Yeremia 1
1 Hili ndilo neno la Yeremia mwana wa Hilikia; yeye alikuwa mmoja wa makuhani kule Anatothi katika nchi ya Benjamini.
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 siku za Yosia mwana wa Amoni, mfalme wa Yuda, katika mwaka wa kumi na tatu wa utawala wake.
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 Lakini pia lilimjia katika wakati wa Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosia, mfalme wa Yuda, mpaka mwezi wa tano wa mwaka wa kumi na moja wa Zedekia mwana wa Yosia, mfalme wa Yuda, wakati watu wa Yerusalemu walipochukuliwa kuwa watumwa.
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, likisema,
Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “kabla sijakuumba tumboni, Nilikuchagua; kabla hujazailiwa toka tumboni Nilikutenga; Nilikufanya kuwa 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 “Ahaa, BWANA!” Nilisema, “mimi sijui kusema, kwa kuwa mimi ni mtoto.”
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.' Utaenda kila mahali ninapokutuma, na utasema kila kitu ninachokuamuru!
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 Usiwaogpe hao, kwa kuwa Mimi niko pamoja na wewe kukuokoa- asema BWANA.”
Have no fear because of them: for I am with you, to keep you safe, says the Lord.
9 Kisha BWANA akanyosh mkono wake, akagusa kinywa changu, na akaniambia, “Nimeweka 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 Nimekuchagua leo juu ya mataifa na juu ya mataifa, ili kung'oa na kuvunja, kuharibu na kutupa, 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 lilinijia, likisema, “Yeremia, unaona nini?” Nikasema, “Ninaona tawi la 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 kuwa ninaliangalia neno langu ili nilitimize.”
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 likaniji mara ya pili likisema, “Unaona nini? “Nikasema, “Ninaona chungu kikichemuka, ambacho mdomo wake unaelekea toka upande wa 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, “Janga litatokea kaskazini juu ya wote wanaoishi katika nchi hii.
Then the Lord said to me, Out of the north evil will come, bursting out on all the people of the land.
15 Kwa kuwa ninayaita makabila yote ya falme za kaskazini, asema BWANA. Yatakuja, na kila mmoja atasimika enzi yake katika malango ya Yerusalemu, dhidi ya kuta zote zinazoizunguka, na dhidi ya miji 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 Nitatamka hukumu dhidi yao juu ya uovu wao wa kuniacha, kwa kufukiza uvumba kwa miungu mingine, na kwa kuabudu kile walichotengeneza kwa mikono yao.
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 ukawaambie kila kitu ninachokuamuru. Usifdhaike mbele zao nisije nikakufadhaisha wewe mbele zao!
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 Tazama! Leo nimekufanya kuwa mji ulio na ngome, kuwa ngome ya chuma, na ukata wa shaba dhidi ya nchi yote - dhidi ya wafalme wa Yuda, na juu ya wakuu wake, na juu ya makuhani wake, na juu ya watu wote wa nchi.
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 na wewe, lakinai hawatakushinda, kwa kuwa nitakuwa pamoja na wewe ili kukuokoa- 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.
