His Letter to the Exiles
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
Maneno haya ndiyo maneno ya waraka, ambao nabii Yeremia aliupeleka toka Yerusalemu, kwa hao waliobaki wa wakuu waliochukuliwa mateka, na kwa makuhani, na kwa manabii, na kwa watu wote, ambao Nebukadreza aliwachukua mateka toka Yerusalemu hata Babeli;
2 (after that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)
(hapo walipokwisha kutoka Yerusalemu Yekonia mfalme, na mama yake mfalme, na matowashi, na wakuu wa Yuda na Yerusalemu, na mafundi, na wahunzi;)
3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
kwa mkono wa Elasa, mwana wa Shafani, na Gemaria, mwana wa Hilkia, (ambao Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, aliwatuma hata Babeli, kwa Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli), kusema,
4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, awaambia hivi watu wote waliochukuliwa mateka, niliowafanya wachukuliwe toka Yerusalemu mpaka Babeli;
5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them ; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Jengeni nyumba, mkakae ndani yake, kapandeni bustani, mkale matunda yake;
6 take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
oeni wake, mkazae wana na binti; kawaozeni wake wana wenu, mkawaoze waume binti zenu, wazae wana na binti; mkaongezeke huko wala msipungue.
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Kautakieni amani mji ule, ambao nimewafanya mchukuliwe mateka, mkauombee kwa Bwana; kwa maana katika amani yake mji huo ninyi mtapata amani.
8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
Maana Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Manabii walio kati yenu, na wabashiri wenu, wasiwadanganye ninyi, wala msisikilize ndoto zenu, mnazootesha.
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
Kwa maana kwa jina langu hutabiri maneno ya uongo kwenu; mimi sikuwatuma, asema Bwana.
10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Maana Bwana asema hivi, Babeli utakapotimiziwa miaka sabini, nitawajilia ninyi, na kulitimiza neno langu jema kwenu, kwa kuwarudisha mahali hapa.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Maana nayajua mawazo ninayowawazia ninyi, asema Bwana, ni mawazo ya amani wala si ya mabaya, kuwapa ninyi tumaini siku zenu za mwisho.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Nanyi mtaniita, mtakwenda na kuniomba, nami nitawasikiliza.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me , when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Nanyi mtanitafuta na kuniona, mtakaponitafuta kwa moyo wenu wote.
14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Nami nitaonekana kwenu, asema Bwana, nami nitawarudisha watu wenu waliofungwa, nami nitawakusanya ninyi, nikiwatoa katika mataifa yote, na katika mahali pote, nilikowafukuza, asema Bwana; nami nitawaleta tena, hata mahali ambapo kutoka hapo naliwafanya mchukuliwe mateka.
15 Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
Maana mmesema, Bwana ametuinulia manabii huko Babeli.
16 know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
Maana Bwana asema hivi, katika habari za mfalme aketiye katika kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, na katika habari za watu wote wakaao ndani ya mji huu, ndugu zenu wasiokwenda pamoja nanyi kufungwa;
17 thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi, Tazama, nitaleta juu yao upanga, na njaa, na tauni, nami nitawafanya kuwa kama tini mbovu, zisizoweza kuliwa, kwa kuwa ni mbovu sana.
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
Nami nitawafuatia kwa upanga, na njaa, na tauni, nami nitawatoa watupwe huko na huko katika falme zote za dunia, wawe kitu cha kulaaniwa, na cha kushangaza, na cha kuzomewa, na cha kulaumiwa, katika mataifa yote nilikowafukuza.
19 because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them ; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
Kwa sababu hawakusikiliza maneno yangu, asema Bwana, ambayo naliwatuma watumishi wangu, hao manabii, nikiamka mapema, na kuwatuma; lakini hamkutaka kusikiliza, asema Bwana.
20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Basi, lisikieni neno la Bwana, ninyi nyote mliochukuliwa mateka, niliowapeleka toka Yerusalemu mpaka Babeli.
21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, katika habari za Ahabu, mwana wa Kolaya, na katika habari za Sedekia, mwana wa Maaseya, wawatabiriao ninyi maneno ya uongo kwa jina langu; Tazama, nitawatia katika mikono ya Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, naye atawaua mbele ya macho yenu.
22 and of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
Tena katika habari zao laana itatumiwa na wafungwa wote wa Yuda, walioko Babeli, kusema, Bwana akufanye uwe kama Sedekia, na kama Ahabu, ambao mfalme wa Babeli aliwaoka motoni;
23 because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.
kwa sababu wametenda upumbavu katika Israeli, nao wamezini na wake za jirani zao, nao wamenena maneno ya uongo kwa jina langu, nisiyowaamuru; nami ndimi nijuaye, nami ni shahidi, asema Bwana.
Concerning Shemaiah
24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
Na katika habari za Shemaya, Mnehelami, utanena, ukisema,
25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
Bwana wa majeshi, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, ya kwamba, Kwa kuwa kwa jina lako mwenyewe umewapelekea barua watu wote walioko Yerusalemu, na Sefania, mwana wa Maaseya, kuhani, na makuhani wote, kusema,
26 the LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
Bwana amekufanya kuhani badala ya Yehoyada, kuhani, ili mpate kuwa watumishi katika nyumba ya Bwana, kwa kila mtu aliye na wazimu, na kwa kila mtu ajifanyaye kuwa nabii, umtie katika mkatale na pingu.
27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
Mbona, basi, hukumkemea Yeremia wa Anathothi, ajifanyaye kuwa nabii kwenu,
28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them ; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
ambaye ametuma watu kwetu katika Babeli, kusema, Uhamisho huu ni wa siku nyingi; jengeni nyumba, mkakae ndani yake; pandeni bustani, mkale matunda yake.
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
Na Sefania, kuhani, akasoma barua hii masikioni mwa Yeremia nabii.
30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
Ndipo neno la Bwana likamjia Yeremia, kusema,
31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
Uwapelekee habari watu wote waliohamishwa, kusema, Bwana asema hivi, katika habari za Shemaya, Mnehelami; Kwa sababu Shemaya amewatabiria ninyi, lakini sikumtuma mimi, naye amewatumainisha neno la uongo;
32 therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.
basi, Bwana asema hivi, Tazama, nitamwadhibu Shemaya, Mnehelami, na wazao wake; hatakuwa na mtu atakayekaa katika watu hawa, wala hatayaona mema nitakayowatendea watu wangu, asema Bwana; kwa sababu amenena maneno ya uasi juu ya Bwana.
