< 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, came near,
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.
and said to Jeremiah the prophet: “Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us to Jehovah, thy God, for all this remnant; (for we are left a few out 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 show us the way wherein we shall walk, and the thing which we shall 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 to them: “I have heard; behold, I will pray to Jehovah your God, according to your words, and all which Jehovah shall answer you I will declare to you; I will keep back nothing 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.
Then they said to Jeremiah: “May Jehovah be our witness, a faithful and true witness! According to all for which Jehovah our God shall send thee to us, so will we do.
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 obey the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send thee, that it may be well with us when we shall have obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.”
7 Baada ya siku kumi, neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia.
And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of Jehovah came to 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 which were with him, and all the people, from the least even to the greatest,
9 Akawaambia, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ambaye mlinituma kuwasilisha maombi yenu:
and said to 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 pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent me of the evil which I have done to 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 show mercies to you, that he may have compassion 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 to 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 be hungry 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,
now, therefore, hear the word of Jehovah, ye remnant of Judah! Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: If ye 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 feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, of which ye were afraid, shall follow close after you into Egypt, and there shall ye 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.’
So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there. They shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence, and not one of them shall remain, or escape from the evil which I 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 my anger and my wrath have been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my wrath 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
This is the word of Jehovah to you, ye remnant of Judah! Go ye not into Egypt; ye shall surely know that I have warned 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.’
Ye err to your own ruin; for ye sent me to Jehovah your God, saying, 'Pray for us to Jehovah our God, and according to all that Jehovah our God shall say, so declare to us, and we will do it';
21 Nimewaambieni leo, lakini bado ninyi hamtaki kumtii Bwana Mungu wenu katika yote aliyonituma niwaambie.
and now I have this day declared it to you, but ye have not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah your God, nor to anything for which he sent me to you.
22 Basi sasa, hakikisheni jambo hili: Mtakufa kwa upanga, njaa na tauni mahali ambapo mnataka kwenda kuishi.”
Now, therefore, ye shall know assuredly, that by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence ye shall die, in the place whither ye have chosen to go and to sojourn.”