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.
Flee, O ye sons of Benjamin, from Jerusalem, And blow ye the trumpet in Tekoa, And lift up the banner in Beth-haccerem! For evil threateneth from the North; Yea, great destruction.
2 Nitamwangamiza Binti Sayuni, aliye mzuri sana na mwororo.
O daughter of Zion, the comely and delicate, Thee have I doomed to destruction!
3 Wachungaji pamoja na makundi yao watakuja dhidi yake; watapiga mahema yao kumzunguka, kila mmoja akichunga kundi lake mwenyewe.”
The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her; They shall pitch their tents against her round about; They shall feed each one in his place.
4 “Jiandaeni kwa vita dhidi yake! Inukeni tumshambulie mchana! Lakini, ole wetu, mchana unaisha, na vivuli vya jioni vinazidi kuwa virefu.
“Prepare ye war against her, [[shall they say; ]] Arise, and let us go up at noonday; Alas for us! for the day goeth away, For the shadows of evening are lengthened.
5 Kwa hiyo inukeni, tufanye mashambulizi usiku, na kuharibu ngome zake!”
Arise, and let us go up by night, And let us destroy her palaces!”
6 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Kateni miti mjenge boma kuzunguka Yerusalemu. Mji huu ni lazima uadhibiwe, umejazwa na uonevu.
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Hew ye down trees, And raise a mound against Jerusalem! She is a city to be punished; She is full of oppression.
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.
As a fountain sendeth forth its waters, So she sendeth forth her wickedness. Violence and rapine are heard within her; Before me continually are bruises and wounds.
8 Pokea onyo, ee Yerusalemu, la sivyo nitageukia mbali nawe na kuifanya nchi yako kuwa ukiwa, asiweze mtu kuishi ndani yake.”
Receive correction, O Jerusalem, Lest my soul be alienated from thee, Lest I make thee a desolation, A land not inhabited!
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.”
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine; Turn thy hand like a grape-gatherer again to the baskets!
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.
To whom shall I speak? To whom give warning, so that they shall hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, so that they cannot hearken; Behold, the word of Jehovah is to them a derision; They have no delight in it.
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.
Therefore I am full of the fury of Jehovah; I am weary of holding it; I will pour it out alike upon the children in the street, And upon the assembly of the young men. Yea, also the husband with the wife shall be taken, The old man, and he that is full of days.
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 also shall be transferred to others, Their fields and their wives together, For I will stretch out my hand over the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah.
13 “Kuanzia aliye mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkubwa kabisa, wote wana tamaa ya kupata faida zaidi; manabii na makuhani wanafanana, wote wanafanya udanganyifu.
For from the least of them even to the greatest, Every one is greedy of gain; Prophet and priest alike, Every one of them practiseth deceit.
14 Wanafunga majeraha ya watu wangu bila uangalifu. Wanasema, ‘Amani, amani,’ wakati hakuna amani.
They heal the wound of my people slightly, Saying, Peace! peace! when there is no peace.
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.
Are they ashamed that they have done abominable things? Nay, they are not at all ashamed; They know not how to blush; Therefore shall they fall with them that fall; At the time when I punish them, They shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.
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.’
Thus saith Jehovah: Stand ye upon the ways and look; And ask for the old paths, “Where is the good way?” Walk ye in it, and ye shall find for yourselves rest. But they say, We will not walk in it.
17 Niliweka walinzi juu yenu na kusema, ‘Sikieni sauti ya tarumbeta!’ Lakini mkasema, ‘Hatutasikiliza.’
I have also set watchmen over you, [[saying, ]] Hearken to the sound of the trumpet! But they say, We will not hearken.
18 Kwa hiyo sikilizeni, enyi mataifa, angalieni, enyi mashahidi, lile litakalowatokea.
Therefore hear, O ye nations, And know, ye assembled multitude, What shall come upon them!
19 Sikia, ee nchi: Ninaleta maafa juu ya watu hawa, matunda ya mipango yao, kwa sababu hawakusikiliza maneno yangu na wameikataa sheria yangu.
Hear thou, O earth! Behold, I bring evil upon this people, The fruit of their devices; Because they have not hearkened to my words, And have even rejected my law.
20 Unanifaa nini uvumba kutoka Sheba, au udi wa harufu nzuri kutoka nchi ya mbali? Sadaka zako za kuteketezwa hazikubaliki, dhabihu zako hazinifurahishi mimi.”
To what purpose is incense brought to me from Sheba, And the sweet-smelling reed from a far country? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, Nor are your sacrifices sweet to me.
21 Kwa hiyo hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: “Nitaweka vikwazo mbele ya watu hawa. Baba na wana wao watajikwaa juu yake, majirani na marafiki wataangamia.”
Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I lay stumbling-blocks before this people, Upon which fathers and sons shall stumble together, The neighbor and his friend, and shall perish.
22 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: “Tazama, jeshi linakuja kutoka nchi ya kaskazini, taifa kubwa linaamshwa kutoka miisho ya dunia.
Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a people cometh from the land of the North; A great nation riseth up from the extremities 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 bear the bow and the spear; They are cruel and show no mercy; Their voice roareth like the sea; And upon horses do they ride, Arrayed as a warrior against thee, O daughter of Zion.
24 Tumesikia taarifa zao, nayo mikono yetu imelegea. Uchungu umetushika, maumivu kama ya mwanamke katika utungu wa kuzaa.
We have heard the report thereof; Our hands lose their strength; Anguish hath taken hold of us, Pain, as of a woman in travail.
25 Usitoke kwenda mashambani au kutembea barabarani, kwa kuwa adui ana upanga, na kuna vitisho kila upande.
Go not forth into the field, Nor walk ye in the highway! For the sword of the enemy And terror are on every side.
26 Enyi watu wangu, vaeni magunia mjivingirishe kwenye majivu, ombolezeni kwa kilio cha uchungu kama amliliaye mwana pekee, kwa maana ghafula mharabu atatujia.
O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, And roll thyself in ashes! Make thee mourning as for an only son, Most bitter lamentation! For suddenly shall the spoiler come upon us.
27 “Nimekufanya wewe kuwa kitu cha kujaribu chuma, nao watu wangu kama mawe yenye madini, ili upate kuzijua na kuzijaribu njia zao.
I have set thee, like a tower, for an assayer among my people, That thou mayst know and try their way.
28 Wote ni waasi sugu, wakienda huku na huko kusengenya. Wao ni shaba na chuma, wote wanatenda upotovu.
They are all stubborn revolters, Slanderers are they, brass 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 burn; The lead is consumed by the fire; The refiner hath melted in vain, For the bad are not separated.
30 Wanaitwa fedha iliyokataliwa, kwa sababu Bwana amewakataa.”
Rejected silver shall men call them, Because Jehovah hath rejected them.
