Yeremia 46
1 Hili ni neno la Bwana lililomjia nabii Yeremia kuhusu mataifa:
THE word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
2 Kuhusu Misri: Huu ni ujumbe dhidi ya jeshi la Farao Neko mfalme wa Misri, lililoshindwa huko Karkemishi kwenye Mto Frati na Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, katika mwaka wa nne wa utawala wa Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosia mfalme wa Yuda:
Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.
3 “Wekeni tayari ngao zenu, kubwa na ndogo, mtoke kwa ajili ya vita!
Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
4 Fungieni farasi lijamu, pandeni farasi! Shikeni nafasi zenu mkiwa mmevaa chapeo! Isugueni mikuki yenu, vaeni dirii vifuani!
Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
5 Je, ninaona nini? Wametiwa hofu, wanarudi nyuma, askari wao wameshindwa. Wanakimbia kwa haraka pasipo kutazama nyuma, tena kuna hofu kuu kila upande,” asema Bwana.
Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the Lord.
6 Walio wepesi na wenye mbio hawawezi kukimbia, wala wenye nguvu hawawezi kutoroka. Kaskazini, kando ya Mto Frati, wanajikwaa na kuanguka.
Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
7 “Ni nani huyu ajiinuaye kama Mto Naili, kama mito yenye maji yanayofanya mawimbi?
Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
8 Misri hujiinua kama Mto Naili, kama mito yenye maji yanayofanya mawimbi. Husema, ‘Nitainuka na kufunika dunia, nitaiangamiza miji na watu wake.’
Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
9 Songeni mbele, enyi farasi! Endesheni kwa ukali, enyi magari ya farasi, Endeleeni mbele, enyi mashujaa: watu wa Kushi na Putu wachukuao ngao, watu wa Ludi wavutao upinde.
Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
10 Lakini ile siku ni ya Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, siku ya kulipiza kisasi, kisasi juu ya adui zake. Upanga utakula hata utakapotosheka, hadi utakapozima kiu yake kwa damu. Kwa maana Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, atatoa dhabihu kwenye nchi ya kaskazini, kando ya Mto Frati.
For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
11 “Panda hadi Gileadi ukapate zeri, ee Bikira Binti wa Misri. Lakini umetumia dawa nyingi bila mafanikio; huwezi kupona.
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.
12 Mataifa yatasikia juu ya aibu yako, kilio chako kitaijaza dunia. Shujaa mmoja atajikwaa juu ya mwingine, nao wataanguka chini pamoja.”
The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.
13 Huu ndio ujumbe Bwana aliomwambia nabii Yeremia kuhusu kuja kwa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli ili kuishambulia Misri:
The word that the Lord spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.
14 “Tangaza hili katika Misri, nawe ulihubiri katika Migdoli, hubiri pia katika Memfisi na Tahpanhesi: ‘Shikeni nafasi zenu na mwe tayari, kwa kuwa upanga unawala wale wanaokuzunguka.’
Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.
15 Kwa nini mashujaa wako wamesombwa na kupelekwa mbali? Hawawezi kusimama, kwa maana Bwana atawasukuma awaangushe chini.
Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did drive them.
16 Watajikwaa mara kwa mara, wataangukiana wao kwa wao. Watasema, ‘Amka, turudi kwa watu wetu na nchi yetu, mbali na upanga wa mtesi.’
He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.
17 Huko watatangaza, ‘Farao mfalme wa Misri ni makelele tu, amekosa wasaa wake.’
They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.
18 “Kwa hakika kama niishivyo,” asema Mfalme, ambaye jina lake ni Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, “mmoja atakuja ambaye ni kama Tabori miongoni mwa milima, kama Karmeli kando ya bahari.
As I live, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
19 Funga mizigo yako kwenda uhamishoni, wewe ukaaye Misri, kwa kuwa Memfisi utaangamizwa na kuwa magofu pasipo mkazi.
O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.
20 “Misri ni mtamba mzuri, lakini kipanga anakuja dhidi yake kutoka kaskazini.
Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.
21 Askari wake waliokodiwa katika safu zake wako kama ndama walionenepeshwa. Wao pia watageuka na kukimbia pamoja, hawataweza kuhimili vita, kwa maana siku ya msiba inakuja juu yao, wakati wao wa kuadhibiwa.
Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.
22 Misri atatoa sauti kama ya nyoka anayekimbia kadiri adui anavyowasogelea na majeshi, watakuja dhidi yake wakiwa na mashoka, kama watu wakatao miti.
The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.
23 Wataufyeka msitu wake,” asema Bwana, “hata kama umesongamana kiasi gani. Ni wengi kuliko nzige, hawawezi kuhesabika.
They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
24 Binti wa Misri ataaibishwa, atatiwa mikononi mwa watu wa kaskazini.”
The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
25 Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asema: “Nakaribia kuleta adhabu juu ya Amoni mungu wa Thebesi, na juu ya Farao, Misri na miungu yake, na wafalme wake, pamoja na wale wanaomtegemea Farao.
The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:
26 Nitawatia mikononi mwa wale wanaotafuta uhai wao, yaani Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli na maafisa wake. Hatimaye, hata hivyo, Misri itakaliwa kama nyakati zilizopita,” asema Bwana.
And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord.
27 “Usiogope, ee Yakobo mtumishi wangu, usifadhaike, ee Israeli. Hakika nitakuokoa kutoka nchi za mbali, uzao wako kutoka nchi ya uhamisho wao. Yakobo atakuwa tena na amani na salama, wala hakuna hata mmoja atakayewatia hofu.
But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
28 Usiogope, ee Yakobo mtumishi wangu, kwa maana mimi niko pamoja nawe,” asema Bwana. “Ingawa nitayaangamiza kabisa mataifa yote ambayo miongoni mwake nimekutawanya, sitakuangamiza wewe kabisa. Nitakurudi, lakini kwa haki tu, wala sitakuacha kabisa bila kukuadhibu.”
Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
