Yeremia 10
1 “Sikilizeni neno ambalo BWANA anawaambieni, enyi nyumba ya Israeli.
You people of Israel, listen to what Yahweh says:
2 BWANA asema hivi, 'msijifunze njia za mataifa, na msishangazwe na ishara za mbinguni, kwa kuwa mataifa hushangazwa na haya.
“Do not act like the people of [other] nations act, and do not be terrified by strange/unusual things that you see in the sky, even though they cause the [people of other] nations to be terrified.
3 Kwa kuwa desturi za watu ni ubatili. Kwa kuwa mtu mmoja hukata mti msituni; kazi ya mikono ya mtu na shoka.
The customs of the people [of other nations] are worthless. [For example], they cut down a tree in the forest. Then a [skilled] worker/craftsman [cuts a section of it and] uses his chisel to carve an idol from that section.
4 Kisha huzipamba kwa fedha na dhahabu. Huikaza kwa misumari na nyundo ili isitikisike.
[Then] people decorate the idol with silver and gold. [Then] they fasten it securely with nails in order that it will not topple/fall over.
5 Sanamu hizi ni mfano wa sanamu za kutishia ndege katika shamba la matango, kwa kuwa haziwezi kusema chochote. Hubebwa, kwa kuwa haziwezi hata kusogea hatua moja. Usiwaogope, Kwani hawawezi kutenda maovu wala mema.”
[Then] the idol [stands there] like [SIM] a scarecrow in a field of cucumbers/melons! It cannot speak, and people must carry it, because it cannot walk. Do not be afraid of idols, because they cannot harm [anyone], and they cannot do [anything] good [to help anyone].”
6 Hakuna aliye kama wewe, BWANA. Wewe ni mkuu, na jina lako lina nguvu.
Yahweh, there is no one like you. You [MTY] are great, and you are very powerful.
7 Ni nani asiyekuwa na hofu juu yako, wafalme wa mataifa? Kwa kuwa hiki ndicho unachostahili, kwa kuwa hakuna wa kuwa kama wewe kati ya wote wenye hekima katika mataifa yote au katika hali yao ya enzi.
You are the king of all the nations! Everyone should [RHQ] revere you, because that is what you deserve. Among all the wise people on the earth and in all the kingdoms where they live, (there is no one like you./who can compare with you?)
8 Wote wako sawa, ni kama wanyama na wapumbavu, wanafunzi wa samamu ambazo si chochote isipokuwa miti tu.
Those people who [think that they are] very wise [IRO] are stupid and foolish [DOU]. The idols that they worship are only made of wood! Those idols certainly cannot teach them anything.
9 Wanaleta fedha iliyofuliwa kutoka Tarshishi, na dhahabu kutoka Ufazi iliyotengenezwa na sonara, ni kazi ya ustadi. Mavazi yao ni ya rangi ya samawi na urujuani. Watu wao stadi waliyafanya haya yote.
People hammer into thin sheets silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and then they give those sheets of silver and gold to skilled workers/craftsmen to cover the idols. Then they put on those idols expensive purple robes that are made by skilled workers.
10 Lakini BWANA ni Mungu wa kweli. Yeye ni Mungu aliye hai na mfalme wa milele. Matetemeko yako katika hasira yake, na mataifa hayawezi kuvumilia hasira yake.
But Yahweh is the [only] true God; he is the all-powerful God, the king [who rules] forever. When he is angry, [all] the earth shakes/quakes; and [the people of] the nations cannot endure [what he does] when he is angry [with them].
11 Utawaambia hivi, “Miungu ambayo haikuumba mbingu na nchi itaangamia katika dunia hii na chini ya mbingu.”
[You Israeli people], tell this to those people: “Those idols did not make the sky and the earth, and they will disappear from the earth.”
12 Aliyeiumba dunia kwa nguvu zake aliumba nchi kavu kwa hekima zake na kuzitandaza mbingu kwa fahamu zake.
But [Yahweh] made the earth by his power; he established it [firmly] by his wisdom and stretched out the sky by his understanding.
13 Sauti yake ndiyo itengenezayo muungurumo wa maji mbinguni, naye huzileta mbingu katika mwisho wa dunia. Hutengeneza radi kwa ajili ya mvua na kutuma upepo kutoka katika hazina yake.
