Amosi 5
1 Sikilizeni hili neno ambalo nisemalo kama maombelezo juu yenu, nyumba ya Israeli.
Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel:
2 Bikira wa Israeli ameanguka; hatoinuka tena; ametoroka kwenye nchi yake, hakuna mtu wa kumwinua.
“The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up.”
3 Kwa kuwa hivi ndivyo Yahwe asemavyo: “Mji ambao umetoka nje kwa elfu watabaki mia, na walioenda nje mia watabaki kumi wa mali ya nyumba ya Israeli.”
For the Lord GOD says: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”
4 Kwa kuwa hivi ndivyo Yahwe asemavyo kwa nyumba ya Israeli: “Nitafuteni na mtaishi!
For the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;
5 Msimtafute Betheli; wala kuingia Gilgali; msisafiri kwenda Bersheba. Kwa kuwa Gilgali watakwenda utumwani hakika, na Betheli haitakuwa kitu.
but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.
6 Mtafuteni Yahwe mtaishi, au atawaka kama moto kwenye nyumba ya Yusufu. Utateketeza, na hakutakuwa na mtu hata mmoja kuuzima katika Betheli.
Seek the LORD, and you will live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.
7 Wale watu wageuzao haki kuwa jambo chungu na kuiangusha haki chini!”
You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth!
8 Mungu aliiumba Pleidezi na Orioni; amebadilisha giza kuwa asubuhu; hufanya siku kuwa giza na usiku na kuita maji ya bahari; yeye huyamwaga juu ya uso wa dunia. Yahwe ndilo jina lake!
Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name,
9 Yeye huleta uharibifu wa ghafla juu ya waliohodari ili kwamba uharibifu uje juu ya ngome.
who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.
10 Wanamchukia kila awasahihishaye katika lango la mji, nao humchukia sana yeyote asemaye ukweli.
They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.
11 Kwa sababu mnamkanyaga chini maskini na kuchukua sehemu ya ngano kutoka kwake- ingawa mmejenga nyumba za mawe yaliyochongwa, hamtaishi kwenye nyumba hizo. Mmependezwa na mashamba ya mizabibu, lakini hamtakunywa mvinyo wake.
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take taxes from him of wheat, you have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
12 Kwa kuwa najua ni jinsi gani mlivyo na makosa mengi na jinsi dhambi zenu zilivyo kubwa- ninyi mnaowaonea wenye haki, chukueni rushwa, na kuwageuza wahitaji kwenye lango la mji.
For I know how many are your offences, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.
13 Kwa hiyo kila mtu mwenye busara atanyamaza kimya kwenye wakati kama huo, kwa kuwa ni wakati wa uovu.
Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.
14 Tafuteni mazuri na sio mabaya, ili kwamba mpate kuishi. Hivyo Yahwe, Mungu wa majeshi, atakuwa na ninyi tayari, kama msemavyo yeye ndiye.
Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.
15 Chukieni uovu, imarisheni haki katika lango la mji. Huenda Yahwe, Mungu wa majeshi, atawafadhili mabaki ya Yusufu.
Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that the LORD, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
16 Kwa hiyo, hivi ndivyo Yahwe asemavyo, Mungu wa majeshi, Bwana, “Kutakuwa na maombolezo kwenye miraba yote, na watasema kwenye mitaa yote, 'Ole! Ole!' Watawaita wakulima kuomboleza na walio hodari wa kulia na kuomboleza.
Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies, the Lord, says: “Wailing will be in all the wide ways. They will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skilful in lamentation to wailing.
17 Katika mashamba yote ya mizabibu kutakuwa na kilio, kwa kuwa nitapita katikati yako,” asema Yahwe.
In all vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through the middle of you,” says the LORD.
18 Ole wenu ninyi mnaoitamani siku ya Yahwe! Kwa nini mnaitamani? Itakuwa giza na sio nuru,
“Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.
19 kama wakati mtu anamkimbia simba na kukutana na dubu, au aliingia katika nyumba na kuweka mkono wake kwenye ukuta na kung'atwa na nyoka.
As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.
20 Je siku ya Yahwe itakuwa giza na sio nuru? Huzuni na sio furaha?
Won’t the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21 “Nachukia, nazidharau sikukuu zenu, naichukia mikutano yenu ya dini.
I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.
22 Hata kama mnanitolea sadaka ya kuteketeza na sadaka za unga, sintozipokea, wala kuzitazama kwenye sadaka za ushirika wa wanyama walionona.
Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.
23 Niondoleeni kelele za nyimbo zenu; sintosikiliza sauti za vinubi vyenu.
Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 Badala yake, acheni haki itiririke kama maji, na haki kama mkondo utiririkao siku zote.
But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
25 Je mmeniletea dhambihu na sadaka za kuteketeza jangwani kwa mda wa miaka arobaini?
“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?
26 Mtamwinua Sikuthi kama mfalme wenu, na Kiuni, nyota yenu ya miungu-ambayo mmeifanya kwa ajili yenu wenyewe.
You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.
27 Kwa hiyo nitawahamisha upande wa pili wa Damaskasi,” asema Yahwe, ambaye jina lake ni Mungu wa majeshi.
Therefore I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of Armies.
