Yeremia 7
1 Hili ndilo neno lililomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Bwana:
This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
2 “Simama kwenye lango la nyumba ya Bwana, na huko upige mbiu ya ujumbe huu: “‘Sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi watu wote wa Yuda mliokuja kupitia malango haya ili kumwabudu Bwana.
Go and stand in the entrance to the Lord's Temple, and deliver this message: Listen to what Lord has to say, all of you from Judah who are coming in through these gates to worship the Lord.
3 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: Tengenezeni njia zenu na matendo yenu, nami nitawaacha mkae mahali hapa.
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel says: Change your ways and do what's right, and I'll let you go on living here.
4 Msitumainie maneno ya udanganyifu na kusema, “Hili ni Hekalu la Bwana, Hekalu la Bwana, Hekalu la Bwana!”
Don't believe in those who try and deceive you by repeating, “The Temple of the Lord is here, the Temple of the Lord is here, the Temple of the Lord is here.”
5 Kama kweli mkibadili njia zenu na matendo yenu, mkatendeana haki kila mmoja na mwenzake,
If you sincerely change your ways and do what's right, if you treat each other fairly,
6 kama msipomwonea mgeni, yatima wala mjane, na kumwaga damu isiyo na hatia mahali hapa, nanyi kama msipofuata miungu mingine kwa madhara yenu wenyewe,
if you stop mistreating foreigners and orphans and widows, and if you stop murdering innocent people and stop hurting yourselves by worshiping,
7 ndipo nitawaacha mkae mahali hapa, katika nchi niliyowapa baba zenu milele na milele.
then I'll let you go on living here in the country that I gave to your forefathers forever and ever.
8 Lakini tazama, mnatumainia maneno ya udanganyifu yasiyo na maana.
But look at you! You go on believing in these deceptions, these worthless words.
9 “‘Je, mtaiba na kuua, mtazini na kuapa kwa uongo, na kufukiza uvumba kwa Baali, na kufuata miungu mingine ambayo hamkuijua,
Are you really going to continue stealing, murdering, committing adultery, and lying, burning incense to Baal, and worshiping other gods that you know nothing about,
10 kisha mje na kusimama mbele yangu katika nyumba hii inayoitwa kwa Jina langu, mkisema, “Tuko salama.” Salama kwa kufanya mambo haya yote ya kuchukiza?
and then come and stand before me in my own Temple and say, “We're safe, so we can continue doing all these offensive things”?
11 Je, nyumba hii, iitwayo kwa Jina langu, imekuwa pango la wanyangʼanyi kwenu? Lakini nimekuwa nikiona yanayotendeka! asema Bwana.
Do you see this house, my own Temple, as a den of thieves? Well, that's what it looks like to me too, declares the Lord.
12 “‘Nendeni sasa mahali pangu palipokuwa huko Shilo, mahali ambapo nilipafanya pa kwanza kuwa makao ya Jina langu, nanyi mwone lile nililopafanyia kwa ajili ya uovu wa watu wangu Israeli.
So why don't you go to Shiloh where I first made myself a place for me to live with you, and see what I did to it because of the evil my people Israel did?
13 Mlipokuwa mnafanya yote haya, asema Bwana, nilisema nanyi tena na tena, lakini hamkusikiliza; niliwaita, lakini hamkujibu.
I've warned you time and again about all these things you've done but you've refused to listen, declares the Lord. I've called out to you but you didn't want to answer me.
14 Kwa hiyo, nililolifanyia Shilo, nitalifanya sasa kwa nyumba hii iitwayo kwa Jina langu, Hekalu mnalolitumainia, mahali nilipowapa ninyi na baba zenu.
So now I'm going to do to my Temple, what I did to Shiloh. This is the Temple your put your faith in, the place I gave to you and your forefathers.
15 Nitawafukuza mbele yangu, kama nilivyowafanyia ndugu zenu, watu wa Efraimu.’
I will throw you out of my presence, just as I expelled all your Israelite relatives, all the descendants of Ephraim.
16 “Kwa hiyo usiombe kwa ajili ya watu hawa, wala usinililie, na usifanye maombi kwa ajili yao; usinisihi, kwa sababu sitakusikiliza.
You, Jeremiah, are not to pray for these people. Don't cry out to me in prayer for them, don't plead with me on their behalf, because I won't listen to you.
17 Je, huyaoni hayo wanayoyatenda katika miji ya Yuda na katika barabara za Yerusalemu?
Can't you see how they're behaving in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
18 Watoto wanakusanya kuni, baba zao wanawasha moto, na wanawake wanakanda unga na kuoka mikate kwa ajili ya Malkia wa Mbinguni. Wanamimina sadaka za vinywaji kwa miungu mingine ili kunikasirisha.
The children collect the firewood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven, and they pour out drink offerings to other gods to make me angry and hurt.
