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,

Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto 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 saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

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

Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which 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.”

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

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

Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he [is] in your hand: for the king [is] not [he that] can do [any] thing 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 took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that [was] in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk 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, one of the eunuchs which 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 spake 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 like to die for hunger in the place where he is: 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 hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

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 thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, 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 unto Jeremiah, Put now [these] old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes 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 cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

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 unto him into the third entry that [is] in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto 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 unto Zedekiah, If I declare [it] unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto 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 sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, [As] the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that 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 said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine 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 wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt 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 unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock 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 the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto 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 the LORD hath shewed 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.’

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house [shall be] brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those [women] shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, [and] they are turned away back.

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.”

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

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

Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt 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 princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

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

Then thou shalt say unto 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 came all the princes unto 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 prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was [there] when Jerusalem was taken.