1
Na Sedekia, mwana wa Yosia, akamiliki badala ya Konia, mwana wa Yehoyakimu, ambaye Nebukadreza amemmilikisha katika nchi ya Yuda.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah son of Josiah the king of Judah, and he reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim.
2
Lakini yeye, wala watumishi wake, wala watu wa nchi, hawakuyasikiliza maneno ya Bwana aliyonena kwa kinywa cha nabii Yeremia.
But he and his officers and the people of the land refused to obey the words that the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.
3
Sedekia, mfalme, akamtuma Yehukali, mwana wa Shelemia, na Sefania, mwana wa Maaseya, kuhani, kwa Yeremia, nabii, kusema, Utuombee sasa kwa Bwana, Mungu wetu.
Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
4
Basi Yeremia alikuwa akiingia na kutoka kati ya watu; kwa maana walikuwa hawakumfunga gerezani.
Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.
5
Na jeshi la Farao lilikuwa limetoka nchi ya Misri; na Wakaldayo waliohusuru Yerusalemu, waliposikia habari zao, wakavunja kambi yao mbele ya Yerusalemu.
Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6
Ndipo neno la Bwana likamjia nabii Yeremia, kusema,
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet:
7
Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi; Mtamwambia hivi mfalme wa Yuda, aliyewatuma kwangu kuniuliza; Angalieni, jeshi la Farao, ambalo linakuja kuwasaidia, litarudi Misri, nchi yao wenyewe.
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.
8
Na Wakaldayo watakuja tena, na kupigana na mji huu; nao watautwaa, na kuuteketeza.
Then the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it down.
9
Bwana asema hivi, Msijidanganye mkisema, Bila shaka Wakaldayo watatuacha na kwenda zao; maana hawatawaacha.
This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will go away for good,’ for they will not!
10
Maana mngelipiga jeshi lote la Wakaldayo wanaopigana nanyi, wakabaki kati yao watu waliojeruhiwa tu, hata hivyo wangeondoka kila mtu katika hema yake, na kuuteketeza mji huu.
Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”
11
Hata ikawa, jeshi la Wakaldayo lilipokuwa limevunja kambi yao mbele ya Yerusalemu, kwa kuliogopa jeshi la Farao,
When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12
ndipo Yeremia akatoka Yerusalemu, ili aende mpaka nchi ya Benyamini, alipokee huko fungu lake kati ya watu.
Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people.
13
Naye alipokuwa katika lango la Benyamini, akida wa walinzi alikuwapo, jina lake Iriya, mwana wa Shelemia, mwana wa Hanania; akamkamata Yeremia, nabii, akisema, Unakwenda kujiunga na Wakaldayo.
But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”
14
Ndipo Yeremia akasema, Ni uongo, siendi kujiunga na Wakaldayo; lakini yeye asimsadiki; basi Iriya akamkamata Yeremia, akamleta kwa wakuu.
“That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.
15
Nao wakuu wakamkasirikia Yeremia, wakampiga, wakamtia gerezani katika nyumba ya Yonathani, mwandishi; kwa maana ndiyo waliyoifanya kuwa gereza.
The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.
16
Basi, Yeremia alipokuwa ameingia katika nyumba ya shimo, na katika vyumba vya ndani; na Yeremia alipokuwa amekaa humo siku nyingi;
So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time.
17
ndipo Sedekia, mfalme, akatuma watu wamlete; naye mfalme akamwuliza kwa siri ndani ya nyumba yake, akasema, Je! Liko neno lililotoka kwa Bwana? Yeremia akasema, Liko. Akasema pia, Utatiwa katika mikono ya mfalme wa Babeli.
Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
18
Pamoja na haya Yeremia akamwambia mfalme Sedekia, Nimefanya kosa gani juu yako, au juu ya watumishi wako, au juu ya watu hawa, hata mkanitia gerezani?
Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison?
19
Wako wapi sasa manabii wenu waliowatabiria, wakisema, Mfalme wa Babeli hatakuja juu yenu, wala juu ya nchi hii?
Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’?
20
Na sasa unisikilize, Ee bwana wangu mfalme; maombi yangu yakapate kibali mbele yako; usinirudishe nyumbani mwa Yonathani, mwandishi, nisije nikafa humo.
But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”
21
Ndipo Sedekia mfalme akatoa amri, wakamtia Yeremia katika uwanda wa walinzi; wakampa kila siku mkate mmoja uliotoka katika njia ya waokaji, hata mkate wote wa mji ulipokwisha. Basi Yeremia akakaa katika uwanda wa walinzi.
So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.