Yeremia 4
1 “Kama utarudi, Israeli- asema BWANA - ikawa kwangu kwamba umerudi. Kama utaondoa hayo mambo yachukizayo mbele yangu na ukaacha kunikimbia mimi tena,
Yahweh says, “You Israeli [people], come back to me! If you get rid of those detestable idols and do not turn away from me [again],
2 na ukaapa hivi, 'kama BWANA aishivyo katika kweli, na haki, na katika hukumu.' mataifa yataniomba baraka, na yatanisifu mimi.
and if you declare, ‘Just as surely as Yahweh lives, what he says is true,’ and if you [start to] always say what is true and act justly/fairly and righteously, then the [people in the other] nations [of the world] will request that I bless them [as I have blessed you], and they will [all come and] honor/praise me.”
3 Kwa kuwa BWANA asema hivi kwa kila mmoja katika Yuda na Yerusalemu; 'Limeni shamba zenu na msipande katika miiba.
This is what Yahweh says to the people of Jerusalem and [the other cities in] Judah: “[Prepare yourselves to receive my messages] like farmers plow up hard ground [in order that they can plant seed in it]. Just as farmers do not [waste good seed by] sowing seeds among thorny plants, [I do not want to waste my time telling you messages that you are not ready to receive].
4 Mtahiriwe kwa BWANA na kuondoa govi za mioyo yenu, ninyi wanaume wa Yuda na wakazi wa Yerusalemu, vinginevyo hasira yangu itawaka kama moto na kuteketeteza, na hakutakuwa na mtu wa kuizima. Hii itatokea kwa sababu ya uovu wa matendo yenu.
Purify your inner beings and your minds for me. If you do not do that, my being angry with you [MTY] because of [all] the sins that you have committed will be like a fire that will be impossible to extinguish.”
5 Waambie Yuda na Yerusalemu isikie. Waambie, “pigeni baragumu katika nchi.” Tangazeni, “Kusanyeni pamoja. Twendeni kwenye miji ya Maboma.”
“Declare this [DOU] to [all the people in] Jerusalem and [the rest of] Judea; blow the trumpets everywhere in the land [to warn the people]. Tell them that they should flee to the cities that have high walls around them.
6 Inueni ishara za bendera na zielekezeni Sayuni, na kimbilieni usalama! Msibaki, kwa kuwa ninaleta majanga kutokea kaskazini na anguko kubwa.
Shout to the people of Jerusalem, ‘Run away [now]! Do not delay, because I am about to cause you to experience a terrible disaster [DOU] that will come from the north.
7 Simba anakuja kutokea kwenye kichaka chake na yeye atakayeyaharaibu mataifa ameanza kuja. Anaondoka kwenye eneo lake ili aache hofu katika nchi yenu, kuibadili miji yenu kuwa uharibifu, ambapo hakuna hata mmoja atakayeishi. Kwa sababu hii vaeni magunia, lieni na kuomboleza.
[An army] that has destroyed [many] nations will attack you [like] [MET] a lion that comes out of its den [to attack other animals]. [The soldiers of that army] have taken down their tents and they are ready to march toward your land. They will destroy your cities and leave them without any people still living in them.’
8 Kwa kuwa nguvu ya hasira ya BWANA haijaondoka kwetu.
So, put on sackcloth/rough clothes and weep and beat your chests [to show that you are very sorry for what you have done], because Yahweh is still very angry with us.
9 Ndipo itakapotokea katika siku hiyo - asema BWANA - mioyo ya mfalme na wakuu itakufa. Makuhani watasitaajabu na manabii watashangaa.'”
Yahweh said that at the time [he punishes you], the King of Judah and [all his] officials will be very afraid. The priests and the prophets will be terrified.
10 Kwa hiyo nikasema, “Ahaa! BWANA. Kwa hakika umewadanganya watu hawa na Yerusalemu kwa kuwaambia, 'Kutakuwa na amani kwenu.'Wakati upanga unawaangukia dhidi ya maisha yao.”
Then I replied, “Yahweh [my] God, you completely deceived the people by telling them that there would be peace in Jerusalem, but now [our enemies] [PRS] are ready to slaughter us with their swords!”
11 Wakati huo itasemwa juu ya mji huu na Yerusalemu kuwa, “Upepo uwakao kutoka katika nyanda za jangwani utachukua njia yake kuelekea kwa binti ya watu wangu. Hautapepetwa wala kuwatakasa.
When that happens, [Yahweh] will say to the people of Jerusalem, [“A huge army will come to attack you]. They will not [be like a gentle breeze that] separates wheat from chaff. [They will be like] a very hot wind [that blows in] from the desert [MET].
12 Upepo ulio na nguvu sana utakaokuja kwa amri yangu, na sasa nitapitisha hukumu dhidi yao.
[They will be like] [MET] a strong blast that I will send. Now I am declaring that I will punish/destroy you.”
13 Tazama anavamia kama wingu, na magari yake ni kama dhoruba. Farasi wake wana mbio kuliko tai. Ole wetu kwa kuwa tutaharibiwa!
[Our enemies] are about to rush down on us; their chariots are like [SIM] whirlwinds. Their horses are faster than eagles. It will be terrible for us!
14 Itakaseni mioyo yenu kutoka uovu wenu, Yerusalemu, ili kwamba muokolewe. Mawazo yako mabaya yatafikiri juu ya kutenda dhambi mpaka lini?
[You people of] Jerusalem [APO], purify your hearts/inner beings, in order that Yahweh will rescue you. How long will you continue to think about [doing] evil things?
15 Kwa kuwa kuna sauti iletayo habari kutoka Dani, na janga lijalo linasikika kutoka vilele vya milima ya Efraimu.
From Dan [city in the far north] to the hills of Ephraim [a few miles/kilometers north of Jerusalem] messengers are proclaiming that disasters are coming.
