< Yeremia 6 >
1 Tafuteni mahali salama, enyi watu wa Benjamini, kwa kuondoka Yerusalemu. Pigeni tarumbeta zaTekoa. Simamisheni ishara juu ya Beth- Hakeremu, kwa uovu unaonekana ukitokea kaskazinni; pigo kubwa linakuja.
Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa blow ye a trumpet, And over Beth-Haccerem lift ye up a flame, For evil hath been seen from the north, And great destruction.
2 Binti za Sayuni, warembo na mwororo, wataangamizwa.
The comely and the delicate one I have cut off, The daughter of Zion.
3 Wachungaji na kondoo wao watawaendea; wataweka hema zao zikiwazunguka pande zote; kila mtu atachunga kwa mkono wake.
Unto her come do shepherds and their droves, They have stricken tents by her round about, They have fed each [in] his own station.
4 Jitakaseni wenyewe kwa miungu kwa ajili ya vita. Twendeni tukamvamie wakati wa adhuhuri. Ni vibaya sana kwamba mchana unatoweka na vivuli vya jioni vinakuja.
Sanctify ye against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for turned hath the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening,
5 Lakini tumvamieni usiku na na tuharibu ngome zake.
'Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.'
6 Kwa kuwa BWANA wa majeshi asema hivi: Kateni miti yake, na tengenezeni vifusi vya kuitekea Yerualemu. Huu ndio mji sahihi kuuteka, Kwa sababu umejaa ukandamizaji.
For thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Cut down her wood, And pour out against Jerusalem a mount, She [is] the city to be inspected, Wholly — she is oppression in her midst.
7 Kama vile kisima kitoavyo maji, vivyo hivyo mji huu uzaavyo uovu. Uaribifu na jeuri vimesikika kwake. Mateso na tauni viko mbele yangu daima.
As the digging of a well, is [for] its waters, So she hath digged [for] her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Before My face continually [are] sickness and smiting.
8 Uadhibiswhe, ee Yerusalemu, vingenevyo nitaondoka kwako na kukufanya ukiwa, na nchi isiyokaliwa na watu.
Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from thee, Lest I make thee a desolation, a land not inhabited.
9 BWANA wa majeshi asema hivi, “Hakika wataokota mabaki ya Isreli waliobaki kama zabibu. Nyosha mkono wako ili uchume zabibu.
Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put back thy hand, as a gatherer to the baskets.
10 Nitamwambia nani na kumwonya nani ili wasikilize? Tazama! Masikio yao hayakutahariwa; hayawezi kutilia manani! Tazama! Neno la BWANA limekuja kuwarudi, lakini hawalitaki.”
To whom do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Lo, their ear [is] uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Lo, a word of Jehovah hath been to them for a reproach, They delight not in it.
11 Lakini nimejazwa na hasira za BWANA. Nimechoka kuizuia. Aliniambia, “Imwage mbele ya watoto mitaani na katika makundi ya vijana. Kwa kuwa kila mume atachukuliwa pamoja na mke wake; na kila mzee mwenye miaka mingi.
And with the fury of Jehovah I have been filled, (I have been weary of containing, ) To pour [it] on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, An elder with one full of days,
12 Nyumba zao watapewa watu wengine, kwa kuwa nitawavamia wakazi wa nchi kwa mkono wangu - asema BWANA wa majeshi.
And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah.
13 BWANA amesema hayo kutoka kwa mdogo hadi kwa mkubwa, kila mmoja anatamani mapato ya udanganyifu. Kuanzia kuhani hadi nabii, Kila mmoja anafanya hila.
For from their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely,
14 Lakini wameponya vidonda vya watu wangu kwa juu juu tu. Wanasema, 'Amani! Amani! na kumbe amani haipo.
And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' and there is no peace.
15 Je, waliona aibu walipofanya machukizo? Hasha, hawakuona aibu! Hawakuwa na aibu. Kwa hiyo wataanguka pamoj na wale watakaoanguka wakati nitakpowaadhibu. Wataangushwa chini,” asema BWANA.
They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said Jehovah.
