1
Mwanzo wa kumiliki kwake Sedekia, mwana wa Yosia, mfalme wa Yuda, neno hili likamjia Yeremia, kutoka kwa Bwana, kusema,
At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD.
2
Bwana ameniambia hivi, Jifanyizie vifungo na nira, ukajivike shingoni;
This is what the LORD said to me: “Make for yourself a yoke out of leather straps and put it on your neck.
3
kisha uvipeleke kwa mfalme wa Edomu, na mfalme wa Moabu, na mfalme wa wana wa Amoni, na mfalme wa Tiro, na mfalme wa Sidoni, kwa mikono ya wajumbe watakaofika Yerusalemu kwa Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda.
Send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
4
Uwaagize waende kwa bwana zao, na kuwaambia, Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Mtawaambia bwana zenu maneno haya;
Give them a message from the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, to relay to their masters:
5
Mimi nimeiumba dunia hii, wanadamu na wanyama walio juu ya uso wa nchi, kwa uweza wangu mkuu, na kwa mkono wangu ulionyoshwa; nami nawapa watu kama inipendezavyo.
By My great power and outstretched arm, I made the earth and the men and beasts on the face of it, and I give it to whom I please.
6
Na sasa nimetia nchi hizi zote katika mkono wa Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, mtumishi wangu; na wanyama wa mwituni pia nimempa wamtumikie.
So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I have even made the beasts of the field subject to him.
7
Na mataifa yote watamtumikia yeye, na mwanawe, na mwana wa mwanawe, hata utakapowadia wakati wa nchi yake mwenyewe, ndipo mataifa mengi na wafalme wakuu watamtumikisha yeye.
All nations will serve him and his son and grandson, until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will enslave him.
8
Na itakuwa, taifa lile na mfalme yule asiyetaka kumtumikia Nebukadreza, huyo mfalme wa Babeli, na kutia shingo zao katika nira ya mfalme wa Babeli, mimi nitaliadhibu taifa lile kwa upanga, na kwa njaa, na kwa tauni, asema Bwana, hata nitakapokuwa nimewaangamiza kwa mkono wake.
As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and does not place its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation by sword and famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I have destroyed it by his hand.
9
Lakini, katika habari zenu, msisikilize manabii wenu, wala wabashiri wenu, wala ndoto zenu, wala watambuzi wenu, wala waganga wenu, wanaowaambia, ya kwamba, Hamtamtumikia mfalme wa Babeli;
But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums, or your sorcerers who declare, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’
10
maana wanawatabiria uongo, ili kuwatoa ninyi mbali na nchi yenu; niwafukuze mkaangamie.
For they prophesy to you a lie that will serve to remove you from your land; I will banish you and you will perish.
11
Bali taifa lile watakaotia shingo zao katika nira ya mfalme wa Babeli, na kumtumikia, taifa hilo nitawaacha wakae katika nchi yao wenyewe, asema Bwana; nao watailima, na kukaa ndani yake.
But the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave in its own land, to cultivate it and reside in it, declares the LORD.”
12
Nikamwambia Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, kwa mfano wa maneno hayo yote, nikisema, Tieni shingo zenu katika nira ya mfalme wa Babeli, mkamtumikie yeye na watu wake, mpate kuishi.
And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!
13
Mbona mnataka kufa, wewe na watu wako, kwa upanga, na kwa njaa, na kwa tauni, kama Bwana alivyosema katika habari ya taifa lile, lisilotaka kumtumikia mfalme wa Babeli?
Why should you and your people die by sword and famine and plague, as the LORD has decreed against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon?
14
Wala msisikilize maneno ya manabii wawaambiao ninyi, ya kwamba, Hamtamtumikia mfalme wa Babeli; maana wanawatabiria uongo.
Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say, ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying to you a lie.
15
Kwa maana mimi sikuwatuma, asema Bwana, bali wanatabiri uongo kwa jina langu; nipate kuwatoeni nje, mkaangamie, ninyi, na manabii hao wanaowatabiria.
For I have not sent them, declares the LORD, and yet they are prophesying falsely in My name; therefore I will banish you, and you will perish—you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16
Pia nalisema na makuhani, na watu wote, nikisema, Bwana asema hivi, Msisikilize maneno ya manabii wenu, wanaowatabiria, wakisema, Tazameni, vyombo vya nyumba ya Bwana, baada ya muda kidogo, vitaletwa tena toka Babeli; maana wanawatabiria uongo.
Then I said to the priests and to all this people, “This is what the LORD says: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Look, very soon now the articles from the house of the LORD will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying to you a lie.
17
Msiwasikilize; mtumikieni mfalme wa Babeli, mkaishi; kwani mji huu kufanywa ukiwa?
Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?
18
Lakini ikiwa hao ni manabii, na ikiwa neno la Bwana liko kwao, basi na wamwombe Bwana wa majeshi, kwamba vyombo vile vilivyosalia katika nyumba ya Bwana, na katika nyumba ya mfalme wa Yuda, na hapa Yerusalemu, visiende Babeli.
If they are indeed prophets and the word of the LORD is with them, let them now plead with the LORD of Hosts that the articles remaining in the house of the LORD, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, not be taken to Babylon.
19
Maana Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi, katika habari za nguzo, na katika habari za bahari, na katika habari za matako yake, na katika habari za mabaki ya vyombo vilivyoachwa katika mji huu,
For this is what the LORD of Hosts says about the pillars, the sea, the bases, and the rest of the articles that remain in this city,
20
ambavyo Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, hakuvichukua, hapo alipomchukua Yekonia, mwana wa Yehoyakimu, mfalme wa Yuda, toka Yerusalemu mpaka Babeli, pamoja na wakuu wote wa Yuda, na Yerusalemu;
which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.
21
naam, Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, katika habari za vyombo vilivyobaki katika nyumba ya Bwana, na katika nyumba ya mfalme wa Yuda, na hapa Yerusalemu;
Yes, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about the articles that remain in the house of the LORD, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem:
22
Vitachukuliwa mpaka Babeli, navyo vitakaa huko, hata siku ile nitakapovijilia, asema Bwana; hapo ndipo nitakapovileta tena, na kuvirudisha mahali hapa.
‘They will be carried to Babylon and will remain there until the day I attend to them again,’ declares the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’”