Yeremia 43
1 Yeremia alipomaliza kuwaambia watu maneno yote ya Bwana Mungu wao, yaani kila kitu Bwana alichokuwa amemtuma kuwaambia,
[So] I finished telling to the people that message from Yahweh our God.
2 Azaria mwana wa Hoshaya, na Yohanani mwana wa Karea, na watu wote wenye kiburi wakamwambia Yeremia, “Wewe unasema uongo! Bwana Mungu wetu hajakutuma kusema, ‘Kamwe msiende Misri kukaa huko.’
But then Johanan and Azariah and some other insolent/arrogant men said to me, “You are lying! Yahweh our God has not told [us] that we should not go to Egypt!
3 Lakini Baruku mwana wa Neria anakuchochea dhidi yetu ili ututie mikononi mwa Wakaldayo, ili watuue au watuchukue uhamishoni Babeli.”
[We think that] Baruch has urged/persuaded you to say this, in order that [if we stay here], the soldiers from Babylonia will seize us and kill us or take us to Babylonia.”
4 Basi Yohanani mwana wa Karea, na maafisa wote wa jeshi, na watu wote wakakataa kutii amri ya Bwana ya kukaa katika nchi ya Yuda.
So Johanan and the other leaders of the [Israeli] soldiers and [many of] [HYP] the other people [who were there] refused to obey Yahweh’s command to stay in Judah.
5 Badala yake, Yohanani mwana wa Karea na maafisa wote wa jeshi wakawaongoza mabaki yote ya Yuda waliokuwa wamerudi kuishi katika nchi ya Yuda kutoka mataifa yote ambayo walikuwa wametawanywa.
Johanan and all the [other] leaders gathered together all the people who had returned from the other countries to which they had been scattered.
6 Pia wakawaongoza wanaume wote, wanawake na watoto, na binti za mfalme ambao Nebuzaradani kiongozi wa walinzi wa mfalme alikuwa amewaacha na Gedalia mwana wa Ahikamu mwana wa Shafani, na nabii Yeremia, na Baruku mwana wa Neria.
[They included] men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and all those whom Nebuzaradan had left with Gedaliah, and they also took Baruch and me.
7 Kwa hiyo wakaingia Misri kwa kutokumtii Bwana, wakaenda mpaka Tahpanhesi.
They refused to obey Yahweh, and they took us all [to Egypt], as far as Tahpenes [city].
8 Huko Tahpanhesi neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia kusema:
[While we were] at Tahpenes, Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
9 “Wayahudi wakiwa wanaona, chukua baadhi ya mawe makubwa na kuyazika katika udongo wa mfinyanzi katika njia iliyojengwa kwa matofali katika ingilio la jumba la kifalme la Farao huko Tahpanhesi.
“While the people of Judah are watching you, take some large rocks and bury them under the brick pavement at the entrance to the king’s palace there at Tahpenes.
10 Kisha uwaambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: Nitamtumania mtumishi wangu Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, nami nitakiweka kiti chake cha enzi juu ya haya mawe niliyoyazika hapa, naye atatandaza hema yake ya ufalme juu yake.
Then say to the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], says: “I will summon Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, who does my work, to come [with his army] to Egypt. I will set up his throne over these stones that I told Jeremiah to bury. And Nebuchadnezzar will set up his tent there [to show that he has become] the King [of Egypt].
11 Atakuja na kuishambulia Misri, akiwaua wale waliokusudiwa kuuawa, awateke mateka wale waliokusudiwa kutekwa, na upanga kwa wale waliokusudiwa upanga.
When his [army] comes, they will attack Egypt. Then those will die who [I have determined] must die, those who [I have determined] must be captured will be captured, and those who [I have determined] must be killed by swords will be killed by swords.
12 Atachoma moto mahekalu yao ya miungu ya Misri, atachoma mahekalu yao na kuteka miungu yao. Kama vile mchungaji ajizungushiavyo vazi lake ndivyo atakavyojizungushia Misri na kuondoka mahali hapo bila kudhurika.
Nebuchadnezzar’s [soldiers] will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt. [But before they burn the temples], they will take away their idols [as souvenirs]. His [troops] will clean Egypt like a shepherd cleans lice from his cloak. They will tear down the sacred pillars that are in the temple of their sun god. And then Nebuchadnezzar’s [troops] will leave there, without having been harmed.”’”
13 Humo ndani ya hekalu la jua nchini ya Misri atabomoa nguzo za ibada, na kuteketeza kwa moto mahekalu ya miungu wa Misri.’”
