Jeremiah 29
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
Haya ni maneno katika waraka ambao Yeremia nabii alituma kutoka Yerusalemu kwa wazee waliosalia miongoni mwa mateka na makuhuni, manabii, na watu wote ambao Nebukadreza aliwapeleka utumwani kutoka Yerusalemu hadi Babeli.
2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem; )
Hii ilikuwa baada ya Yekonia mfalme, mama yake mfalme, na watumishi wakuu, viongozi wa Yuda na Yerusalemu, na wahunzi walikuwa wamepelekwa mbali na Yerusalemu.
3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
Aliutuma waraka huu kwa mkono wa Elasa mwana wa Shafani, Gemaria, mwana wa Hilkia, ambaye Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, alikuwa amemtuma kwa Nebukadreza mfalme wa Babeli
4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
Waraka ulisema, Yahwe wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi kwa mateka ambao niliwasababisha kuwa mateka kutoka Yerusalemu hadi Babeli,
5 Build all of you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
'Jengeni nyumba na muishi ndani yake. Pandeni bustani na mle matunda yake.
6 Take all of you wives, and brought forth sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that all of you may be increased there, and not diminished.
Chukueni wake na mzae wana na mabinti. Kisha Kisha chukueni wake kwa ajili ya wana wenu, na wapatieni waume binti zenu. Wazae wana na mabinti na waongezeke ili msiwe wachache sana.
7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall all of you have peace.
Itafuteni amani ya mji ambako nimewafanya kuwa watumwa, na mkauombee kwangu kwa niaba yake kwa kuwa kutakuwa na amani kwenu kama mji uko katika amani.'
8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which all of you cause to be dreamed.
Kwa maana Yahwe wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi, 'Msiwaache manabii ambao wako katikati yenu na wabashiri wenu kuwadanganya, na msizisikilize ndoto ambazo ninyi wenyewe mnaota.
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, says the LORD.
Kwa maana wanatabiri uongo kwenu katika jina langu. Mimi sikuwatuma—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe.'
10 For thus says the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Kwa maana Yahwe anasema hivi, 'Babeli atakapokuwa amewatawala kwa muda wa mika sabini, nitawasaidia ninyi na kulitimiza neno langu jema kwa ajili yenu ili kuwarudisha ninyi katika sehemu hii.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Kwa maana mimi mwenyewe naijua mipangao niliyonayo kwa ajili yenu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—mipango kwa ajili ya amani na siyo kwa ajili ya mabaya, ili kuwapa ninyi tumaini na siku zenu za mwisho.
12 Then shall all of you call upon me, and all of you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Kisha mtaniita, na kwenda na kuniomba mimi, na nitawasikiliza.
13 And all of you shall seek me, and find me, when all of you shall search for me with all your heart.
Kwa maana mtanitafuta na kunipata, kwa kuwa mtanitafuta kwa moyo wenu wote.
14 And I will be found of you, says the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Kisha nitapatikana kwenu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—na nitawarudisha watu wenu waliofungwa; nitawakusanya kutoka mataifa yote na sehehemu zote ambako nimewatawanya—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—kwa maana nitawarudisha kutoka sehemu ambako niliwasababisha kuwa mateka.
15 Because all of you have said, The LORD has raised us up prophets in Babylon;
Tangu mliposema kwamba Yahwe ameinua manabii kwa ajili yetu katika Babeli,
16 Know that thus says the LORD of the king that sits upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwells in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
Yahwe anasema hivi kwa mfalme aliyeketi katika kiti cha enzi cha Daudi na watu wote wakaao katika mji huo, ndugu zenu ambao hawakwenda pamoja nanyi utumwani—
17 Thus says the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
Yahwe wa majeshi anasema hivi, ''Ona, niko karibu kutuma upanga, njaa, na ugonjwa juu yao. Kwa maana nitawafanya kuwa kama tini mbovu ambazo ni mbaya sana hazifai kuliwa.
