< Yeremia 13 >

1 Bwana aliniambia hivi, “Nenda ukape nguo ya kitani na kuiweka karibu na kiuno chako, lakini usiiweke kwenye maji kwanza.”
Thus said Jehovah unto me, 'Go, and thou hast got for thee a girdle of linen, and hast placed it on thy loins, and into water thou dost not cause it to enter:'
2 Kwa hiyo nilinunua vazi kama vile Bwana alivyoagiza, na nikafunga karibu na kiuno changu.
and I get the girdle, according to the word of Jehovah, and I place [it] on my loins.
3 Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia mara ya pili, kusema,
And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying,
4 “Twaa vazi lako ulilolinunua lililo karibu na kiuno chako, uinuke, ukasafiri mpaka Frati. Ukaifiche huko katika mwamba wa jabali.
'Take the girdle that thou hast got, that [is] on thy loins, and rise, go to Phrat, and hide it there in a hole of the rock;
5 Basi nikaenda na kuificha katika Frati kama vile Bwana alivyoniamuru.
and I go and hide it by Phrat, as Jehovah commanded me.
6 Baada ya siku nyingi, Bwana akaniambia, “Simama, urudi Frati. Ukaichukue nguo ambayo nilikuambia ufiche.”
And it cometh to pass, at the end of many days, that Jehovah saith unto me, 'Rise, go to Phrat, and take thence the girdle, that I commanded thee to hide there;'
7 Kwa hiyo nikarudi Frati na kuchimba na kuchukua nguo mahali pale nilipoificha. Lakini tazama! Nguo hiyo ilikuwa imeharibika; haikuwa nzuri kabisa.
and I go to Phrat, and dig, and take the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and lo, the girdle hath been marred, it is not profitable for anything.
8 Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia tena, kusema,
And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah:
9 “Bwana asema hivi, Nitakiangamiza kiburi cha Yuda na Yerusalemu.
Thus do I mar the excellency of Judah, And the great excellency of Jerusalem.
10 Watu hawa waovu wanaokataa kusikia neno langu, ambao huenda katika ugumu wa mioyo yao, ambao hufuata miungu mingine ili kuabudu na kuinama-watakuwa kama hii nguo isiyofaa kwa lolote.
This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, Who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, And go after other gods to serve them, And to bow themselves to them, Yea it is — as this girdle, that is not profitable for anything.
11 Kwa maana kama vile vazi lililofungwa kwenye viuno vya mtu, ndivyo nimefainya nyumba yote ya Israeli na nyumba yote ya Yuda zimefungwa kwangu- hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-wawe watu wangu, ili kunifanya jina, sifa, na heshima. Lakini hawakunisikiliza.
For, as the girdle cleaveth unto the loins of a man, So I caused to cleave unto Me The whole house of Israel, And the whole house of Judah, an affirmation of Jehovah, To be to Me for a people, and for a name, And for praise, and for beauty, And they have not hearkened.
12 Basi uwaambie neno hili, 'Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi Kila chupa itajazwa divai.' Watakuambia, 'Je, hatujui kwamba kila chupa itajazwa divai?'
And thou hast said unto them this word, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, 'Every bottle is full of wine,' And they have said unto thee: 'Do we not certainly know that every bottle is full of wine?'
13 Basi uwaambie,' Bwana asema hivi: Tazama, nitawajaza kila mkaaji wa nchi hii ulevi, na wafalme wanaokaa kiti cha Daudi, na makuhani, na manabii, na wenyeji wote wa Yerusalemu.
And thou hast said unto them, 'Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am filling all the inhabitants of this land, And the kings who sit for David on his throne, And the priests, and the prophets, And all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [With] drunkenness,
14 Ndipo nitawagonganisha kila mtu na mwenzake baba na watoto wao pamoja; hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-sitawahurumia au kuwa na huruma, wala sitawarehemu kutoka kwenye uharibifu.
And have dashed them one against another, And the fathers and the sons together, An affirmation of Jehovah, I do not pity, nor spare, nor have I mercy, So as not to destroy them.
