Yeremia 8
1 “‘Wakati huo, asema Bwana, mifupa ya wafalme na maafisa wa Yuda, mifupa ya makuhani na manabii, na mifupa ya watu wa Yerusalemu itaondolewa kutoka makaburi yao.
Yahweh says, “At the time [that your corpses are scattered on the ground], [your enemies will] break open the graves of your kings and [other] officials who lived in Judah, and the graves of your priests and prophets and other people who lived there.
2 Itawekwa wazi kwa jua, na mwezi, na nyota zote za mbingu, ambazo walizipenda na kuzitumikia, na ambazo wamezifuata kutafuta ushauri na kuziabudu. Hawatakusanywa pamoja au kuzikwa, lakini watakuwa kama mavi yaliyotapakaa juu ya ardhi.
They will take out their bones [from their graves] and [dishonor them by] scattering them on the ground under the sun and the moon and the stars— those are the gods which my people loved and served and worshiped. No one will gather up their bones and bury them [again]; they will remain scattered on the ground like dung.
3 Popote nitakapowafukuzia, mabaki wote wa kizazi hiki kiovu watatamani kufa kuliko kuishi, asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.’
And all the people of this wicked nation [who are still alive and] whom I have exiled to other countries will say, ‘We would prefer to die than to continue to stay alive [here in these countries].’ [That will be true because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
4 “Waambie, ‘Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: “‘Je, watu wanapoanguka hawainuki? Je, mtu anapopotea harudi?
[Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah], tell the people that this is what [I], Yahweh, am saying to them: ‘When people fall down, they get up again, do they not [RHQ]? When people are going along a road and find out that they are walking on the wrong road, they go back [and find the correct road], do they not [RHQ]?
5 Kwa nini basi watu hawa walipotea? Kwa nini Yerusalemu inapotea kila mara? Wanangʼangʼania udanganyifu na wanakataa kurudi.
[Yes, they do], so why do these people [of Judah] continue [trusting in those idols that have deceived them]? They continue turning away from me, [even though I have warned them].
6 Nimewasikiliza kwa makini, lakini hawataki kusema lililo sawa. Hakuna anayetubia makosa yake akisema, “Nimefanya nini?” Kila mmoja hufuata njia yake mwenyewe kama farasi anayekwenda vitani.
I have listened carefully [DOU] [to what they say], but they do not say what they should say. Not one of them is sorry for having sinned. No one says, “I have done [RHQ] wicked things.” They are [sinning and] doing what they want to as fast as [SIM] a horse that is running into a battle.
7 Hata korongo aliyeko angani anayajua majira yake yaliyoamriwa, nao njiwa, mbayuwayu na koikoi hufuata majira yao ya kurudi. Lakini watu wangu hawajui Bwana anachotaka kwao.
All the birds [that fly south for the (winter/cold season)] know the time that they need to fly south, and they all return at the right time the following year. But my people [are not like those birds]! They do not know what [I], Yahweh, require them to do.
8 “‘Mwawezaje kusema, “Sisi tuna busara kwa sababu tunayo sheria ya Bwana,” wakati ambapo kwa hakika kalamu ya uongo ya waandishi imeandika kwa udanganyifu?
Your men who teach you [the laws that Moses wrote] have been saying false things [about those laws]. [So], why [RHQ] do they [continue] saying, “We are [very] wise [because] we have the laws of Yahweh”?
9 Wenye hekima wataaibika, watafadhaika na kunaswa. Kwa kuwa wamelikataa neno la Bwana, hiyo hekima waliyo nayo ni ya namna gani?
Those teachers, who think that [IRO] they are wise, will be ashamed/disgraced and dismayed when they are taken [to other countries by their enemies] because they sinned by rejecting what I told them. Truly, they were not [RHQ] very wise to do that!
10 Kwa hiyo nitawapa watu wengine wake zao, na mashamba yao kwa wamiliki wengine. Kuanzia aliye mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkubwa kabisa, wote wana tamaa ya kupata zaidi; manabii na makuhani wanafanana, wote wanafanya udanganyifu.
So, I will give their wives to other men; I will give their fields to [the enemy soldiers] who conquer them. All the people, including those who are important and those who are not important, deceive [others] in order to obtain their possessions. Even [my] prophets and my priests do that.
