< Yeremia 4 >

1 “Kama utarudi, Israeli- asema BWANA - ikawa kwangu kwamba umerudi. Kama utaondoa hayo mambo yachukizayo mbele yangu na ukaacha kunikimbia mimi tena,
If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return to me: if thou wilt take away thy stumblingblocks out of my sight, thou shalt not be moved.
2 na ukaapa hivi, 'kama BWANA aishivyo katika kweli, na haki, na katika hukumu.' mataifa yataniomba baraka, na yatanisifu mimi.
And thou shalt swear: As the Lord liveth, in truth, and in judgement, and in justice: and the Gentiles shall bless him, and shall praise him.
3 Kwa kuwa BWANA asema hivi kwa kila mmoja katika Yuda na Yerusalemu; 'Limeni shamba zenu na msipande katika miiba.
For thus saith the Lord to the men of Juda and Jerusalem: Break up anew your fallow ground, and sow not upon thorns:
4 Mtahiriwe kwa BWANA na kuondoa govi za mioyo yenu, ninyi wanaume wa Yuda na wakazi wa Yerusalemu, vinginevyo hasira yangu itawaka kama moto na kuteketeteza, na hakutakuwa na mtu wa kuizima. Hii itatokea kwa sababu ya uovu wa matendo yenu.
Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, ye men of Juda, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my indignation come forth like fire, and burn, and there be none that can quench it: because of the wickedness of your thoughts.
5 Waambie Yuda na Yerusalemu isikie. Waambie, “pigeni baragumu katika nchi.” Tangazeni, “Kusanyeni pamoja. Twendeni kwenye miji ya Maboma.”
Declare ye in Juda, and make it heard in Jerusalem: speak, and sound with the trumpet in the land: cry aloud, and say: Assemble yourselves, and let us go into strong cities.
6 Inueni ishara za bendera na zielekezeni Sayuni, na kimbilieni usalama! Msibaki, kwa kuwa ninaleta majanga kutokea kaskazini na anguko kubwa.
Set up the standard in Sion. Strengthen yourselves, stay not: for I bring evil from the north, and great destruction.
7 Simba anakuja kutokea kwenye kichaka chake na yeye atakayeyaharaibu mataifa ameanza kuja. Anaondoka kwenye eneo lake ili aache hofu katika nchi yenu, kuibadili miji yenu kuwa uharibifu, ambapo hakuna hata mmoja atakayeishi. Kwa sababu hii vaeni magunia, lieni na kuomboleza.
The lion is come up out of his den, and the robber of nations hath roused himself: he is come forth out of his place, to make thy land desolate: thy cities shall be laid waste, remaining without an inhabitant.
8 Kwa kuwa nguvu ya hasira ya BWANA haijaondoka kwetu.
For this gird yourselves with haircloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned away from us.
9 Ndipo itakapotokea katika siku hiyo - asema BWANA - mioyo ya mfalme na wakuu itakufa. Makuhani watasitaajabu na manabii watashangaa.'”
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord: That the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes: and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall be amazed.
10 Kwa hiyo nikasema, “Ahaa! BWANA. Kwa hakika umewadanganya watu hawa na Yerusalemu kwa kuwaambia, 'Kutakuwa na amani kwenu.'Wakati upanga unawaangukia dhidi ya maisha yao.”
And I said: Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God, hast thou then deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: You shall have peace: and behold the sword reacheth even to the soul?
11 Wakati huo itasemwa juu ya mji huu na Yerusalemu kuwa, “Upepo uwakao kutoka katika nyanda za jangwani utachukua njia yake kuelekea kwa binti ya watu wangu. Hautapepetwa wala kuwatakasa.
At that time it shall be said to this people, and to Jerusalem: A burning wind is in the ways that are in the desert of the way of the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse.
12 Upepo ulio na nguvu sana utakaokuja kwa amri yangu, na sasa nitapitisha hukumu dhidi yao.
A full wind from these places shall come to me: and now I will speak my judgments with them.
13 Tazama anavamia kama wingu, na magari yake ni kama dhoruba. Farasi wake wana mbio kuliko tai. Ole wetu kwa kuwa tutaharibiwa!
Behold he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest: his horses are swifter than eagles: woe unto us, for we are laid waste.
14 Itakaseni mioyo yenu kutoka uovu wenu, Yerusalemu, ili kwamba muokolewe. Mawazo yako mabaya yatafikiri juu ya kutenda dhambi mpaka lini?
Wash thy heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayst be saved: how long shall hurtful thoughts abide in thee?
15 Kwa kuwa kuna sauti iletayo habari kutoka Dani, na janga lijalo linasikika kutoka vilele vya milima ya Efraimu.
For a voice of one declaring from Dan, and giving notice of the idol from mount Ephraim.
