Yeremia 44
1 Neno hili lilimjia Yeremia kuhusu Wayahudi wote waishio Misri, huko Migdoli, Tahpanhesi na Memfisi, katika nchi ya Pathrosi kusema:
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who lived in the land of Egypt, who lived at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
2 “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: Mliona maangamizi makubwa niliyoyaleta juu ya Yerusalemu na juu ya miji yote ya Yuda. Leo imeachwa ukiwa na magofu
“The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have seen all the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, and on all the cities of Judah. Behold, today they are a desolation, and no man dwells in them,
3 kwa sababu ya uovu waliokuwa wameufanya. Walinikasirisha kwa kufukiza uvumba na kwa kuabudu miungu mingine ambayo kamwe wao, wala ninyi, wala baba zenu hawakuifahamu.
because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, to serve other gods that they did not know, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers.
4 Tena na tena, niliwatuma watumishi wangu manabii ambao walisema, ‘Msifanye jambo hili la kuchukiza ambalo nalichukia!’
However I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate.”
5 Lakini hawakusikiliza wala hawakujali, hawakugeuka ili kuuacha uovu wao, wala hawakuacha kufukiza uvumba kwa miungu mingine.
But they did not listen and did not incline their ear. They did not turn from their wickedness, to stop burning incense to other gods.
6 Kwa hiyo hasira yangu kali ilimwagika, ikawaka dhidi ya miji ya Yuda na barabara za Yerusalemu, na kuifanya ukiwa na magofu kama ilivyo leo.
Therefore my wrath and my anger was poured out, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is today.’
7 “Basi hili ndilo Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: Kwa nini kujiletea maafa makubwa kama haya juu yenu kwa kujikatilia mbali kutoka Yuda wanaume na wanawake, watoto na wanyonyao, hata kujiacha bila mabaki?
“Therefore now the LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Why do you commit great evil against your own souls, to cut off from yourselves man and woman, infant and nursing child out of the middle of Judah, to leave yourselves no one remaining,
8 Kwa nini kuichochea hasira yangu kwa kile ambacho mikono yenu imekitengeneza, mkaifukizia uvumba miungu mingine huko Misri, mahali mlipokuja kuishi? Mtajiangamiza wenyewe na kujifanya kitu cha kulaania na shutumu miongoni mwa mataifa yote duniani.
in that you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to live, that you may be cut off, and that you may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
9 Je, mmesahau uovu uliotendwa na baba zenu, na wafalme na malkia wa Yuda, na uovu uliofanywa na ninyi na wake zenu katika nchi ya Yuda na barabara za Yerusalemu?
Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
10 Mpaka leo hawajajinyenyekeza au kuonyesha heshima, wala hawajafuata sheria yangu na amri nilizoweka mbele yenu na baba zenu.
They are not humbled even to this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.’
11 “Kwa hiyo, hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: Mimi nimekusudia kuleta maafa juu yenu, na kuiangamiza Yuda yote.
“Therefore the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah.
12 Nitawaondoa mabaki ya Yuda waliokusudia kwenda Misri kukaa humo. Wote wataangamia huko Misri, wataanguka kwa upanga au kufa kwa njaa. Kuanzia aliye mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkuu sana, watakufa kwa upanga au njaa. Watakuwa kitu cha kulaania na cha kutisha, cha laumu na shutumu.
I will take the remnant of Judah that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to live there, and they will all be consumed. They will fall in the land of Egypt. They will be consumed by the sword and by the famine. They will die, from the least even to the greatest, by the sword and by the famine. They will be an object of horror, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach.
13 Nitawaadhibu wale waishio Misri kwa upanga, njaa na tauni kama nilivyoiadhibu Yerusalemu.
For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence;
14 Hakuna hata mmoja wa mabaki ya Yuda ambaye amekwenda kuishi Misri atakayeepuka au kunusurika ili kurudi katika nchi ya Yuda, ambayo wanaitamani sana kurudi na kuishi ndani yake, hakuna hata mmoja atakayerudi isipokuwa wakimbizi wachache.”
so that none of the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will escape or be left to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there; for no one will return except those who will escape.’”
15 Kisha wanaume wote ambao walijua kwamba wake zao walikuwa wakifukiza uvumba kwa miungu mingine, pamoja na wanawake wote waliokuwako, yaani, kusanyiko kubwa na watu wote walioishi nchi ya Misri na Pathrosi, wakamwambia Yeremia,
Then all the men who knew that their wives burned incense to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, even all the people who lived in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
16 “Hatutausikiliza ujumbe uliotuambia katika jina la Bwana!
“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the LORD’s name, we will not listen to you.