When he speaks [loudly], there is thunder in the sky; he causes clouds to form over every part of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and releases the winds from his storehouses.
14 Kila mtu amekuwa mjinga, hawana maarifa. Kila mfua chuma ameaibishwa kwa sanamu zake. Maana sanamu yake ya kuyeyushwa ni uongo; hakuna pumzi ndani yake.
People are senseless and know very little [HYP]; those who make idols are always disappointed because their idols do nothing for them. The images/statues that they make are not real [gods]; they are lifeless.
15 Ni ubatili tu, ni kazi ya udanganyifu; zitapotea wakati wa hukumu.
Idols are worthless; they deserve to be ridiculed; there will be a time when they [all] will be destroyed.
16 Lakini Mungu ni fungu la Yakobo, si kama hawa, kwa kuwa yeye ndiye aliyeviumba vitu vyote. Israeli ni kabila ya urithi wake; BWANA wa majeshi ndiye jina lake.
But the God whom we Israelis worship is not like those idols; he is the one who created everything [that exists]; we, the tribe/people of Israel, belong to him; he is the Commander of the armies of angels.
17 Kusanya vitu vyako na uiache nchi, wewe ambaye umekuwa ukiishi katika mazingiwa haya.
[Yahweh says this to the people of Jerusalem]: “The army of your enemies surrounds your city, so gather up your possessions [and prepare] to leave the city.
18 Kwa kuwa BWANA asema hivi, “Tazama, Ni tayari kuwatupa wakazi wa nchi nje wakati huu. Nitawasababishia huzuni, na itakuwa hivyo.”
I will soon throw you out of this land and cause you to experience great troubles, with the result that you will have severe pain (OR, none of you will be left here).”
19 Ole wangu! Kwa sababu ya mifupa yangu iliyovunjika, Jeraha zangu zimeumia. Kwa hiyo nilisema. “Hakika haya ni maumivu, lakini lazima nivumilie.”
[The people replied, “It is as though] we have been [badly] wounded, and we are very grieved; [It is as though] we have a very serious illness, and we must endure the pain.
20 Hema yangu imeharibiwa, na kamba za hema yangu zote zimekatwa. Wamewachukua watoto wangu wote, Kwa hiyo hawaishi tena. Hakuna tena mtu wa kuitandaza hema yangu au wa kuziinua pazia za hema yangu.
[It is as though] our [great] tent is destroyed; the ropes [that held it up] have been cut; our children have gone away from us and will not return; there are no people left to rebuild our great tent.
21 Kwa kuwa wachungaji wamekuwa wapumbavu. Hawamtafuti BWANA. Kwa hiyo hawana mafanikio; Kondoo wao wote wamesambaa.
Our leaders [MET] no [longer] have any sense; they no [longer] ask Yahweh [to (guide them/tell them what to do)], so they will no [longer] prosper, and all those over whom they rule [MET] will be scattered.
22 Taarifa imewadia, “Tazama! inakuja, tetemeko kubwa linakuja kutoka katika nchi ya kaskazini kuifanya miji ya Yuda kuwa ukiwa, na maficho ya mbweha.
Listen! [Our enemies’ armies] in the north are making a [very] big noise/commotion [as they march toward us]. The towns in Judah will be destroyed, [and they will become] a place where jackals/wolves live.”
23 Ninajua, BWANA, kwamba njia ya mtu haiji kutoka kwake. Wala hakuna mtu atembeaye anayeongoza hatua zake mwenyewe.
Yahweh, I know that no person controls what will happen to him; no one is able to direct the events that he will experience.
24 Ee BWANA, unirudi, kwa hukumu za haki, si kwa hasira zako vinginevyo utaniangamiza.
[So] correct/discipline us, but do it gently. Do not correct/punish us when you are angry, because we would die if you did that.
25 Mwaga hasira zako kwa mataifa ambao hawakujui na katika familia ambazo hawakuiti kwa jina lako. Kwa kuwa wamemla Yakobo na kumwangamiza kabisa na kuyafanya makao yake kuwa ukiwa.
Punish [MTY] [all] the nations whose people do not acknowledge/say that you are God; punish all the nations whose people do not worship you, because they are completely destroying [DOU] [us people of] Israel and they are causing our land to soon be only a desert.
