Yeremia 6
1 “Kimbieni kwa usalama wenu, enyi watu wa Benyamini! Kimbieni kutoka Yerusalemu! Pigeni tarumbeta katika Tekoa! Inueni ishara juu ya Beth-Hakeremu! Kwa kuwa maafa yanaonekana yakitoka kaskazini, na uharibifu wa kutisha.
Run and hide, descendants of Benjamin, get out of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa; light a signal fire in Beth-haccherem, for disaster and terrible destruction is arriving from the north.
2 Nitamwangamiza Binti Sayuni, aliye mzuri sana na mwororo.
Even though she is pretty and delightful, I will destroy the Daughter of Zion.
3 Wachungaji pamoja na makundi yao watakuja dhidi yake; watapiga mahema yao kumzunguka, kila mmoja akichunga kundi lake mwenyewe.”
“Shepherds” and their “flocks” will come to attack her; they will set up their tents all around her, each one looking after his own.
4 “Jiandaeni kwa vita dhidi yake! Inukeni tumshambulie mchana! Lakini, ole wetu, mchana unaisha, na vivuli vya jioni vinazidi kuwa virefu.
They get ready for battle against her, saying, “Come on, we'll attack at noon! Oh no, the day is almost over, the evening shadows are growing long.
5 Kwa hiyo inukeni, tufanye mashambulizi usiku, na kuharibu ngome zake!”
Come on, we'll attack at night instead and destroy her fortresses!”
6 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Kateni miti mjenge boma kuzunguka Yerusalemu. Mji huu ni lazima uadhibiwe, umejazwa na uonevu.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: Cut down the trees and make a siege ramp to use against Jerusalem. This city needs to be punished because it's full of people mistreating one another.
7 Kama vile kisima kinavyomwaga maji yake, ndivyo anavyomwaga uovu wake. Ukatili na maangamizi yasikika ndani yake, ugonjwa wake na majeraha yake viko mbele yangu daima.
Like a spring gushing out water, so she pours out her evil. The sounds of violence and abuse echo inside her. I see people sick and wounded everywhere.
8 Pokea onyo, ee Yerusalemu, la sivyo nitageukia mbali nawe na kuifanya nchi yako kuwa ukiwa, asiweze mtu kuishi ndani yake.”
I'm warning you, people of Jerusalem, I'm going to give up on you in disgust. I will destroy you and leave your country uninhabited.
9 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Wao na wayakusanye mabaki ya Israeli kwa uangalifu kama kwenye mzabibu; pitisha mkono wako kwenye matawi tena, kama yeye avunaye zabibu.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: Even those left in Israel will be taken, just as grapes left on a vine are taken by the one harvesting the grapes who checks the branches again.
10 Niseme na nani na kumpa onyo? Ni nani atakayenisikiliza mimi? Masikio yao yameziba, kwa hiyo hawawezi kusikia. Neno la Bwana ni chukizo kwao, hawalifurahii.
Who can I give this warning to? Who's going to listen to me? Can't you see that they refuse to listen? They can't hear what I'm saying. See how offensive the Lord's message is to them. They don't like it at all.
11 Lakini nimejaa ghadhabu ya Bwana, nami siwezi kuizuia. “Wamwagie watoto walioko barabarani, na juu ya vijana waume waliokusanyika; mume na mke watakumbwa pamoja ndani yake, hata nao wazee waliolemewa na miaka.
But as for me, I'm full of the Lord's anger; I have a hard time keeping it in. The Lord replies, Pour it out on children in the street, and on groups of young people, because both husband and wife are going to be captured—it's everyone, and it doesn't matter how old they are.
12 Nyumba zao zitapewa watu wengine, pamoja na mashamba yao na wake zao, nitakapounyoosha mkono wangu dhidi ya wale waishio katika nchi,” asema Bwana.
Their houses will be given to others, their fields and wives too, because I'm going to punish everyone living in this country, declares the Lord.
13 “Kuanzia aliye mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkubwa kabisa, wote wana tamaa ya kupata faida zaidi; manabii na makuhani wanafanana, wote wanafanya udanganyifu.
Everyone cheats because they're greedy, poor and rich alike. Even prophets and priests—they are all dishonest liars!
14 Wanafunga majeraha ya watu wangu bila uangalifu. Wanasema, ‘Amani, amani,’ wakati hakuna amani.
They give my wounded people first aid, but they don't really care about them. They tell them, “Don't worry! We have peace!” even as war approaches.
15 Je, wanaona aibu kwa ajili ya tabia yao inayochukiza mno? Hapana, hawana aibu hata kidogo; hawajui hata kuona haya. Kwa hiyo wataanguka miongoni mwa hao walioanguka, watashushwa chini nitakapowaadhibu,” asema Bwana.