15 Sikilizeni na makini. Msiwe na kiburi, kwa kuwa Bwana amesema.
Hear, and give ear — be not haughty, For Jehovah hath spoken.
16 Mtukuze Bwana, Mungu wako, kabla ya hajaleta giza, na kabla ya kuifanya miguu yako kuwa na mashaka juu ya milima wakati wa jioni. Kwa maana unatarajia mwanga, lakini ataugeuza kuwa mahali pa giza, na kuwa giza nene.
Give ye to Jehovah your God honour, Before He doth cause darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And ye have waited for light, And He hath made it for death-shade, And hath appointed [it] for thick darkness.
17 Kwa hiyo ikiwa husikilizi, nitaomboleza peke yangu kwa sababu ya kiburi chako. Hakika macho yangu yatalia na kutoa machozi, kwa sababu kundi la Bwana limechukuliwa mateka.
And if ye do not hear it, In secret places doth my soul weep, because of pride, Yea, it weepeth sore, And the tear cometh down mine eyes, For the flock of Jehovah hath been taken captive.
18 “Mwambieni mfalme na mama wa malkia, 'Jinyenyekezeni, na kukaa chini, kwa maana taji juu ya kichwa chako, kiburi chako na utukufu wako, umeanguka.'
Say to the king and to the mistress: Make yourselves low — sit still, For come down have your principalities, The crown of your beauty.
19 Miji ya Negebu itafungwa, bila mtu wa kufungua. Yuda watachukuliwa mateka, wote uhamishoni.
The cities of the south have been shut up, And there is none opening, Judah hath been removed — all of her, She hath been removed completely —
20 Inua macho yako na angalia wale wanaokuja kutoka kaskazini. Je, ni kundi gani alilokupa, kundi ambalo lilikuwa zuri sana kwako?
Lift up your eyes, and see those coming in from the north, Where [is] the drove given to thee, thy beautiful flock?
21 Je, unasema nini wakati Mungu anawaweka wale ambao uliwafundisha kuwa marafiki? Je, huu si mwanzo wa maumivu ya utungu ambayo yatakuchukua kama mwanamke aliye katika kuzaa?
What dost thou say, when He looketh after thee? And thou — thou hast taught them [to be] over thee — leaders for head? Do not pangs seize thee as a travailing woman?
22 Kisha unaweza kusema moyoni mwako, 'Kwa nini mambo haya yanatokea kwangu?' Itakuwa kwa uovu wa maovu yako ambapo marinda yako yamefunuliwa na umeumizwa.
And when thou dost say in thy heart, 'Wherefore have these met me?' For the abundance of thine iniquity Have thy skirts been uncovered, Have thy heels suffered violence.
23 Je, watu wa Kushi hubadilisha rangi yao ya ngozi, au chui hubadilisha madoa yake? Ikiwa ndivyo, basi wewe mwenyewe, ingawa unazoea uovu, utaweza kufanya mema.
Doth a Cushite change his skin? and a leopard his spots? Ye also are able to do good, who are accustomed to do evil.
24 Kwa hiyo nitawaangamiza kama makapi ambayo yanaangamia katika upepo wa jangwa.
And I scatter them as stubble, Passing away, by a wind of the wilderness.
25 Hii ndiyo niliyokupa, sehemu ambayo nimekuagiza kwako-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana - kwa sababu umenisahau na kuamini katika udanganyifu.
This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from Me — an affirmation of Jehovah, Because thou hast forgotten me, And dost trust in falsehood.
26 Kwa hiyo mimi mwenyewe nitaondoa nguo zako, na sehemu zako za siri zitaonekana.
I also have made bare thy skirts before thy face, And thy shame hath been seen.
27 Uzinzi na ubembe wako, aibu ya tabia yako ya uasherati kwenye milima na katika mashamba! Nitayafanya yaonekane, mambo haya ya machukizo! Ole wako, Yerusalemu! Hutaki kuwa safi. Je! Hili litaendelea kwa muda gani?”
Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, The wickedness of thy whoredom, on heights in a field, I have seen thine abominations. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem, Thou art not cleansed, after when [is it] again?

< Yeremia 13 >