Yeremia 52
1 Sedekia alikuwa na umri wa miaka ishirini na mmoja alipoanza kutawala, naye akatawala huko Yerusalemu kwa miaka kumi na mmoja. Jina la mama yake aliitwa Hamutali binti Yeremia, kutoka Libna.
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became the King [of Judah]. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of [a man named] Jeremiah from Libnah [town].
2 Alifanya maovu machoni pa Bwana, kama alivyofanya Yehoyakimu.
Zedekiah did [many] things that Yahweh says are evil, like [his father] Jehoiakim had done.
3 Ilikuwa ni kwa sababu ya hasira ya Bwana haya yote yalitokea Yerusalemu na Yuda, naye mwishoni akawaondoa mbele zake. Basi, Sedekia akaasi dhidi ya mfalme wa Babeli.
[The events that are summarized here happened] because Yahweh was angry with [the people of] Jerusalem and [of other places in] Judah, and finally he (exiled them/forced them to go to other countries) [and said that he did not want to have anything to do with] them any more. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4 Hivyo katika mwaka wa tisa wa utawala wa Sedekia, katika siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa kumi, Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli akiwa na jeshi lake lote alifanya vita dhidi ya Yerusalemu. Wakapiga kambi nje ya mji na kuuzunguka mji pande zote.
[So, ] on January 15, when Zedekiah had been ruling for almost nine years, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built dirt ramps up to the top of the city walls [to enable them to attack the city].
5 Mji ulizungukwa na jeshi mpaka mwaka wa kumi na moja wa utawala wa Mfalme Sedekia.
They continued to surround Jerusalem until Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years.
6 Ilipowadia siku ya tisa ya mwezi wa nne, njaa ikazidi kuwa kali sana ndani ya mji, hadi hapakuwa na chakula kwa ajili ya watu.
When Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years, by July 18 of that year, the (famine/lack of food) in the city had become very severe, and there was no [more] food for the people [to eat].
7 Kisha ukuta wa mji ukavunjwa na jeshi lote likakimbia. Wakaondoka mjini usiku kupitia lango lililokuwa kati ya kuta mbili karibu na bustani ya mfalme, ingawa Wakaldayo walikuwa wameuzunguka mji. Wakakimbia kuelekea Araba.
Then [the soldiers of Babylonia] broke through [a section of] the city wall, and all the [Israeli] soldiers fled. But because the city was surrounded by soldiers from Babylonia, [Zedekiah and the Israeli] soldiers [waited until] it became dark. Then they left the city through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden. Then they ran towards the Jordan River Valley.
8 Lakini jeshi la Wakaldayo likamfuatia Mfalme Sedekia na kumpata katika sehemu tambarare za Yeriko. Askari wake wote wakatengwa naye na kutawanyika,
But the soldiers of Babylonia pursued King Zedekiah, and they caught up with him on the plains near Jericho. [He was alone because] all his men had deserted him and had scattered.
9 naye akakamatwa. Akapelekwa kwa mfalme wa Babeli huko Ribla, katika nchi ya Hamathi, mahali ambapo alimtangazia hukumu.
The soldiers of Babylonia took him to the king of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the Hamath [region]. There the king of Babylon told [his soldiers what] they should do to punish Zedekiah.
10 Huko Ribla mfalme wa Babeli aliwachinja wana wa Sedekia mbele ya macho yake. Pia akawaua maafisa wote wa Yuda.
They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah.
11 Kisha akayangʼoa macho ya Sedekia, akamfunga kwa pingu za shaba na kumpeleka Babeli, alipomweka gerezani mpaka siku ya kifo chake.
[Then] they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. They put him in a prison, and he remained there until the day that he died.
12 Mnamo siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa tano, katika mwaka wa kumi na tisa wa utawala wa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, Nebuzaradani jemadari wa askari walinzi wa mfalme, aliyemtumikia mfalme wa Babeli, alikuja Yerusalemu.
On August 17 of that year, which was when King Nebuchadnezzar had been ruling for almost 19 years, Nebuzaradan, who was the captain of the king’s bodyguards and one of the king’s officials, arrived in Jerusalem.
