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
Then Johanan and Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the [other] leaders of the [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia], and many [HYP] [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important, came
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.
to me. They said, “Please listen to our request and pray to Yahweh our God for all of us. Although we were previously a huge number of people, you can see that now we are only a small number of people [who have survived].
3 Omba ili Bwana Mungu wako atuambie twende wapi na tufanye nini.”
[Pray] that Yahweh our God will show us what we should do and where we should go.”
4 Nabii Yeremia akajibu, “Nimewasikia. Kwa hakika nitamwomba Bwana Mungu wenu kama mlivyoomba. Nitawaambia kila kitu asemacho Bwana, wala sitawaficha chochote.”
I replied, “Okay, I will pray to Yahweh our God, like you have requested, and I will tell you what he says. I will (tell you everything/not hide anything 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.
They replied to me, “We hope/wish that Yahweh our God will be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to do everything that he tells us to 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.”
We are requesting you to ask Yahweh our God what we should do. [When he replies], we will obey him, whether we like what he says or not. We will do that because [we know that] things will go well for us if we obey him.”
7 Baada ya siku kumi, neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia.
[So I prayed] to Yahweh, and ten days later he gave me his reply.
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.
So I summoned Johanan and all his [other] soldiers and all the [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important.
9 Akawaambia, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ambaye mlinituma kuwasilisha maombi yenu:
I said to them, “You told me to tell Yahweh, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], what you were requesting. This is what he replied:
10 ‘Kama mkikaa katika nchi hii, nitawajenga wala sitawabomoa, nitawapanda wala sitawangʼoa, kwani ninahuzunishwa na maafa niliyowapiga nayo.
‘You [should] stay here in this land. If you do that, I will cause your [nation] to be strong and not be weak. I will cause you to prosper and not be exiled [again]. I am sorry about the disasters that I [was forced to] cause you to experience.
11 Msimwogope mfalme wa Babeli, ambaye sasa mnamwogopa. Msimwogope, asema Bwana, kwa kuwa niko pamoja nanyi, nami nitawaokoa na kuwaponya kutoka mikononi mwake.
But do not be afraid of the king of Babylon [any more], because I will (be with/help) you. I will rescue you [DOU] from his power [MTY].
12 Nitawaonea huruma ili naye awe na huruma nanyi na kuwarudisha katika nchi yenu.’
I will be merciful to you by causing him to act kindly toward you. So as a result, he will allow you to stay here in your land.’
13 “Hata hivyo, kama mkisema, ‘Hatutakaa katika nchi hii,’ hivyo mkaacha kumtii Bwana Mungu wenu,
But if you refuse to obey Yahweh our God, and if you say ‘We will not stay here;
14 nanyi kama mkisema, ‘Hapana, tutakwenda kuishi Misri, mahali ambapo hatutaona vita au kusikia sauti ya tarumbeta au kuwa na njaa ya chakula,’
instead, we will go to Egypt. There we will not experience [any] wars, we will not hear trumpets [signaling our soldiers to prepare for battles], and we will not be hungry,’
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,
then listen to what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt, and you go and live there,
16 basi ule upanga mnaouogopa utawapata huko, na njaa mnayoihofia itawafuata huko Misri, nanyi mtafia huko.
you will experience those wars and famines that you are afraid of, and you will [all] die there.
17 Naam, wote waliokusudia kwenda kuishi Misri watakufa kwa upanga, njaa na tauni; hakuna hata mmoja wao atakayenusurika au kuokoka maafa nitakayoyaleta juu yao.’
That is what will happen to all you who are determined to go to Egypt and live there. [Some of you] will be killed by the swords [of your enemies, and others of you will die] from famines and from diseases. None of you will escape the disasters that I will bring on you.’
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.’
And the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], also says this: ‘Because I was very angry, I severely punished [MTY] [all] the people of Jerusalem. I will do the same things to you when you go to Egypt. [The result will be that] people will curse you. They will be horrified about [what has happened to] you. They will make fun of you, and you will never see this land again.’
19 “Enyi mabaki ya Yuda, Bwana amewaambia, ‘Msiende Misri.’ Hakikisheni jambo hili: Ninawaonya leo
You little group of people of Judah who are still alive, [listen to me]: Yahweh has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ [So] do not forget what I have warned you today.
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.’
I know that you were lying when you requested me to pray to Yahweh our God.
21 Nimewaambieni leo, lakini bado ninyi hamtaki kumtii Bwana Mungu wenu katika yote aliyonituma niwaambie.
And today I have told you exactly what he said, but [I know that] you will not obey Yahweh our God now, just as you have not obeyed him previously.
22 Basi sasa, hakikisheni jambo hili: Mtakufa kwa upanga, njaa na tauni mahali ambapo mnataka kwenda kuishi.”
You want to go to Egypt and live there. So now, you can be sure of this: [All of] you will die there. [Some of you will be killed] by the swords [of your enemies and others will die] from famines or from diseases.”
