1
Maneno haya ndiyo maneno ya waraka, ambao nabii Yeremia aliupeleka toka Yerusalemu, kwa hao waliobaki wa wakuu waliochukuliwa mateka, na kwa makuhani, na kwa manabii, na kwa watu wote, ambao Nebukadreza aliwachukua mateka toka Yerusalemu hata Babeli;
This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2
(hapo walipokwisha kutoka Yerusalemu Yekonia mfalme, na mama yake mfalme, na matowashi, na wakuu wa Yuda na Yerusalemu, na mafundi, na wahunzi;)
(This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)
3
kwa mkono wa Elasa, mwana wa Shafani, na Gemaria, mwana wa Hilkia, (ambao Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, aliwatuma hata Babeli, kwa Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli), kusema,
The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:
4
Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, awaambia hivi watu wote waliochukuliwa mateka, niliowafanya wachukuliwe toka Yerusalemu mpaka Babeli;
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5
Jengeni nyumba, mkakae ndani yake, kapandeni bustani, mkale matunda yake;
“Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.
6
oeni wake, mkazae wana na binti; kawaozeni wake wana wenu, mkawaoze waume binti zenu, wazae wana na binti; mkaongezeke huko wala msipungue.
Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.
7
Kautakieni amani mji ule, ambao nimewafanya mchukuliwe mateka, mkauombee kwa Bwana; kwa maana katika amani yake mji huo ninyi mtapata amani.
Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
8
Maana Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Manabii walio kati yenu, na wabashiri wenu, wasiwadanganye ninyi, wala msisikilize ndoto zenu, mnazootesha.
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.
9
Kwa maana kwa jina langu hutabiri maneno ya uongo kwenu; mimi sikuwatuma, asema Bwana.
For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
10
Maana Bwana asema hivi, Babeli utakapotimiziwa miaka sabini, nitawajilia ninyi, na kulitimiza neno langu jema kwenu, kwa kuwarudisha mahali hapa.
For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
11
Maana nayajua mawazo ninayowawazia ninyi, asema Bwana, ni mawazo ya amani wala si ya mabaya, kuwapa ninyi tumaini siku zenu za mwisho.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
12
Nanyi mtaniita, mtakwenda na kuniomba, nami nitawasikiliza.
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13
Nanyi mtanitafuta na kuniona, mtakaponitafuta kwa moyo wenu wote.
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
14
Nami nitaonekana kwenu, asema Bwana, nami nitawarudisha watu wenu waliofungwa, nami nitawakusanya ninyi, nikiwatoa katika mataifa yote, na katika mahali pote, nilikowafukuza, asema Bwana; nami nitawaleta tena, hata mahali ambapo kutoka hapo naliwafanya mchukuliwe mateka.
I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
15
Maana mmesema, Bwana ametuinulia manabii huko Babeli.
Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”
16
Maana Bwana asema hivi, katika habari za mfalme aketiye katika kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, na katika habari za watu wote wakaao ndani ya mji huu, ndugu zenu wasiokwenda pamoja nanyi kufungwa;
this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—
17
Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi, Tazama, nitaleta juu yao upanga, na njaa, na tauni, nami nitawafanya kuwa kama tini mbovu, zisizoweza kuliwa, kwa kuwa ni mbovu sana.
this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.
18
Nami nitawafuatia kwa upanga, na njaa, na tauni, nami nitawatoa watupwe huko na huko katika falme zote za dunia, wawe kitu cha kulaaniwa, na cha kushangaza, na cha kuzomewa, na cha kulaumiwa, katika mataifa yote nilikowafukuza.
I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.
19
Kwa sababu hawakusikiliza maneno yangu, asema Bwana, ambayo naliwatuma watumishi wangu, hao manabii, nikiamka mapema, na kuwatuma; lakini hamkutaka kusikiliza, asema Bwana.
I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”
20
Basi, lisikieni neno la Bwana, ninyi nyote mliochukuliwa mateka, niliowapeleka toka Yerusalemu mpaka Babeli.
So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21
Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, katika habari za Ahabu, mwana wa Kolaya, na katika habari za Sedekia, mwana wa Maaseya, wawatabiriao ninyi maneno ya uongo kwa jina langu; Tazama, nitawatia katika mikono ya Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, naye atawaua mbele ya macho yenu.
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.
22
Tena katika habari zao laana itatumiwa na wafungwa wote wa Yuda, walioko Babeli, kusema, Bwana akufanye uwe kama Sedekia, na kama Ahabu, ambao mfalme wa Babeli aliwaoka motoni;
Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
23
kwa sababu wametenda upumbavu katika Israeli, nao wamezini na wake za jirani zao, nao wamenena maneno ya uongo kwa jina langu, nisiyowaamuru; nami ndimi nijuaye, nami ni shahidi, asema Bwana.
For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”
24
Na katika habari za Shemaya, Mnehelami, utanena, ukisema,
You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that
25
Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, ya kwamba, Kwa kuwa kwa jina lako mwenyewe umewapelekea barua watu wote walioko Yerusalemu, na Sefania, mwana wa Maaseya, kuhani, na makuhani wote, kusema,
this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:
26
Bwana amekufanya kuhani badala ya Yehoyada, kuhani, ili mpate kuwa watumishi katika nyumba ya Bwana, kwa kila mtu aliye na wazimu, na kwa kila mtu ajifanyaye kuwa nabii, umtie katika mkatale na pingu.
‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.
27
Mbona, basi, hukumkemea Yeremia wa Anathothi, ajifanyaye kuwa nabii kwenu,
So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
28
ambaye ametuma watu kwetu katika Babeli, kusema, Uhamisho huu ni wa siku nyingi; jengeni nyumba, mkakae ndani yake; pandeni bustani, mkale matunda yake.
For he has sent to us in Babylon, claiming: Since the exile will be lengthy, build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce.’”
29
Na Sefania, kuhani, akasoma barua hii masikioni mwa Yeremia nabii.
(Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
30
Ndipo neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia, kusema,
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
31
Uwapelekee habari watu wote waliohamishwa, kusema, Bwana asema hivi, katika habari za Shemaya, Mnehelami; Kwa sababu Shemaya amewatabiria ninyi, lakini sikumtuma mimi, naye amewatumainisha neno la uongo;
“Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
32
basi, Bwana asema hivi, Tazama, nitamwadhibu Shemaya, Mnehelami, na wazao wake; hatakuwa na mtu atakayekaa katika watu hawa, wala hatayaona mema nitakayowatendea watu wangu, asema Bwana; kwa sababu amenena maneno ya uasi juu ya Bwana.
this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”