1
Neno hili ndilo lililomjia Yeremia, kutoka kwa Bwana, hapo mfalme Sedekia alipompelekea Pashuri, mwana wa Malkiya, na Sefania, mwana wa Maaseya, kuhani, kusema,
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,
2
Tafadhali utuulizie habari kwa Bwana; kwa maana Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, analeta vita juu yetu; labda Bwana atatutendea sawasawa na kazi zake zote za ajabu, ili aende zake akatuache.
“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
3
Basi Yeremia akawaambia, Mwambieni Sedekia neno hili,
But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that
4
Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Angalieni, nitazigeuza nyuma silaha za vita zilizo mikononi mwenu, ambazo kwa hizo ninyi mnapigana na mfalme wa Babeli, na Wakaldayo, wanaowahusuru nje ya kuta zenu, nami nitazikusanya pamoja katikati ya mji huu.
this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.
5
Na mimi mwenyewe nitapigana nanyi, kwa mkono ulionyoshwa na kwa mkono hodari, naam, kwa hasira, na kwa ukali, na kwa ghadhabu nyingi.
And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath.
6
Nami nitawapiga wenyeji wa mji huu, wanadamu na wanyama pia; watakufa kwa tauni kubwa.
I will strike down the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a terrible plague.’
7
Na baada ya hayo, asema Bwana, nitamtia Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, na watumishi wake, na watu wote waliosalia ndani ya mji huu, baada ya tauni ile, na upanga, na njaa, katika mkono wa Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, na katika mikono ya adui zao, na katika mikono ya watu wale wanaowatafuta roho zao; naye atawaua kwa ukali wa upanga; hatawaachilia, wala hatawahurumia, wala hatawarehemu.
‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’
8
Nawe waambie watu hawa, Bwana asema hivi, Tazama naweka mbele yenu njia ya uzima, na njia ya mauti.
Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
9
Yeye atakayekaa katika mji huu atakufa kwa upanga, na kwa njaa, na kwa tauni; bali yeye atakayetoka, na kujitia pamoja na Wakaldayo wanaowahusuru, yeye ataishi, na maisha yake yatakuwa nyara kwake.
Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war.
10
Maana nimeweka uso wangu juu ya mji huu niuletee mabaya, wala nisiuletee mema, asema Bwana; utatiwa katika mkono wa mfalme wa Babeli, naye atauteketeza.
For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’
11
Na katika habari za nyumba ya mfalme wa Yuda, lisikieni neno la Bwana,
Moreover, tell the house of the king of Judah to hear the word of the LORD.
12
Ee nyumba ya Daudi, Bwana asema hivi, Hukumuni hukumu ya haki asubuhi, mkawaponye waliotekwa nyara na mkono wake aliyewadhulumu, ghadhabu yangu isije ikatoka kama moto, ikaunguza, asiweze mtu ye yote kuuzima, kwa sababu ya uovu wa matendo yenu.
O house of David, this is what the LORD says: ‘Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it because of their evil deeds.
13
Tazama, mimi ni juu yako, Ewe ukaaye bondeni, na kwenye jabali la uwandani, asema Bwana ninyi mnaosema, Ni nani atakayeshuka apigane nasi? Au, Ni nani atakayeingia katika makao yetu?
Behold, I am against you who dwell above the valley, atop the rocky plateau—declares the LORD—you who say, “Who can come against us? Who can enter our dwellings?”
14
Nami nitawaadhibu kwa kadiri ya matunda ya matendo yenu, asema Bwana; nami nitawasha moto katika msitu wake, nao utateketeza vitu vyote viuzungukavyo.
I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the LORD. I will kindle a fire in your forest that will consume everything around you.’”