< Yeremia 22 >
1 Bwana asema hivi, “Nenda kwenye nyumba ya mfalme wa Yuda, utangaze neno hili huko.
Thus said Jehovah, 'Go down [to] the house of the king of Judah, and thou hast spoken there this word, and hast said,
2 Ukaseme, 'Ewe Mfalme wa Yuda, wewe aliyeketi kiti cha Daudi, usikilize neno la Bwana. Nisikilizeni, enyi watumishi wake, na ninyi, watu wake mnaokuja kwa malango haya.
Hear a word of Jehovah, O king of Judah, who art sitting on the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people, who are coming in at these gates,
3 Bwana asema hivi, “Fanya haki na uadilifu, na mtu yeyote ambaye ameibiwa-muokoeni kutoka mkononi mwa mshindani. Usimtendee mabaya mgeni yeyote katika nchi yako, au yatima au mjane. Usifanye vurugu au kumwaga damu isiyo na hatia mahali hapa.
Thus said Jehovah: Do ye judgment and righteousness, And deliver the plundered from the hand of the oppressor, And sojourner, orphan, and widow, ye do not oppress nor wrong, And innocent blood ye do not shed in this place.
4 Kwa kuwa mkifanya mambo hayo, basi wafalme wanaoketi kiti cha Daudi wataingia milango ya nyumba hii wakiendesha gari na farasi, yeye, watumishi wake, na watu wake!
For, if ye certainly do this thing, Then come in by the gates of this house Have kings sitting for David on his throne, Riding on chariot, and on horses, He, and his servants, and his people.
5 Lakini ikiwa hamsikilizi maneno haya kutoka kwangu ambayo nimeyasema-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-basi nyumba hii ya kifalme itaharibiwa.'”
And if ye do not hear these words, By myself I have sworn — an affirmation of Jehovah, That this house is for a desolation.
6 Kwa maana Bwana asema hivi juu ya nyumba ya mfalme wa Yuda, “Wewe uko kama Gileadi, au kama kilele cha Lebanoni kwangu. Hata hivyo nitakugeuza kuwa jangwa, katika miji isiyo na wenyeji.
For thus said Jehovah, Concerning the house of the king of Judah: Gilead [art] thou to Me — head of Lebanon, If not — I make thee a wilderness, Cities not inhabited.
7 Kwa kuwa nimewaagiza waharibifu kuja juu yenu! Watu wenye silaha zao watakata mierezi yako iliyo bora na kuiacha kuanguka kwenye moto.
And I have separated for thee destroyers, Each with his weapons, And they have cut down the choice of thy cedars, And have cast them on the fire.
8 Kisha mataifa mengi yatapita kwenye mji huu. Kila mtu atamwambia yule anayefuata, “Mbona Bwana amefanya hivi kwa jiji hili kuu?”
And many nations have passed by this city, And they have said, each to his neighbour, For what hath Jehovah done thus to this great city?
9 Na mwingine atajibu, “Kwa sababu waliiacha agano la Bwana, Mungu wao, wakainama kwa miungu mingine, wakaiabudu.”
And they have said, 'Because that they have forsaken The covenant of Jehovah their God, And bow themselves to other gods, and serve them.'
10 Usilie kwa ajili ya aliyekufa. Usiomboleze kwa ajili yake. Lakini mlilie mtu yeyote anayeingia kifungoni, kwa maana hatarudi tena kuiona nchi aliyozaliwa.'
Ye do not weep for the dead, nor bemoan for him, Weep ye sore for the traveller, For he doth not return again, Nor hath he seen the land of his birth.
11 Maana Bwana asema hivi juu ya Yehoahazi, mwana wa Yosia, mfalme wa Yuda, aliyekuwa mfalme badala ya Yosia babaye, 'ametoka mahali hapa, wala hatarudi.
For thus said Jehovah concerning Shallum son of Josiah king of Judah, who is reigning instead of Josiah his father, who hath gone forth from this place: He doth not turn back hither again;
12 Atakufa huko mahali ambapo walimchukua mateka, na hataiona tena nchi hii.'
For in the place whither they have removed him he dieth, And this land he doth not see again.
13 Ole mtu yeyote anayejenga nyumba yake kwa uovu na vyumba vyake vya juu katika udhalimu; ambao wengine hufanya kazi, lakini hawalipwi.
Woe to him who is building his house by unrighteousness, And his upper chambers by injustice, On his neighbour he layeth service for nought, And his wage he doth not give to him.
14 Ole mtu yeyote atakayesema, 'Nitajenga nyumba ndefu na vyumba vya juu vipana, na hujenga madirisha mapana, na kuta zenye mwerezi, na huipaka rangi nyekundu.'
Who is saying, 'I build for myself a large house, And airy upper chambers,' And he hath cut out for himself its windows, Ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
15 Je, hii ndiyo inakufanya uwe mfalme mzuri, kwamba unataka kuwa na mbao za mwerezi? Je baba yako hakula na kunywa, lakini lakini alifanya hukumu na haki? Kisha mambo yakawa mazuri kwa ajili yake.
