Yeremia 5

1 “Pandeni na kushuka katika mitaa ya Yerusalemu, tazameni pande zote na mtafakari, tafuteni katika viwanja vyake. Kama mtaweza kumpata hata mtu mmoja tu atendaye kwa uaminifu na kutafuta kweli, nitausamehe mji huu.

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, And see I pray you and know and seek out in the broad places thereof, Whether ye can find, a man, Whether there is one Doing justice Demanding fidelity, —That I may pardon her.

2 Ingawa wanasema, ‘Kwa hakika kama Bwana aishivyo,’ bado wanaapa kwa uongo.”

Even though they say By the life of Yahweh, Yet in fact falsely, do they swear.

3 Ee Bwana, je, macho yako hayaitafuti kweli? Uliwapiga, lakini hawakusikia maumivu, uliwapondaponda, lakini walikataa maonyo. Walifanya nyuso zao kuwa ngumu kuliko jiwe nao walikataa kutubu.

O Yahweh! thine own eyes, are they not directed to fidelity? Thou hast smitten them Yet have they not grieved, Thou hast consumed them—They have refused to receive correction, —They have made their faces bolder than a cliff, They have refused to return.

4 Ndipo nikasema, “Hawa ni maskini tu; wao ni wapumbavu, kwa maana hawaijui njia ya Bwana, sheria ya Mungu wao.

And, I, said, —Only, poor people, are they, —They act foolishly, For they know not the way of Yahweh, the justice of their God!

5 Kwa hiyo nitakwenda kwa viongozi na kuzungumza nao, hakika wao wanaijua njia ya Bwana, sheria ya Mungu wao.” Lakini kwa nia moja nao pia walikuwa wameivunja nira na kuvivunja vifungo.

I will betake me unto the great men, and will speak, with them! For, they, know the way of Yahweh, the justice of their God! Yea but, they, with one accord have broken the yoke, torn off the bands.

6 Kwa hiyo simba kutoka mwituni atawashambulia, mbwa mwitu kutoka jangwani atawaangamiza, chui atawavizia karibu na miji yao, ili kumrarua vipande vipande yeyote atakayethubutu kutoka nje, kwa maana maasi yao ni makubwa, na kukengeuka kwao kumekuwa ni kwingi.

For this cause, hath the lion out of the forest smitten them, The wolf of the waste plains, preyeth upon them, The leopard, is keeping watch over their cities, Every one that goeth out from thence, is torn in pieces, —For they have multiplied their transgressions, Numerous are their apostasies.

7 “Kwa nini niwasamehe? Watoto wenu wameniacha na kuapa kwa miungu ambayo si miungu. Niliwapatia mahitaji yao yote, lakini bado wamefanya uzinzi na kusongana katika nyumba za makahaba.

How, for this, can I pardon thee? Thine own sons, have forsaken me, And have sworn by No-gods, —When I had fed them to the full, Then committed they adultery, And the house of the unchaste woman, they used to throng:

8 Wamelishwa vizuri, kama farasi waume wenye tamaa nyingi, kila mmoja akimlilia mke wa mwanaume mwingine.

Lusty, well-fed horses, had they become, Every man unto his neighbour’s wife, would neigh!

9 Je, nisiwaadhibu kwa ajili ya hili?” asema Bwana. “Je, nisijilipizie kisasi juu ya taifa kama hili?

For these things, shall I not punish? Demandeth Yahweh: Yea on a nation such as this, must not my soul avenge herself?

10 “Piteni katika mashamba yake ya mizabibu na kuyaharibu, lakini msiangamize kabisa. Pogoeni matawi yake, kwa kuwa watu hawa sio wa Bwana.

Scale ye her walls and destroy, But a full end, do not make, —Remove her tendrils, For not to Yahweh, do, they, belong!

11 Nyumba ya Israeli na nyumba ya Yuda wamekuwa si waaminifu kwangu kamwe,” asema Bwana.

For very treacherously, have the house of Israel and the house of Judah dealt with me, Declareth Yahweh.

12 Wamedanganya kuhusu Bwana. Wamesema, “Yeye hatafanya jambo lolote! Hakuna dhara litakalotupata; kamwe hatutaona upanga wala njaa.

They have acted deceptively against Yahweh, And have said, Not He! Neither shall there come upon us, calamity, Nor sword nor famine, shall we see;

13 Manabii ni upepo tu, wala neno halimo ndani yao, kwa hiyo hayo wayasemayo na yatendeke kwao.”

But the prophets, shall prove to be wind, And there is no one speaking in them, —Thus, shall it be done to themselves!

14 Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Kwa sababu watu hawa wamesema maneno haya, nitayafanya maneno yangu vinywani mwenu kuwa moto, na watu hawa wawe kuni zinazoliwa na huo moto.

Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh, God of hosts, Because ye have spoken this word, —Behold me! making my words in thy mouth to be fire, And, this people, —wood, So shall it devour them.

15 Ee nyumba ya Israeli,” asema Bwana, “Ninaleta taifa toka mbali dhidi yako, taifa la kale na linaloendelea kudumu, taifa ambalo lugha yao huijui, wala msemo wao huwezi kuuelewa.

