< 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 unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
2 na ukaapa hivi, 'kama BWANA aishivyo katika kweli, na haki, na katika hukumu.' mataifa yataniomba baraka, na yatanisifu mimi.
And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
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 Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among 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.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.
5 Waambie Yuda na Yerusalemu isikie. Waambie, “pigeni baragumu katika nchi.” Tangazeni, “Kusanyeni pamoja. Twendeni kwenye miji ya Maboma.”
Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced 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 toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a 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 from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; [and] thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
8 Kwa kuwa nguvu ya hasira ya BWANA haijaondoka kwetu.
For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back 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 at 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 wonder.
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.”
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto 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 shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward 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.
[Even] a full wind from those [places] shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against 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 clouds, and his chariots [shall be] as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
14 Itakaseni mioyo yenu kutoka uovu wenu, Yerusalemu, ili kwamba muokolewe. Mawazo yako mabaya yatafikiri juu ya kutenda dhambi mpaka lini?
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
15 Kwa kuwa kuna sauti iletayo habari kutoka Dani, na janga lijalo linasikika kutoka vilele vya milima ya Efraimu.
For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction 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.
Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, [that] watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 Watakuwa kama walinzi wa shamba liliolimwa dhidi yake pande zote, kwa kuwa amekuwa mpinzani wangu - asema BWANA -
As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.
18 tabia na matendo yako yamesababisha haya yatokee kwako. Hii itakuwa adhabu yako. Jinsi itakavyokuwa vibaya kwako! itakupiga moyo wako.
Thy way and thy doings have procured these [things] unto thee; this [is] thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine 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! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20 Anguko baada ya anguko limetangazwa, kwa nchi yote imeharibika mara. Wanaharibu masikani yangu na hema yangu ghafula.
Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, [and] my curtains in a moment.
21 Vita hivi vitaendelea mpaka lini? Ni mpaka lini nitasikiliza sauti za pembe?
How long shall I see the standard, [and] 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 people [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: 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] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light.
24 Nilitazama katka miliima. Tazama, ilikuwa inatetemeka, na vilima vyote vilikuwa vinatikisika.
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
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 heavens were fled.
26 Nikaangalia. Tazama, mashamba yalikuwa jangwa na miji imeangushwa mbele za BWANA, mbele ya hasira yake.”
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place [was] a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, [and] by his fierce anger.
27 Hiki ndicho BWANA asemacho, “Nchi yote itakuwa uharibifu, lakini sitawaharibu wote kabisa.
For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
28 Kwa sababu hii nchi itaomboleza, na mbingu juu zitatiwa giza. Kwa kuwa nimesema haya na kuyakusudia; sitarudi nyuma; Sitaacha kuyatekeleza.
For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken [it], I have purposed [it], and will not repent, neither will I turn back 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.
The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city [shall be] forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
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.
And [when] thou [art] spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; [thy] lovers will despise 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 a voice as of a woman in travail, [and] the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, [that] bewaileth herself, [that] spreadeth her hands, [saying], Woe [is] me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

< Yeremia 4 >