Yeremia 15
1 Kisha Bwana akaniambia: “Hata kama Mose na Samweli wangesimama mbele zangu, moyo wangu usingewaelekea watu hawa. Waondoe mbele za macho yangu! Waache waende!
The Lord told me: Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me pleading with me on behalf of these people, I wouldn't feel sorry for them. Send them away from me. Have them leave.
2 Nao kama wakikuuliza, ‘Twende wapi?’ Waambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: “‘Wale waliowekwa kwa ajili ya kufa, wakafe; waliowekwa kwa ajili ya upanga, kwa upanga; waliowekwa kwa ajili ya njaa, kwa njaa: waliowekwa kwa ajili ya kutekwa, watekwe.’”
If they ask you, “Where shall we go?” tell them that this is what the Lord says: Those to be killed by the plague, to the plague; those to be killed by the sword, to the sword; those to be killed by famine, to famine; and those to be killed in captivity, to captivity.
3 Bwana asema, “Nitatuma aina nne za waharabu dhidi yao: nazo ni upanga ili kuua na mbwa ili wakokote mbali, ndege wa angani na wanyama wa nchi ili kula na kuangamiza.
I will put four kinds of destroyers in charge of them, declares the Lord: swords to kill, dogs to drag their bodies away, and the birds of prey and wild animals to eat them and destroy them.
4 Nitawafanya wawe machukizo kwa falme zote za dunia kwa sababu ya kile alichofanya Manase mwana wa Hezekia mfalme wa Yuda huko Yerusalemu.
I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by them, because of the evil things Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, king of Judah did in Jerusalem.
5 “Ni nani atakayekuhurumia, ee Yerusalemu? Ni nani atakayeomboleza kwa ajili yako? Ni nani atakayesimama ili kuuliza kuhusu hali yako?
Who will be sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask you how you are?
6 Umenikataa mimi,” asema Bwana. “Unazidi kukengeuka. Hivyo nitanyoosha mkono wangu juu yako na kukuangamiza, siwezi kuendelea kukuonea huruma.
You have deserted me, declares the Lord. You have turned your back on me. So I will take action against you and destroy you; I am tired of showing you mercy.
7 Nitawapepeta kwa uma wa kupepetea kwenye malango ya miji katika nchi. Nitaleta msiba na maangamizi juu ya watu wangu, kwa maana hawajabadili njia zao.
I will scatter you with a winnowing fork from every town in the country. I will destroy my people and take away their children because they refuse to give up their evil ways.
8 Nitawafanya wajane wao kuwa wengi kuliko mchanga wa bahari. Wakati wa adhuhuri nitamleta mharabu dhidi ya mama wa vijana wao waume; kwa ghafula nitaleta juu yao maumivu makuu na hofu kuu.
There will be more widows than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon and mothers will lose their young sons. They will suddenly experience agony and shock.
9 Mama mwenye watoto saba atazimia na kupumua pumzi yake ya mwisho. Jua lake litatua kungali bado mchana, atatahayarika na kufedheheka. Wale wote waliobaki nitawaua kwa upanga mbele ya adui zao,” asema Bwana.
A mother of seven children will collapse; she will gasp for breath. Her sun will set while it's still daytime; she will be ashamed and humiliated. I will let the enemies kill the rest of them, declares the Lord.
10 Ole wangu, mama yangu, kwamba ulinizaa, mtu ambaye ulimwengu wote unashindana na kugombana naye! Sikukopa wala sikukopesha, lakini kila mmoja ananilaani.
How sad I am, my mother, that you gave birth to me! I'm a victim of argument and conflict wherever I go in the country. I have never lent anyone anything, or borrowed anything, but still everyone curses me.
11 Bwana akasema, “Hakika nitakuokoa kwa kusudi jema, hakika nitawafanya adui zako wakuombe msaada nyakati za maafa na nyakati za dhiki.
But the Lord told me: Don't worry, I'm going to take away your problems so you can do good. I will make your enemies plead with you whenever they're in trouble or suffering.
12 “Je, mtu aweza kuvunja chuma, chuma kitokacho kaskazini, au shaba?
Can anyone break iron, iron from the north, or bronze?
13 Utajiri wako na hazina zako nitavitoa kuwa nyara, bila gharama, kwa sababu ya dhambi zako zote katika nchi yako yote.
I will give away your wealth and valuable possessions for free. They will become plunder for your enemies because of all the sins you committed throughout your country.
14 Nitakufanya uwe mtumwa wa adui zako katika nchi usiyoijua, kwa kuwa katika hasira yangu moto umewashwa utakaowaka juu yako daima.”
Then I will have your enemies make you their slaves in an unfamiliar country, because I will so angry it will be like lighting a fire that will burn you up.
15 Wewe unafahamu, Ee Bwana, unikumbuke na unitunze mimi. Lipiza kisasi juu ya watesi wangu. Kwa uvumilivu wako usiniondolee mbali; kumbuka jinsi ninavyoshutumiwa.
You know what's happening to me, Lord. Please remember me and look after me. Punish my persecutors! Please be patient—don't let me die! You know I put up with criticism because I want to honor you.
16 Maneno yako yalipokuja, niliyala; yakawa shangwe yangu na furaha ya moyo wangu, kwa kuwa nimeitwa kwa jina lako, Ee Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
When I received your messages, I ate them up! What you said made me really happy—I was delighted. I belong to you, Lord God Almighty!
17 Kamwe sikuketi katika kundi la wafanyao sherehe, wala kamwe sikujifurahisha pamoja nao; niliketi peke yangu kwa sababu mkono wako ulikuwa juu yangu, na wewe ulikuwa umenijaza hasira.
I didn't join in with a bunch of jokers as they had fun. I stayed by myself because you have called me, and you have filled me with outrage.
18 Kwa nini maumivu yangu hayakomi, na jeraha langu ni la kuhuzunisha, wala haliponyeki? Je, utakuwa kwangu kama kijito cha udanganyifu, kama chemchemi iliyokauka?
Why doesn't my pain ever stop? Why is my wound incurable? Why can't it be healed? You've really become like a seasonal stream to me, an unreliable source of water.
19 Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Kama ukitubu, nitakurejeza ili uweze kunitumikia; kama ukinena maneno yenye maana, wala si ya upuzi, utakuwa mnenaji wangu. Watu hawa ndio watakaokugeukia, wala si wewe utakayewageukia wao.
So this is what the Lord says: If you come back to me, I will take you back and you will serve me again. If what you talk about are worthwhile subjects and not nonsense, you will be my spokesman, Jeremiah. They must be the ones who follow you; you must not follow them.
20 Nitakufanya wewe uwe ukuta kwa watu hawa, ngome ya ukuta wa shaba; watapigana nawe lakini hawatakushinda, kwa maana mimi niko pamoja nawe kukuponya na kukuokoa,” asema Bwana.
Then I will make you a wall to these people, a strong wall of bronze. They will fight against you but they won't defeat you. I am with you to save you and rescue you, declares the Lord.
21 “Nitakuokoa kutoka mikono ya waovu, na kukukomboa kutoka makucha ya watu wakatili.”
I will liberate you from the power of the wicked, and free you from clutches of the cruel.
