1
Lisikieni neno hili nilitamkalo liwe maombolezo juu yenu, enyi nyumba ya Israeli.
Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lamentation I take up against you:
2
Bikira wa Israeli ameanguka; hatainuka tena; Ameangushwa katika nchi yake; hakuna mtu wa kumwinua.
“Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again. She lies abandoned on her land, with no one to raise her up.”
3
Kwa kuwa Bwana MUNGU asema hivi; Mji uliotoka nje wenye watu elfu, utasaziwa watu mia, na mji uliotoka wenye watu mia, utasaziwa watu kumi, kwa nyumba ya Israeli.
This is what the Lord GOD says: “The city that marches out a thousand strong will have but a hundred left, and the one that marches out a hundred strong will have but ten left in the house of Israel.”
4
Maana Bwana awaambia hivi nyumba ya Israeli, Nitafuteni mimi, nanyi mtaishi;
For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live!
5
bali msitafute Betheli, wala msiingie Gilgali, wala msipite kwenda Beer-sheba; kwani Gilgali hakika yake itakwenda utumwani, na Betheli itakuwa ubatili.
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.
6
Mtafuteni Bwana, nanyi mtaishi; asije akawaka kama moto katika nyumba ya Yusufu, nao ukateketeza, asiwepo mtu awezaye kuuzima katika Betheli.
Seek the LORD and live, or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph; it will devour everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.
7
Ninyi mnaogeuza hukumu kuwa uchungu, na kuiangusha haki chini,
There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.
8
mtafuteni yeye afanyaye Kilimia na Orioni, na kukigeuza kivuli cha mauti kuwa asubuhi, na kuufanya mchana kuwa giza kwa usiku; yeye ayaitaye maji ya bahari, na kuyamwaga juu ya uso wa nchi; Bwana, ndilo jina lake;
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth—the LORD is His name—
9
yeye aletaye uharibifu wa ghafula juu yao walio hodari, hata uharibifu uipate ngome.
He flashes destruction on the strong, so that fury comes upon the stronghold.
10
Wao humchukia yeye akemeaye langoni, nao humzira anenaye maneno ya adili.
There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity.
11
Basi, kwa kuwa mnamkanyaga maskini, na kumtoza ngano; ninyi mmejenga nyumba za mawe yaliyochongwa, lakini hamtakaa ndani yake; ninyi mmepanda mashamba mazuri ya mizabibu, lakini hamtakunywa divai yake.
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted.
12
Maana mimi najua jinsi maasi yenu yalivyo mengi, na jinsi dhambi zenu zilivyo kubwa; ninyi mnaowaonea wenye haki, mnaopokea rushwa, na kuwageuza wahitaji langoni wasipate haki yao.
For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.
13
Kwa ajili ya hayo mwenye busara atanyamaza kimya wakati kama huo; kwa kuwa ni wakati mbaya.
Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times, for the days are evil.
14
Tafuteni mema, wala si mabaya, mpate kuishi; hivyo Bwana, Mungu wa majeshi, atakuwa pamoja nanyi, kama msemavyo.
Seek good, not evil, so that you may live. And the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have claimed.
15
Yachukieni mabaya; yapendeni mema; mkaithibitishe haki langoni; yamkini kwamba Bwana, Mungu wa majeshi, atawafanyia fadhili mabaki ya Yusufu.
Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
16
Kwa ajili ya hayo, asema Bwana, Mungu wa majeshi, aliye Bwana; Kutakuwako maombolezo katika njia kuu zote; nao watasema katika njia zote, Ole! Ole! Nao watamwita mkulima aje kuombolea, na hao walio hodari wa kulia waje kuomboleza.
Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says: “There will be wailing in all the public squares and cries of ‘Alas! Alas!’ in all the streets. The farmer will be summoned to mourn, and the mourners to wail.
17
Tena katika mashamba yote ya mizabibu kutakuwako kulia; kwa maana mimi nitapita katikati yako, asema Bwana.
There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD.
18
Ole wenu! Ninyi mnaoitamani siku ya Bwana; kwani kuitamani siku ya Bwana? Ni giza, wala si nuru.
Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light.
19
Ni kama mtu aliyemkimbia simba, akakutana na dubu; au aliingia katika nyumba akauegemeza mkono wake ukutani, nyoka akamwuma.
It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.
20
Je! Siku ya Bwana haitakuwa giza, wala si nuru? Naam, yenye giza sana, wala haina mwanga.
Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?
21
Mimi nazichukia sikukuu zenu, nazidharau, nami sitapendezwa na makutano yenu ya dini.
“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.
22
Naam, ijapokuwa mnanitolea sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa na sadaka zenu za unga, sitazikubali; wala sitaziangalia sadaka zenu za amani, na za wanyama walionona.
Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard.
23
Niondoleeni kelele za nyimbo zenu; kwa maana sitaki kuzisikia sauti za vinanda vyenu.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24
Lakini hukumu na itelemke kama maji, na haki kama maji makuu.
But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25
Je! Mliniletea dhabihu na sadaka jangwani muda wa miaka arobaini, enyi nyumba ya Israeli?
Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
26
Naam, mtamchukua Sikuthi, mfalme wenu, na Kiuni, sanamu zenu, nyota ya mungu wenu, mliojifanyizia wenyewe.
You have taken along Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, the idols you made for yourselves.
27
Kwa sababu hiyo nitawahamisha, hali ya kufungwa, mwende mbali kupita Dameski, asema Bwana, ambaye jina lake ni Mungu wa majeshi.
Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of Hosts.