11 Wanafunga majeraha ya watu wangu bila uangalifu. Wanasema, “Amani, amani,” wakati hakuna amani.
[They act as though the sins of my people] are not serious, [like] [MET] wounds that do not need to be cleaned and bandaged. They tell the people that everything will go well with them, [but that is not true]; things will not go well with them.
12 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 watakapoadhibiwa, asema Bwana.
They should be [RHQ] ashamed when they do disgusting things [RHQ], but they do not even know how to show on their faces that they are ashamed [about their sins]. So, [they will be killed, and] their corpses [also] will lie among the corpses of others who have been slaughtered [by their enemies]. They will be killed when I punish them.
13 “‘Nitayaondoa mavuno yao, asema Bwana. Hapatakuwepo zabibu kwenye mzabibu. Hapatakuwepo na tini kwenye mtini, majani yake yatanyauka. Kile nilichowapa watanyangʼanywa.’”
I will [allow their enemies to] take away the figs and grapes that the people would have harvested from their fields. Their fruit trees will all wither. They will not receive [all] the blessings that I prepared for them. [This will certainly happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.’”
14 “Kwa nini tunaketi hapa? Kusanyikeni pamoja! Tukimbilie kwenye miji yenye maboma, tukaangamie huko! Kwa kuwa Bwana, Mungu wetu ametuhukumu kuangamia, na kutupa maji yenye sumu tunywe, kwa sababu tumemtenda dhambi.
[Then the people will say], “(Why should we wait here [in these small towns]?/We should not wait here [in these small towns].) [RHQ]! We should go to the cities that have high walls around them, [but even if we do that] we will be killed there, because Yahweh our God has decided that we must be destroyed; [it is as though] [MET] he has given us a cup of poison to drink, because we sinned against him.
15 Tulitegemea amani, lakini hakuna jema lililokuja, tulitegemea wakati wa kupona, lakini kulikuwa hofu tu.
We hoped/desired that things would go well for us, but things have not gone well. We hoped that bad things would not happen to us any more, but only things that terrify us [are happening to us].
16 Mkoromo wa farasi za adui umesikika kuanzia Dani, kwa mlio wa madume yao ya farasi, nchi yote inatetemeka. Wamekuja kuangamiza nchi na vyote vilivyomo, mji na wote waishio ndani yake.”
People [far north in Israel] in [the city of] Dan can already hear the snorting of the horses of their enemies [who are preparing to attack us]. [It is as though] the entire land [of Judah] is shaking as their army approaches; they are coming to destroy our land and everything in it, the people and the cities.”
17 “Tazama, nitatuma nyoka wenye sumu kali katikati yenu, fira ambao hawawezi kulogwa, nao watawauma,” asema Bwana.
[Yahweh says], “I will send [those enemy soldiers to Judah], and they will be like [MET] poisonous snakes among you. No one will be able to stop them from attacking you [MET]; they will attack you like snakes do, [and kill you].”
18 Ee Mfariji wangu katika huzuni, moyo wangu umezimia ndani yangu.
I grieve very much [for the people of Judah], and my grieving does not end. I am very sad [IDM].
19 Sikia kilio cha watu wangu kutoka nchi ya mbali: “Je, Bwana hayuko Sayuni? Je, Mfalme wake hayuko tena huko?” “Kwa nini wamenikasirisha kwa vinyago vyao, kwa sanamu zao za kigeni zisizofaa?”
Throughout our land, the people ask, “Has Yahweh abandoned Jerusalem? Is [he], our city’s king, no longer there?” [Yahweh replies], “Why do the people cause me to become very angry by [worshiping] idols and foreign gods?” [RHQ]
20 “Mavuno yamepita, kiangazi kimekwisha, nasi hatujaokolewa.”
[The people say], “The harvest [season] is finished, the (summer/hot season) has ended, [and we hoped that we would receive blessings from Yahweh], but he has not rescued us [from our enemies].”
21 Kwa kuwa watu wangu wamepondwa, nami nimepondeka pia; ninaomboleza, nayo hofu kuu imenishika.
I cry because my people have been crushed. I mourn, and I am completely dismayed.
22 Je, hakuna zeri ya kuponya katika Gileadi? Je, hakuna tabibu huko? Kwa nini basi hakuna uponyaji wa majeraha ya watu wangu?
[I ask], “Surely there is [RHQ] medicinal balm in the Gilead [region]! Surely there are [RHQ] doctors there!” But my people have been badly wounded [in their spirits], and nothing can heal them.