13 Alichoma moto Hekalu la Bwana, jumba la kifalme, na nyumba zote za Yerusalemu. Aliteketeza kila jengo muhimu.
He [commanded his soldiers to] burn down the temple of Yahweh, the king’s palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem. They [also] destroyed all the important buildings [in the city].
14 Jeshi lote la Wakaldayo chini ya jemadari wa askari walinzi wa mfalme walivunja kuta zote zilizoizunguka Yerusalemu.
Then he supervised the soldiers from Babylonia while they tore down the walls on all sides of Jerusalem.
15 Nebuzaradani, jemadari wa askari walinzi, akawapeleka uhamishoni baadhi ya watu maskini sana na wale waliobaki katika mji, pamoja na mabaki ya watu wa kawaida, na wale waliojisalimisha kwa mfalme wa Babeli.
Then Nebuzaradan (forced to go/exiled) [to Babylon] some of the poorest people, those Israelis who had said they would support the king of Babylon, the rest of the craftsmen, and other people who had remained in Jerusalem.
16 Lakini Nebuzaradani akawaacha mabaki ya wale watu maskini kabisa ili watunze mashamba ya mizabibu na mashamba mengine.
But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the very poor people to remain [in Judah] to take care of the vineyards and fields.
17 Wakaldayo walivunja vipande zile nguzo za shaba, vile vishikilio vya shaba vilivyohamishika, na ile Bahari ya shaba, ambavyo vyote vilikuwa katika Hekalu la Bwana. Hivyo wakaichukua hiyo shaba yote na kuipeleka Babeli.
The soldiers from Babylonia broke [into pieces] the [huge] bronze pillars that were in front of the temple, and the [large] bronze water tank, and the [ten bronze water] carts, and they took all the bronze to Babylon.
18 Wakachukua pia vyungu, masepetu, mikasi ya kusawazishia tambi, mabakuli ya kunyunyizia, sahani na vyombo vyote vya shaba vilivyotumika katika huduma ya Hekalu.
They also took away the basins [for holding the ashes from the burned sacrifices], the shovels [for cleaning out the ashes], the tools for snuffing out the wicks of the lamps, the basins [for holding the blood of the sacrificed animals], the dishes [for incense], and all the [other] bronze items that were used when sacrifices were made at the temple.
19 Jemadari wa askari walinzi wa mfalme akachukua yale masinia, vile vyetezo, yale mabakuli ya kunyunyizia, zile sufuria, vile vinara vya taa, zile sahani na yale mabakuli yaliyotumika kwa sadaka za vinywaji, vitu vyote vile vilivyokuwa vimetengenezwa kwa dhahabu safi au fedha.
Nebuzaradan also [told his soldiers to] take away the small bowls, the dishes for burning incense, the basins, pots, lampstands, bowls [for incense], and the bowls used for pouring out the wine offerings. They took all the other items that were made of pure gold or silver.
20 Shaba iliyotokana na zile nguzo mbili, ile Bahari na wale mafahali kumi na mawili wa shaba waliokuwa chini yake, pamoja na vile vishikilio vilivyohamishika, ambavyo Mfalme Solomoni alikuwa ametengeneza kwa ajili ya Hekalu la Bwana, ilikuwa na uzito usioweza kupimika.
The bronze from the two pillars, the [large water] tank and the twelve statues of oxen that were beneath it, and the water carts, was more/heavier than they could weigh. Those things had been made for the temple during the time that Solomon was the king.
21 Kila nguzo ilikuwa na urefu wa dhiraa kumi na nane, kimo chake na mzunguko dhiraa kumi na mbili, na unene wa nyanda nne, na zote zilikuwa wazi ndani.
Each of the pillars was (27 feet/8 meters) tall and (18 feet/5.5 meters) around. They were hollow, and each had sides/walls that were (3 in./8 cm.) thick.
22 Sehemu ya shaba juu ya ile nguzo moja ilikuwa na urefu wa dhiraa tano, na ilikuwa imepambwa kwa wavu na makomamanga ya shaba kuizunguka kote. Ile nguzo nyingine pamoja na makomamanga yake ilifanana na hiyo ya kwanza.
The bronze head on the top of each pillar was (7-1/2 feet/over 2 meters) high and was decorated all around with a bronze [network of figures that represented] pomegranates.