Were they ashamed of the disgusting things they did? No, they weren't ashamed at all, they couldn't even blush. So they will fall just like the others, when I punish them; they will drop down dead, says the Lord.
16 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: “Simama kwenye njia panda utazame, ulizia mapito ya zamani, ulizia wapi ilipo njia nzuri, uifuate hiyo, nanyi mtapata raha nafsini mwenu. Lakini ninyi mlisema, ‘Hatutaipita hiyo.’
This is what the Lord says: Go and stand where the roads divide, and look. Find out which are the old paths. Ask, “What's the right way?” Then follow it and you'll be content. But you refused, saying, “We won't go that way!”
17 Niliweka walinzi juu yenu na kusema, ‘Sikieni sauti ya tarumbeta!’ Lakini mkasema, ‘Hatutasikiliza.’
I put watchmen in charge of you and told you, make sure you listen for the trumpet call warning you of danger. But you answered, “We won't listen!”
18 Kwa hiyo sikilizeni, enyi mataifa, angalieni, enyi mashahidi, lile litakalowatokea.
So now you other nations can listen and find out what's going to happen to them.
19 Sikia, ee nchi: Ninaleta maafa juu ya watu hawa, matunda ya mipango yao, kwa sababu hawakusikiliza maneno yangu na wameikataa sheria yangu.
Earth, you listen too! I am bringing disaster down on this people, the end result of what they themselves planned. It's because they paid no attention to what I said, and rejected my instructions.
20 Unanifaa nini uvumba kutoka Sheba, au udi wa harufu nzuri kutoka nchi ya mbali? Sadaka zako za kuteketezwa hazikubaliki, dhabihu zako hazinifurahishi mimi.”
What's the point of offering me frankincense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a far-away land? I don't accept your burnt offerings; I'm not pleased with your sacrifices.
21 Kwa hiyo hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: “Nitaweka vikwazo mbele ya watu hawa. Baba na wana wao watajikwaa juu yake, majirani na marafiki wataangamia.”
So this is what the Lord says: I'm going to put blocks in front of these people to trip them up. Fathers and sons will fall down dead, friends and neighbors too.
22 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: “Tazama, jeshi linakuja kutoka nchi ya kaskazini, taifa kubwa linaamshwa kutoka miisho ya dunia.
This is what the Lord says: Look! An army is invading from the north; a powerful nation is getting ready to attack all the way from the ends of the earth.
23 Wamejifunga pinde na mkuki, ni wakatili na hawana huruma. Wanatoa sauti kama bahari inayonguruma wanapoendesha farasi zao. Wanakuja kama watu waliojipanga tayari kwa vita ili kukushambulia, ee Binti Sayuni.”
They pick up their bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their war-cries are like the sea roaring, and they ride horses lined up ready to attack you, Daughter of Zion.
24 Tumesikia taarifa zao, nayo mikono yetu imelegea. Uchungu umetushika, maumivu kama ya mwanamke katika utungu wa kuzaa.
The people reply, “We've heard the news, and our hands are limp with shock! We're overcome with agony, suffering pain like a woman in labor.
25 Usitoke kwenda mashambani au kutembea barabarani, kwa kuwa adui ana upanga, na kuna vitisho kila upande.
Don't go to the field! Don't walk down the road! The enemy is armed with swords! Terror is everywhere!”
26 Enyi watu wangu, vaeni magunia mjivingirishe kwenye majivu, ombolezeni kwa kilio cha uchungu kama amliliaye mwana pekee, kwa maana ghafula mharabu atatujia.
Oh my people, put on sackcloth and roll around in ashes. Mourn and cry bitterly like you would for an only son, because the destroyer will come down on you suddenly.
27 “Nimekufanya wewe kuwa kitu cha kujaribu chuma, nao watu wangu kama mawe yenye madini, ili upate kuzijua na kuzijaribu njia zao.
Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals so you can test my people as if they were metal, so you can know what they're made of and how they act.
28 Wote ni waasi sugu, wakienda huku na huko kusengenya. Wao ni shaba na chuma, wote wanatenda upotovu.
They're all stubborn rebels going around talking slander. They are hard as bronze and iron; they are all corrupt.
29 Mivuo inavuma kwa nguvu, kinachoungua kwa huo moto ni risasi, lakini pamoja na kusafisha kote huku ni bure; waovu hawaondolewi.
The bellows in the refiner's furnace blow powerfully, burning away the lead. But this refining is pointless, because the wicked are not purified.
30 Wanaitwa fedha iliyokataliwa, kwa sababu Bwana amewakataa.”
They are identified as impure silver to be rejected, because the Lord has rejected them.
