< Yeremia 8 >

1 “‘Wakati huo, asema Bwana, mifupa ya wafalme na maafisa wa Yuda, mifupa ya makuhani na manabii, na mifupa ya watu wa Yerusalemu itaondolewa kutoka makaburi yao.
“In that time, says the Lord, they will cast out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of its leaders, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of those who were living in Jerusalem, from their graves.
2 Itawekwa wazi kwa jua, na mwezi, na nyota zote za mbingu, ambazo walizipenda na kuzitumikia, na ambazo wamezifuata kutafuta ushauri na kuziabudu. Hawatakusanywa pamoja au kuzikwa, lakini watakuwa kama mavi yaliyotapakaa juu ya ardhi.
And they will spread them out before the sun and the moon and the entire army of the heavens, which they have loved, and served, and followed, and which they have sought and adored. They will not be collected, and they will not be buried. They will be like manure upon the face of the earth.
3 Popote nitakapowafukuzia, mabaki wote wa kizazi hiki kiovu watatamani kufa kuliko kuishi, asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.’
And they will greatly prefer death to life: all those who will have been left from this wicked kindred, in all the forsaken places to which I will cast them out, says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Waambie, ‘Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: “‘Je, watu wanapoanguka hawainuki? Je, mtu anapopotea harudi?
And you will say to them: Thus says the Lord: He who falls, will he not rise again? And he who has been turned away, will he not return?
5 Kwa nini basi watu hawa walipotea? Kwa nini Yerusalemu inapotea kila mara? Wanangʼangʼania udanganyifu na wanakataa kurudi.
Then why have this people in Jerusalem turned away with a contentious loathing? They have taken hold of what is false, and they are not willing to return.
6 Nimewasikiliza kwa makini, lakini hawataki kusema lililo sawa. Hakuna anayetubia makosa yake akisema, “Nimefanya nini?” Kila mmoja hufuata njia yake mwenyewe kama farasi anayekwenda vitani.
I paid close attention and I listened carefully. No one is speaking what is good. There is no one who does penance for his sin, saying: ‘What have I done?’ They have all turned to their own course, like a horse rushing with fury into battle.
7 Hata korongo aliyeko angani anayajua majira yake yaliyoamriwa, nao njiwa, mbayuwayu na koikoi hufuata majira yao ya kurudi. Lakini watu wangu hawajui Bwana anachotaka kwao.
The hawk in the heavens has known her time. The turtledove, and the swallow, and the stork have kept the time of their arrival. But my people have not known the judgment of the Lord.
8 “‘Mwawezaje kusema, “Sisi tuna busara kwa sababu tunayo sheria ya Bwana,” wakati ambapo kwa hakika kalamu ya uongo ya waandishi imeandika kwa udanganyifu?
How can you say: ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us?’ Truly, the lying pen of the scribes has wrought falsehood.
9 Wenye hekima wataaibika, watafadhaika na kunaswa. Kwa kuwa wamelikataa neno la Bwana, hiyo hekima waliyo nayo ni ya namna gani?
The wise men have been confounded; they were terrified and captured. For they cast aside the word of the Lord, and there is no wisdom in them.
10 Kwa hiyo nitawapa watu wengine wake zao, na mashamba yao kwa wamiliki wengine. Kuanzia aliye mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkubwa kabisa, wote wana tamaa ya kupata zaidi; manabii na makuhani wanafanana, wote wanafanya udanganyifu.
Because of this, I will give their wives to outsiders and their fields to others as an inheritance. For from the least, even to the greatest, they all pursue avarice; from the prophet, even to the priest, they all act with deceit.
11 Wanafunga majeraha ya watu wangu bila uangalifu. Wanasema, “Amani, amani,” wakati hakuna amani.
And they healed the destruction of the daughter of my people with disgrace, by saying: ‘Peace, peace,’ though there was no peace.
12 Je, wanaona aibu kwa ajili ya tabia yao inayochukiza mno? Hapana, hawana aibu hata kidogo, hawajui hata kuona haya. Kwa hiyo wataanguka miongoni mwa hao walioanguka, watashushwa chini watakapoadhibiwa, asema Bwana.
They have been confounded because they committed abomination. Or rather, they have not been confounded with shame, for they do not know how to blush. For this reason, they will fall among the fallen. In the time of their visitation, they will fall, says the Lord.
13 “‘Nitayaondoa mavuno yao, asema Bwana. Hapatakuwepo zabibu kwenye mzabibu. Hapatakuwepo na tini kwenye mtini, majani yake yatanyauka. Kile nilichowapa watanyangʼanywa.’”
When gathering, I will gather them together, says the Lord. There are no grapes on the vine, and there are no figs on the fig tree. The leaves have fallen. And I have given them the things that have passed away.”
14 “Kwa nini tunaketi hapa? Kusanyikeni pamoja! Tukimbilie kwenye miji yenye maboma, tukaangamie huko! Kwa kuwa Bwana, Mungu wetu ametuhukumu kuangamia, na kutupa maji yenye sumu tunywe, kwa sababu tumemtenda dhambi.
“Why are we sitting still? Assemble, and let us enter the fortified city, and let us remain silent there. For the Lord our God has brought us to silence, and he has given us the water of gall as a drink. For we have sinned against the Lord.
15 Tulitegemea amani, lakini hakuna jema lililokuja, tulitegemea wakati wa kupona, lakini kulikuwa hofu tu.
We expected peace, but there was nothing good. We expected a time of health, and behold, dread.”
16 Mkoromo wa farasi za adui umesikika kuanzia Dani, kwa mlio wa madume yao ya farasi, nchi yote inatetemeka. Wamekuja kuangamiza nchi na vyote vilivyomo, mji na wote waishio ndani yake.”
“From Dan, the snorting of his horses was heard; the entire land was shaken by the voice of the neighing of his fighters. And they arrived and devoured the land and its plenitude, the city and its inhabitants.
17 “Tazama, nitatuma nyoka wenye sumu kali katikati yenu, fira ambao hawawezi kulogwa, nao watawauma,” asema Bwana.
For behold, I will send among you serpents, king snakes, against which there is no charm, and they will bite you, says the Lord.
18 Ee Mfariji wangu katika huzuni, moyo wangu umezimia ndani yangu.
My sorrow is beyond sorrow; my heart mourns within me.
19 Sikia kilio cha watu wangu kutoka nchi ya mbali: “Je, Bwana hayuko Sayuni? Je, Mfalme wake hayuko tena huko?” “Kwa nini wamenikasirisha kwa vinyago vyao, kwa sanamu zao za kigeni zisizofaa?”
Behold, the voice of the daughter of my people from a far away land. Is the Lord not with Zion, and is her king not within her? Then why have they provoked me to wrath by their graven images, and by their strange vanities?
20 “Mavuno yamepita, kiangazi kimekwisha, nasi hatujaokolewa.”
The harvest has passed by, the summer is at an end, and we have not been saved.
21 Kwa kuwa watu wangu wamepondwa, nami nimepondeka pia; ninaomboleza, nayo hofu kuu imenishika.
Over the destruction of the daughter of my people, I am contrite and saddened; astonishment has taken hold of me.
22 Je, hakuna zeri ya kuponya katika Gileadi? Je, hakuna tabibu huko? Kwa nini basi hakuna uponyaji wa majeraha ya watu wangu?
Is there no balm in Gilead? Or is there no physician there? Then why has the wound of the daughter of my people not been closed?”

< Yeremia 8 >