< Yeremia 17 >
1 “Dhambi ya Yuda imeandikwa kwa kalamu ya chuma yenye ncha ya almasi. Imechongwa kwenye kibao cha mioyo yao na kwenye pembe za madhabahu zako.
“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus having a diamond point. It is engraved on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of your altars.
2 Watoto wao wanakumbuka madhabahu zao na miti yao ya Ashera kwa miti ya majani kwenye milima mirefu.
Even their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles that were beside the spreading trees and on the high hills.
3 Mlima wangu katika nchi ya wazi na mali yako yote pamoja na hazina zako zote, nitakupa kama nyara kwa wengine. Hiyo ndiyo thamani ya maeneo yako ya juu na dhambi iliyo katika maeneo yako yote.
My mountain in the open country, and your wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder, together with your high places, because of the sin you committed in all your territories.
4 Utapoteza urithi niliokupa. Nitakutumikisha kwa adui zako katika nchi ambayo hujui, kwa maana umewasha moto katika ghadhabu yangu, ambao utakawaka milele.”
You will lose the inheritance that I gave to you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land that you do not know, for you have ignited a fire in my wrath, which will burn forever.”
5 Bwana asema, “Mtu anayemtegemea mwanadamu amelaaniwa; amfanyaye mwanadamu kuwa nguvu yake na kugeuza moyo wake mbali na Bwana.
Yahweh says, “The person who trusts in mankind is accursed; he makes flesh his strength but turns his heart away from Yahweh.
6 Kwa maana atakuwa kama msitu mdogo katika Araba na hawezi kuona kitu kizuri kikija. Atakaa katika maeneo ya mawe jangwani, nchi isiyokuwa na wakazi.
For he will be like a small bush in the Arabah and will not see anything good coming. He will stay in the stony places in the wilderness, barren land without inhabitants.
7 Lakini mtu anayemtegemea Bwana amebarikiwa, kwa kuwa Bwana ndiye tumaini lake.
But the person who trusts in Yahweh is blessed, for Yahweh is his reason for confidence.
8 Kwa maana atakuwa kama mmea karibu na maji kando ya mto; mizizi yake itaenea. Hawezi kuona joto likija, kwa kuwa majani yake yatakuwa mabichi. Kisha mwaka wa ukame hawezi kuwa na wasiwasi, wala hataacha kuzalisha matunda.
For he will be like a tree planted by water, its roots will spread out by the stream. It will not fear the heat when it comes, for its leaves are always green. It is not anxious in a year of drought, and it will not stop producing fruit.
9 Moyo ni mdanganyifu zaidi kuliko kitu kingine chochote. Una mgonjwa; ni nani anayeweza kuelewa?
The heart is more deceitful than anything else. It is sick; who can understand it?
10 Mimi ni Bwana, ninayechunguza akili, ambaye hujaribu viuno. Ninampa kila mtu kulingana na njia zake, kulingana na matunda ya matendo yake.
I am Yahweh, the one who searches through the mind, who tests the hearts. I give to each person according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.
11 kama Kware akusanyaye mayai asiyotaga. Mtu anaweza kuwa tajiri kwa udhalimu, lakini wakati nusu ya siku zake ukipita, utajiri huo utamuacha, na mwishowe atakuwa mpumbavu.”
A partridge hatches an egg that she did not lay. Someone may become rich unjustly, but when half his days are over, those riches will abandon him, and in the end he will be a fool.”
12 “Mahali pa hekalu letu ni kiti cha enzi cha utukufu, kilichoinuliwa tangu mwanzo.
“The place of our temple is a glorious throne, elevated from the beginning.
13 Bwana ni tumaini la Israeli. Wote ambao wanakuacha watakuwa na aibu. Wale walio katika nchi ambao wanageuka kutoka kwako watauliwa. Kwa maana wamwacha Bwana, chemchemi ya maji yaliyo hai.
Yahweh is the hope of Israel. All who abandon you will be put to shame; those in the land who turn away from you will be written in the earth, for they have forsaken Yahweh, the fountain of living waters.
14 Niponye, Bwana, na mimi nitaponywa! Niokoe mimi, nami nitaokolewa. Kwa maana wewe ndio wimbo wangu wa sifa.
Heal me, Yahweh, and I will be healed! Rescue me, and I will be rescued. For you are my song of praise.
