Yeremia 23
1 “Ole wao wachungaji ambao huangamiza na kuwatawanya kondoo wa malisho yangu-hii ndiyo ahadi ya Bwana.”
Woe to the pastors, that destroy and tear the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord.
2 Kwa hiyo, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi juu ya wachungaji ambao wanawachunga watu wake, “Ninyi mnawatawanya kundi langu na kuwafukuza. Hamuwajali hata kidogo. Tambueni hili! Mimi nitawalipiza uovu wa matendo yenu-hili ni tamko la Bwana.
Therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel to the pastors that feed my people: You have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold I will visit upon you for the evil of your doings, saith the Lord.
3 Mimi mwenyewe nitakusanya mabaki ya kondoo wangu kutoka nchi zote nilizowafukuza, nami nitawarejesha kwenye eneo la malisho, ambako watazaa na kuongezeka.
And I will gather together the remnant of my flock, out of all the lands into which I have cast them out: and I will make them return to their own fields, and they shall increase and be multiplied.
4 Ndipo nitawainua wachungaji juu yao ambao watawachunga hivyo hawataogopa tena au kupotezwa. Hakuna hata mmoja atakayepotea-hili ni tamko la Bwana.
And I will set up pastors over them, and they shall feed them: they shall fear no more, and they shall not be dismayed: and none shall be wanting of their number, saith the Lord.
5 Angalia, siku zinakuja-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-nitakapomuinulia Daudi tawi la haki. Atatawala kama mfalme; atatenda kwa busara na kusababisha hukumu na haki katika nchi.
Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will raise up to David a just branch: and a king shall reign, and shall be wise, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth.
6 Katika siku zake Yuda ataokolewa, na Israeli wataishi kwa usalama. Na jina lake atakayeitwa Bwana ni haki yetu.
In those days shall Juda be saved, and Israel shall dwell confidently: and this is the name that they shall call him: the Lord our just one.
7 Kwa hiyo, tazama, siku zinakuja-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-hawatasema tena, 'Kama Bwana aishivyo, aliyewatoa wana wa Israeli kutoka nchi ya Misri.'
Therefore behold the days to come, saith the Lord, and they shall say no more: The Lord liveth, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt:
8 Badala yake watasema, 'Kama Bwana aishivyo, ambaye aliwaleta na ambaye aliwaongoza wana wa nyumba ya Israeli kutoka nchi ya kaskazini na nchi zote walizofukuzwa.' Nao watakaa katika nchi yao wenyewe.”
But the Lord liveth, who hath brought out, and brought hither the seed of the house of Israel from the land of the north, and out of all the lands, to which I had cast them forth: and they shall dwell in their own land.
9 Kuhusu manabii, moyo wangu umevunjika ndani yangu, na mifupa yangu yote imetetemeka. Nimekuwa kama mlevi, kama mtu ambaye ameshindwa na divai, kwa sababu ya Bwana na maneno yake matakatifu.
To the prophets: My heart is broken within me, all my bones tremble: I am become as a drunken man, and as a man full of wine, at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of his holy words.
10 Kwa maana nchi imejaa wazinzi. Kwa sababu ya hayo nchi imeuka. Milima katika jangwa imekauka. Njia hizi za manabii ni mbaya; nguvu zao hazitumiwi kwa namna sahihi.
Because the land is full of adulterers, because the land hath mourned by reason of cursing, the fields of the desert are dried up: and their course is become evil, and their strength unlike.
11 Kwa maana manabii na makuhani wote wamekufuru. Nimeona uovu wao ndani ya nyumba yangu! - hili ndilo tamko la Bwana;
For the prophet and the priest are defiled: and in my house I have found their wickedness, saith the Lord.
12 kwa hiyo njia yao itakuwa kama mahali pa kupumzika katika giza. Watasukumwa chini. Wao wataanguka ndani yake. Kwa maana nitawatuma mabaya juu yao katika mwaka wa adhabu yao; hili ndilo tamko la Bwana.
Therefore their way shall be as a slippery way in the dark: for they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evils upon them, the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.
13 kwa maana nimeona uchungu kati ya manabii huko Samaria. Walitabiri kwa Baali na wakawaongoza watu wangu Israeli kwenye njia sahihi.
