Jeremiah 5
1 [Yahweh said to the people of Jerusalem], “Go up and down every street. Search in the marketplaces to find people who do what is fair/right, who try to be faithful to me. [If you find even one person like that], I will forgive [the people of Jerusalem and not destroy] their city.
“Pandeni na kushuka katika mitaa ya Yerusalemu, tazameni pande zote na mtafakari, tafuteni katika viwanja vyake. Kama mtaweza kumpata hata mtu mmoja tu atendaye kwa uaminifu na kutafuta kweli, nitausamehe mji huu.
2 But when people there say, ‘I solemnly declare that as surely as Yahweh lives, [I will do what he says],’ they are lying.”
Ingawa wanasema, ‘Kwa hakika kama Bwana aishivyo,’ bado wanaapa kwa uongo.”
3 Yahweh, you are certainly [RHQ] searching for [people who tell the] truth. You struck/punished your people, but they did not pay any attention. You crushed them, but they ignored what you were telling them to do. They were extremely stubborn [IDM] and refused to return to you.
Ee Bwana, je, macho yako hayaitafuti kweli? Uliwapiga, lakini hawakusikia maumivu, uliwapondaponda, lakini walikataa maonyo. Walifanya nyuso zao kuwa ngumu kuliko jiwe nao walikataa kutubu.
4 I thought, “[We cannot expect] these [people to act righteously, because they] are poor; they do not have any sense. They do not know the way Yahweh wants them to conduct their lives; they do not know what God requires them to do.
Ndipo nikasema, “Hawa ni maskini tu; wao ni wapumbavu, kwa maana hawaijui njia ya Bwana, sheria ya Mungu wao.
5 So, I will go and talk to their leaders, because they [surely] know how God wants them to conduct their lives.” But they also have stopped obeying Yahweh [MET], and they will not allow him to lead them.
Kwa hiyo nitakwenda kwa viongozi na kuzungumza nao, hakika wao wanaijua njia ya Bwana, sheria ya Mungu wao.” Lakini kwa nia moja nao pia walikuwa wameivunja nira na kuvivunja vifungo.
6 Because of that, lions will come out of the forests and kill them; wolves from the desert will attack them; leopards that lurk/wait outside their cities will maul anyone who walks outside the cities. [Those things will happen] because the people have sinned very much against God and have turned away from him very frequently.
Kwa hiyo simba kutoka mwituni atawashambulia, mbwa mwitu kutoka jangwani atawaangamiza, chui atawavizia karibu na miji yao, ili kumrarua vipande vipande yeyote atakayethubutu kutoka nje, kwa maana maasi yao ni makubwa, na kukengeuka kwao kumekuwa ni kwingi.
7 Yahweh says, “I cannot [RHQ] forgive these people; [even] their children have abandoned me. When they solemnly declare something, they ask their gods [to show that what they say is true]. I gave my people everything that they needed, but they often went to [the shrines of their idols] and committed adultery there.
“Kwa nini niwasamehe? Watoto wenu wameniacha na kuapa kwa miungu ambayo si miungu. Niliwapatia mahitaji yao yote, lakini bado wamefanya uzinzi na kusongana katika nyumba za makahaba.
8 [Just like] [MET] well-fed male horses neigh, wanting sex with female horses, each of the men desires to have sex with his neighbor’s wife.
Wamelishwa vizuri, kama farasi waume wenye tamaa nyingi, kila mmoja akimlilia mke wa mwanaume mwingine.
9 (Should I not punish them for this [RHQ]?/I will certainly get revenge on this nation for this!) I will certainly get revenge [RHQ] on this nation whose people behave like that!
Je, nisiwaadhibu kwa ajili ya hili?” asema Bwana. “Je, nisijilipizie kisasi juu ya taifa kama hili?
10 [I will say to your enemies], ‘The people [of Judah and Israel are like a vineyard]. Go along the rows in their vineyards and get rid of [most of] the people, but do not kill all of them. These people do not belong to me, [so get rid of them], [like a gardener] [MET] lops/cuts off branches from a vine.
“Piteni katika mashamba yake ya mizabibu na kuyaharibu, lakini msiangamize kabisa. Pogoeni matawi yake, kwa kuwa watu hawa sio wa Bwana.
11 The people of Israel and Judah have turned away from me completely.’
Nyumba ya Israeli na nyumba ya Yuda wamekuwa si waaminifu kwangu kamwe,” asema Bwana.
12 They have lied about me and said, ‘He will not punish us! He will not cause us to experience disasters! We will not experience wars or famines!
Wamedanganya kuhusu Bwana. Wamesema, “Yeye hatafanya jambo lolote! Hakuna dhara litakalotupata; kamwe hatutaona upanga wala njaa.
13 What [God’s] prophets say is nothing but hot air! They do not have messages [from God]! We would like [the disasters that they predict] to happen to them!’”
Manabii ni upepo tu, wala neno halimo ndani yao, kwa hiyo hayo wayasemayo na yatendeke kwao.”
14 So, this is what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, has said to me: “Because my people are saying those things, I will give you a message to tell them [MTY] that will be [like] [MET] a fire, and [these people will be like] [MET] wood that the fire will burn up.
Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Kwa sababu watu hawa wamesema maneno haya, nitayafanya maneno yangu vinywani mwenu kuwa moto, na watu hawa wawe kuni zinazoliwa na huo moto.
15 Listen to this, you people of Israel: I will bring [the army of] a distant nation to attack you. It is a very powerful nation that has existed for a long time. They speak a language that you do not know and which you will not be able to understand.
