< Yeremia 42 >
1 Ndipo maafisa wote wa jeshi, pamoja na Yohanani mwana wa Karea, na Yezania mwana wa Hoshaya, na watu wote kuanzia aliye mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkuu sana wakamjia
And all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,
2 Yeremia nabii na kumwambia, “Tafadhali sikia maombi yetu na umwombe Bwana Mungu wako kwa ajili ya watu hawa wote waliosalia. Kwa kuwa kama unavyoona sasa, ingawa wakati fulani tulikuwa wengi, sasa tumesalia wachache tu.
came near and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication come before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, for all this remnant (for we are left a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us);
3 Omba ili Bwana Mungu wako atuambie twende wapi na tufanye nini.”
that Jehovah thy God may shew us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do.
4 Nabii Yeremia akajibu, “Nimewasikia. Kwa hakika nitamwomba Bwana Mungu wenu kama mlivyoomba. Nitawaambia kila kitu asemacho Bwana, wala sitawaficha chochote.”
And Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard; behold, I will pray unto Jehovah your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass [that] whatsoever thing Jehovah shall answer you, I will declare it unto you: I will keep nothing back from you.
5 Kisha wakamwambia Yeremia, “Bwana na awe shahidi wa kweli na mwaminifu kati yetu kama hatutafanya sawasawa na kila kitu Bwana Mungu wako atakachokutuma utuambie.
And they said to Jeremiah, Jehovah be a true and faithful witness amongst us, if we do not even according to all the word for which Jehovah thy God shall send thee to us.
6 Likiwa jema au likiwa baya, tutamtii Bwana Mungu wetu, ambaye tunakutuma kwake, ili mambo yote yawe mema kwetu, kwa maana tutamtii Bwana Mungu wetu.”
Whether it be good or whether it be evil, we will hearken unto the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us when we hearken unto the voice of Jehovah our God.
7 Baada ya siku kumi, neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia.
And it came to pass at the end of ten days, that the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah.
8 Kwa hiyo akawaita pamoja Yohanani mwana wa Karea, na maafisa wote wa jeshi waliokuwa pamoja naye na watu wote kuanzia mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkuu sana.
And he called Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest,
9 Akawaambia, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ambaye mlinituma kuwasilisha maombi yenu:
and said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel, to whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him:
10 ‘Kama mkikaa katika nchi hii, nitawajenga wala sitawabomoa, nitawapanda wala sitawangʼoa, kwani ninahuzunishwa na maafa niliyowapiga nayo.
If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not overthrow [you], and I will plant you, and not pluck [you] up; for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.
11 Msimwogope mfalme wa Babeli, ambaye sasa mnamwogopa. Msimwogope, asema Bwana, kwa kuwa niko pamoja nanyi, nami nitawaokoa na kuwaponya kutoka mikononi mwake.
Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid: be not afraid of him, saith Jehovah; for I will be with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
12 Nitawaonea huruma ili naye awe na huruma nanyi na kuwarudisha katika nchi yenu.’
And I will grant mercies to you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.
13 “Hata hivyo, kama mkisema, ‘Hatutakaa katika nchi hii,’ hivyo mkaacha kumtii Bwana Mungu wenu,
But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land; so as not to hearken unto the voice of Jehovah your God,
14 nanyi kama mkisema, ‘Hapana, tutakwenda kuishi Misri, mahali ambapo hatutaona vita au kusikia sauti ya tarumbeta au kuwa na njaa ya chakula,’
saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger for bread; and there will we dwell;
15 basi sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi mabaki ya Yuda. Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: ‘Ikiwa mmekusudia kwenda Misri na kufanya makazi huko,
— and now, therefore, hear the word of Jehovah, ye remnant of Judah: thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: If ye really set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there,
16 basi ule upanga mnaouogopa utawapata huko, na njaa mnayoihofia itawafuata huko Misri, nanyi mtafia huko.
then it shall come to pass, that the sword which ye fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
17 Naam, wote waliokusudia kwenda kuishi Misri watakufa kwa upanga, njaa na tauni; hakuna hata mmoja wao atakayenusurika au kuokoka maafa nitakayoyaleta juu yao.’
And it shall be that all the men that have set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.
18 Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: ‘Kama vile hasira yangu na ghadhabu yangu ilivyomwagwa juu ya wale walioishi Yerusalemu, ndivyo ghadhabu yangu itakavyomwagwa juu yenu mtakapokwenda Misri. Mtakuwa kitu cha kulaania na cha kutisha, cha kulaumia na cha kushutumia, nanyi kamwe hamtaona mahali hapa tena.’
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: As mine anger and my fury have been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt; and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and ye shall see this place no more.
19 “Enyi mabaki ya Yuda, Bwana amewaambia, ‘Msiende Misri.’ Hakikisheni jambo hili: Ninawaonya leo
Jehovah hath said concerning you, the remnant of Judah, Go ye not into Egypt. Know certainly that I have admonished you this day.
20 kwamba mmefanya kosa kubwa mioyoni mwenu mliponituma kwa Bwana Mungu wenu na kusema, ‘Mwombe Bwana Mungu wetu kwa ajili yetu, nawe utuambie kila kitu atakachosema, nasi tutafanya.’
For ye deceived yourselves in your own souls, when ye sent me unto Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us unto Jehovah our God; and according to all that Jehovah our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.
21 Nimewaambieni leo, lakini bado ninyi hamtaki kumtii Bwana Mungu wenu katika yote aliyonituma niwaambie.
And I have this day declared [it] to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah your God, nor anything for which he hath sent me unto you.
22 Basi sasa, hakikisheni jambo hili: Mtakufa kwa upanga, njaa na tauni mahali ambapo mnataka kwenda kuishi.”
And now know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go to sojourn.