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied in Baal, and deceived my people Israel.
14 Na miongoni mwa manabii huko Yerusalemu nimeona mambo ya kutisha: wanafanya uzinzi na huenda kwa udanganyifu. Wanaimarisha mikono ya waovu; hakuna mtu anarejea na kuacha uovu wake. Wote wamekuwa kama Sodoma kwangu na wenyeji wake kama Gomora!”
And I have seen the likeness of adulterers, and the way of lying in the prophets of Jerusalem: and they strengthened the hand of the wicked, that no man should return from his evil doings: that are all become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrha.
15 Kwa hiyo, Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi juu ya manabii, “Tazameni, nitawafanya wale magugu na kunywa maji yenye sumu, kwa maana kufuru imetoka kwa manabii wa Yerusalemu na kuingia katika nchi yote.”
Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts to the prophets: Behold I will feed them with wormwood, and I will give them gall to drink: for from the prophets of Jerusalem corruption has gone forth into all the land.
16 Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi, “Usisikilize maneno ya manabii wanaokuhubiri. Wamekudanganya! Wanatangaza maono kutoka kwenye mawazo yao wenyewe, si kwa kinywa cha Bwana.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Hearken not to the words of the prophets that prophesy to you, and deceive you: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
17 Wanasema daima kwa wale wanaonidharau mimi, 'Bwana asema kutakuwa na amani kwako.' Na kila mtu anayetembea katika ukaidi wa moyo wake anasema, 'mabaya hayatakuja kwenu.'
They say to them that blaspheme me: The Lord hath said: You shall have peace: and to every one that walketh in the perverseness of his own heart, they have said: No evil shall come to you.
18 Lakini nani amesimama katika mkutano wa baraza la Bwana? Ni nani anayeona na kusikia neno lake? Ni nani anayezingatia maneno yake na kusikiliza?
For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath seen and heard his word? Who hath considered his word and heard it?
19 Tazama, kuna dhoruba inayotoka kwa Bwana! Hasira yake inatoka, na dhoruba inazunguka. Inazunguka vichwa vya waovu.
Behold the whirlwind of the Lord’s indignation shall come forth, and a tempest shall break out and come upon the head of the wicked.
20 Hasira za Bwana hazitarejea mpaka zitakapotimiza nia ya moyo wake. Katika siku za mwisho, utaelewa.
The wrath of the Lord shall not return till he execute it, and till he accomplish the thought of his heart: in the latter days you shall understand his counsel.
21 Sikuwatuma manabii hawa. Wao tu walionekana. Sikuwahubiri jambo lolote kwao, lakini bado wanatabiri.
I did not send prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 Kwa kuwa kama walisimama katika mkutano wangu wa baraza, wangeweza kuwasababisha watu wangu kusikia neno langu; wangewafanya wapate kuacha maneno yao mabaya na mazoea mabaya.
If they stood in my counsel, and had made my words known to my people, I should have turned them from their evil way and from their wicked doings.
23 Mimi ni Mungu aliye karibu-hili ni tamko la Bwana-mimi sio Mungu aliye mbali?
Am I, think ye, a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?
24 Je, kuna mtu yeyote anayejificha mahali penye siri ili nisiweze kumwona? -Hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-Je mbingu na nchi hazikujawa nami? -hili Ndilo tamko la Bwana.
Shall a man be hid in secret places, and I not see him, saith the Lord? do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord?
25 Nimesikia yale waliyosema manabii, wale waliokuwa wanatabiri uongo kwa jina langu. Wakisema, 'Nilikuwa na ndoto!
I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, and say: I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 Nilikuwa na ndoto!' Je, hii itaendelea mpaka lini, manabii wanaotabiri uongo kutoka kwa akili zao, na wanasema nini kutokana na udanganyifu mioyoni mwao?
How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, and that prophesy the delusions of their own heart?
27 Wana mpango wa kuwafanya watu wangu kusahau jina langu kwa ndoto ambazo wanazoripoti, kila mmoja kwa jirani yake, kama vile babu zao walivyosahau jina langu kwa ajili ya jina la Baali.
