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.
Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa blow ye a trumpet, And over Beth-Haccerem lift ye up a flame, For evil hath been seen from the north, And great destruction.
2 Nitamwangamiza Binti Sayuni, aliye mzuri sana na mwororo.
The comely and the delicate one I have cut off, The daughter of Zion.
3 Wachungaji pamoja na makundi yao watakuja dhidi yake; watapiga mahema yao kumzunguka, kila mmoja akichunga kundi lake mwenyewe.”
Unto her come do shepherds and their droves, They have stricken tents by her round about, They have fed each [in] his own station.
4 “Jiandaeni kwa vita dhidi yake! Inukeni tumshambulie mchana! Lakini, ole wetu, mchana unaisha, na vivuli vya jioni vinazidi kuwa virefu.
Sanctify ye against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for turned hath the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening,
5 Kwa hiyo inukeni, tufanye mashambulizi usiku, na kuharibu ngome zake!”
'Rise, and we go up by night, And we 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 said Jehovah of Hosts: Cut down her wood, And pour out against Jerusalem a mount, She [is] the city to be inspected, Wholly — she is oppression in her midst.
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 the digging of a well, is [for] its waters, So she hath digged [for] her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Before My face continually [are] sickness and smiting.
8 Pokea onyo, ee Yerusalemu, la sivyo nitageukia mbali nawe na kuifanya nchi yako kuwa ukiwa, asiweze mtu kuishi ndani yake.”
Be instructed, 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 said Jehovah of Hosts: They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put back thy hand, as a gatherer 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 do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Lo, their ear [is] uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Lo, a word of Jehovah hath been to them for a reproach, They delight not 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.
And with the fury of Jehovah I have been filled, (I have been weary of containing, ) To pour [it] on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, An elder with one 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.
And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of 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 their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely,
14 Wanafunga majeraha ya watu wangu bila uangalifu. Wanasema, ‘Amani, amani,’ wakati hakuna amani.
And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' and 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.
They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said 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 said Jehovah: Stand ye by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where [is] this — the good way? and go ye in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, 'We do not go.'
17 Niliweka walinzi juu yenu na kusema, ‘Sikieni sauti ya tarumbeta!’ Lakini mkasema, ‘Hatutasikiliza.’
And I have raised up for you watchmen, Attend ye to the voice of the trumpet. And they say, 'We do not attend.'
18 Kwa hiyo sikilizeni, enyi mataifa, angalieni, enyi mashahidi, lile litakalowatokea.
Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O company, That which [is] 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, O earth, lo, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their devices, For to My words they gave no attention, And My law — they kick against it.
20 Unanifaa nini uvumba kutoka Sheba, au udi wa harufu nzuri kutoka nchi ya mbali? Sadaka zako za kuteketezwa hazikubaliki, dhabihu zako hazinifurahishi mimi.”
Why [is] this to Me? frankincense from Sheba cometh, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings [are] not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been 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 said Jehovah: Lo, I do give to this people stumbling blocks, And stumbled against them have fathers and sons together, The neighbour and his friend do perish.
22 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: “Tazama, jeshi linakuja kutoka nchi ya kaskazini, taifa kubwa linaamshwa kutoka miisho ya dunia.
Thus said Jehovah: Lo, a people hath come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides 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.”
Bow and javelin they take hold of, Fierce it [is], and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea doth sound, And on horses they ride, set in array as a man of war, 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 its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress hath seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.
25 Usitoke kwenda mashambani au kutembea barabarani, kwa kuwa adui ana upanga, na kuna vitisho kila upande.
Go not forth to the field, And in the way walk not, For a sword hath the enemy, fear [is] round about.
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 on sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes, The mourning of an only one make for thee, A lamentation most bitter, For suddenly come doth the spoiler against us.
27 “Nimekufanya wewe kuwa kitu cha kujaribu chuma, nao watu wangu kama mawe yenye madini, ili upate kuzijua na kuzijaribu njia zao.
A watch-tower I have given thee, Among My people a fortress, And thou knowest, and hast tried their way.
28 Wote ni waasi sugu, wakienda huku na huko kusengenya. Wao ni shaba na chuma, wote wanatenda upotovu.
All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously — brass and iron, All of them are corrupters.
29 Mivuo inavuma kwa nguvu, kinachoungua kwa huo moto ni risasi, lakini pamoja na kusafisha kote huku ni bure; waovu hawaondolewi.
The bellows have been burnt, By fire hath the lead been consumed, In vain hath a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn away.
30 Wanaitwa fedha iliyokataliwa, kwa sababu Bwana amewakataa.”
'Silver rejected,' they have called to them, For Jehovah hath kicked against them!