17 Hakika tutafanya kila kitu tulichosema tutakifanya: Tutafukiza uvumba kwa Malkia wa Mbinguni na tutammiminia sadaka zetu za kinywaji kama vile sisi na baba zetu, wafalme wetu na maafisa wetu tulivyofanya katika miji ya Yuda na katika barabara za Yerusalemu. Wakati ule tulikuwa na chakula tele, tulikuwa matajiri wala hatukupata dhara lolote.
But we will certainly perform every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of the sky and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.
18 Lakini tangu tulipoacha kumfukizia uvumba Malkia wa Mbinguni na kummiminia sadaka za kinywaji, hatupati chochote, na tumekuwa tukiangamizwa kwa upanga na njaa.”
But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of the sky, and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.”
19 Wanawake wakaongeza kusema, “Wakati tulipomfukizia uvumba Malkia wa Mbinguni na kummiminia sadaka zetu za kinywaji, je, waume zetu hawakujua kwamba tulikuwa tukitengeneza maandazi kwa mfano wake, na kummiminia yeye sadaka za kinywaji?”
The women said, “When we burned incense to the queen of the sky and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?”
20 Ndipo Yeremia akawaambia watu wote, wanaume na wanawake waliokuwa wakimjibu,
Then Jeremiah said to all the people—to the men and to the women, even to all the people who had given him an answer, saying,
21 “Je, Bwana hakukumbuka na kufikiri juu ya uvumba uliofukizwa katika miji ya Yuda na barabara za Yerusalemu na ninyi pamoja na baba zenu, wafalme wenu, maafisa wenu na watu wa nchi?
“The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and did not it come into his mind?
22 Bwana alipokuwa hawezi kuendelea kuvumilia matendo yenu maovu na mambo ya machukizo mliyoyafanya, nchi yenu ilikuwa kitu cha kulaania na kuachwa ukiwa pasipo wakazi, kama ilivyo leo.
Thus the LORD could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you have committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation, an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is today.
23 Kwa sababu mmefukiza uvumba na kufanya dhambi dhidi ya Bwana, nanyi hamkumtii wala kufuata sheria yake au amri zake au maagizo yake, maafa haya yamekuja juu yenu, kama mnavyoona sasa.”
Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the LORD’s voice, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil has happened to you, as it is today.”
24 Kisha Yeremia akawaambia watu wote, pamoja na wanawake, “Sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi watu wote wa Yuda mlioko Misri.
Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the LORD’s word, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt!
25 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: Ninyi na wake zenu mmeonyesha kwa matendo yenu kile mlichoahidi mliposema, ‘Hakika tutatimiza nadhiri tulizoziweka za kumfukizia uvumba na kummiminia sadaka za kinywaji Malkia wa Mbinguni.’ “Endeleeni basi, fanyeni yale mliyoahidi! Timizeni nadhiri zenu!
The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘You and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying, “We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to her.” “‘Establish then your vows, and perform your vows.’
26 Lakini sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi Wayahudi wote mnaoishi Misri: ‘Ninaapa kwa Jina langu lililo kuu,’ asema Bwana, ‘kwamba hakuna hata mmoja atokaye Yuda anayeishi popote Misri ambaye kamwe ataomba tena kwa Jina langu au kuapa, akisema, “Hakika kama Bwana Mwenyezi aishivyo.”
“Therefore hear the LORD’s word, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by my great name,’ says the LORD, ‘that my name will no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord GOD lives.”
27 Kwa maana ninawaangalia kwa ajili ya madhara, wala sio kwa mema. Wayahudi walioko Misri wataangamia kwa upanga na njaa, hadi wote watakapoangamizwa.
Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until they are all gone.
28 Wale watakaonusurika upanga na kurudi katika nchi ya Yuda kutoka Misri watakuwa wachache sana. Ndipo mabaki wote wa Yuda waliokuja kuishi Misri watakapojua ni neno la nani litakalosimama, kwamba ni langu au lao.
Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah few in number. All the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt to live there, will know whose word will stand, mine or theirs.
29 “‘Hii itakuwa ndiyo ishara kwenu kwamba nitawaadhibu mahali hapa, asema Bwana, ili mpate kujua kuwa onyo langu la madhara dhidi yenu hakika litatimizwa.’
“‘This will be the sign to you,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for evil.’
30 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: ‘Nitamtia Farao Hofra mfalme wa Misri mikononi mwa adui zake wanaoutafuta uhai wake, kama vile nilivyomtia Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda mikononi mwa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, adui aliyekuwa akiutafuta uhai wake.’”
The LORD says, ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life.’”
