Yeremia 37
1 Sasa Sedekia mwana wa Yosia alitawala kama mfalme badala ya Yehoyachin mwana wa Yehoyakimu. Nebukadreza mfalme wa Babeli alikuwa amemfanya Sedekia mfalme juu ya nchi ya Yuda.
And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2 Lakini Sedekia, wajakazi wake, na watu wa nchi hawakusikiliza maneno ya Yahwe ambayo alitangaza kwa mkono wa Yeremia nabii.
But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, hearkened to the words of the LORD, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 Kwa hiyo Mfalme Sedekia, Yehukali mwana wa Shelemia, na Zefania mwana wa Maaseia kuhani alituma ujumbe kwa Yeremia nabii. Walisema, “Omba kwa niaba kwa Yahwe Mungu wetu.”
And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now to the LORD our God for us.
4 Sasa Yeremia alikuwa anakuja na kwenda miongoni mwa watu, kwa kuwa alikuwa bado hajawekwa ndani ya gereza.
Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.
5 Jeshi la Farao lilitoka Misri, na Wakaldayo waliozingira Yerusalem walisikia habari kuhusu wao na kuondoka Yerusalem.
Then Pharaoh’s army had come from Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
6 Kisha neno la Yahwe lilikuja kwa Yeremia nabii na kusema,
Then came the word of the LORD to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7 “Yahwe, Mungu wa Israel, asema hivi: Hiki ndivyo utakavyosema kwa mfalme wa Yuda, kwa sababu amekutuma wewe kutafuta ushauri toka kwangu, 'Ona, jeshi la Farao, ambalo lilikuja kukusaidia, liko tayari kurudi Misri, kwenye nchi yao.
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you to me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which hath come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
8 Wakaldayo watarudi. Watapigana dhidi ya mji huu, kuuteka, na kuuchoma.'
And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
9 Yahwe asema hivi: Msidaganyane kwa kusema, “Hakika Wakaldayo wanatuacha sisi,' kwa kuwa hawatatuacha.
Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
10 Hata kama mmelishinda jeshi la Wakaldayo lote ambalo linapigana nanyi ili kwamba wanaume waliojeruhiwa walibakizwa katika mahema yao, wangeweza kunyanyuka na kuchoma mji huu.”
For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
11 Basi ilikuwa wakati jeshi la Wakaldayo lilipoondoka Yerusalem wakati jeshi la Farao lilikuwa linakuja,
And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12 kisha Yeremia alienda toka Yerusalem kwenda nchi ya Benjamini. Alitaka kumiliki njia ya nchi huko miongoni mwa watu wake.
Then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself from there in the midst of the people.
13 Kama alivyokuwa katika mlango wa Benjamini, mlinzi mkuu aliyekuwa hapo. Jina lake lilikuwa Yeria mwana wa Shelemia mwana wa Hanania. Alimshika kwa kumnyakua Yeremia nabii na kusema, “Mnatoka jangwani kwa Wakaldayo.”
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
14 Lakini Yeremia alisema, “Hiyo si kweli. Siendi jangwani kwa Wakaldayo.” Lakini Yeria hakumsikiliza. Alimchukua Yeremia na kumleta kwa maafisa.
Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15 Maafisa walikuwa wamemkasirikia Yeremia. Walimpiga na kumweka gerezani, ambayo ilikuwa nyumba ya Yonathani mwandishi, kwa kuwa waligeuza kuwa gereza.
Therefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and beat him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
16 Kwa hiyo Yeremia alikuwa amewekwa kwenye kifungo cha chini, ambako alikuwa huko kwa siku nyingi.
When Jeremiah had entered into the dungeon, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
17 Kisha mfalme Sedekia alimtuma mtu mmoja aliyemleta kwenye ikulu. Kwenye nyumba yake, mfalme alimuuliza binafsi, “Kuna neno: Utatiwa kwenye mkono wa mfalme wa Babeli.”
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18 Kisha Yeremia alisema kwa mfalme Sedekia, “Kwa namna gani nimekutenda dhambi, mjakazi wako, au watu hawa kwamba umeniweke mimi kwenye gereza?
Moreover Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah, How have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19 Wako wapi nabii wako, wale waliotabiri kwa ajili yako na kusema mfalme wa Babeli hatakuja dhidi yako au dhidi ya nchi hii?
Where are now your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20 Lakini sasa sikiliza, bwana wangu mfalme! Acha ombi langu liwe mbele yako. Usinirudie mimi kwenye nyumba ya Yonathani mwandishi, au nitakufa huko.”
Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
21 Kwa hiyo mfalme Sedekia alitoa amri. Wajakazi wake walimwekea mipaka Yeremia katika uwanja wa walinzi. Alipewa mkate kila siku kutoka mtaa wa waokaji mkate, mpaka mkate wote mjini uliisha. Basi Yeremia alibaki kwenye uwanja walinzi.
Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the baker’s street, until all the bread in the city should be consumed. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