Behold me! bringing upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, Declareth Yahweh, —A nation invincible, it is, A nation from age-past times, hath it been, A nation whose tongue thou shalt not know, Neither shalt thou understand what it speaketh:

16 Podo zao ni kama kaburi lililo wazi, wote ni mashujaa hodari wa vita.

Its quiver, is like an open sepulchre, —They all, are heroes:

17 Watayaangamiza mazao yenu na chakula chenu, wataangamiza wana wenu na mabinti zenu; wataangamiza makundi yenu ya kondoo na ya ngʼombe, wataangamiza mizabibu yenu na mitini yenu. Kwa upanga wataangamiza miji yenye maboma mliyoitumainia.

Then shall it eat thy harvest and thy bread which thy sons and thy daughters should eat, —It shall eat thy flock and thy herd, It shall eat thy vine and thy fig-tree, —It shall destroy thy defenced cities wherein thou, art trusting, with the sword.

18 “Hata hivyo katika siku hizo, sitakuangamiza kabisa,” asema Bwana.

Yet, even in those days, Declareth Yahweh, Will I not make of you, a full end.

19 “Nao watu watakapouliza, ‘Kwa nini Bwana, Mungu wetu ametufanyia mambo haya yote?’ utawaambia, ‘Kama vile mlivyoniacha mimi na kutumikia miungu migeni katika nchi yenu wenyewe, ndivyo sasa mtakavyowatumikia wageni katika nchi ambayo si yenu.’

And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, For what cause hath Yahweh our God done to us all these things? Then shalt thou say unto them, —As ye forsook me, and served the gods of the foreigner in your own land, So, shall ye serve aliens in a land not your own.

20 “Itangazie nyumba ya Yakobo hili na ulipigie mbiu katika Yuda:

Tell ye this, throughout the house of Jacob, —And let it be heard throughout Judah saying:

21 Sikieni hili, enyi watu wapumbavu, msio na akili, mlio na macho lakini hamwoni, mlio na masikio lakini hamsikii:

Hear this, I pray you ye people—foolish and without heart, —Eyes, have they, and see not, Ears, have they, and hear not!

22 Je, haiwapasi kuniogopa mimi?” asema Bwana. “Je, haiwapasi kutetemeka mbele zangu? Niliufanya mchanga kuwa mpaka wa bahari, kizuizi cha milele ambacho haiwezi kupita. Mawimbi yanaweza kuumuka, lakini hayawezi kuupita; yanaweza kunguruma, lakini hayawezi kuuvuka.

Even for me, will ye have no reverence? Enquireth Yahweh, And because of me, will ye not be pained? In that though I placed the sand as a bound to the sea, A decree age-abiding, and it should not pass beyond it, —When they would toss themselves Then should they not prevail, When the waves thereof would roar Then should they not pass beyond it,

23 Lakini watu hawa wana mioyo ya ukaidi na ya uasi, wamegeukia mbali na kwenda zao.

Yet, this people hath an obstinate and rebellious heart, —They have turned aside, and gone their way;

24 Wao hawaambiani wenyewe, ‘Sisi na tumwogope Bwana Mungu wetu, anayetupatia mvua za masika na za vuli kwa majira yake, anayetuhakikishia majuma ya mavuno kwa utaratibu.’

Neither have they said in their heart, —Let us we pray you, revere Yahweh our God, Who giveth rain, even the early and the latter, in its season, —The appointed weeks of harvest, he reserveth for us.

25 Matendo yenu mabaya yamezuia haya yote, dhambi zenu zimewazuia msipate mema.

Your iniquities, have thrust away these things, Yea, your sins, have withholden that which is good from you.

26 “Miongoni mwa watu wangu wamo walio waovu wanaovizia kama watu wanaotega ndege, na kama wale wanaoweka mitego kuwakamata watu.

For there have been found among my people lawless men, —One lieth in wait, as with the stooping of fowlers, They have set a trap, they capture men:

27 Kama vitundu vilivyojaa ndege, nyumba zao zimejaa udanganyifu; wamekuwa matajiri na wenye nguvu,

As, a cage, is full of birds, So, are, their houses, full of unrighteous gain, —For this cause, have they become great and waxen rich:

28 wamenenepa na kunawiri. Matendo yao maovu hayana kikomo; hawatetei mashauri ya yatima wapate kushinda, hawatetei haki za maskini.

They have waxed fat, they shine Yea they have overpassed the records of wickedness. The right, have they not determined, the right of the fatherless that they might prosper, —Yea justice to the helpless, have they not decreed.

29 Je, nisiwaadhibu kwa ajili ya hili?” asema Bwana. “Je, nisijilipizie kisasi juu ya taifa kama hili?

Upon these things, shall I not bring punishment? Demandeth Yahweh. Or, on a nation such as this, shall not my soul avenge herself?

30 “Jambo la kutisha na kushtusha limetokea katika nchi hii:

An astounding and horrible thing, hath been brought to pass in the land:

31 Manabii wanatabiri uongo, makuhani wanatawala kwa mamlaka yao wenyewe, nao watu wangu wanapenda hivyo. Lakini mtafanya nini mwisho wake?

The prophets, have prophesied, falsely, And the priests tread down by their means, And, my people, love it, so, —What then can ye do as to her latter end?