16 Yafanyeni mataifa kulifikiria hili: Tazama, na uwatangazie Yerusalemu kuwa wale watekaji wanakuja kutoka katika nchi ya mbali ili kupiga kelel za vita juu ya miji ya Yuda.
Tell this to the [people in other] nations [but also] announce it in Jerusalem: [Yahweh says], “An army is coming to Jerusalem from far away; they will shout [a battle-cry] against the cities in Judah.
17 Watakuwa kama walinzi wa shamba liliolimwa dhidi yake pande zote, kwa kuwa amekuwa mpinzani wangu - asema BWANA -
They will set up tents around Jerusalem like people set up temporary shelters [SIM] around a field [at harvest time]. That will happen because the people of Judah have rebelled against me.
18 tabia na matendo yako yamesababisha haya yatokee kwako. Hii itakuwa adhabu yako. Jinsi itakavyokuwa vibaya kwako! itakupiga moyo wako.
You will be punished very severely; it will [be as though a sword] has stabbed your inner beings. But you are causing those things to happen to you because of the evil things that you have done.”
19 Moyo wangu! Moyo wangu! Niko katika maumivu ya moyo. Moyo wangu umefadhaika ndani yangu. Siwezi kunyamaza kwa kuwa nasikia sauti za pembe, sauti za vita.
I am extremely anguished/sad; the pain in my inner being is very severe. My heart beats wildly. But I cannot remain silent because I have heard [our enemies] blowing their trumpets to announce that the battle [against Judah will start immediately].
20 Anguko baada ya anguko limetangazwa, kwa nchi yote imeharibika mara. Wanaharibu masikani yangu na hema yangu ghafula.
Disasters will occur one after another until the whole land is ruined. Suddenly [all] our tents will be destroyed; [even] the curtains [inside the tents] will be ripped apart.
21 Vita hivi vitaendelea mpaka lini? Ni mpaka lini nitasikiliza sauti za pembe?
How long will this battle continue? How long will I continue to see the enemy battle flags and hear the sound of their trumpets being blown?
22 Kwa kuwa upumbavu wa watu wangu - hawanijui mimi. Ni watu wajinga wasio na ufahamu. Wanaufahamu wa mambo maovu, tena hawajui kutenda mema.
[Yahweh says], “My people are [very] foolish! They do not have a relationship with me. They are [like] [MET] stupid children who do not understand [anything]. They very cleverly do what is wrong, but they do not know how to do what is good.”
23 Niliiona nchi, na kuiona! ilikuwa ukiwa na utupu. Kwa kuwa hapakuwa na taa za mbinguni.
[God gave me a vision in which] I saw that the earth was barren and without form. I looked at the sky, and there was no light there.
24 Nilitazama katka miliima. Tazama, ilikuwa inatetemeka, na vilima vyote vilikuwa vinatikisika.
I looked at the mountains and hills, and they shook and moved from side to side.
25 Nilitazama. Tazama, hapakuwa na mtu, na ndege wote wa angani walikuwa wamekimbia.
I looked and saw that there were no [more] people, and all the birds had flown away.
26 Nikaangalia. Tazama, mashamba yalikuwa jangwa na miji imeangushwa mbele za BWANA, mbele ya hasira yake.”
I looked and saw that the fields that previously were fertile had become a desert. The cities were all ruined; they had all been destroyed by Yahweh because he was extremely angry.
27 Hiki ndicho BWANA asemacho, “Nchi yote itakuwa uharibifu, lakini sitawaharibu wote kabisa.
This is what Yahweh is saying: “The entire land [of Judah] will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.
28 Kwa sababu hii nchi itaomboleza, na mbingu juu zitatiwa giza. Kwa kuwa nimesema haya na kuyakusudia; sitarudi nyuma; Sitaacha kuyatekeleza.
I will do to my people what I said that I would do, and I will not change my mind. So [when that happens, it will be as though] the earth will mourn and the sky will become very dark.”
29 Kila mji utakimbia kutoka katka kelele za wapandafarasi na wenye pinde; Watakimbilia msituni, Kila mji utapanda hadi mahali pa miamba. Miji itatelekezwa, kwa kuwa hakutakuwa na mtu wa kuishi katika miji hiyo.
[When the people hear] the sound of the [enemy] army marching, [they will be terrified as] they flee from their cities. Some of them will find places to hide in the bushes, and others will run toward the mountains/hills [to escape being killed by their enemies]. All the cities [in Judah] will be abandoned; not one person will remain in them.
30 Sasa umeharibiwa, utafanya nini? Japokuwa unavaa mavazi mekundu, unajipamba na mapambo ya dhahabu, na kuyafanya macho yako yaonekane makubwa na kupakwa wanja, wale wanaume waliokutamani sasa wanakukataa. Badala yake wanajaribu kukuua.
So you who will surely be destroyed, [why are you doing the things that you are doing now]? Why are you wearing beautiful clothes and jewelry? Why are you putting paint around your eyes? Doing those things will not help you, because the people [in other countries that you think] love you [actually] despise you, and they will try to kill you.
31 Kwa hiyo nasikia sauti ya maumivu, yenye utungu kama ya mwanamke azaaye mtoto wake wa kwanza, sauti ya binti wa Sayuni. Atwetaye kupata pumzi. Ananyosha mikono yake na kusema, 'Ole wangu mimi! ninazimia kwa sababu ya wauaji hawa.'”
[It is as though] I already hear [the people in Jerusalem] crying very loudly, like [SIM] a woman cries when she is giving birth to her first child; she gasps for breath and pleads for someone to help her. [It is as though Jerusalem] is crying, “Something terrible is happening to me! They are about to murder me!”
