Yuda Kumtumikia Nebukadneza
127:1 2Nya 36:11; Yer 28:1Mwanzoni mwa utawala wa Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosia mfalme wa Yuda, neno hili lilimjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Bwana: 227:2 Law 26:13; Yer 28:10-13; 1Fal 22:11Hili ndilo Bwana aliloniambia: “Tengeneza nira, ujivike shingoni mwako, uifunge kwa kamba za ngozi. 327:3 Yer 25:17, 21; Mwa 10:15; Yer 25:21-22Kisha utume ujumbe kwa wafalme wa Edomu, Moabu, Amoni, Tiro na Sidoni kupitia wajumbe ambao wamekuja Yerusalemu kwa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda. 4Wape ujumbe kwa ajili ya mabwana zao na uwaambie: Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli: ‘Waambieni hivi mabwana zenu: 527:5 Kum 9:29; Za 115:16; Dan 4:17; Mwa 1:25Kwa uwezo wangu mkuu na kwa mkono wangu ulionyooshwa nimeumba dunia na watu wake na wanyama walioko ndani yake, nami humpa yeyote inipendezavyo. 627:6 Yer 25:9; 21:7; Eze 29:18-20; Dan 2:37-38; Yer 28:14Sasa nitazitia nchi zenu zote mkononi mwa mtumishi wangu Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, na nitawafanya hata wanyama wa mwituni wamtumikie. 727:7 Dan 5:18, 28; Yer 25:12; 2Nya 36:20; Yer 51:47; 25:14Mataifa yote yatamtumikia yeye, pamoja na mwanawe na mwana wa mwanawe, hadi wakati wa nchi yake utakapowadia, kisha mataifa mengi na wafalme wenye nguvu nyingi watamshinda.
8“ ‘ “Lakini kama kukiwa na taifa lolote au ufalme ambao hautamtumikia Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, ama kuinamisha shingo yake chini ya nira yake, nitaliadhibu taifa hilo kwa upanga, njaa na tauni, asema Bwana, mpaka nitakapoliangamiza taifa hilo kwa mkono wake. 927:9 Kum 18:11; Efe 5:6; Mit 19:27; Eze 13:1-23; Mwa 30:27; Isa 44:25; Kut 7:11; Yer 6:14Kwa hiyo msiwasikilize manabii wenu, waaguzi wenu, waota ndoto wenu, watabiri na wachawi wanaowaambia ninyi: Hamtamtumikia mfalme wa Babeli. 1027:10 Yer 23:25; Mk 13:5; 2Fal 23:27Wanawatabiria uongo ambao utawafanya ninyi mhamishwe mbali kutoka nchi yenu. Nitawafukuzia mbali, nanyi mtaangamia. 1127:11 Yer 21:9; Kum 6:2Lakini ikiwa taifa lolote litainama na kuweka shingo lake katika nira ya mfalme wa Babeli na kumtumikia, nitaliacha taifa hilo katika nchi yake yenyewe ili wailime na kuishi humo, asema Bwana.” ’ ”
1227:12 Yer 17:4; 21:9Nilitoa ujumbe huo huo kwa Sedekia mfalme wa Yuda. Nilisema, “Ingiza shingo yako katika nira ya mfalme wa Babeli, umtumikie yeye na watu wake, nawe utaishi. 1327:13 Eze 18:31; Mit 8:36; Yer 14:12Kwa nini wewe na watu wako mfe kwa upanga, njaa na tauni, ambazo Bwana ameonya juu ya taifa lolote ambalo halitamtumikia mfalme wa Babeli? 1427:14 Yer 14:14; Mt 7:15; Yer 23:16-21Msiyasikilize maneno ya manabii wanaowaambia kwamba, ‘Hamtamtumikia mfalme wa Babeli,’ kwa sababu wanawatabiria uongo. 1527:15 Yer 23:21-29; 9; 44:16; 6:15; Mt 15:12-14‘Sikuwatuma hao,’ asema Bwana. ‘Wanatabiri uongo kwa jina langu. Kwa hiyo, nitawafukuzia mbali, nanyi mtaangamia, ninyi pamoja na manabii wanaowatabiria.’ ”
1627:16 1Fal 7:48-50; Yer 28:3; Dan 1:2; 2Fal 24:13Kisha nikawaambia makuhani na watu hawa wote, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Msiwasikilize manabii wanaosema, ‘Hivi karibuni sana vyombo vya nyumba ya Bwana vitarudishwa kutoka Babeli.’ Wanawatabiria ninyi uongo. 1727:17 Yer 23:16; 42:11Msiwasikilize. Mtumikieni mfalme wa Babeli, nanyi mtaishi. Kwa nini mji huu uwe magofu? 1827:18 Hes 21:7; 1Sam 7:8; Ay 42; 8; Yak 5:16Kama wao ni manabii na wanalo neno la Bwana, basi na wamsihi Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote ili vyombo vilivyobaki katika nyumba ya Bwana na katika jumba la kifalme la mfalme wa Yuda na katika Yerusalemu visipelekwe Babeli. 1927:19 1Fal 7:23-26; 2Fal 25:13; Yer 52:17-23Kwa maana hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote kuhusu zile nguzo, ile Bahari, vile vishikizo viwezavyo kuhamishika, vinara na vyombo vingine vilivyoachwa katika mji huu, 2027:20 Kum 28:36; 2Nya 36:10; Yer 22:24; Mt 1:11ambavyo Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli hakuvichukua wakati alipomchukua Yekonia27:20 Yekonia au Konia ni jina jingine la Yehoyakini. mwana wa Yehoyakimu mfalme wa Yuda kwenda uhamishoni huko Babeli kutoka Yerusalemu, pamoja na wakuu wote wa Yuda na Yerusalemu. 21Naam, hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo kuhusu vitu ambavyo vimebaki ndani ya nyumba ya Bwana, na ndani ya jumba la kifalme la mfalme wa Yuda, na katika Yerusalemu: 2227:22 2Fal 20:17; 2Nya 25:13; 36:21; Yer 24:6; Ezr 7:19‘Vitachukuliwa kupelekwa Babeli, nako huko vitabaki mpaka siku nitakayovijilia,’ asema Bwana. ‘Kisha nitavirudisha na kuvirejesha mahali hapa.’ ”
