Yeremia 6
1 Tafuteni mahali salama, enyi watu wa Benjamini, kwa kuondoka Yerusalemu. Pigeni tarumbeta zaTekoa. Simamisheni ishara juu ya Beth- Hakeremu, kwa uovu unaonekana ukitokea kaskazinni; pigo kubwa linakuja.
Go in flight out of Jerusalem, so that you may be safe, you children of Benjamin, and let the horn be sounded in Tekoa, and the flag be lifted up on Beth-haccherem: for evil is looking out from the north, and a great destruction.
2 Binti za Sayuni, warembo na mwororo, wataangamizwa.
The fair and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will be cut off by my hand.
3 Wachungaji na kondoo wao watawaendea; wataweka hema zao zikiwazunguka pande zote; kila mtu atachunga kwa mkono wake.
Keepers of sheep with their flocks will come to her; they will put up their tents round her; everyone will get food in his place.
4 Jitakaseni wenyewe kwa miungu kwa ajili ya vita. Twendeni tukamvamie wakati wa adhuhuri. Ni vibaya sana kwamba mchana unatoweka na vivuli vya jioni vinakuja.
Make war ready against her; up! let us go up when the sun is high. Sorrow is ours! for the day is turned and the shades of evening are stretched out.
5 Lakini tumvamieni usiku na na tuharibu ngome zake.
Up! let us go up by night, and send destruction on her great houses.
6 Kwa kuwa BWANA wa majeshi asema hivi: Kateni miti yake, na tengenezeni vifusi vya kuitekea Yerualemu. Huu ndio mji sahihi kuuteka, Kwa sababu umejaa ukandamizaji.
For this is what the Lord of armies has said: Let trees be cut down and an earthwork be placed against Jerusalem: sorrow on the false town! inside her there is nothing but cruel ways.
7 Kama vile kisima kitoavyo maji, vivyo hivyo mji huu uzaavyo uovu. Uaribifu na jeuri vimesikika kwake. Mateso na tauni viko mbele yangu daima.
As the spring keeps its waters cold, so she keeps her evil in her: the sound of cruel and violent behaviour is in her; before me at all times are disease and wounds.
8 Uadhibiswhe, ee Yerusalemu, vingenevyo nitaondoka kwako na kukufanya ukiwa, na nchi isiyokaliwa na watu.
Undergo teaching, O Jerusalem, or my soul will be turned away from you, and I will make you a waste, an unpeopled land.
9 BWANA wa majeshi asema hivi, “Hakika wataokota mabaki ya Isreli waliobaki kama zabibu. Nyosha mkono wako ili uchume zabibu.
This is what the Lord of armies has said: Everything will be taken from the rest of Israel as the last grapes are taken from the vine; let your hand be turned to the small branches, like one pulling off grapes.
10 Nitamwambia nani na kumwonya nani ili wasikilize? Tazama! Masikio yao hayakutahariwa; hayawezi kutilia manani! Tazama! Neno la BWANA limekuja kuwarudi, lakini hawalitaki.”
To whom am I to give word, witnessing so that they may take note? see, their ears are stopped, and they are not able to give attention: see, the word of the Lord has been a cause of shame to them, they have no delight in it.
11 Lakini nimejazwa na hasira za BWANA. Nimechoka kuizuia. Aliniambia, “Imwage mbele ya watoto mitaani na katika makundi ya vijana. Kwa kuwa kila mume atachukuliwa pamoja na mke wake; na kila mzee mwenye miaka mingi.
For this reason I am full of the wrath of the Lord, I am tired of keeping it in: may it be let loose on the children in the street, and on the band of the young men together: for even the husband with his wife will be taken, the old man with him who is full of days.
12 Nyumba zao watapewa watu wengine, kwa kuwa nitawavamia wakazi wa nchi kwa mkono wangu - asema BWANA wa majeshi.
And their houses will be handed over to others, their fields and their wives together: for my hand will be stretched out against the people of the land, says the Lord.
13 BWANA amesema hayo kutoka kwa mdogo hadi kwa mkubwa, kila mmoja anatamani mapato ya udanganyifu. Kuanzia kuhani hadi nabii, Kila mmoja anafanya hila.
For from the least of them even to the greatest, everyone is given up to getting money; from the prophet even to the priest, everyone is working deceit.
14 Lakini wameponya vidonda vya watu wangu kwa juu juu tu. Wanasema, 'Amani! Amani! na kumbe amani haipo.
And they have made little of the wounds of my people, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
15 Je, waliona aibu walipofanya machukizo? Hasha, hawakuona aibu! Hawakuwa na aibu. Kwa hiyo wataanguka pamoj na wale watakaoanguka wakati nitakpowaadhibu. Wataangushwa chini,” asema BWANA.
