Yeremia 7

1 Hili ndilo neno la BWANA lililomjia Yermia,

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2 Simama katika lango la nyumba ya BWANA na utangaze ujumbe huu! Sikiilizeni neno la BWANA, ninyi nyote watu wa Yuda, ninyi mnaoingia katika malango haya kumwabudu BWANA.

“Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim this word there, and say, ‘Hear the LORD’s word, all you of Judah, who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.’”

3 BWANA wsa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi: Tengenezeni njia zenu na kufanya mema, nami nitawaacha muishi hapa.

The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel says, “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

4 Msitumainie maneno ya uongo mkisema, “Hekalu la BWANA!, Hekalu la BWANA! Hekalu la BWANA!”

Don’t trust in lying words, saying, ‘The LORD’s temple, the LORD’s temple, the LORD’s temple, are these.’

5 Bali kama mtazitengeneza njia zenu na kufanya mema, kama mtatoa hukumu ya haki kati ya mtu na jirani yake

For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbour;

6 -kama hamtanyonya anayekaa katika nchi, yatima, mjane, na kama hamtamwaga damu ya mtu asiye na hatia mahali hapa, na kama hataenda kwa miungu mingine kwa ajili ya maumivu yenu

if you don’t oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, and don’t shed innocent blood in this place, and don’t walk after other gods to your own hurt,

7 -ndipo nitakapowaacha mkae mahali hapa, katika nchi ambayo niliwapia mababu zenu toka zamani na hata milele.

then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, from of old even forever more.

8 Tazama! Mnatumainia maneno ya uongo ambayo hayawasaidii.

Behold, you trust in lying words that can’t profit.

9 Je, mnaiba. mnaua, manafanya uzinzi? na mnaapa kwa uongo na kufukiza uvumba kwa Baali na kwenda kwa miungu mingine ambao hamkuwajua?

Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known,

10 Je, mnakuja na kusimama mbele yangu katika nyumba hii ambapo jina langu linatangazwa na kusema, “Tumeokoka.” hivyo mnaweza kufanya machukizo yote haya?

then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered,’ that you may do all these abominations?

11 Je, hii ndiyo nyumba inayobeba jina langu, pango la wanyang'anyi mbele ya macho yenu? Lakini tazama, Nimeiona - BWANA asema.'

Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it,” says the LORD.

12 Kwa hiyo uende mahali pangu kule Shiloh, Kule ambako mwanzoni niliruhusu jina langu kukaa, na tazama kile nilichofanya pale kwa sababu ya maovu ya watu wangu Israeli.

“But go now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.

13 Kwa hiyo sasa, kwa sababu ya matendo yako haya yote - asema BWANA - Nilikuambia mara kadhaa, lakini hukusikiliza. Nilikuita, lakini hukuitika.

Now, because you have done all these works,” says the LORD, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you didn’t hear; and I called you, but you didn’t answer;

14 Kwa hiyo kile nilichofanya Shilo, ndicho ambacho pia nitakachofanya kwa nyumba yangu hii inayoitwa kwa jina langu, nyumba amabyo ninyi mmeitumainia, mahali hapa ambapo niliwapa ninyi na mababu zenu.

therefore I will do to the house which is called by my name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.

15 Kwa kuwa nitawafukuza mtoke kwangu kama vile nilivyowafukuza ndugu zenu wote, uzao wote wa Efraimu.'

I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brothers, even the whole offspring of Ephraim.

16 Na wewe, Yeremia, usiwaombee watu hawa, na usiinue maombolezo ya kilio au kuomba sala kwa niaba yao, na usinishi, kwa kuwa sitakusikiliza.

“Therefore don’t pray for this people. Don’t lift up a cry or prayer for them or make intercession to me; for I will not hear you.

17 Kwani huoni kile wanachofanya katika miji ya Yuda na katika mitaa ya Yerusalemu?

Don’t you see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

18 Watoto wanakusanya kuni na baba zao huwasha moto! Wanawake hukanda unga ili kuoka mikate kwa ajili ya malikia wa mbinguni na kumimina sadaka ya vinywaji kwa miungu mingine ili kunikasirisha mimi.

The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

19 Ni kweli wananikasirisha mimi? - asema BWANA - Je, si wao wanaojikasirisha, ili kwamba aibu iwe juu yao?

Do they provoke me to anger?” says the LORD. “Don’t they provoke themselves, to the confusion of their own faces?”