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them:
Kisha nitawafuata kwa upanga, njaa, na tauni na kuwafanya kuwa kitu cha kushangaza kwa falme zote juu ya dunia—kitu cha kuogofya, kitu cha kulaaniwa na kuzomewa, na kitu cha aibu miongoni mwa mataifa yote ambako nilimtawanya.
19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, says the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but all of you would not hear, says the LORD.
Hii ni kwa sababu hawakulisikiliza neno langu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—ambalo nililituma kwao kupitia watumishi wangu manabii. Niliwatuma tena na tena, lakini hamkusikiliza—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe. '
20 Hear all of you therefore the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Kwa hiyo ninyi wenyewe sikilizeni neno la Yahwe, ninyi mateka wote ambao amewatuma kutoka Yerusalemu hadi Babeli,
21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
'Yahwe wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi kuhusu Ahabu mwana wa Kolaya na Sedekia mwana wa Maaseya, watabirio uongo kwenu katika jina langu: Ona, niko karibu kuwaweka katika mkono wa Nebukadreza mfalme wa Babeli. Atawaua mbele ya macho yenu.
22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
Kisha laana itatamkwa na wafungwa wote wa Yuda katika Babeli kuhusu watu hawa. Laana itasema: Yahwe awafanye kuwa kama Sedekia na Ahabu, ambao mfalme wa Babeli aliwaoka kwenye moto.
23 Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.
Hili litatokea kwa sababu ya mambo ya aibu waliyofanya katika Israeli walipofanya uzinzi na wake za majarani zao na kutangaza maneno ya uongo katika jina langu, mambo ambayo sikuwaamuru wayaseme. Kwa maana mimi ndiye nijuaye; mimi ni shahidi—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe.”'
24 Thus shall you also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
Kuhusu Shemaya Mnehelami, sema hivi:
25 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because you have sent letters in your name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
'Yahwe wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, anasema hivi: Kwa sababu ulituma barua kwa jina lako kwa watu wote katika Yerusalemu, kwa Sefania mwana wa Maaseya kuhani, na kwa makuhani wote, na ulisema,
26 The LORD has made you priest in the position of Jehoiada the priest, that all of you should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in prison, and in the stocks.
“Yahwe aliwafanya ninyi kuwa makuhani badala ya Yehoyada kuhani, ili muwe wasimamizi wa nyumba ya Yahwe. Ninyi ni viongozi wa watu wote wajitiao wazimu na kujifanya wenyewe manabii. Mtawaweka katika mkatale na minyororo.
27 Now therefore why have you not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which makes himself a prophet to you?
Kwa hiyo sasa, kwa nini hamkumkemea Yeremia wa Anathothi, ambaye hujifanya mwenyewe nabii juu yenu?
28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build all of you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
Kwa maana ametutumia sisi katika Babeli, 'Itakuwa muda mrefu. Jengeni nyumba na muishi ndani yake, na pandeni busitani na mule matunda yake.””
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
Sefania kuhani akaisoma barua hii mbele ya Yeremia nabii.
30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
Kisha neno la Yahwe likaja kwa Yeremia, likisema,
31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah has prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
“tuma neno kwa mateka wote na sema, 'Yahwe anasema hivi kuhusu Shemaya Mnehelami: Kwa sababu Shemaya amewatabiria ninyi wakati mimi sikumtuma, na amewaongoza kuamini uongo,
32 Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, says the LORD; because he has taught rebellion against the LORD.
kwa hiyo Yahwe anasema hivi: Angalia, niko karibu kumwadhibu Shemaya Mnehelami na uzao wake. Hapatakuwa na mtu wa kukaa miongoni mwa watu hawa kwa ajili yake. Hataona mema nitakayofanya kwa ajili ya watu wangu—hili ni tangazo la Yahwe—kwa maana ametangaza uasi dhidi ya Yahwe.””