15 Tazama, wananiambia, 'Neno la Bwana liko wapi? Hebu lije!'
See, they are saying to me, 'Where is the word of Yahweh? Let it come!'
16 Mimi sikuwahi kuacha kuwa mchungaji nyuma yako. Sikuitamani siku ya maafa. Unajua yaliyotoka mdomoni mwangu. Yalifanyika mbele ya uwepo wako.
As for me, I did not run from being a shepherd following you. I did not long for the day of disaster. You know the proclamations that came from my lips. They were made in your presence.
17 Usiwe sababu ya hofu kwangu. Wewe ni kimbilio langu siku ya msiba.
Do not be a terror to me. You are my refuge on the day of calamity.
18 Waaibike watu wanaoniudhi, lakini nisiaibike mimi. Wataogopa, lakini usiache nifadhaike. Tuma siku ya maafa dhidi yao na kuwaangamiza maradufu.”
May my pursuers be ashamed, but do not let me be ashamed. May they be dismayed, but do not let me be dismayed. Send the day of disaster against them and shatter them with a double share of destruction.”
19 Bwana akaniambia hivi: “Nenda ukasimame katika lango la watu ambako wafalme wa Yuda wanaingia na kutoka, basi katika malango mengine yote ya Yerusalemu.
Yahweh said this to me: “Go and stand in the gate of the people where the kings of Judah enter and where they exit, then in all the other gates of Jerusalem.
20 Uwaambie, 'Sikieni neno la Bwana, wafalme wa Yuda, na ninyi watu wote wa Yuda, na kila mtu wa Yerusalemu atakayeingia kwa njia ya malango haya.
Say to them, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, kings of Judah and all you people of Judah, and every resident of Jerusalem who comes in through these gates.
21 Bwana asema hivi: “Jihadharini kwa ajili ya maisha yenu na msichukue mzigo siku ya sabato ili muilete katika malango ya Yerusalemu.
Yahweh says this: “Be careful for the sake of your lives and do not carry a burden on the Sabbath day to bring it to the gates of Jerusalem.
22 Wala msilete mzigo nje ya nyumba zenu siku ya sabato. Msifanye kazi yoyote, lakini muitenge siku ya Sabato, kama nilivyowaagiza wazee wako kufanya.'”
Do not bring a load out from your house on the Sabbath day. Do not do any work, but set apart the Sabbath day, just as I commanded your ancestors to do.”'
23 Hawakusikiliza wala kutaega masikio yao, lakini walifanya shingo zao kuwa ngumu ili wasinisikilize wala kukubali maonyo.
They did not listen or pay attention, but stiffened their neck so they would not hear me nor accept discipline.
24 Itatokea kwamba ikiwa mtanisikiliza kweli-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-na msilete mzigo kwenye malango ya jiji hili siku ya sabato lakini badala yake mkatenga siku ya sabato kwa Bwana na msifanye kazi yoyote juu yake -
It will happen that if you truly listen to me—this is Yahweh's declaration—and do not bring a load to the gates of this city on the Sabbath day but instead set apart the Sabbath day to Yahweh and not do any work on it,
25 basi wafalme, wakuu, na wale wanaokaa kiti cha Daudi wataingia malango ya mji huu kwa magari na farasi, wao na viongozi wao, watu wa Yuda na wenyeji wa Yerusalemu. Na mji huu utakaa milele.
then kings, princes, and those who sit on David's throne will come to the gates of this city in chariots and with horses, they and their leaders, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.
26 Watakuja kutoka miji ya Yuda na kutoka pande zote za Yerusalemu, kutoka nchi ya Benyamini na visiwa vya chini, kutoka milimani na kutoka kaskazini, wakileta sadaka za kuteketezwa, dhabihu, sadaka za nafaka na ubani, sadaka za shukrani kwenye nyumba ya Bwana.
They will come from the cities of Judah and from all around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and the lowlands, from the mountains, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, thank offerings to the house of Yahweh.
27 Lakini ikiwa hamtasikiliza-kutakasa siku ya Sabato, kutochukua mizigo nzito, wala msiingie milango ya Yerusalemu siku ya sabato, nitawasha moto katika malango yake, nao utaangamiza majumba kuteketeza ngome za Yerusalemu, na hauwezi kuzimika.
But if you do not listen to me—to set apart the Sabbath day and to not carry heavy loads and to not enter the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day—then I will light a fire in its gates, and it will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem, and it cannot be put out.”