Let them be put to shame because they have done disgusting things. They had no shame, they were not able to become red with shame: so they will come down with those who are falling: when my punishment comes on them, they will be made low, says the Lord.
16 BWANA asema hivi, `Simama kwenye njia panda utazame; uliza nzile njia za zamani, 'Je, hii tabia njema iko wapi?' Kisha endelea nayo na tafuta mahali pa kupumzika. Lakini watu wanasema, 'Hatutaenda.'
This is what the Lord has said: Take your place looking out on the ways; make search for the old roads, saying, Where is the good way? and go in it that you may have rest for your souls. But they said, We will not go in it.
17 Niliweka walinzi juu yenu ili wasikilize tarumbeta. Lakini walisema, 'Hatutasikiliza.'
And I put watchmen over you, saying, Give attention to the sound of the horn; but they said, We will not give attention.
18 Kwa hiyo, sikilizeni, enyi mataifa! Tazameni, enyi mashahidi, muone kile kitakachowapata.
So then, give ear, you nations, and ...
19 Sikia, wewe dunia! Tazama, niko tayari kuleta janga kwa watu hawa - matunda ya fikra zao. Hawakusikiliza neno langu wala sheria zangu, badala yake walizikataa.
Give ear, O earth: see, I will make evil come on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not given attention to my words, and they would have nothing to do with my law.
20 Huu ubani kutoka sheba unaopanda una maana gani kwangu? Au huu uudi kutoka nchi ya mbali? Sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa hazikubaliki kwangu wala dhabihu zenu.
To what purpose does sweet perfume come to me from Sheba, and spices from a far country? your burned offerings give me no pleasure, your offerings of beasts are not pleasing to me.
21 Kwa hiyo BWANA asema hivi, 'Tazama, 'Niko tayari kuweka kikwazo dhidi ya watu hawa. Watajikwaa juu yake - baba na watoto wao kwa pamoja watajikwaa. Wakazi na jirani zao pia watapotea.'
For this reason the Lord has said, See, I will put stones in the way of this people: and the fathers and the sons together will go falling over them; the neighbour and his friend will come to destruction.
22 BWANA asema hivi, 'Tazama watu wanakuja toka nchi ya kaskazini. Kwa kuwa taifa kubwa limechochewa kutoka nchi ya mbali.
The Lord has said, See, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation will be put in motion from the inmost parts of the earth.
23 Watachukua pinde na mishale yao. Ni wakatili na hawana huruma. Sauti yao ni kama muungurumo wa bahari, na wapanda farasi katika mfumo wa wanaume wa vita, enyi binti wa Sayuni,”'
Bows and spears are in their hands; they are cruel and have no mercy; their voice is like the thunder of the sea, and they go on horses; everyone in his place like men going to the fight, against you, O daughter of Zion.
24 Tumesikia habai zao. Mikono yetu inalegea kwa dhiki. Na maumivu yametukamata kama utungu wa mwanamke anayezaa.
The news of it has come to our ears; our hands have become feeble: trouble has come on us and pain, like the pain of a woman in childbirth.
25 Usiende nje mashambani, na usitembee barabarani, kwa kuwa upanga wa adui na hofu vimekaribia.
Go not out into the field or by the way; for there is the sword of the attacker, and fear on every side.
26 Binti za watu wangu, jivikeni magunia na kugaagaa kwenye majivu ya maombolezo ya mwana pekee. Ombolezeni kwa huzuni kuu, kwa kuwa anayewaangamiza anakuja kwetu ghafula juu yetu.
O daughter of my people, put on haircloth, rolling yourself in the dust: give yourself to sorrow, as for an only son, with most bitter cries of grief; for he who makes waste will come on us suddenly.
27 “Nimekufanya wewe, Yeremia, kuwajaribu watu wangu kama mtu anayepima fedha, kwa hiyo utachunguza na kupima njia zao.
I have made you a tester among my people, so that you may have knowledge of their way and put it to the test.
28 Wao ni watu wasumbufu miongoni mwa watu, wanaoenda huko na kule wakisingizia wengine. Wote ni shaba na chuma, wakitenda kwa dhuluma.
All of them are turned away, going about with false stories; they are brass and iron: they are all workers of deceit.
29 Mifuo inafukuta kwa moto unaoziunguza; risasi inaunguzwa na moto. Risasi tu ndiyo inayotoka kati yake, lakini haifai kitu kwa sababu uovu haujaondolewa.
The blower is blowing strongly, the lead is burned away in the fire: they go on heating the metal to no purpose, for the evil-doers are not taken away.
30 Wataitwa taka za fedha, kwa sababu BWANA amewakataa.
They will be named waste silver, because the Lord has given them up.