Who seek to make my people forget my name through their dreams, which they tell every man to his neighbor: as their fathers forgot my name for Baal.
28 Nabii aliye na ndoto, aseme ndoto hiyo. Lakini yule ambaye nimemwambia kitu fulani, basi aseme neno langu kwa kweli. Je, majani yanahusiana na nafaka? - hili ni tamko la Bwana-
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream: and he that hath my word, let him speak my word with truth: what hath the chaff to do with the wheat, saith the Lord?
29 Na neno langu si kama moto? -Hili ni tamko la Bwana-na kama mwamba wenye kupiga nyundo?
Are not my words as a fire, saith the Lord: and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
30 Tazameni, ninapingana na nabii-hii ndiyo ahadi ya Bwana-yeyote anayeiba maneno kutoka kwa mtu mwingine na anasema yanatoka kwangu.
Therefore behold I am against the prophets, saith the Lord: who steal my words every one from his neighbor.
31 Tazama, ninapingana na manabii-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana-ambao hutumia lugha zao kutabiri maneno.
Behold I am against the prophets, saith the Lord: who use their tongues, and say: The Lord saith it.
32 Tazameni, ninapingana na manabii wanaoota ndoto-hii ndiyo ahadi ya Bwana-na kisha kuwahubiri na kwa njia hii kuwadanganya watu wangu kwa udanganyifu wao na kujivunia. Mimi ni juu yao, kwa kuwa sikuwatuma wala kuwapa amri. Kwa hivyo hawatawasaidia watu hawa - hili ndilo tamko la Bwana.
Behold I am against the prophets that have lying dreams, saith the Lord: and tell them, and cause my people to err by their lying, and by their wonders: when I sent them not, nor commanded them, who have not profited this people at all, saith the Lord.
33 Watu hawa au nabii au kuhani wakakuuliza, 'Je, ni nini tamko la Bwana?' basi lazima uwaambie, 'Ni tamko gani? Kwa maana nimekuacha wewe-hili ndilo tamko la Bwana.
If therefore this people, or the prophet, or the priest shall ask thee, saying: What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt say to them: You are the burden: for I will cast you away, saith the Lord.
34 Kwa habari ya manabii, makuhani, na watu wanaosema, 'Hili ndilo tamko la Bwana,' nitamuadhibu mtu huyo na nyumba yake.
And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people that shall say: The burden of the Lord: I will visit upon that man, and upon his house.
35 Endelea kusema, kila mtu kwa jirani yake na kila mtu kwa ndugu yake, 'Bwana alijibu nini?' na 'Bwana alitangaza nini?'
Thus shall you say every one to his neighbor, and to his brother: What hath the Lord answered? and what hath the Lord spoken?
36 Lakini usizungumze tena juu ya tamko la Bwana, kwa kuwa kila tamko kutoka kwa kila mtu limekuwa ujumbe wake mwenyewe, na umepotosha maneno ya Mungu aliye hai, Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wetu.
And the burden of the Lord shall be mentioned no more, for every man’s word shall be his burden: for you have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God.
37 Utamuuliza nabii hivi, 'Bwana alikujibu nini? Je, Bwana alisema nini? Kisha unasema tamko kutoka kwa Bwana;
Thus shalt thou say to the prophet: What hath the Lord answered thee? and what hath the Lord spoken?
38 lakini Bwana asema hivi, Sema hivi, “Hili ni tamko la Bwana” ingawa nimekuagiza na kusema, “Usiseme: Hili ni tamko kutoka kwa Bwana.”
But if you shall say: The burden of the Lord: therefore thus saith the Lord: Because you have said this word: The burden of the Lord: and I have sent to you saying: Say not, The burden of the Lord:
39 Kwa hiyo, angalia, nitawachukua na kukutupa mbali na mimi, pamoja na jiji ambalo nilikupa wewe na baba zako.
Therefore behold I will take you away carrying you, and will forsake you, and the city which I gave to you, and to your fathers, out of my presence.
40 Ndipo nitaweka aibu ya milele na fedheha juu yenu ambayo haitasahauliwa.'”
And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame which shall never be forgotten.