19 Lakini je, mimi ndiye wanayenikasirisha? asema Bwana. Je, hawajiumizi wenyewe na kujiaibisha?
But is it really me they're hurting? declares the Lord. Aren't they really hurting themselves and bringing shame on themselves?
20 “‘Kwa hiyo hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenyezi: Hasira yangu na ghadhabu yangu itamwagwa mahali hapa, juu ya mwanadamu na mnyama, juu ya miti ya shambani na juu ya matunda ya ardhini, nayo itaungua pasipo kuzimwa.
So this is what the Lord God says: Watch! My furious anger and will be poured out on this country, on people and animals, on the orchards and the crops in the field. It will burn and nobody will be able to put it out.
21 “‘Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: Endeleeni, ongezeni sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa juu ya dhabihu zenu nyingine, mle nyama hiyo wenyewe!
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You can add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat all the meat yourselves!
22 Kwa kuwa nilipowaleta baba zenu kutoka Misri na kusema nao, sikuwapa amri kuhusu sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu tu,
When I led your forefathers out of Egypt I didn't just give them instructions about burnt offerings and sacrifices,
23 lakini niliwapa amri hii nikisema: Nitiini mimi, nami nitakuwa Mungu wenu nanyi mtakuwa watu wangu. Enendeni katika njia zote ninazowaamuru ili mpate kufanikiwa.
This is the commandment I gave them: Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Follow everything I have commanded you to do, so that all will go well for you.
24 Lakini hawakusikiliza wala kujali. Badala yake, walifuata ukaidi wa mioyo yao miovu. Walirudi nyuma badala ya kusonga mbele.
But they refused to listen or pay attention. Instead they followed the desires of their own stubborn and evil thinking, so they ended up going backward and not forward.
25 Tangu wakati ule baba zenu walipotoka Misri hadi sasa, siku baada ya siku, tena na tena nimewatumia watumishi wangu manabii.
From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, I have sent you time after time my servants the prophets.
26 Lakini hawakunisikiliza wala hawakujali. Walikuwa na shingo ngumu na kufanya maovu kuliko baba zao.’
But you refused to listen or pay them attention. Instead, you became more stubborn and rebellious than your forefathers!
27 “Utakapowaambia haya yote, hawatakusikiliza; utakapowaita, hawatajibu.
When you tell them all this, they won't listen to you. When you call out to them, they won't answer.
28 Kwa hiyo waambie, ‘Hili ni taifa ambalo halimtii Bwana, Mungu wao, wala kukubali maonyo. Kweli imekufa, imetoweka midomoni mwao.
So you have to tell them, “This is the nation that refused to listen to what the Lord their God said, and would not accept the Lord's discipline. Truth has died out; people don't even talk about it.
29 Nyoeni nywele zenu na kuzitupa, ombolezeni katika miinuko iliyo kame, kwa kuwa Bwana amekikataa na kukiacha kizazi hiki kilichomkasirisha.
Cut off your hair and throw it away. Sing a song of mourning on the bare hills, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned the generation who made him angry.”
30 “‘Watu wa Yuda wamefanya maovu machoni pangu, asema Bwana. Wameziweka sanamu zao za machukizo ndani ya nyumba iitwayo kwa Jina langu, na wameitia unajisi.
For the people of Judah have done what is evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They have placed their offensive idols in my own Temple, making it unclean.
31 Wamejenga mahali pa juu pa kuabudia sanamu pa Tofethi kwenye Bonde la Ben-Hinomu ili kuwateketeza wana wao na binti zao kwenye moto, kitu ambacho sikuamuru, wala hakikuingia akilini mwangu.
They have built pagan shrines at Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could sacrifice their sons and daughters by burning them in the fire. This is something I never commanded. I never even thought of such a thing!
32 Kwa hiyo mjihadhari, siku zinakuja, asema Bwana, wakati watu watakapokuwa hawapaiti Tofethi au Bonde la Ben-Hinomu, lakini watapaita Bonde la Machinjo, kwa sababu watawazika wafu huko Tofethi mpaka pasiwe tena nafasi.
So watch out! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when instead of Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom this place will be called the Valley of Killing. People will bury their dead in Topheth until it's full.
33 Ndipo mizoga ya watu hawa itakuwa chakula cha ndege wa angani na wanyama wa nchi, wala hapatakuwepo na yeyote wa kuwafukuza.
The dead bodies of these people will be food for birds of prey and wild animals, and there won't be anyone to scare them away.
34 Nitazikomesha sauti za shangwe na furaha, na sauti za bwana arusi na bibi arusi katikati ya miji ya Yuda na barabara za Yerusalemu, kwa sababu nchi itakuwa ukiwa.
I will put a stop to the cheerful sounds of celebration and the happy voices of the bride and bridegroom from the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the country will be turned into a wasteland.