Judah Will Serve Nebuchadnezzar
1A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. 2The Lord said, “Make a yoke out of ropes and wooden boards. Put it on your neck. 3Then write down a message for the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Give it to their messengers who have come to Jerusalem. They have come to see Zedekiah, the king of Judah. 4Give them a message for the kings who sent them. It should say, ‘The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “Here is what I want you to tell your masters. 5I reached out my great and powerful arm. I made the earth. I made its people and animals. And I can give the earth to anyone I please. 6Now I will hand over all your countries to my servant Nebuchadnezzar. He is the king of Babylon. I will put even the wild animals under his control. 7All the nations will serve him and his son and grandson. After that, I will judge his land. Then many nations and great kings will make him serve them.
8“ ‘ “But suppose any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And suppose it refuses to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation with war, hunger and plague,” announces the Lord. “I will punish it until his powerful hand destroys it. 9So do not listen to your prophets. Do not listen to those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to those who try to explain your dreams. Do not listen to those who get messages from people who have died. Do not listen to those who practice evil magic. All of them will tell you, ‘You won’t serve the king of Babylon.’ 10But they prophesy lies to you. If you listen to them, you will be removed far away from your lands. I will drive you away from them. And you will die. 11But suppose any nation will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. And suppose it serves him. Then I will let that nation remain in its own land. I will let its people plow the land and live there,” ’ ” announces the Lord.
12I gave the same message to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I said, “Put your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Obey him. Serve his people. Then you will live. 13Why should you and your people die? Why should you die of war, hunger and plague? That’s what the Lord said would happen to any nation that won’t serve the king of Babylon. 14Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You won’t serve the king of Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. 15‘I have not sent them,’ announces the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. So I will drive you away from your land. And you will die. So will the prophets who prophesy to you.’ ”
16Then I spoke to the priests and all these people. I said, “The Lord says, ‘Do not listen to the prophets who speak to you. They say, “Very soon the objects from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.” Those prophets are prophesying lies to you. 17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon. Then you will live. Why should this city be destroyed? 18If they are prophets and have received a message from me, let them pray to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. Those prophets should pray that what is still in Jerusalem will remain here. They should pray that the objects in my house and the king’s palace will not be taken to Babylon. 19I am the Lord who rules over all. Do you know what these objects are? They include the two pillars in front of the temple. They include the huge bronze bowl. They include the bronze stands that can be moved around. And they include the other things left in this city. 20Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, did not take these things away at first. That was when he took King Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jehoiachin is the son of Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar also took all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem along with Jehoiachin. 21I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. Here is what will happen to the things that are left in my house, the king’s palace and Jerusalem. 22They will be taken to Babylon. They will remain there until the day I come for them,’ announces the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back. I will return them to this place.’ ”
