Yeremia 29
1 Haya ni maneno katika waraka ambao Yeremia nabii alituma kutoka Yerusalemu kwa wazee waliosalia miongoni mwa mateka na makuhuni, manabii, na watu wote ambao Nebukadreza aliwapeleka utumwani kutoka Yerusalemu hadi Babeli.
Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
2 Hii ilikuwa baada ya Yekonia mfalme, mama yake mfalme, na watumishi wakuu, viongozi wa Yuda na Yerusalemu, na wahunzi walikuwa wamepelekwa mbali na Yerusalemu.
(After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem; )
3 Aliutuma waraka huu kwa mkono wa Elasa mwana wa Shafani, Gemaria, mwana wa Hilkia, ambaye Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, alikuwa amemtuma kwa Nebukadreza mfalme wa Babeli
By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
4 Waraka ulisema, Yahwe wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi kwa mateka ambao niliwasababisha kuwa mateka kutoka Yerusalemu hadi Babeli,
Thus saith YHWH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
5 'Jengeni nyumba na muishi ndani yake. Pandeni bustani na mle matunda yake.
Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
6 Chukueni wake na mzae wana na mabinti. Kisha Kisha chukueni wake kwa ajili ya wana wenu, na wapatieni waume binti zenu. Wazae wana na mabinti na waongezeke ili msiwe wachache sana.
Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
7 Itafuteni amani ya mji ambako nimewafanya kuwa watumwa, na mkauombee kwangu kwa niaba yake kwa kuwa kutakuwa na amani kwenu kama mji uko katika amani.'
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto YHWH for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
8 Kwa maana Yahwe wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi, 'Msiwaache manabii ambao wako katikati yenu na wabashiri wenu kuwadanganya, na msizisikilize ndoto ambazo ninyi wenyewe mnaota.
For thus saith YHWH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
9 Kwa maana wanatabiri uongo kwenu katika jina langu. Mimi sikuwatuma—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe.'
For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith YHWH.
10 Kwa maana Yahwe anasema hivi, 'Babeli atakapokuwa amewatawala kwa muda wa mika sabini, nitawasaidia ninyi na kulitimiza neno langu jema kwa ajili yenu ili kuwarudisha ninyi katika sehemu hii.
For thus saith YHWH, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 Kwa maana mimi mwenyewe naijua mipangao niliyonayo kwa ajili yenu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—mipango kwa ajili ya amani na siyo kwa ajili ya mabaya, ili kuwapa ninyi tumaini na siku zenu za mwisho.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith YHWH, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Kisha mtaniita, na kwenda na kuniomba mimi, na nitawasikiliza.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 Kwa maana mtanitafuta na kunipata, kwa kuwa mtanitafuta kwa moyo wenu wote.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
14 Kisha nitapatikana kwenu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—na nitawarudisha watu wenu waliofungwa; nitawakusanya kutoka mataifa yote na sehehemu zote ambako nimewatawanya—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—kwa maana nitawarudisha kutoka sehemu ambako niliwasababisha kuwa mateka.
And I will be found of you, saith YHWH: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith YHWH; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
15 Tangu mliposema kwamba Yahwe ameinua manabii kwa ajili yetu katika Babeli,
Because ye have said, YHWH hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
16 Yahwe anasema hivi kwa mfalme aliyeketi katika kiti cha enzi cha Daudi na watu wote wakaao katika mji huo, ndugu zenu ambao hawakwenda pamoja nanyi utumwani—
Know that thus saith YHWH of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
17 Yahwe wa majeshi anasema hivi, ''Ona, niko karibu kutuma upanga, njaa, na ugonjwa juu yao. Kwa maana nitawafanya kuwa kama tini mbovu ambazo ni mbaya sana hazifai kuliwa.
Thus saith YHWH of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
18 Kisha nitawafuata kwa upanga, njaa, na tauni na kuwafanya kuwa kitu cha kushangaza kwa falme zote juu ya dunia—kitu cha kuogofya, kitu cha kulaaniwa na kuzomewa, na kitu cha aibu miongoni mwa mataifa yote ambako nilimtawanya.
And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them:
19 Hii ni kwa sababu hawakulisikiliza neno langu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—ambalo nililituma kwao kupitia watumishi wangu manabii. Niliwatuma tena na tena, lakini hamkusikiliza—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe. '
Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith YHWH, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith YHWH.
20 Kwa hiyo ninyi wenyewe sikilizeni neno la Yahwe, ninyi mateka wote ambao amewatuma kutoka Yerusalemu hadi Babeli,
Hear ye therefore the word of YHWH, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
21 'Yahwe wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi kuhusu Ahabu mwana wa Kolaya na Sedekia mwana wa Maaseya, watabirio uongo kwenu katika jina langu: Ona, niko karibu kuwaweka katika mkono wa Nebukadreza mfalme wa Babeli. Atawaua mbele ya macho yenu.
Thus saith YHWH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
22 Kisha laana itatamkwa na wafungwa wote wa Yuda katika Babeli kuhusu watu hawa. Laana itasema: Yahwe awafanye kuwa kama Sedekia na Ahabu, ambao mfalme wa Babeli aliwaoka kwenye moto.
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, YHWH make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
23 Hili litatokea kwa sababu ya mambo ya aibu waliyofanya katika Israeli walipofanya uzinzi na wake za majarani zao na kutangaza maneno ya uongo katika jina langu, mambo ambayo sikuwaamuru wayaseme. Kwa maana mimi ndiye nijuaye; mimi ni shahidi—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe.”'
Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith YHWH.
24 Kuhusu Shemaya Mnehelami, sema hivi:
Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25 'Yahwe wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi: Kwa sababu ulituma barua kwa jina lako kwa watu wote katika Yerusalemu, kwa Sefania mwana wa Maaseya kuhani, na kwa makuhani wote, na ulisema,
Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26 “Yahwe aliwafanya ninyi kuwa makuhani badala ya Yehoyada kuhani, ili muwe wasimamizi wa nyumba ya Yahwe. Ninyi ni viongozi wa watu wote wajitiao wazimu na kujifanya wenyewe manabii. Mtawaweka katika mkatale na minyororo.
YHWH hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of YHWH, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
27 Kwa hiyo sasa, kwa nini hamkumkemea Yeremia wa Anathothi, ambaye hujifanya mwenyewe nabii juu yenu?
Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
28 Kwa maana ametutumia sisi katika Babeli, 'Itakuwa muda mrefu. Jengeni nyumba na muishi ndani yake, na pandeni busitani na mule matunda yake.””
For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
29 Sefania kuhani akaisoma barua hii mbele ya Yeremia nabii.
And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Kisha neno la Yahwe likaja kwa Yeremia, likisema,
Then came the word of YHWH unto Jeremiah, saying,
31 “tuma neno kwa mateka wote na sema, 'Yahwe anasema hivi kuhusu Shemaya Mnehelami: Kwa sababu Shemaya amewatabiria ninyi wakati mimi sikumtuma, na amewaongoza kuamini uongo,
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith YHWH concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
32 kwa hiyo Yahwe anasema hivi: Angalia, niko karibu kumwadhibu Shemaya Mnehelami na uzao wake. Hapatakuwa na mtu wa kukaa miongoni mwa watu hawa kwa ajili yake. Hataona mema nitakayofanya kwa ajili ya watu wangu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—kwa maana ametangaza uasi dhidi ya Yahwe.””
Therefore thus saith YHWH; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith YHWH; because he hath taught rebellion against YHWH.
