Yeremia 9
1 Laiti kichwa changu kingekuwa chemchemi ya maji na macho yangu yangekuwa kisima cha machozi! Ningelia usiku na mchana kwa kuuawa kwa watu wangu.
Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
2 Laiti ningekuwa na nyumba ya kukaa wasafiri jangwani, ningewaacha watu wangu na kwenda mbali nao, kwa kuwa wote ni wazinzi, kundi la watu wadanganyifu.
Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
3 “Huweka tayari ndimi zao kama upinde, ili kurusha uongo; wamekuwa na nguvu katika nchi lakini si katika ukweli. Wanatoka dhambi moja hadi nyingine, hawanitambui mimi,” asema Bwana.
“They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood. They have grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don’t know me,” says the LORD.
4 “Jihadhari na rafiki zako; usiwaamini ndugu zako. Kwa kuwa kila ndugu ni mdanganyifu, na kila rafiki ni msingiziaji.
“Everyone beware of his neighbour, and don’t trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will go around like a slanderer.
5 Rafiki humdanganya rafiki, hakuna yeyote asemaye kweli. Wamefundisha ndimi zao kudanganya, wanajichosha wenyewe katika kutenda dhambi.
Friends deceive each other, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves committing iniquity.
6 Unakaa katikati ya udanganyifu; katika udanganyifu wao wanakataa kunitambua mimi,” asema Bwana.
Your habitation is in the middle of deceit. Through deceit, they refuse to know me,” says the LORD.
7 Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Tazama, nitawasafisha na kuwajaribu, kwani ni nini kingine niwezacho kufanya kwa sababu ya dhambi ya watu wangu?
Therefore the LORD of Hosts says, “Behold, I will melt them and test them; for how should I deal with the daughter of my people?
8 Ndimi zao ni mshale wenye sumu, hunena kwa udanganyifu. Kwa kinywa chake kila mmoja huzungumza maneno mazuri na jirani yake, lakini moyoni mwake humtegea mtego.
Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart, he waits to ambush him.
9 Je, nisiwaadhibu kwa ajili ya jambo hili?” asema Bwana. “Je, nisijilipizie kisasi kwa taifa kama hili?”
Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on a nation such as this?
10 Nitalia na kuomboleza kwa ajili ya milima na kuomboleza kuhusu malisho ya jangwani. Yamekuwa ukiwa, wala hakuna apitaye humo, milio ya ngʼombe haisikiki. Ndege wa angani wametoroka na wanyama wamekimbia.
I will weep and wail for the mountains, and lament for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are burnt up, so that no one passes through; Men can’t hear the voice of the livestock. Both the birds of the sky and the animals have fled. They are gone.
11 “Nitaifanya Yerusalemu lundo la magofu, makao ya mbweha; nami nitaifanya miji ya Yuda kuwa ukiwa ili asiwepo atakayeishi humo.”
“I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling place of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”
12 Ni mtu yupi aliye na hekima ya kutosha ayaelewe haya? Ni nani aliyefundishwa na Bwana awezaye kuyaeleza haya? Kwa nini nchi imeharibiwa na kufanywa ukiwa kama jangwa ambapo hakuna awezaye kupita?
Who is wise enough to understand this? Who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why has the land perished and burnt up like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?
13 Bwana akasema, “Ni kwa sababu wameiacha sheria yangu, niliyoiweka mbele yao: hawajaniheshimu mimi wala kufuata sheria yangu.
The LORD says, “Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my ways,
14 Badala yake wamefuata ukaidi wa mioyo yao, wamefuata Mabaali, kama vile baba zao walivyowafundisha.”
but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them.”
15 Kwa hiyo, hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: “Tazama, nitawafanya watu hawa wale chakula kichungu na kunywa maji yenye sumu.
Therefore the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
16 Nitawatawanya katika mataifa ambayo wao wala baba zao hawakuwajua, nikiwafuata kwa upanga mpaka niwe nimewaangamiza kabisa.”
I will scatter them also amongst the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.”
17 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Fikiri sasa! Waite wanawake waombolezao waje, waite wale walio na ustadi kuliko wote.
The LORD of Hosts says, “Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come. Send for the skilful women, that they may come.
18 Nao waje upesi na kutuombolezea, mpaka macho yetu yafurike machozi na vijito vya maji vitoke kwenye kope zetu.
Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush out with waters.
19 Sauti ya kuomboleza imesikika kutoka Sayuni: ‘Tazama jinsi tulivyoangamizwa! Tazama jinsi aibu yetu ilivyo kubwa! Ni lazima tuihame nchi yetu kwa sababu nyumba zetu zimekuwa magofu.’”
For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, ‘How we are ruined! We are greatly confounded because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.’”
20 Basi, enyi wanawake, sikieni neno la Bwana; fungueni masikio yenu msikie maneno ya kinywa chake. Wafundisheni binti zenu kuomboleza; fundishaneni kila mmoja na mwenzake maombolezo.
Yet hear the LORD’s word, you women. Let your ear receive the word of his mouth. Teach your daughters wailing. Everyone teach her neighbour a lamentation.
21 Mauti imeingia ndani kupitia madirishani, imeingia kwenye majumba yetu ya fahari; imewakatilia mbali watoto katika barabara na vijana waume kutoka viwanja vya miji.
For death has come up into our windows. It has entered into our palaces to cut off the children from outside, and the young men from the streets.
22 Sema, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “‘Maiti za wanaume zitalala kama mavi katika mashamba, kama malundo ya nafaka nyuma ya mvunaji, wala hakuna anayekusanya.’”
Speak, “The LORD says, “‘The dead bodies of men will fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester. No one will gather them.’”
23 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Mwenye hekima asijisifu katika hekima yake, au mwenye nguvu ajisifu katika nguvu zake, wala tajiri ajisifu katika utajiri wake,
The LORD says, “Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Don’t let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches.
24 lakini yeye ajisifuye, na ajisifu kwa sababu hili: kwamba ananifahamu na kunijua mimi, kwamba mimi ndimi Bwana, nitendaye wema, hukumu na haki duniani, kwa kuwa napendezwa na haya,” asema Bwana.
But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for I delight in these things,” says the LORD.
25 “Siku zinakuja, nitakapowaadhibu wale wote ambao wametahiriwa kimwili tu, asema Bwana,
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their flesh:
26 yaani Misri, Yuda, Edomu, Amoni, Moabu na wote wanaoishi jangwani sehemu za mbali. Kwa maana mataifa haya yote hayakutahiriwa mioyo yao, nayo nyumba yote ya Israeli haikutahiriwa.”
Egypt, Judah, Edom, the children of Ammon, Moab, and all who have the corners of their hair cut off, who dwell in the wilderness, for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”