Dost thou reign, because thou art fretting thyself in cedar? Thy father — did he not eat and drink? Yea, he did judgment and righteousness, Then [it is] well with him.
16 Alihukumu maneno ya masikini na mhitaji. Ilikuwa vizuri. Je, huku siko kunijua mimi? - hili ni tamko la Bwana.
He decided the cause of the poor and needy, Then [it is] well — is it not to know Me? An affirmation of Jehovah.
17 Lakini hakuna kitu machoni na moyoni mwako isipokuwa wasiwasi kwa faida yako isiyo ya haki na kwa kumwaga damu isiyo na hatia, kwa ukandamizaji kuwatendea jeuri wengine.
But thine eyes and thy heart are not, Except on thy dishonest gain, And on shedding of innocent blood, And on oppression, and on doing of violence.
18 Kwa hiyo Bwana asema hivi juu ya Yehoyakimu, mwana wa Yosia, mfalme wa Yuda. Hawatamwomboleza wakisema 'ole, ndugu yangu! au 'Ole, dada yangu!' Hawataomboleza kwa kusema 'Ole, bwana! ' au 'ole, utukufu!'
Therefore, thus said Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: They do not lament for him, Ah, my brother, and Ah, sister, They do not lament for him, Ah, lord, and Ah, his honour.
19 Atazikwa maziko ya punda, ataburuzwa mbali na kutupwa nje ya milango ya Yerusalemu.
The burial of an ass — he is buried, Dragged and cast out thence to the gates of Jerusalem.
20 Panda milima ya Lebanoni piga kelele. Paza sauti yako Bashani. Piga kelele kutoka kwenye milima ya Abarimu, kwa maana marafiki zako wote wataharibiwa.
Go up to Lebanon, and cry, And in Bashan give forth thy voice, And cry from Abarim, For destroyed have been all loving thee.
21 Nilinena nawe wakati ulioko salama, lakini ukasema, 'Sitasikia.' Hii ilikuwa desturi yako tangu ujana wako, kwani hukusikiliza sauti yangu.
I have spoken unto thee in thine ease, Thou hast said, 'I do not hearken,' This [is] thy way from thy youth, For thou hast not hearkened to My voice.
22 Upepo utawalisha wachungaji wako wote, na marafiki zako watakwenda kufungwa. Hakika wewe utakuwa na aibu na kufadhaika kwa matendo yako yote mabaya.
All thy friends consume doth wind, And thy lovers into captivity do go, Surely then thou art ashamed, And hast blushed for all thy wickedness.
23 Wewe mfalme, wewe ambaye huishi katika Nyumba ya Msitu wa Lebanoni, wewe aliyefanya kiota kati ya mierezi, utakuwa na hali ya kuhurumiwa utakapopata utungu kama wakati wa kuzaa.”
O dweller in Lebanon, making a nest among cedars, How gracious hast thou been when pangs come to thee, Pain — as of a travailing woman.
24 “Kama mimi niishivyo-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-hata kama wewe, Konia, mwana wa Yehoyakimu, mfalme wa Yuda, ulikuwa alama ya mkono wangu wa kulia, ningekuangusha.
I live — an affirmation of Jehovah, Though Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah Were a seal on My right hand, Surely thence I draw thee away,
25 Kwa kuwa nimewatia mikono ya wale wanaotaka uhai wenu na kwenye mkono wa wale ambao mnawaogopa, hata mkononi mwa Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli na Wakaldayo.
And I have given thee into the hand of those seeking thy life, And into hands of which thou art afraid, Into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 Nitawatupa wewe na mama yako aliyekuzaa katika nchi nyingine, nchi ambayo hujazaliwa, na huko utakufa.
And I have cast thee, And thy mother who bore thee, unto another country, Where ye were not born, and there do ye die.
27 Na kuhusu eneo hili ambalo watataka kurudi, hawatarudi hapa.
And to the land whither they are lifting up their soul to return, Thither they do not return.
28 Je! Hiki ni chombo kilichodharauliwa na kilichopasuka? Je, Konia ni chombo kilichodharauliwa? Kwa nini wamemtupa yeye na wazao wake, kumpeleka katika nchi wasiyoijua?
A grief — a despised broken thing — is this man Coniah? A vessel in which there is no pleasure? Wherefore have they been cast up and down, He and his seed, Yea, they were cast on to a land that they knew not?
29 Ee Ardhi, Ardhi, Ardhi! Sikieni neno la Bwana!
Earth, earth, earth, hear a word of Jehovah,
30 Bwana asema hivi, 'Andika juu ya mtu huyu Konia Yeye hatakuwa na mtoto. Hatafanikiwa wakati wa siku zake, wala hakuna hata mmoja kati ya uzao wake atakayefanikiwa au kuketi tena kwenye kiti cha Daudi na kutawala juu ya Yuda.'”
Thus said Jehovah: Write ye this man childless, A man — he doth not prosper in his days, For none of his seed doth prosper, Sitting on the throne of David, And ruling again in Judah!