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:
This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, along with troops from all the countries he ruled and other nations were attacking Jerusalem and all its nearby towns:
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.
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go and talk to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the Lord says: Listen! I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it down.
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 yourself won't escape being captured by him. You will certainly be taken prisoner and brought before him to speak with him personally and see him face to face. You will be taken to Babylon.
4 Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda, sikiliza neno la Yahwe! Yahwe anasema hivi kuhusu wewe, 'Hautakufa kwa upanga.
Listen to what the Lord is telling you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says about you: You won't be killed;
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. You will have a proper funeral with incense burned for you as they did for your forefathers, the kings who ruled before you. They will weep for you, crying, “The king is dead.” I myself am telling you this, declares the Lord.
6 Kwa hiyo Yeremia nabii akatangaza kwa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda maneno haya yote katika Yerusalemu.
Jeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah king of Judah all this there 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.
At this time the king of Babylon's army was attacking the city and the Judean towns of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities that had not yet been conquered in Judah.
8 Neno lilomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Yahwe baada ya mfalme Sedekia kufanya agano na watu wote katika Yurusalemu, ili kuwatanagazia uhuru
A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a agreement with everyone in Jerusalem to announce a proclamation of freedom.
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.
This meant that every slave owner should free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to force their fellow citizens to remain slaves any longer.
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 officials and all the people who accepted this agreement did what they said. They freed their male and female slaves, not forcing them to remain slaves any longer. They obeyed and let them go free.
11 Lakini baada ya hapo walibadili akili zao. Wakawarudisha watumwa ambao walikuwa wamewaachia huru. Wakawalazimisha kuwa wataumwa tena.
However, later on they changed their minds and took back the male and female slaves they'd freed, forcing them back into slavery.
12 Kwa hiyo neno la Yahwe likaja kwa Yeremia, likisema,
A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah, 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,
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery, 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.
Every seventh year, each of you are to set free all fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. They can serve you for six years, but then you must set them free. But your forefathers didn't pay attention and didn't obey what I told them.
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.
A little while ago you decided to do what's right, which made me happy. You all announced that you would free your slaves. You made a agreement before me in my Temple.
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 now you've changed your minds and dishonored me. Each of you took back the male and female slaves you'd set free to do whatever they wanted. You forced them to become your slaves again.
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.
So this is what the Lord says: You haven't obeyed me. You haven't announced freedom for your slaves, your own people. So now I announce “freedom” for you, declares the Lord: Freedom to be killed by war, by disease, and by famine! I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by you.
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,
They have broken my agreement, and have not kept the terms of the agreement they promised before me. So I'm going to cut them up just like the calf they cut in half to pass between its two pieces.
19 na kisha viongozi wa Yuda na Yerusalemu, matowashi na makuhani, na watu wote wa nchi wakatembea katika vipande vya yule ng'ombe dume.
I will hand them over to their enemies who are trying to kill them. This includes the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and everyone else who passed between the pieces 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.
Their dead bodies will become food for birds of prey and wild animals.
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 hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials to their enemies who are trying to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon which had paused its attack on 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.”
Listen! I will give the order, declares the Lord, and bring them back to Jerusalem. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it. I'm going to destroy the towns of Judah so nobody will live there.
