Yeremia 1
1 Maneno ya Yeremia mwana wa Hilkia, mmoja wa makuhani katika mji wa Anathothi, katika nchi ya Benyamini.
The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 Neno la Bwana lilimjia katika mwaka wa kumi na tatu wa utawala wa Yosia mwana wa Amoni mfalme wa Yuda,
To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his rule.
3 na pia wakati wa utawala wa Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosia mfalme wa Yuda, mpaka mwezi wa tano wa mwaka wa kumi na moja wa utawala wa Sedekia mwana wa Yosia mfalme wa Yuda, wakati watu wa Yerusalemu walipopelekwa uhamishoni.
And it came again in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, up to the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah; till Jerusalem was taken away in the fifth month.
4 Neno la Bwana lilinijia, kusema,
Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Kabla sijakuumba ndani ya tumbo la mama yako, nilikujua; kabla hujazaliwa nilikutenga kwa kazi maalum; nilikuweka uwe nabii kwa mataifa.”
Before you were formed in the body of your mother I had knowledge of you, and before your birth I made you holy; I have given you the work of being a prophet to the nations.
6 Nami nikasema, “Aa, Bwana Mwenyezi, sijui kusema, kwani mimi ni mtoto mdogo tu.”
Then said I, O Lord God! see, I have no power of words, for I am a child.
7 Lakini Bwana akaniambia, “Usiseme, ‘Mimi ni mtoto mdogo tu.’ Utaenda popote nitakapokutuma na kunena lolote nitakalokuagiza.
But the Lord said to me, Do not say, I am a child: for wherever I send you, you are to go, and whatever I give you orders to say, you are to say.
8 Usiwaogope, kwa maana niko pamoja nawe nikuokoe,” asema Bwana.
Have no fear because of them: for I am with you, to keep you safe, says the Lord.
9 Kisha Bwana akaunyoosha mkono wake na kugusa kinywa changu, akaniambia, “Sasa nimeyaweka maneno yangu kinywani mwako.
Then the Lord put out his hand, touching my mouth; and the Lord said to me, See, I have put my words in your mouth:
10 Tazama, leo nimekuweka juu ya mataifa na falme ili kungʼoa na kubomoa, kuharibu na kuangamiza, kujenga na kupanda.”
See, this day I have put you over the nations and over the kingdoms, for uprooting and smashing down, for destruction and overturning, for building up and planting.
11 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema, “Je, Yeremia unaona nini?” Nami nikajibu, “Naona tawi la mti wa mlozi.”
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a branch of an almond-tree.
12 Bwana akaniambia, “Umeona vyema kwa maana ninaliangalia neno langu ili kuona kwamba limetimizwa.”
Then the Lord said to me, You have seen well: for I keep watch over my word to give effect to it.
13 Neno la Bwana likanijia tena, “Unaona nini?” Nikajibu, “Naona chungu kinachochemka, kikiwa kimeinama kutoka kaskazini.”
And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and its face is from the north.
14 Bwana akaniambia, “Kutoka kaskazini maafa yatamwagwa kwa wote waishio katika nchi.
Then the Lord said to me, Out of the north evil will come, bursting out on all the people of the land.
15 Nitawaita watu wote wa falme za kaskazini,” asema Bwana. “Wafalme wao watakuja na kuweka viti vyao vya enzi katika maingilio ya malango ya Yerusalemu, watakuja dhidi ya kuta zake zote zinazouzunguka, na dhidi ya miji yote ya Yuda.
For see, I will send for all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; and they will come, everyone placing his high seat at the way into Jerusalem, and against its walls on every side, and against all the towns of Judah.
16 Nitatoa hukumu zangu kwa watu wangu kwa sababu ya uovu wao wa kuniacha mimi, kwa kufukiza uvumba kwa miungu mingine na kuabudu kile ambacho mikono yao imekitengeneza.
And I will give my decision against them on account of all their evil-doing; because they have given me up, burning perfumes to other gods and worshipping the works of their hands.
17 “Jiandae! Simama useme chochote nitakachokuamuru. Usiwaogope, la sivyo nitakufanya uwaogope wao.
So make yourself ready, and go and say to them everything I give you orders to say: do not be overcome by fear of them, or I will send fear on you before them.
18 Leo nimekufanya mji wenye ngome, nguzo ya chuma, na ukuta wa shaba ili kusimama dhidi ya nchi yote: dhidi ya wafalme wa Yuda, maafisa wake, makuhani wake na watu wa nchi hiyo.
For see, this day have I made you a walled town, and an iron pillar, and walls of brass, against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its captains, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
19 Watapigana nawe lakini hawatakushinda, kwa kuwa niko pamoja nawe, nami nitakuokoa,” asema Bwana.
They will be fighting against you, but they will not overcome you: for I am with you, says the Lord, to give you salvation.
