1
Neno hili ndilo lililomjia Yeremia, kutoka kwa Bwana, hapo Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, na jeshi lake lote, na falme zote za dunia zilizokuwa chini ya mamlaka yake, na kabila zote za watu, walipopigana na Yerusalemu, na miji yake yote, kusema,
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities.
2
Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Enenda ukaseme na Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, ukamwambie, Bwana asema hivi, Tazama, nitatia mji huu katika mikono ya mfalme wa Babeli, naye atauteketeza kwa moto;
The LORD, the God of Israel, told Jeremiah to go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.
3
tena wewe hutaokoka mkononi mwake, lakini utakamatwa kweli kweli, na kutiwa katika mikono yake; na macho yako yatayatazama macho ya mfalme wa Babeli, naye atasema nawe mdomo kwa mdomo, nawe utakwenda Babeli.
And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon.
4
Hata hivyo lisikie neno la Bwana, Ee Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda; Bwana asema hivi katika habari zako; hutakufa kwa upanga;
Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD says concerning you: You will not die by the sword;
5
utakufa katika amani; na kwa mafukizo ya baba zako, wafalme wa zamani waliokutangulia, ndivyo watakavyokufukizia; nao watakulilia, Aa, Bwana! Kwa maana mimi nimelinena neno hili, asema Bwana.
you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have spoken this word, declares the LORD.”
6
Basi Yeremia, nabii, akamwambia Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, maneno hayo yote katika Yerusalemu,
In Jerusalem, then, Jeremiah the prophet relayed all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah
7
wakati ule jeshi la Babeli walipopigana na Yerusalemu na miji yote ya Yuda iliyosalia, na Lakishi, na Azeka; kwa maana miji hiyo tu ndiyo iliyosalia katika miji ya Yuda yenye maboma.
as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.
8
Neno hili ndilo lililomjia Yeremia, kutoka kwa Bwana, baada ya wakati ule mfalme Sedekia alipofanya agano na watu wote waliokuwa katika Yerusalemu, kuwatangazia habari ya uhuru;
After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD
9
ya kwamba kila mtu amweke huru mtumwa wake, na kila mtu amweke huru mjakazi wake, ikiwa yule mwanamume au yule mwanamke ni Mwebrania; mtu ye yote asiwatumikishe, yaani, asimtumikishe Myahudi, nduguye;
that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.
10
na wakuu wote, na watu wote, wakati, waliofanya agano hilo, ya kwamba kila mtu amweke huru mtumwa wake na mjakazi wake, mtu ye yote asiwatumikishe tena; wakatii, wakawaacha.
So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,
11
Lakini baadaye wakaghairi, wakawarudisha watumwa wale, na wajakazi wale, ambao wamewaacha huru, nao wakawatia utumwani wawe watumwa na wajakazi wao.
but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.
12
Basi, neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia, kutoka kwa Bwana, kusema,
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13
Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Nalifanya agano na baba zenu, siku ile nilipowatoa katika nchi ya Misri, katika nyumba ya utumwa, nikisema,
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying:
14
Mwisho wa kila mwaka wa saba kila mtu na amweke huru ndugu yake aliye Mwebrania, aliyeuzwa kwako na kukutumikia miaka sita utamwacha atoke kwako huru, lakini baba zenu hawakunisikiliza, wala hawakutega masikio yao.
Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.
15
Na ninyi mlikuwa mmegeuka, mkafanya yaliyo haki machoni pangu, kwa kumtangazia uhuru kila mtu ndugu yake; nanyi mlikuwa mmefanya agano mbele zangu, katika nyumba ile iitwayo kwa jina langu;
Recently you repented and did what pleased Me; each of you proclaimed freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me in the house that bears My Name.
16
lakini mlighairi, na kulitukana jina langu; kila mtu akamrudisha mtumwa wake na mjakazi wake, ambao mmewaweka huru kama walivyopenda wenyewe, mkawatia utumwani tena, wawe watumwa wenu na wajakazi wenu.
But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.
17
Basi Bwana asema hivi, Hamkunisikiliza kumtangazia uhuru kila mtu ndugu yake, na kila mtu jirani yake; tazama, mimi nawatangazieni uhuru, asema Bwana, yaani, wa upanga, na njaa, na tauni; nami nitawatoa ninyi mtupwe huko na huko katika falme zote za dunia.
Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
18
Na watu hao waliolivunja agano langu, wasioyatimiza maneno ya agano lile, walilolifanya mbele zangu, wakati ule walipomkata ndama vipande viwili, wakapita katikati ya vipande vile;
And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.
19
wakuu wa Yuda, na wakuu wa Yerusalemu, matowashi, na makuhani, na watu wote wa nchi, waliopita katikati ya vipande vile vya huyo ndama;
The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf,
20
mimi nitawatia katika mikono ya adui zao, na katika mikono ya watu wale wanaowatafuta roho zao, na mizoga yao itakuwa ni chakula cha ndege za mbinguni, na cha wanyama wakali wa nchi.
I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
21
Na Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, na wakuu wake nitawatia katika mikono ya adui zao, na katika mikono ya watu wale wanaowatafuta roho zao, na katika mikono ya jeshi la mfalme wa Babeli, waliokwenda zao na kuwaacheni.
And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon that had withdrawn from you.
22
Tazama, nitawapa amri yangu, asema Bwana, na kuwarejeza kwenye mji huu; nao watapigana nao, na kuutwaa, na kuuteketeza kwa moto; nami nitaifanya miji ya Yuda kuwa ukiwa, isikaliwe na mtu.
Behold, I am going to give the command, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”