< Obadia 1 >

1 Maono ya Obadia. Bwana MUNGU asema hivi juu ya Edomu Tumesikia habari kutoka kwa Bwana, na mjumbe ametumwa kati ya mataifa, akisema, Inukeni! Tuinuke dhidi yake kwa vita!”
The prophecy of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning Edom. We have heard a message from Jehovah, And an ambassador hath been sent among the nations “Arise ye, and let us rise up against her to war.”
2 Tazama, nitawafanya wadogo kati ya mataifa, mutadharauliwa sana.
Behold, I will make thee small among the nations; Thou shalt be greatly despised.
3 Kiburi cha moyo wako kimekudanganya wewe, wewe ambaye unishi katika makaburi ya miamba, katika nyumba yako ya juu; asemaye moyoni mwako, 'Ni nani atakayenishusha mimi chini?'
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high, Who sayest in thine heart, “Who shall bring me down to the ground?”
4 Ingawa unasimama juu kama tai na ingawa kiota chako huwekwa kati ya nyota, nitakushusha chini kutoka huko, asema Yahweh.
Though thou lift thyself up as the eagle, And though thou set thy nest among the stars, Thence will I bring thee down, saith Jehovah.
5 Kama wezi walikuja kwako, ikiwa wanyang'anyi wangekujilia usiku (jinsi ungekatilwa mbali!), Wasingeweza kuiba vya kuwatosha? Ikiwa wakusanya zabibu wangekujilia, wasingeacha mavuno?
If thieves had come upon thee, Or robbers by night, Would they not have ceased stealing when they had enough? How art thou utterly destroyed! If grape-gatherers had come upon thee, Would they not have left gleanings of the grapes?
6 Jinsi Esau amekwisha kupigwa, na hazina zake zilizofichwa zimewekwa nje!
How is Esau searched through! How are his hidden places explored!
7 Watu wote wa ushirikiano wako watakupeleka katika njiani ya hadi mpakani. Watu waliokuwa na amani pamoja nawe wamekudanganya, na kukushinda. Wale wanaokula mkate wako wameweka mtego chini yako. Hakuna uelewa ndani yake.
All thine allies have brought thee to the border; They that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; They that ate thy bread have spread a snare under thee; There is no understanding in thee.
8 Je! Sikuweza siku hiyo, asema Bwana, kuwaangamiza watu wenye hekima kutoka Edomu na kuelewa kutoka mlima wa Esau?
In that day, saith Jehovah, I will destroy the wise men from Edom, And understanding from the mount of Esau.
9 Mashujaa wako watafadhaika, Temani, ili kila mtu akatiliwe mbali kutoka mlima wa Esau kwa kuuawa.
Thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed; Every one shall be cut off from the mount of Esau.
10 Kwa sababu ya ukatili uliofanywa kwa ndugu yako Yakobo, utafunikwa na aibu, nawe utakatiliwa mbali milele.
For slaughter and for oppression of thy brother Jacob shall shame cover thee, And thou shalt be destroyed forever.
11 Siku ile ulikuwa umesimama, siku wageni walichukua mali zake, na waliokuwa wageni katika malango yake, na kupiga kura kwa Yerusalemu, wewe ulikuwa kama mmoja wao.
In the day when thou stoodest over against him, In the day when strangers carried away captive his forces, And when foreigners entered his gates, And when they cast lots upon Jerusalem, Thou also wast as one of them.
12 Lakini usifurahi siku ya ndugu yako, siku ya msiba wake, wala usifurahi juu ya watu wa Yuda siku ya uharibifu wao; msijisifu siku ya dhiki yao.
But thou shouldst not have looked with delight on the day of thy brother in the day of his calamity; Nor shouldst thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction, Nor have spoken haughtily in the day of his distress.
13 Usiingie mlango wa watu wangu siku ya msiba wao; usifurahi juu ya taabu yao siku ya msiba wao, wala msipotee utajiri wao siku ya uharibifu wao.
Thou shouldst not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity, Nor have looked with delight on their affliction in the day of their calamity, Nor have laid hand on their substance in the day of their calamity,
14 Usisimama kwenye njia panda, ili kuwakatilia mbali wakimbizi wake na usiwatoe waathirika wake katika siku ya dhiki.
Nor have stood in the cross-way to cut off their fugitives, Nor have delivered up those that remained in the day of distress!
15 Kwa maana siku ya Bwana iko karibu na mataifa yote. Kama ulivyofanya, itafanyika kwako; matendo yako yatarudi juu ya kichwa chako mwenyewe.
For the day of Jehovah is near upon all the nations: As thou hast done, so shall it be done to thee; Thy dealing shall return upon thine own head.
16 Kwa vile mlivyokunywa katika mlima wangu mtakatifu, ndivyo mataifa yote yatakavyo kunywa daima. Watakunywa na kumeza na itakuwa kana kwamba hawakuwepo kabisa.
For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, So shall all the nations drink perpetually, Yea, they shall drink and swallow it down, And they shall be as though they had not been.
17 Lakini katika Mlima Sayuni kutakuwa na wale waliookoka na watakuwa watakatifu; na nyumba ya Yakobo watamiliki miliki zao.
But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and it shall be holy; And the house of Jacob shall regain their possessions.
18 Nyumba ya Yakobo itakuwa moto, na nyumba ya Yusufu ni mwali wa moto, na nyumba ya Esau itakuwa mabua makavu, nao watawaunguza, na kuwateketeza. Hakutakuwa na waathirika kwa nyumba ya Esau, kwa kuwa Bwana amesema.
And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame, And the house of Esau stubble, And they shall kindle them and devour them. And there shall be none remaining of the house of Esau; For Jehovah hath spoken it.
19 Wote kutoka Negebu watamiliki mlima wa Esau na wale wa Shepela watamiliki nchi ya Wafilisti. Wao wataimiliki nchi ya Efraimu na nchi ya Samaria; na Benyamini atamiliki Gileadi.
And they of the south shall possess the mountain of Esau, And they of the plain, the Philistines; And they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, And the fields of Samaria; And Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20 Wahamiaji wa jeshi hili la watu wa Israeli watamiliki ardhi ya Kanaani mpaka Sarepta. Wahamiaji wa Yerusalemu, waliopo Sefaradi, wataimiliki miji ya Negebu.
And the captives of this host of the sons of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites unto Sarepta, And the captives of Jerusalem which are at Sepharad shall possess the cities of the south.
21 Waokoaji watakwenda hadi juu ya Mlima Sayuni kutawala nchi ya vilima ya Esau, na ufalme utakuwa wa Bwana.
And saviors shall go up to mount Zion, To rule the mount of Esau. And the kingdom shall be Jehovah's.

< Obadia 1 >