Unworthy Rulers
1 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Bwana akasema hivi, Shuka nyumbani kwa mfalme wa Yuda, ukaseme neno hili huko,
2 and say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:
ya kwamba, Sikia neno la Bwana, Ee mfalme wa Yuda; wewe uketiye katika kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, wewe, na watumishi wako, na watu wako wote waingiao kwa malango haya;
3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
Bwana asema hivi, Fanyeni hukumu na haki, mkamtoe yeye aliyetekwa katika mikono ya mdhalimu; wala msiwatende mabaya mgeni, wala yatima, wala mjane, wala kuwadhulumu, wala msimwage damu ya mtu asiye na hatia katika mahali hapa.
4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.
Kwa maana mkifanya haya kweli kweli, ndipo watakapoingia kwa malango ya nyumba hii wafalme wenye kuketi katika kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, wanakwenda kwa magari, na wamepanda farasi yeye, na watumishi wake, na watu wake.
5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.
Lakini kama hamtaki kusikia maneno haya, mimi naapa kwa nafsi yangu, asema Bwana, ya kuwa nyumba hii itakuwa ukiwa.
6 For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.
Kwa maana Bwana asema hivi, katika habari ya nyumba ya mfalme wa Yuda; Wewe u Gileadi kwangu, na kichwa cha Lebanoni; Ila hakika nitakufanya kuwa jangwa, na miji isiyokaliwa na watu.
7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.
Nami nitakufanyia tayari watu wenye kuharibu, kila mtu na silaha zake; Nao watakata mierezi miteule yako, na kuitupa motoni.
8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?
Na mataifa mengi watapita karibu na mji huu, nao watasema kila mtu na jirani yake, Nini maana yake Bwana kuutenda hivi mji huu mkubwa?
9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.
Ndipo watakapojibu, Ni kwa sababu waliliacha agano la Bwana, Mungu wao, wakaabudu miungu mingine, na kuitumikia.
10 Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.
Msimlilie aliyekufa, wala msimwombolezee, Bali mlilieni huyo aendaye zake mbali; Kwa maana yeye hatarudi tena, Wala hataiona nchi aliyozaliwa.
11 For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:
Maana Bwana asema hivi, katika habari za Shalumu, mwana wa Yosia, mfalme wa Yuda; aliyemiliki badala ya Yosia, baba yake, yeye aliyetoka mahali hapa; Hatarudi huku tena;
12 but he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.
bali katika mahali pale walipomchukua mateka ndipo atakapokufa, wala hataiona nchi hii tena kamwe.
13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;
Ole wake aijengaye nyumba yake kwa uovu! Na vyumba vyake kwa udhalimu! Atumiaye utumishi wa mwenzake bila ujira, Wala hampi mshahara wake;
14 that saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
Asemaye, Nitajijengea nyumba pana na vyumba vipana; Naye hujikatia madirisha; Na kuta zake zimefunikwa kwa mierezi, Na kupakwa rangi nyekundu.
15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?
Je! Utatawala kwa sababu unashindana na watu kwa mierezi? Baba yako, je! Hakula na kunywa, na kufanya hukumu na haki? Hapo ndipo alipofanikiwa.
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.
Alihukumu maneno ya maskini na mhitaji; hapo ndipo alipofanikiwa. Je! Huku siko kunijua, asema Bwana?
17 But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it .
Bali macho yako na moyo wako hauna utakalo ila kutamani, na kumwaga damu isiyo na hatia, na kudhulumu, na kutenda jeuri.
18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying , Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying , Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!
Basi, Bwana asema hivi, katika habari ya Yehoyakimu, mwana wa Yosia, mfalme wa Yuda; Hawatamwombolezea, wakisema, Aa! Ndugu yangu; au, Aa! Dada yangu; wala hawatamlilia, wakisema, Aa! Bwana wangu; au, Aa! Utukufu wake.
19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
Atazikwa maziko ya punda, akibururwa, na kutupwa nje ya malango ya Yerusalemu.
20 Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed.
Haya panda Lebanoni, ukalie Upalize sauti yako katika Bashani; Ukalie kutoka Abarimu; Maana wapenzi wako wote wameangamia.
21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.
Mimi nalisema nawe wakati wa kufanikiwa kwako; lakini ulisema, Sitaki kusikia. Hii ndiyo iliyokuwa desturi yako tangu ujana wako, kutokuitii sauti yangu.
22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.
Upepo utawalisha wachungaji wako wote, na wapenzi wako watakwenda kufungwa; hakika wakati huo utatahayarika, na kufadhaika kwa sababu ya uovu wako wote.
23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!
Wewe ukaaye Lebanoni, Ufanyaye kioto chako katika mierezi, Utakuwa na hali ya kuhurumiwa sana, Upatapo utungu kama wa mwanamke azaaye.
24 As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;
Kama niishivyo mimi, asema Bwana, hata Konia, mwana wa Yehoyakimu, mfalme wa Yuda, angekuwa pete yenye muhuri katika mkono wangu wa kuume, ningekung'oa wewe hapo;
25 and I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
nami nitakutia katika mikono ya watu wale wakutafutao roho yako, na katika mikono yao unaowaogopa, naam, katika mikono ya Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, na katika mikono ya Wakaldayo.
26 And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.
Nami nitakutupa nje, wewe na mama yako aliyekuzaa, mwende nchi nyingine ambayo hamkuzaliwa huko, nanyi mtakufa huko.
27 But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.
Lakini nchi ile ambayo wanatamani kuirudia, hawatairudia kamwe.
28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?
Je! Mtu huyu, Konia, ni chombo kilichodharauliwa, na kuvunjika? Ni chombo kisichopendeza? Mbona wametupwa, yeye na wazao wake, na kutupwa katika nchi wasiyoijua?
29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.
Ee nchi, nchi, nchi, lisikie neno la Bwana.
30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
Bwana asema hivi, Andikeni habari za mtu huyu kwamba hana watoto, kwamba mtu huyu hatafanikiwa siku zake zote; maana hapana mtu katika wazao wake atakayefanikiwa, akiketi katika kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, na kutawala tena katika Yuda.