16 BWANA asema hivi, `Simama kwenye njia panda utazame; uliza nzile njia za zamani, 'Je, hii tabia njema iko wapi?' Kisha endelea nayo na tafuta mahali pa kupumzika. Lakini watu wanasema, 'Hatutaenda.'
Thus said Jehovah: Stand ye by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where [is] this — the good way? and go ye in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, 'We do not go.'
17 Niliweka walinzi juu yenu ili wasikilize tarumbeta. Lakini walisema, 'Hatutasikiliza.'
And I have raised up for you watchmen, Attend ye to the voice of the trumpet. And they say, 'We do not attend.'
18 Kwa hiyo, sikilizeni, enyi mataifa! Tazameni, enyi mashahidi, muone kile kitakachowapata.
Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O company, That which [is] upon them.
19 Sikia, wewe dunia! Tazama, niko tayari kuleta janga kwa watu hawa - matunda ya fikra zao. Hawakusikiliza neno langu wala sheria zangu, badala yake walizikataa.
Hear, O earth, lo, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their devices, For to My words they gave no attention, And My law — they kick against it.
20 Huu ubani kutoka sheba unaopanda una maana gani kwangu? Au huu uudi kutoka nchi ya mbali? Sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa hazikubaliki kwangu wala dhabihu zenu.
Why [is] this to Me? frankincense from Sheba cometh, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings [are] not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.
21 Kwa hiyo BWANA asema hivi, 'Tazama, 'Niko tayari kuweka kikwazo dhidi ya watu hawa. Watajikwaa juu yake - baba na watoto wao kwa pamoja watajikwaa. Wakazi na jirani zao pia watapotea.'
Therefore thus said Jehovah: Lo, I do give to this people stumbling blocks, And stumbled against them have fathers and sons together, The neighbour and his friend do perish.
22 BWANA asema hivi, 'Tazama watu wanakuja toka nchi ya kaskazini. Kwa kuwa taifa kubwa limechochewa kutoka nchi ya mbali.
Thus said Jehovah: Lo, a people hath come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides of the earth.
23 Watachukua pinde na mishale yao. Ni wakatili na hawana huruma. Sauti yao ni kama muungurumo wa bahari, na wapanda farasi katika mfumo wa wanaume wa vita, enyi binti wa Sayuni,”'
Bow and javelin they take hold of, Fierce it [is], and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea doth sound, And on horses they ride, set in array as a man of war, Against thee, O daughter of Zion.
24 Tumesikia habai zao. Mikono yetu inalegea kwa dhiki. Na maumivu yametukamata kama utungu wa mwanamke anayezaa.
'We have heard its sound, feeble have been our hands, Distress hath seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.
25 Usiende nje mashambani, na usitembee barabarani, kwa kuwa upanga wa adui na hofu vimekaribia.
Go not forth to the field, And in the way walk not, For a sword hath the enemy, fear [is] round about.
26 Binti za watu wangu, jivikeni magunia na kugaagaa kwenye majivu ya maombolezo ya mwana pekee. Ombolezeni kwa huzuni kuu, kwa kuwa anayewaangamiza anakuja kwetu ghafula juu yetu.
O daughter of My people, Gird on sackcloth, and roll thyself in ashes, The mourning of an only one make for thee, A lamentation most bitter, For suddenly come doth the spoiler against us.
27 “Nimekufanya wewe, Yeremia, kuwajaribu watu wangu kama mtu anayepima fedha, kwa hiyo utachunguza na kupima njia zao.
A watch-tower I have given thee, Among My people a fortress, And thou knowest, and hast tried their way.
28 Wao ni watu wasumbufu miongoni mwa watu, wanaoenda huko na kule wakisingizia wengine. Wote ni shaba na chuma, wakitenda kwa dhuluma.
All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously — brass and iron, All of them are corrupters.
29 Mifuo inafukuta kwa moto unaoziunguza; risasi inaunguzwa na moto. Risasi tu ndiyo inayotoka kati yake, lakini haifai kitu kwa sababu uovu haujaondolewa.
The bellows have been burnt, By fire hath the lead been consumed, In vain hath a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn away.
30 Wataitwa taka za fedha, kwa sababu BWANA amewakataa.
'Silver rejected,' they have called to them, For Jehovah hath kicked against them!