23 Kulikuwa na makomamanga tisini na sita pembeni; jumla ya makomamanga juu ya wavu uliokuwa umezunguka yalikuwa mia moja.
There was a total of 100 figures of pomegranates on the network at the top, 96 of which could be seen from the ground.
24 Yule jemadari wa askari walinzi akawachukua kama wafungwa Seraya kuhani mkuu, kuhani Sefania aliyefuata kwa cheo, na mabawabu watatu.
When Nebuzaradan [returned to Babylon], he took [with him as prisoners] Seraiah the Supreme Priest, Zephaniah who was Seraiah’s deputy, and the three men who guarded the entrances [to the temple].
25 Miongoni mwa wale watu waliokuwa wamesalia katika mji, alimchukua afisa kiongozi wa wapiganaji, na washauri saba wa mfalme. Akamchukua pia mwandishi aliyesimamia uandikishaji wa watu wa nchi, pamoja na watu wake sitini waliopatikana ndani ya mji.
He found [some other] people who were [hiding] in the city. [So] from them he took a commander of the army [of Judah], seven of the king’s advisors, the army commander’s chief secretary who was in charge of recruiting [soldiers for the army], and 60 [other] soldiers.
26 Nebuzaradani jemadari akawachukua hao wote na kuwapeleka kwa mfalme wa Babeli huko Ribla.
Nebuzaradan took them all to the king of Babylon, [who was still] at Riblah.
27 Huko Ribla, katika nchi ya Hamathi, mfalme wa Babeli akaamuru wanyongwe. Hivyo Yuda wakaenda utumwani, mbali na nchi yao.
There at Riblah in the Hamath region, the king of Babylon commanded that they [all] be executed. [Many of the people of] Judah were (forced to leave/exiled from) their own land.
28 Hii ndiyo hesabu ya watu ambao Nebukadneza aliwachukua kwenda uhamishoni: katika mwaka wa saba, Wayahudi 3,023;
The number of people who were captured and sent to Babylon at that time, when Nebuchadnezzar had been ruling for almost seven years, was 3,023.
29 katika mwaka wa kumi na nane wa utawala wa Nebukadneza, watu 832 kutoka Yerusalemu;
Then, when he had been ruling for almost 18 years, his [soldiers] took 832 [more Israeli people to Babylonia].
30 katika mwaka wa ishirini na tatu wa utawala wake, Wayahudi 745 walichukuliwa kwenda uhamishoni na Nebuzaradani jemadari wa askari walinzi wa mfalme. Jumla ya watu wote walikuwa 4,600.
When he had been ruling almost 23 years, he sent Nebuzaradan [to Jerusalem again], and he brought back 745 [more Israelis to Babylonia]. That was a total of 4,600 Israelis [who were taken to Babylonia].
31 Katika mwaka wa thelathini na saba tangu Yehoyakini mfalme wa Yuda apelekwe uhamishoni, katika mwaka ule ambao Evil-Merodaki alifanyika mfalme wa Babeli, alimwacha huru Yehoyakini mfalme wa Yuda, na kumfungua kutoka gerezani siku ya ishirini na tano ya mwezi wa kumi na mbili.
After King Jehoiachin of Judah had been in prison [in Babylon] for almost thirty-seven years, Evil-Merodach became the king of Babylon. He was kind to Jehoiachin and ordered that he be released from prison. That was on March 31 of the year that Evil-Merodach became king.
32 Alizungumza naye kwa upole na kumpa kiti cha heshima zaidi kuliko wale wafalme wengine aliokuwa nao huko Babeli.
He [always] spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a position in which he was honored more than [all] the other kings [who had been exiled/taken to Babylon].
33 Hivyo Yehoyakini akayavua mavazi yake ya mfungwa, na siku zote za maisha yake zilizobaki alikula mezani mwa mfalme.
He [supplied new clothes] for Jehoiachin, to replace the clothes that he had been wearing in prison. [He also allowed] Jehoiachin to eat with him every day, all during the rest of his life.
34 Siku kwa siku mfalme wa Babeli alimpa Yehoyakini posho siku zote za maisha yake, hadi siku ya kifo chake.
Every day, the King [of Babylon] gave him some money [to buy the things that he needed. That continued] until the day that Jehoiachin died.
