Yeremia 34
1 Neno lililomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Yahwe, wakati Nebukadreza mfalme wa Babeli, majeshi yake yote, pamoja na falme zote za dunia, maeneo yote yaliyo chini ya mamlaka yake, na watu wake wote walikuwa wanapigana vita dhidi ya Yerusalemu na miji yake yote, kusema:
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with all his army, all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying:
2 'Yahwe, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi: Nenda na uzungumze kwa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda na useme kwake, 'Yahwe asema hivi: Angalia, niko karibu kuutia mji huu mkononi mwa mfalme wa Babeli. Atauchoma moto.
“The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, the LORD says, “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.
3 Hautapona kutoka mkono wake, kwa maana kwa hakika utakamatwa na kutiwa mkononi mwake. Macho yako yatayaangalia macho ya mfalme wa Babeli; atazungumza kwako moja kwa moja ukiwa unaenda Babeli.'
You will not escape out of his hand, but will surely be taken and delivered into his hand. Your eyes will see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with you mouth to mouth. You will go to Babylon.”’
4 Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda, sikiliza neno la Yahwe! Yahwe anasema hivi kuhusu wewe, 'Hautakufa kwa upanga.
“Yet hear the LORD’s word, O Zedekiah king of Judah. The LORD says concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword.
5 Utakufa katika amani. Kama kwenye mafukizo ya babu zako, wafalme waliokuwepo kabla yako, watauchoma mwili wako. Watasema, 'Ole, bwana!” Watakuomboleza. Sasa nimesema—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe.”
You will die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will make a burning for you. They will lament you, saying, “Ah Lord!” for I have spoken the word,’ says the LORD.”
6 Kwa hiyo Yeremia nabii akatangaza kwa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda maneno haya yote katika Yerusalemu.
Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
7 Jeshi la mfalme wa Babeli likafanya dhidi ya Yerusalemu na miji yote ya Yuda iliyobaki: Lakishi, na Azeka. Miji hii ya yuda ilisalia kama miji yenye maboma.
when the king of Babylon’s army was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these alone remained of the cities of Judah as fortified cities.
8 Neno lilomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Yahwe baada ya mfalme Sedekia kufanya agano na watu wote katika Yurusalemu, ili kuwatanagazia uhuru
The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them,
9 ya kwamba kila mtu lazima amwachie huru mtumwa wake wa Kiebrania, wote wa kiume na wa kike, kwa hiyo mtu alipaswa kutomtumikisha Myahudi, ambaye alikuwa ndugu yake.
that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free, that no one should make bondservants of them, of a Jew his brother.
10 Kwa hiyo watu wote na viongozi wakaingia katika agano kwamba kila mtu amwachie huru mtumwa wake wa kiume na waikke ili asiwe mtumwa tena. Walitii na kuwaweka huru.
All the princes and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant and everyone his female servant go free, that no one should make bondservants of them any more. They obeyed and let them go,
11 Lakini baada ya hapo walibadili akili zao. Wakawarudisha watumwa ambao walikuwa wamewaachia huru. Wakawalazimisha kuwa wataumwa tena.
but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go free to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
12 Kwa hiyo neno la Yahwe likaja kwa Yeremia, likisema,
Therefore the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13 “Yahwe, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi, 'Mimi mwenyewe nilifanya agano na babu zenu katika siku ambayo niliwatoa nje ya nchi ya Misiri, nje ya nyumba ya utumwa. Hapo ndipo niliposema,
“The LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying:
14 Katika mwisho wa mwaka wa saba, kila mtu lazima amwachie ndugu yake, Mwebrania mwenzake aliyejiuza mwenyewe kwako ili kukutumikia kwa miaka sita. Mwagize aende kwa uhuru.” Lakini babu zenu hawakunisikiliza wala kutega masikio yao kwangu.
At the end of seven years, every man of you shall release his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years. You shall let him go free from you. But your fathers did not listen to me, and did not incline their ear.
15 Sasa ninyi wenyewe mlitubu na kuanza yaliyomema katika macho yangu. Mlitangaza uhuru, kila mtu kwa jirani yake, na mlifanya agano mbele zangu kwenye nyumba iitwayo kwa jina langu.
You had now turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes, in every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor. You had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name;
16 Lakini tena mmegeuka na kulichafua jina langu; mmemsababisha kila mtu kumleta tena mtumwa wake wa kiume na wa kike, wale mliowachie kwenda walikotaka. Mmewalazimisha kuwa watumwa tena.'
but you turned and profaned my name, and every man caused his servant and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return. You brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.’”
17 Kwa hiyo Yahwe asema hivi, 'Ninyi wenyewe hamkunisikiliza. Mlipaswa kuwa mmetangaza uhuru, kila mmoja wenu, kwa ndugu zenu na Waisraeli wenzenu. Kwa hiyo angalia! Niko karibu kutangaza uhuru kwenu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—uhuru wa upanga, tauni, na njaa, kwa maana naenda kuwafanya kitu cha ajabu katika macho aya kila ufalme juu ya dunia.
Therefore the LORD says: “You have not listened to me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim to you a liberty,” says the LORD, “to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine. I will make you be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.
18 Kisha nitashughulika na watu waliolivuja agano langu, ambao hawakuyashika maneno ya agano ambalo walilithibitisha mbele zangu walipomkata ng'ombe dume katika vipande viwili na kutembea katika vipande vyake,
I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts:
19 na kisha viongozi wa Yuda na Yerusalemu, matowashi na makuhani, na watu wote wa nchi wakatembea katika vipande vya yule ng'ombe dume.
the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf.
20 Nitawatia katika mikono ya adui zao na katika mikono ya hao wanaoutafuta uhai wao. Miili yao itakuwa chakula cha ndege wa angani na wanyama juu ya dunia.
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.
21 Kwa hiyo nitawatia Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda na viongozi wake kwenye mikono ya adui zao na kwenye miko ya wale wanaoutafuta uhai wao na katika mikono ya majeshi ya mfalme wa Babeli ambayo yameinuka dhidi yenu.
“I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hands of their enemies, into the hands of those who seek their life and into the hands of the king of Babylon’s army, who has gone away from you.
22 Angalia, niko karibu kutoa amari—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—na nitawaleta tena kwenye mji huu ili wapigane dhidi yake, na kuunguza kwa moto. Kwa maana nitaigeuza miji ya Yuda kuwa sehemu za ukiwa ambamo hapatakuwa na wakaaji.”
Behold, I will command,” says the LORD, “and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it, take it, and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”