Ee nyumba ya Israeli,” asema Bwana, “Ninaleta taifa toka mbali dhidi yako, taifa la kale na linaloendelea kudumu, taifa ambalo lugha yao huijui, wala msemo wao huwezi kuuelewa.
16 Their soldiers are all very strong, and the arrows from their quivers [MET] will (send many Israeli men to their graves/cause many Israeli people to die).
Podo zao ni kama kaburi lililo wazi, wote ni mashujaa hodari wa vita.
17 They will eat the food that you have harvested from your fields, and eat your bread. They will kill your sons and daughters, and they will kill your flocks [of sheep] and herds [of cattle]. They will eat your grapes and your figs. They will [also] destroy your cities that have high walls around them and kill the people with their swords.
Watayaangamiza mazao yenu na chakula chenu, wataangamiza wana wenu na mabinti zenu; wataangamiza makundi yenu ya kondoo na ya ngʼombe, wataangamiza mizabibu yenu na mitini yenu. Kwa upanga wataangamiza miji yenye maboma mliyoitumainia.
18 But even when those things happen, I will not get rid of all of you.
“Hata hivyo katika siku hizo, sitakuangamiza kabisa,” asema Bwana.
19 And when the survivors ask, ‘Why is Yahweh our God doing this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘You rejected him and worshiped foreign gods in your [own] land, so [now] you will become slaves of foreigners in a land that is not your land.’”
“Nao watu watakapouliza, ‘Kwa nini Bwana, Mungu wetu ametufanyia mambo haya yote?’ utawaambia, ‘Kama vile mlivyoniacha mimi na kutumikia miungu migeni katika nchi yenu wenyewe, ndivyo sasa mtakavyowatumikia wageni katika nchi ambayo si yenu.’
20 [Yahweh said to me], “Proclaim this to the people of Israel and Judah:
“Itangazie nyumba ya Yakobo hili na ulipigie mbiu katika Yuda:
21 Listen to this, you people who are foolish and who do not have any sense: You have eyes, but [it is as though] you cannot see; you have ears, but [it is as though] you cannot hear.
Sikieni hili, enyi watu wapumbavu, msio na akili, mlio na macho lakini hamwoni, mlio na masikio lakini hamsikii:
22 Why do you not revere me [RHQ]? You should [RHQ] tremble when you are in my presence! I, Yahweh, am the one who put a barrier along the shores so that the waters of the ocean cannot cross it [and flood the land]. The waves roll and roar, but they cannot go past that barrier.
Je, haiwapasi kuniogopa mimi?” asema Bwana. “Je, haiwapasi kutetemeka mbele zangu? Niliufanya mchanga kuwa mpaka wa bahari, kizuizi cha milele ambacho haiwezi kupita. Mawimbi yanaweza kuumuka, lakini hayawezi kuupita; yanaweza kunguruma, lakini hayawezi kuuvuka.
23 But you people [are not like the waves that obey me]. You people are very stubborn and rebellious. You have constantly turned away from me.
Lakini watu hawa wana mioyo ya ukaidi na ya uasi, wamegeukia mbali na kwenda zao.
24 You do not say to yourselves, ‘We should revere Yahweh our God, the one who sends us rain at the times when we need it, the one who causes the grain to become ripe at the harvest season.’
Wao hawaambiani wenyewe, ‘Sisi na tumwogope Bwana Mungu wetu, anayetupatia mvua za masika na za vuli kwa majira yake, anayetuhakikishia majuma ya mavuno kwa utaratibu.’
25 It is because of the wrong things that you have done, that those good things have not happened; it is because of the sins that you have committed that you have been prevented from receiving those blessings.
Matendo yenu mabaya yamezuia haya yote, dhambi zenu zimewazuia msipate mema.
26 Among my people are wicked people who hide along the roads to ambush/attack people like [SIM] men who hunt birds (put out nets/set traps) to catch them.
“Miongoni mwa watu wangu wamo walio waovu wanaovizia kama watu wanaotega ndege, na kama wale wanaoweka mitego kuwakamata watu.
27 Like [a hunter has] a cage full of birds [that he has captured], their homes are full of things that they have gotten by deceiving others. So now they are [very] rich and powerful.
Kama vitundu vilivyojaa ndege, nyumba zao zimejaa udanganyifu; wamekuwa matajiri na wenye nguvu,
28 They are big and fat, and there is no limit to the evil things that they have done. They do not try to defend orphans in the courtrooms, and they do not help poor people to get what they have a right to receive.
wamenenepa na kunawiri. Matendo yao maovu hayana kikomo; hawatetei mashauri ya yatima wapate kushinda, hawatetei haki za maskini.
29 So I will certainly [RHQ] punish them for doing those things. I will certainly [RHQ] (get revenge on their nation/do to their nation what they deserve).
Je, nisiwaadhibu kwa ajili ya hili?” asema Bwana. “Je, nisijilipizie kisasi juu ya taifa kama hili?
30 Very appalling/horrible and terrible [DOU] things are happening in this country:
“Jambo la kutisha na kushtusha limetokea katika nchi hii:
31 Prophets speak [only] lies and priests rule by their own authority, and you people like that! But when you [start to] experience disasters, what will you do [RHQ]?”
Manabii wanatabiri uongo, makuhani wanatawala kwa mamlaka yao wenyewe, nao watu wangu wanapenda hivyo. Lakini mtafanya nini mwisho wake?
