< Mika 3 >
1 Nimesema'”Sasa sikilizeni, ninyi viongozi wa Yakobo na kutawala nyumba ya Israeli: Je siyo sahihi kwenu kuielewa haki?
And I say, 'Hear, I pray you, heads of Jacob, And ye judges of the house of Israel, Is it not for you to know the judgment?
2 Ninyi manaochukia mazuri na kupenda uovu, ninyi mnaoambua ngozi yao, miili yao kutoka kwenye mifupa yao-
Ye who are hating good, and loving evil, Taking violently their skin from off them, And their flesh from off their bones,
3 ninyi mnaokula pia miili ya watu wangu, na kuambua ngozi yao, kuvunja mifupa yao, na kuwakatakata katika vipande vipande, kama nyama kwenye chungu, kama nyama kwenye sufuria kubwa.
And who have eaten the flesh of My people, And their skin from off them have stript, And their bones they have broken, And they have spread [them] out as in a pot, And as flesh in the midst of a caldron.
4 Kisha ninyi watawala mtalia kwa Yahwe, lakini hatawajibu. Atauficha uso wake kutoka kwenu kipindi hicho, kwasababu mmefanya matendo maovu.”
Then do they cry unto Jehovah, And He doth not answer them, And hideth His face from them at that time, As they have made evil their doings.
5 Yahwe asema hivi kuhusu manabii ambao wawafanyao watu wangu kushindwa, “Kwa wale wawalishao wanatangaza, 'Kutakuwa na ustawi.' Lakini kwa wale wasioweka kitu kwenye vinywa vyao, wanaanzisha vita dhidi yake.
Thus said Jehovah concerning the prophets Who are causing My people to err, Who are biting with their teeth, And have cried 'Peace,' And he who doth not give unto their mouth, They have sanctified against him war.
6 Kwa hiyo, itakuwa usiku kwenu usiokuwa na maono juu yenu; itakuwa giza ili kwamba msiweze kubashiri. Jua litakwenda chini juu ya manabii, na siku itakuwa giza juu yao.
Therefore a night ye have without vision, And darkness ye have without divination, And gone in hath the sun on the prophets, And black over them hath been the day.
7 Waonaji watawekwa kwenye aibu, waaguzi wa watachanganyikiwa. Wote watafunga midomo yao, kwa kuwa hakuna jibu kutoka kwangu.”
And ashamed have been the seers, And confounded have been the diviners, And covered their lip have all of them, For their is no answer, O God.
8 Lakini kwangu, nimejazwa nguvu kutoka kwa Roho wa Yahwe, na nimejaa haki na uweza, kumwambia Yakobo kosa lake, na Israeli dhambi yake.
And yet I have been full of power by the Spirit of Jehovah, And of judgment, and of might, To declare to Jacob his transgression, And to Israel his sin.
9 Sasa sikieni hii, ninyi viongozi wa nyumba ya Yakobo, na watawala wa nyumba ya Israeli, ninyi ambao mnaochukia haki, na kupotosha kila haki.
Hear this, I pray you, heads of the house of Jacob, And ye judges of the house of Israel, Who are making judgment abominable, And all uprightness do pervert.
10 Mnaijenga Sayuni kwa damu na Yerusalemu kwa uovu.
Building up Zion with blood, And Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 Viongozi wenu huhukumu kwa rushwa, makuhani wenu hufundisha kwa hijara, na manabii wenu hufanya utabiri kwa ajili ya pesa. Hata hivyo bado mtamtegemea Yahwe na kusema, “Je hayupo Yahwe pamoja nasi? Hakuna uovu utakaokuja juu yetu.”
Her heads for a bribe do judge, And her priests for hire do teach, And her prophets for silver divine, And on Jehovah they lean, saying, 'Is not Jehovah in our midst? Evil doth not come in upon us.'
12 Kwa hiyo, kwasababu yenu, Sayuni italimwa kama shamba, Yerusalemu itakuwa rundo la kifusi, na mwinuko wa hekalu utakuwa kama mwinuko wa msituni.
Therefore, for your sake, Zion is ploughed a field, and Jerusalem is heaps, And the mount of the house [is] for high places of a forest!