< Yeremia 44 >
1 Neno hili lilimjia Yeremia kuhusu Wayahudi wote waishio Misri, huko Migdoli, Tahpanhesi na Memfisi, katika nchi ya Pathrosi kusema:
The word which came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, that dwelt at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the land 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
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Ye have seen all the evil which I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein;
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 and to serve strange gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers;
4 Tena na tena, niliwatuma watumishi wangu manabii ambao walisema, ‘Msifanye jambo hili la kuchukiza ambalo nalichukia!’
and I sent to you all my servants, the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying: O do not this abominable thing, which I hate!
5 Lakini hawakusikiliza wala hawakujali, hawakugeuka ili kuuacha uovu wao, wala hawakuacha kufukiza uvumba kwa miungu mingine.
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to strange 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 hath my fury been poured forth, and mine anger, and hath burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are become a desolation and a waste at this day.
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?
And now thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Wherefore do ye commit this great evil against your own souls, that ye may cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, so as to leave yourselves no remnant?
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.
Why do ye provoke me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to strange gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye are gone to dwell, so that ye may cut yourselves off, and that ye 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 ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have 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 have not been humbled even to this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, which 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 thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I 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.
And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed; in the land of Egypt shall they fall; by the sword and by famine shall they be consumed, from the least to the greatest; by the sword and by famine shall they die; and they shall become an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
13 Nitawaadhibu wale waishio Misri kwa upanga, njaa na tauni kama nilivyoiadhibu Yerusalemu.
For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by 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.”
And none shall escape or remain of the remnant of Judah which are gone into the land of Egypt, to sojourn there, and to return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return, to dwell there; for none shall return but a few fugitives that 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 had burned incense to strange gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, and in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:
16 “Hatutausikiliza ujumbe uliotuambia katika jina la Bwana!
“As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of Jehovah, we will not hearken to thee,
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 whatever hath gone forth from our mouth, that will we do, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, 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 bread, and were prosperous, and saw no calamity.
18 Lakini tangu tulipoacha kumfukizia uvumba Malkia wa Mbinguni na kummiminia sadaka za kinywaji, hatupati chochote, na tumekuwa tukiangamizwa kwa upanga na njaa.”
But from the time we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, we have been in want of all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by 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?”
And when we [[said the women]] burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink-offerings to her, did we without the knowledge of our men make cakes to worship her, and pour out drink-offerings to her?”
20 Ndipo Yeremia akawaambia watu wote, wanaume na wanawake waliokuwa wakimjibu,
Then spake Jeremiah to all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people who had given him that 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 which ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not Jehovah remember it, and came it not 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.
And Jehovah could no longer bear the evil of your doings, and the abominations which ye committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant at this day.
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 ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against Jehovah, and have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his ordinances, therefore is this evil come upon you, at this day.”
24 Kisha Yeremia akawaambia watu wote, pamoja na wanawake, “Sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi watu wote wa Yuda mlioko Misri.
And Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, Hear the word of Jehovah, all Judah, that 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!
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Ye and your wives speak with your mouths, and fulfill with your hands; ye say, “We will keep our vows, which we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her”; ye will surely accomplish your vows; ye will surely 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 ye the word of Jehovah, all ye of Judah, that dwell in the land of Egypt! Behold, I swear by my great name, saith Jehovah, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord Jehovah liveth!”
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 will watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there be an end of them.
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.
And they that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall 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.’
And this shall be a sign to you, saith Jehovah, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall 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.’”
Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah, the king of Judah, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, his enemy, that sought his life.”