The Prophet's Problem
1 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
Wewe u mwenye haki, Ee Bwana, nitetapo nawe, lakini nitasema nawe katika habari ya haki. Mbona njia ya wabaya inasitawi? Mbona wote watendao hila wanakaa salama?
2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.
Umewapanda, naam, wametia mizizi, wanakua, naam, wanazaa matunda; katika vinywa vyao u karibu, bali katika mioyo yao u mbali.
3 But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Lakini wewe, Bwana, wanijua; umeniona, umeujaribu moyo wangu, jinsi unavyokuelekea; uwakokote kama kondoo waendao kuchinjwa, ukawaweke tayari kwa siku ya kuchinjwa.
4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.
Hata lini itaomboleza nchi, na kukauka majani ya nchi yote? Kwa ajili ya mabaya yao wakaao ndani yake, wanyama wameangamia na ndege pia; kwa sababu walisema, Hatauona mwisho wetu.
5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee , then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
Ikiwa umepiga mbio pamoja na hao waendao kwa miguu, nao wamekuchosha, basi wawezaje kushindana na farasi? Na ujapokuwa katika nchi ya amani u salama, lakini utafanyaje hapo katika kiburi cha Yordani?
6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
Kwa maana hata ndugu zako, na nyumba ya baba yako, wamekutenda mambo ya hila; naam, wamepiga kelele nyuma yako; usiwasadiki, wajapokuambia maneno mazuri.
7 I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.
Nimeiacha nyumba yangu, nimeutupa urithi wangu; nimemtia mpenzi wangu katika mikono ya adui zake.
8 Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.
Urithi wangu umekuwa kwangu kama simba msituni; ameinua sauti yake juu yangu; kwa sababu hiyo nimemchukia.
9 Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.
Je! Urithi wangu umekuwa kwangu kama ndege mwenye madoadoa? Ndege wakali wanamtulia pande zote? Enendeni, wakusanyeni pamoja wanyama wote wa mwituni, waleteni ili wale.
10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
Wachungaji wengi wameliharibu shamba langu la mizabibu, wamelikanyaga fungu langu chini ya miguu yao, wamefanya fungu langu zuri kuwa jangwa la ukiwa.
11 They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.
Wamelifanya kuwa ukiwa, na kwa kuwa ni ukiwa linanililia; nchi yote imefanywa kuwa ukiwa, kwa sababu hapana mtu aliyeweka haya moyoni mwake.
12 The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.
Watekao nyara wamepanda juu ya vilele vya milima katika nyika; kwa maana upanga wa Bwana utakula toka upande mmoja wa nchi hata upande wa pili wa nchi; hapana mwenye mwili atakayekuwa na amani.
13 They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
Wamepanda ngano, lakini watavuna miiba; wamejiumiza nafsi zao, lakini hawatakuwa na faida; naam, tahayarini kwa ajili ya matunda yenu, kwa sababu ya hasira kali ya Bwana.
14 Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.
Bwana asema hivi juu ya jirani zangu wote walio wabaya, waugusao urithi wangu niliowarithisha watu wangu Israeli, Tazama, nitawang'oa katika nchi yao, nami nitaing'oa nyumba ya Yuda isiwe kati yao.
15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
Tena itakuwa, baada ya kuwang'oa, nitarudi na kuwahurumia; nami nitawaleta tena, kila mtu aingie katika urithi wake, na kila mtu aingie katika nchi yake.
16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.
Kisha itakuwa, ikiwa watajifunza kwa bidii njia za watu wangu, kuapa kwa jina langu, Kama Bwana aishivyo, vile vile kama walivyowafundisha watu wangu kuapa kwa Baali, ndipo watakapojengwa kati ya watu wangu.
17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
Bali, kama hawataki kusikia, kung'oa nitaling'oa taifa lile, na kuliangamiza kabisa, asema Bwana.