16 Yafanyeni mataifa kulifikiria hili: Tazama, na uwatangazie Yerusalemu kuwa wale watekaji wanakuja kutoka katika nchi ya mbali ili kupiga kelel za vita juu ya miji ya Yuda.
Say ye to the nations: Behold it is heard in Jerusalem, that guards are coming from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Juda.
17 Watakuwa kama walinzi wa shamba liliolimwa dhidi yake pande zote, kwa kuwa amekuwa mpinzani wangu - asema BWANA -
They are set round about her, as keepers of fields: because she hath provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord.
18 tabia na matendo yako yamesababisha haya yatokee kwako. Hii itakuwa adhabu yako. Jinsi itakavyokuwa vibaya kwako! itakupiga moyo wako.
They ways, and thy devices have brought these things upon thee: this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it hath touched thy heart.
19 Moyo wangu! Moyo wangu! Niko katika maumivu ya moyo. Moyo wangu umefadhaika ndani yangu. Siwezi kunyamaza kwa kuwa nasikia sauti za pembe, sauti za vita.
My bowels, my bowels are in pain, the senses of my heart are troubled within me, I will not hold my peace, for my soul hath heard the sound of the trumpet, the cry of battle.
20 Anguko baada ya anguko limetangazwa, kwa nchi yote imeharibika mara. Wanaharibu masikani yangu na hema yangu ghafula.
Destruction upon destruction is called for, and all the earth is laid waste: my tents are destroyed on a sudden, and my pavilions in a moment.
21 Vita hivi vitaendelea mpaka lini? Ni mpaka lini nitasikiliza sauti za pembe?
How long shall I see men fleeing away, how long shall I hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 Kwa kuwa upumbavu wa watu wangu - hawanijui mimi. Ni watu wajinga wasio na ufahamu. Wanaufahamu wa mambo maovu, tena hawajui kutenda mema.
For my foolish people have not known me: they are foolish and senseless children: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23 Niliiona nchi, na kuiona! ilikuwa ukiwa na utupu. Kwa kuwa hapakuwa na taa za mbinguni.
I beheld the earth, and lo it was void, and nothing: and the heavens, and there was no light in them.
24 Nilitazama katka miliima. Tazama, ilikuwa inatetemeka, na vilima vyote vilikuwa vinatikisika.
I looked upon the mountains, and behold they trembled: and all the hills were troubled.
25 Nilitazama. Tazama, hapakuwa na mtu, na ndege wote wa angani walikuwa wamekimbia.
I beheld, and lo there was no man: and all the birds of the air were gone.
26 Nikaangalia. Tazama, mashamba yalikuwa jangwa na miji imeangushwa mbele za BWANA, mbele ya hasira yake.”
I looked, and behold Carmel was a wilderness: and all its cities were destroyed at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of the wrath of his indignation.
27 Hiki ndicho BWANA asemacho, “Nchi yote itakuwa uharibifu, lakini sitawaharibu wote kabisa.
For thus saith the Lord: All the land shall be desolate, but yet I will not utterly destroy.
28 Kwa sababu hii nchi itaomboleza, na mbingu juu zitatiwa giza. Kwa kuwa nimesema haya na kuyakusudia; sitarudi nyuma; Sitaacha kuyatekeleza.
The earth shall mourn, and the heavens shall lament from above: because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I have not repented, neither am I turned away from it.
29 Kila mji utakimbia kutoka katka kelele za wapandafarasi na wenye pinde; Watakimbilia msituni, Kila mji utapanda hadi mahali pa miamba. Miji itatelekezwa, kwa kuwa hakutakuwa na mtu wa kuishi katika miji hiyo.
At the voice of the horsemen, and the archers, all the city is fled away; they have entered into thickets and have climbed up the rocks: all the cities are forsaken, and there dwelleth not a man in them.
30 Sasa umeharibiwa, utafanya nini? Japokuwa unavaa mavazi mekundu, unajipamba na mapambo ya dhahabu, na kuyafanya macho yako yaonekane makubwa na kupakwa wanja, wale wanaume waliokutamani sasa wanakukataa. Badala yake wanajaribu kukuua.
But when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do? though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, and paintest thy eyes with stibic stone, thou shalt dress thyself out in vain: thy lovers have despised thee, they will seek thy life.
31 Kwa hiyo nasikia sauti ya maumivu, yenye utungu kama ya mwanamke azaaye mtoto wake wa kwanza, sauti ya binti wa Sayuni. Atwetaye kupata pumzi. Ananyosha mikono yake na kusema, 'Ole wangu mimi! ninazimia kwa sababu ya wauaji hawa.'”
For I have heard the voice as of a woman in travail, anguishes as of a woman in labor of a child. The voice of the daughter of Sion, dying away, spreading her hands: Woe is me, for my soul hath fainted because of them that are slain.

< Yeremia 4 >