Yeremia 7
1 Hili ndilo neno lililomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Bwana:
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
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.
Place thyself in the gate of the house of the Lord, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in by these gates to bow down before the Lord.
3 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: Tengenezeni njia zenu na matendo yenu, nami nitawaacha mkae mahali hapa.
Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will permit you to dwell in this place.
4 Msitumainie maneno ya udanganyifu na kusema, “Hili ni Hekalu la Bwana, Hekalu la Bwana, Hekalu la Bwana!”
[But] do not rely on the words of falsehood, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, [as] they [say].
5 Kama kweli mkibadili njia zenu na matendo yenu, mkatendeana haki kila mmoja na mwenzake,
For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your deeds; if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor;
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 ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, and walk not after other gods to your own hurt:
7 ndipo nitawaacha mkae mahali hapa, katika nchi niliyowapa baba zenu milele na milele.
Then will I permit you to dwell in this place, in the land that I have given to your fathers, from eternity to eternity.
8 Lakini tazama, mnatumainia maneno ya udanganyifu yasiyo na maana.
Behold, ye rely on the words of falsehood, that cannot profit.
9 “‘Je, mtaiba na kuua, mtazini na kuapa kwa uongo, na kufukiza uvumba kwa Baali, na kufuata miungu mingine ambayo hamkuijua,
How? will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Ba'al, and walk after other gods of which ye have no knowledge;
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 my presence in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are delivered;” in order to do all these abominations?
11 Je, nyumba hii, iitwayo kwa Jina langu, imekuwa pango la wanyangʼanyi kwenu? Lakini nimekuwa nikiona yanayotendeka! asema Bwana.
Is then this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? [But] I also, behold, I have seen it, saith 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.
For go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did unto it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.
13 Mlipokuwa mnafanya yote haya, asema Bwana, nilisema nanyi tena na tena, lakini hamkusikiliza; niliwaita, lakini hamkujibu.
And now, whereas ye have done all these acts, saith the Lord, and I spoke unto you, causing [the prophets] to rise up early and speaking, while ye would not hear; and I called you, but ye would not answer:
14 Kwa hiyo, nililolifanyia Shilo, nitalifanya sasa kwa nyumba hii iitwayo kwa Jina langu, Hekalu mnalolitumainia, mahali nilipowapa ninyi na baba zenu.
Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, whereon ye rely, and unto the place which I have given to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
15 Nitawafukuza mbele yangu, kama nilivyowafanyia ndugu zenu, watu wa Efraimu.’
And I will cast you out of my presence, as I have cast out all your brethren, all the seed of Ephraim.
16 “Kwa hiyo usiombe kwa ajili ya watu hawa, wala usinililie, na usifanye maombi kwa ajili yao; usinisihi, kwa sababu sitakusikiliza.
But thou—pray not thou in behalf of this people, nor lift up in their behalf entreaty or prayer, nor make intercession to me; for I will not hear thee.
17 Je, huyaoni hayo wanayoyatenda katika miji ya Yuda na katika barabara za Yerusalemu?
Dost thou not see what they are doing in the cities 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 gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and they pour out drink-offerings unto other gods, in order to provoke me to anger.
19 Lakini je, mimi ndiye wanayenikasirisha? asema Bwana. Je, hawajiumizi wenyewe na kujiaibisha?
Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord, [and] not themselves, to the shame of their own faces?
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.
Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold my anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, over man, and over beast, and over the trees of the field, and over the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and it shall not be quenched.
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!
Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Add your burnt-offerings unto your peace-sacrifices, and eat the flesh thereof.
22 Kwa kuwa nilipowaleta baba zenu kutoka Misri na kusema nao, sikuwapa amri kuhusu sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu tu,
For I spoke not with your fathers, and I commanded them not on the day of my bringing them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offering or sacrifice;
23 lakini niliwapa amri hii nikisema: Nitiini mimi, nami nitakuwa Mungu wenu nanyi mtakuwa watu wangu. Enendeni katika njia zote ninazowaamuru ili mpate kufanikiwa.
But this thing did I command them, saying, Hearken to my voice, and I will be unto you for a God, and ye shall be unto me for a people; and walk ye altogether on the way which I may command you, in order that it may be well unto you.
24 Lakini hawakusikiliza wala kujali. Badala yake, walifuata ukaidi wa mioyo yao miovu. Walirudi nyuma badala ya kusonga mbele.
Yet they hearkened not, and inclined not their ear; but they walked in the counsels, in the stubbornness of their evil heart; and they went 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.
Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt until this day; and I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, sending them daily in the morning early;
26 Lakini hawakunisikiliza wala hawakujali. Walikuwa na shingo ngumu na kufanya maovu kuliko baba zao.’
Yet they hearkened not unto me, and inclined not their ear; but they hardened their neck; they did worse than their fathers.
27 “Utakapowaambia haya yote, hawatakusikiliza; utakapowaita, hawatajibu.
And if thou speak unto them all these words, and they will not hearken to thee; and if thou call unto them, and they will not answer thee:
28 Kwa hiyo waambie, ‘Hili ni taifa ambalo halimtii Bwana, Mungu wao, wala kukubali maonyo. Kweli imekufa, imetoweka midomoni mwao.
Then shalt thou say unto them, This is the nation that hearken not to the voice of the Lord their God, and accept not correction; lost is the truth, and is obliterated from their mouth.
29 Nyoeni nywele zenu na kuzitupa, ombolezeni katika miinuko iliyo kame, kwa kuwa Bwana amekikataa na kukiacha kizazi hiki kilichomkasirisha.
Cut off thy flowing hair, and cast it away, and take up on mountain-tops a lamentation; for rejected hath the Lord and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
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 children of Judah have done what is evil in my eyes, saith the Lord: they have set up their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
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.
And they have built the high-places of Thophet, which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I had not commanded, and which never came into my mind.
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.
Therefore, behold days are coming, saith the Lord, that it shall not be called any more Thophet, or The valley of Ben-hinnom, but The valley of slaughter: and they shall bury in Thophet, for want of room.
33 Ndipo mizoga ya watu hawa itakuwa chakula cha ndege wa angani na wanyama wa nchi, wala hapatakuwepo na yeyote wa kuwafukuza.
And the carcasses of this people shall become food unto the fowls of the heavens, and unto the beasts of the earth, with none to chase 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.
And I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of gladness, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride; for a desert shall the land become.
