1
Pigeni mbio huku na huku katika njia za Yerusalemu, mkaone sasa, na kujua, na kutafuta katika viwanja vyake, kwamba mwaweza kumpata mtu mmoja, kwamba yuko mtu mmoja awaye yote atendaye kwa haki, atafutaye uaminifu; nami nitausamehe mji huo.
“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.
2
Na wajaposema, Kama Bwana aishivyo, hakika waapa kwa uongo.
Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
3
Ee Bwana, macho yako je! Hayaangalii uaminifu? Umewapiga, lakini hawakuhuzunika; umewakomesha, lakini wamekataa kurudiwa wamefanya nyuso zao kuwa ngumu kuliko mwamba wamekataa kurudi.
O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.
4
Ndipo nikasema, Hakika, hawa ni maskini; ni wajinga hawa; maana hawaijui njia ya Bwana, wala hukumu ya Mungu wao;
Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.
5
nitawaendea watu wakubwa, nami nitasema nao; kwa maana hao wanaijua njia ya Bwana, na hukumu ya Mungu wao. Bali hawa kwa nia moja wameivunja nira, na kuvikata vifungo.
I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains.
6
Basi, kwa hiyo, simba atokaye mwituni atawaua, mbwa-mwitu wa jioni atawateka, chui ataivizia miji yao, kila mtu atokaye humo atararuliwa vipande vipande; kwa sababu makosa yao ni mengi, na kurudi nyuma kwao kumezidi.
Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.
7
Nawezaje kukusamehe? Watoto wako wameniacha mimi, na kuapa kwa hao ambao si miungu; nilipokuwa nimewashibisha chakula, walizini, wakakutana wengi pamoja katika nyumba za makahaba.
“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.
8
Walikuwa kama farasi walioshiba wakati wa asubuhi; kila mmoja akalia kwa kutamani mke wa mwenzake.
They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9
Je! Nisiwapatilize kwa sababu ya mambo hayo? Asema Bwana; na nafsi yangu, je! Nisijilipize kisasi juu ya taifa la namna hii?
Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10
Pandeni juu ya kuta zake mkaharibu, lakini msiharibu kabisa; ondoeni matawi yake; kwa maana si yake Bwana.
Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip off her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD.
11
Maana nyumba ya Israeli na nyumba ya Yuda wamenitenda kwa hiana sana, asema Bwana.
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,” declares the LORD.
12
Wamemkataa Bwana, na kusema, Si yeye; wala hayatatupata mabaya; wala hatutaona upanga wala njaa;
They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.
13
na manabii watakuwa upepo, wala neno lake halimo ndani yao; basi ndivyo watakavyotendwa.
The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them.”
14
Kwa sababu hiyo Bwana, Mungu wa majeshi, asema hivi, Kwa sababu mnasema neno hili, tazama, nitafanya maneno yangu katika kinywa chako kuwa moto, na watu hawa kuwa kuni, nao moto utawala.
Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.
15
Angalia, nitaleta taifa juu yenu litokalo mbali sana, Ee nyumba ya Israeli, asema Bwana; ni taifa hodari, ni taifa la zamani sana, taifa ambalo hujui lugha yake, wala huyafahamu wasemayo.
Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.
16
Podo lao ni kaburi wazi, ni mashujaa wote pia.
Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men.
17
Nao watakula mavuno yako, na mkate wako, ambao iliwapasa wana wako na binti zako kuula; watakula makundi yako ya kondoo na ya ng'ombe; watakula mizabibu yako na mitini yako; wataiharibu miji yako yenye boma, uliyokuwa ukiitumainia, naam, wataiharibu kwa upanga.
They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”
18
Lakini hata katika siku zile, asema Bwana, sitawakomesha ninyi kabisa.
“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.
19
Tena itakuwa mtakapouliza, Bwana ametutenda mambo hayo yote kwa sababu gani? Ndipo utakapowaambia, Vile vile kama ninyi mlivyoniacha mimi, na kuwatumikia miungu mingine katika nchi yenu wenyewe, ndivyo mtakavyowatumikia wageni katika nchi isiyo yenu.
And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”
20
Tangazeni neno hili katika nyumba ya Yakobo, litangazeni katika Yuda, kusema,
Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
21
Sikilizeni neno hili, enyi watu wajinga msio na ufahamu; mlio na macho ila hamwoni; mlio na masikio ila hamsikii.
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
22
Je! Hamniogopi mimi? Asema Bwana; hamtatetemeka mbele za uso wangu; mimi niliyeweka mchanga kuwa mpaka wa bahari, kwa amri ya daima, isiweze kuupita? Mawimbi yake yajapoumuka-umuka, hayawezi kushinda nguvu; yajapovuma sana, hayawezi kuupita.
Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
23
Lakini watu hawa wana moyo wa kuasi na ukaidi; wameasi, wamekwenda zao.
But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away.
24
Wala hawasemi mioyoni mwao, Basi, na tumche Bwana, Mungu wetu, aletaye mvua, mvua ya mwaka, na mvua ya vuli, kwa wakati wake; na kutuwekea juma za mavuno zilizoamriwa.
They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
25
Maovu yenu yameyageuza haya, na dhambi zenu zimewazuilia mema msiyapate.
Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.
26
Maana katika watu wangu wameonekana watu waovu; huotea kama vile watu wategao mitego; hutega mtego, na kunasa watu.
For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.
27
Kama tundu lijaavyo ndege, kadhalika nyumba zao zimejaa hila; kwa hiyo wamekuwa wakuu, wamepata mali.
Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich.
28
Wamewanda sana, wang'aa; naam, wamepita kiasi kwa matendo maovu; hawatetei madai ya yatima, ili wapate kufanikiwa; wala hawaamui haki ya mhitaji.
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.
29
Je! Nisiwapatilize kwa mambo hayo? Asema Bwana; na nafsi yangu, je! Nisijilipize kisasi juu ya taifa la namna hii?
Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
30
Jambo la ajabu, la kuchukiza, limetokea katika nchi hii!
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.
31
Manabii wanatabiri uongo, na makuhani wanatawala kwa msaada wa hao; na watu wangu wanapenda mambo yawe hivyo. Nanyi mtafanya nini mwisho wake?
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?