1
Ndipo maakida wote wa majeshi, na Yohana, mwana wa Karea, na Yezania, mwana wa Hoshaya, na watu wote tangu wadogo hata wakubwa, wakakaribia,
Then all the commanders of the forces, along with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, approached
2
wakamwambia Yeremia, nabii, Twakusihi, maombi yetu yakubaliwe mbele yako, ukatuombee kwa Bwana, Mungu wako, yaani, watu hawa wote waliosalia; maana tumesalia wachache tu katika watu wengi, kama macho yako yatuonavyo;
Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes.
3
ili kwamba Bwana, Mungu wako, atuonyeshe njia ambayo yatupasa tuiendee, na jambo litupasalo tulitende.
Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.”
4
Ndipo Yeremia, nabii, akawaambia, Nimewasikia; tazama, nitamwomba Bwana, Mungu wenu, sawasawa na maneno yenu; tena itakuwa, neno lo lote ambalo Bwana atawajibu, nitawaambia; sitawazuilia neno liwalo lote.
“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will surely pray to the LORD your God as you request, and I will tell you everything that the LORD answers. I will not withhold a word from you.”
5
Wakamwambia Yeremia, Bwana na awe shahidi wa kweli na uaminifu kati yetu; ikiwa hatufanyi sawasawa na neno lile, ambalo Bwana, Mungu wako, atakutuma utuletee.
Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act upon every word that the LORD your God sends you to tell us.
6
Likiwa jema, au likiwa baya, sisi tutaitii sauti ya Bwana, Mungu wetu, ambaye tunakutuma kwake; ipate kuwa faida yetu, tunapoitii sauti ya Bwana, Mungu wetu.
Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God!”
7
Ikawa, baada ya siku kumi, neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia.
After ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah,
8
Ndipo akamwita Yohana, mwana wa Karea, na maakida wote wa majeshi waliokuwa pamoja naye, na watu wote tangu wadogo hata wakubwa,
and he summoned Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.
9
akawaambia, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ambaye mlinituma kwake, ili niyaweke maombi yenu mbele yake, asema hivi;
Jeremiah told them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition:
10
Ikiwa mtakaa bado katika nchi hii, ndipo nitawajenga, wala sitawabomoa, nami nitawapanda, wala sitawang'oa; kwa maana nayajutia mabaya niliyowatenda.
‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I will relent of the disaster I have brought upon you.
11
Msimwogope mfalme wa Babeli, mnayemwogopa; msimwogope, asema Bwana; maana mimi ni pamoja nanyi, niwaokoe, na kuwaponya na mkono wake.
Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear; do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you to save you and deliver you from him.
12
Nami nitawapa rehema, kwamba awarehemu ninyi, na kuwarudisha mkae katika nchi yenu wenyewe.
And I will show you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land.’
13
Lakini mkisema, Hatutaki kukaa katika nchi hii; msiitii sauti ya Bwana, Mungu wenu;
But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and you thus disobey the voice of the LORD your God,
14
mkisema, La! Lakini tutakwenda nchi ya Misri, ambayo hatutaona vita, wala kuisikia sauti ya tarumbeta, wala kuona njaa kwa kukosa chakula; nasi tutakaa huko;
and if you say, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt and live there, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn or hunger for bread,’
15
basi, lisikieni neno la Bwana, enyi mabaki ya Yuda; Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Ikiwa mwakaza nyuso zenu kuingia Misri, na kwenda kukaa huko;
then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and reside there,
16
basi, itakuwa, upanga mnaouogopa utawapata huko, katika nchi ya Misri, nayo njaa mnayoiogopa itawafuatia mbio huko Misri, nanyi mtakufa huko.
then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels into Egypt, and you will die there.
17
Haya ndiyo yatakayowapata watu wote waelekezao nyuso zao kwenda Misri, na kukaa huko; watakufa kwa upanga, na kwa njaa, na kwa tauni; hapana mtu awaye yote miongoni mwao atakayesalia, au kuokoka katika mabaya nitakayoyaleta juu yao.
So all who resolve to go to Egypt to reside there will die by sword and famine and plague. Not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring upon them.’
18
Maana Bwana wa majeshi Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Kama hasira yangu, na ghadhabu yangu, ilivyomwagwa juu ya hao wakaao Yerusalemu, ndivyo ghadhabu yangu itakavyomwagwa juu yenu, mtakapoingia Misri; nanyi mtakuwa apizo, na ajabu, na laana, na aibu; wala hamtapaona mahali hapa tena.
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the residents of Jerusalem, so will My wrath be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’
19
Bwana asema katika habari zenu, enyi mabaki ya Yuda, Msiingie Misri; jueni sana ya kuwa nimewashuhudia hivi leo.
The LORD has told you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for sure that I have warned you today!
20
Maana mmetenda kwa hila juu ya nafsi zenu wenyewe; kwa kuwa mmenituma kwa Bwana, Mungu wenu, mkisema, Utuombee kwa Bwana, Mungu wetu, ukatufunulie sawasawa na yote atakayoyanena Bwana, Mungu wetu, nasi tutayatenda;
For you have deceived yourselves by sending me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray to the LORD our God on our behalf, and as for all that the LORD our God says, tell it to us and we will do it.’
21
nami nimewafunulia haya leo; lakini ninyi hamkuitii sauti ya Bwana, Mungu wenu, katika neno lo lote ambalo amenituma kwenu.
For I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in all He has sent me to tell you.
22
Basi, sasa jueni sana ya kuwa mtakufa kwa upanga, na kwa njaa, na kwa tauni, katika mahali pale mnapopatamani kwenda na kukaa.
Now therefore, know for sure that by sword and famine and plague you will die in the place where you desire to go to reside.”