mji huu hautateketezwa kwa moto. Pia wewe na jamaa yako mtaishi.

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, Thus says Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel. If thou will go forth to the king of Babylon's rulers, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and thou shall live, and thy house.

18 Lakini ikiwa hutajisalimisha kwa maafisa wa mfalme wa Babeli, mji huu utatiwa mikononi mwa Wakaldayo na watauteketeza kwa moto, nawe mwenyewe hutaweza kujiokoa mikononi mwao.’”

But if thou will not go forth to the king of Babylon's rulers, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shall not escape out of their hand.

19 Mfalme Sedekia akamwambia Yeremia, “Ninawaogopa Wayahudi ambao wamekimbilia kwa Wakaldayo, kwa kuwa Wakaldayo wanaweza kunitia mikononi mwao, nao wakanitenda vibaya.”

And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews who have fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they abuse me.

20 Yeremia akajibu, “Hawatakutia mikononi mwao. Mtii Bwana kwa kufanya kile ninachokuambia. Kisha utafanikiwa na maisha yako yatakuwa salama.

But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of Jehovah, in that which I speak to thee, so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

21 Lakini ukikataa kujisalimisha, hili ndilo Bwana alilonifunulia:

But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that Jehovah has shown me:

22 Wanawake wote walioachwa katika jumba la kifalme la mfalme wa Yuda wataletwa mbele ya maafisa wa mfalme wa Babeli. Wanawake hao watakuambia: “‘Walikupotosha na kukushinda, wale rafiki zako uliowaamini. Miguu yako imezama matopeni; rafiki zako wamekuacha.’

Behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's rulers. And those women shall say, Thy familiar friends have set upon thee, and have prevailed over thee. Since thy feet are sunk in the mire, they have turned back away.

23 “Wake zako wote na watoto wataletwa na kutiwa mikononi mwa Wakaldayo. Wewe mwenyewe hutaweza kujiokoa mikononi mwao. Lakini utatekwa na mfalme wa Babeli, na mji huu utateketezwa kwa moto.”

And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy sons to the Chaldeans. And thou shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. And thou shall cause this city to be burned with fire.

24 Kisha Sedekia akamwambia Yeremia, “Usiruhusu mtu yeyote ajue kuhusu haya mazungumzo, la sivyo utakufa.

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shall not die.

25 Maafisa wakisikia kwamba nimezungumza nawe, nao wakakujia na kusema, ‘Tuambie kile ulichozungumza na mfalme na kile mfalme alichokuambia, usitufiche au sivyo tutakuua,’

But if the rulers hear that I have talked with thee, and they come to thee, and say to thee, Declare to us now what thou have said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death, also what the king said to thee,

26 basi waambie, ‘Nilikuwa ninamsihi mfalme asinirudishe kwenye nyumba ya Yonathani nisije nikafia humo.’”

then thou shall say to them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house to die there.

27 Maafisa wote wakamjia Yeremia na kumuuliza, naye Yeremia akawaambia kila kitu mfalme alichomwagiza kusema. Kisha hawakusema lolote zaidi na Yeremia kwa sababu hakuna yeyote aliyesikia mazungumzo yake na mfalme.

Then all the rulers came to Jeremiah, and asked him. And he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him, for the matter was not perceived.

28 Naye Yeremia akabaki katika ua wa walinzi hadi siku Yerusalemu ilipotekwa.

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.