A Hopeless Outlook
1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
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.
2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.
Na wajaposema, Kama Bwana aishivyo, hakika waapa kwa uongo.
3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
Ee Bwana, macho yako je! Hayaangalii uaminifu? Umewapiga, lakini hawakuhuzunika; umewakomesha, lakini wamekataa kurudiwa wamefanya nyuso zao kuwa ngumu kuliko mwamba wamekataa kurudi.
4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.
Ndipo nikasema, Hakika, hawa ni maskini; ni wajinga hawa; maana hawaijui njia ya Bwana, wala hukumu ya Mungu wao;
5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
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.
6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
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.
7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
Nawezaje kukusamehe? Watoto wako wameniacha mimi, na kuapa kwa hao ambao si miungu; nilipokuwa nimewashibisha chakula, walizini, wakakutana wengi pamoja katika nyumba za makahaba.
8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.
Walikuwa kama farasi walioshiba wakati wa asubuhi; kila mmoja akalia kwa kutamani mke wa mwenzake.
9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Je! Nisiwapatilize kwa sababu ya mambo hayo? Asema Bwana; na nafsi yangu, je! Nisijilipize kisasi juu ya taifa la namna hii?
10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD's.
Pandeni juu ya kuta zake mkaharibu, lakini msiharibu kabisa; ondoeni matawi yake; kwa maana si yake Bwana.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.
Maana nyumba ya Israeli na nyumba ya Yuda wamenitenda kwa hiana sana, asema Bwana.
12 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
Wamemkataa Bwana, na kusema, Si yeye; wala hayatatupata mabaya; wala hatutaona upanga wala njaa;
13 and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
na manabii watakuwa upepo, wala neno lake halimo ndani yao; basi ndivyo watakavyotendwa.
The Lord's Agents
14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
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.
15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
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.
16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.
Podo lao ni kaburi wazi, ni mashujaa wote pia.
17 And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.
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.
18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.
Lakini hata katika siku zile, asema Bwana, sitawakomesha ninyi kabisa.
19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
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.
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
Tangazeni neno hili katika nyumba ya Yakobo, litangazeni katika Yuda, kusema,
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
Sikilizeni neno hili, enyi watu wajinga msio na ufahamu; mlio na macho ila hamwoni; mlio na masikio ila hamsikii.
22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
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.
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
Lakini watu hawa wana moyo wa kuasi na ukaidi; wameasi, wamekwenda zao.
24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
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.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things , and your sins have withholden good things from you.
Maovu yenu yameyageuza haya, na dhambi zenu zimewazuilia mema msiyapate.
26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
Maana katika watu wangu wameonekana watu waovu; huotea kama vile watu wategao mitego; hutega mtego, na kunasa watu.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
Kama tundu lijaavyo ndege, kadhalika nyumba zao zimejaa hila; kwa hiyo wamekuwa wakuu, wamepata mali.
28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
Wamewanda sana, wang'aa; naam, wamepita kiasi kwa matendo maovu; hawatetei madai ya yatima, ili wapate kufanikiwa; wala hawaamui haki ya mhitaji.
29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Je! Nisiwapatilize kwa mambo hayo? Asema Bwana; na nafsi yangu, je! Nisijilipize kisasi juu ya taifa la namna hii?
30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
Jambo la ajabu, la kuchukiza, limetokea katika nchi hii!
31 the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
Manabii wanatabiri uongo, na makuhani wanatawala kwa msaada wa hao; na watu wangu wanapenda mambo yawe hivyo. Nanyi mtafanya nini mwisho wake?
