The Worshippers of Beth-el
1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
Lisikieni neno hili nilitamkalo liwe maombolezo juu yenu, enyi nyumba ya Israeli.
2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
Bikira wa Israeli ameanguka; hatainuka tena; Ameangushwa katika nchi yake; hakuna mtu wa kumwinua.
3 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
Kwa kuwa Bwana MUNGU asema hivi; Mji uliotoka nje wenye watu elfu, utasaziwa watu mia, na mji uliotoka wenye watu mia, utasaziwa watu kumi, kwa nyumba ya Israeli.
4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
Maana Bwana awaambia hivi nyumba ya Israeli, Nitafuteni mimi, nanyi mtaishi;
5 but seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.
bali msitafute Betheli, wala msiingie Gilgali, wala msipite kwenda Beer-sheba; kwani Gilgali hakika yake itakwenda utumwani, na Betheli itakuwa ubatili.
6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it , and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.
Mtafuteni Bwana, nanyi mtaishi; asije akawaka kama moto katika nyumba ya Yusufu, nao ukateketeza, asiwepo mtu awezaye kuuzima katika Betheli.
7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
Ninyi mnaogeuza hukumu kuwa uchungu, na kuiangusha haki chini,
8 seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
mtafuteni yeye afanyaye Kilimia na Orioni, na kukigeuza kivuli cha mauti kuwa asubuhi, na kuufanya mchana kuwa giza kwa usiku; yeye ayaitaye maji ya bahari, na kuyamwaga juu ya uso wa nchi; Bwana, ndilo jina lake;
9 that strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
yeye aletaye uharibifu wa ghafula juu yao walio hodari, hata uharibifu uipate ngome.
10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
Wao humchukia yeye akemeaye langoni, nao humzira anenaye maneno ya adili.
11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
Basi, kwa kuwa mnamkanyaga maskini, na kumtoza ngano; ninyi mmejenga nyumba za mawe yaliyochongwa, lakini hamtakaa ndani yake; ninyi mmepanda mashamba mazuri ya mizabibu, lakini hamtakunywa divai yake.
12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right .
Maana mimi najua jinsi maasi yenu yalivyo mengi, na jinsi dhambi zenu zilivyo kubwa; ninyi mnaowaonea wenye haki, mnaopokea rushwa, na kuwageuza wahitaji langoni wasipate haki yao.
13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
Kwa ajili ya hayo mwenye busara atanyamaza kimya wakati kama huo; kwa kuwa ni wakati mbaya.
14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
Tafuteni mema, wala si mabaya, mpate kuishi; hivyo Bwana, Mungu wa majeshi, atakuwa pamoja nanyi, kama msemavyo.
15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
Yachukieni mabaya; yapendeni mema; mkaithibitishe haki langoni; yamkini kwamba Bwana, Mungu wa majeshi, atawafanyia fadhili mabaki ya Yusufu.
16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.
Kwa ajili ya hayo, asema Bwana, Mungu wa majeshi, aliye Bwana; Kutakuwako maombolezo katika njia kuu zote; nao watasema katika njia zote, Ole! Ole! Nao watamwita mkulima aje kuombolea, na hao walio hodari wa kulia waje kuomboleza.
17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.
Tena katika mashamba yote ya mizabibu kutakuwako kulia; kwa maana mimi nitapita katikati yako, asema Bwana.
18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
Ole wenu! Ninyi mnaoitamani siku ya Bwana; kwani kuitamani siku ya Bwana? Ni giza, wala si nuru.
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
Ni kama mtu aliyemkimbia simba, akakutana na dubu; au aliingia katika nyumba akauegemeza mkono wake ukutani, nyoka akamwuma.
20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
Je! Siku ya Bwana haitakuwa giza, wala si nuru? Naam, yenye giza sana, wala haina mwanga.
21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
Mimi nazichukia sikukuu zenu, nazidharau, nami sitapendezwa na makutano yenu ya dini.
22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
Naam, ijapokuwa mnanitolea sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa na sadaka zenu za unga, sitazikubali; wala sitaziangalia sadaka zenu za amani, na za wanyama walionona.
23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
Niondoleeni kelele za nyimbo zenu; kwa maana sitaki kuzisikia sauti za vinanda vyenu.
24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Lakini hukumu na itelemke kama maji, na haki kama maji makuu.
25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
Je! Mliniletea dhabihu na sadaka jangwani muda wa miaka arobaini, enyi nyumba ya Israeli?
26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
Naam, mtamchukua Sikuthi, mfalme wenu, na Kiuni, sanamu zenu, nyota ya mungu wenu, mliojifanyizia wenyewe.
27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.
Kwa sababu hiyo nitawahamisha, hali ya kufungwa, mwende mbali kupita Dameski, asema Bwana, ambaye jina lake ni Mungu wa majeshi.