20 Kwa hiyo BWANA, Mungu asema hivi, 'Tazama, hasira na ghahdabu yangu zitamwagwa juu ya mahali hapa, kwa watu wote na wanyama, juu ya miti katika mashamba na mazao ya ardhi, Itawaka nayo haitazimishwa.

Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man, on animal, on the trees of the field, and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and will not be quenched.”

21 BWANA wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli asema hivi, Jiongezeeni sadaka za kuteketezwa katika dhabihu zenu na nyama zake.

The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel says: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat.

22 Kwani wakati nilipowatoa mababu zenu kutoka nchi ya Misri, Sikuhitaji chochote kutoka kwao. Sikuwapa amri juu ya maswala ya sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu.

For I didn’t speak to your fathers or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices;

23 Niliwapa amri hii tu, “Sikilizeni sauti yangu, nami nitakuwa Mungu wenu nanyi mtakuwa watu wangu. Kwa hiyo muishi katika njia ambazo ninawaamuru, ili mambo yenu yawe mazuri.”

but this thing I commanded them, saying, ‘Listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. Walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’

24 Lakini hawkunisikiliza wala kuzingatia. Walishi kwa kufuata mipango yao ya uasi ya mioyo ya maovu, kwa hiyo walirudi nyuma badala ya kuendelea mbele.

But they didn’t listen or turn their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

25 Tangu siku ambayo mababu zenu walitoka katika nchi ya Misri mpaka leo, Nimetuma watumishi wangu, manabii wangu, kwenu. Niliendelea kuwatuma.

Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them.

26 Lakini hawakuwasikiliza. Hawakuzingatia. Badala yake walishupaza shingo zao. Walikuwa waovu zaidi ya mababu zao.

Yet they didn’t listen to me or incline their ear, but made their neck stiff. They did worse than their fathers.

27 Kwa hiyo yatangaze maneno haya yote kwao, japo hawatakusikiliza. Yatangaze mambo haya kwao, lakini hawatakujibu.

“You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you.

28 Waambie kuwa hili ni taifa ambalo haliisikilizi sauti ya BWANA, Mungu wake na lisilopokea mafundisho. Ukweli uneharibiwa na kukatwa kutoka kwenye vinywa vyao.

You shall tell them, ‘This is the nation that has not listened to the LORD their God’s voice, nor received instruction. Truth has perished, and is cut off from their mouth.’

29 Zikate nywele zako na kujinyoa, na kuzitupa. Imba wimbo wa maombolezo katika maeneo yaliyo wazi. Kwa kuwa BWANA amekikataa na kukitupa kizazi hiki cha hasira yake.

Cut off your hair, and throw it away, and take up a lamentation on the bare heights; for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.

30 Kwa kuwa wana wa Yuda wamefanya maovu mbele ya macho yangu - asema BWANA - wameweka machukizo yao katika nyumba ambayo jina langu hunenwa, ili kulinajisi.

“For the children of Judah have done that which is evil in my sight,” says the LORD. “They have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it.

31 Kisha wamejenga mahali palipoinuka pa Tofethi ambapo pako kwenye bonde la Ben Hinomu. Walifanya hivi ili kuwachoma wana na binti zao kwenye moto - kitu ambacho mimi sikuamuru, wala kuweka jambo hilo katika akili zangu.

They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I didn’t command, nor did it come into my mind.

32 Kwa hiyo, tazama siku zinakuja - asema BWANA - ambapo hapataitwa tena Tofethi au bonde la Ben Hinomu. Litakuwa bonde la machinjio; watazika maiti hapo Tofethi mpaka eneo lote lienee.

Therefore behold, the days come”, says the LORD, “that it will no more be called ‘Topheth’ or ‘The valley of the son of Hinnom’, but ‘The valley of Slaughter’; for they will bury in Topheth until there is no place to bury.

33 Mizoga ya watu hawa itakuwa chakula cha ndege wa angani na wanyama wa duniani, na hakutakuwa na mtu wa kuwafukuza.

The dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the sky, and for the animals of the earth. No one will frighten them away.

34 Nitazikomesha katika miji ya Yuda na mitaa ya Yerusalaemu sauti za kuiniuliwa na vicheko, Sauti ya bwana arusi na ya bibi arusi; kwa kuwa nchi hiyo itakuwa ukiwa.”

Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land will become a waste.”