Mourn and Turn Back to the Lord
1People of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message. Hear my song of sadness about you. I say,
2“The people of Israel have fallen.
They will never get up again.
They are deserted in their own land.
No one can lift them up.”
3Here is what the Lord and King says to Israel.
“A thousand soldiers will march out from a city.
But only a hundred will return.
A hundred soldiers will march out from a town.
But only ten will come back.”
4The Lord speaks to the people of Israel. He says,
“Look to me and live.
5Do not look to Bethel.
Do not go to Gilgal.
Do not travel to Beersheba.
The people of Gilgal will be taken away as prisoners.
Nothing will be left of Bethel.”
6Israel, look to the Lord and live.
If you don’t, he will sweep through
the tribes of Joseph like a fire.
It will burn everything up.
And Bethel won’t have anyone to put it out.
7There are people among you who turn what is fair into something bitter.
They throw down to the ground what is right.
8The Lord made the Pleiades and Orion.
He turns midnight into sunrise.
He makes the day fade into night.
He sends for the waters in the clouds.
Then he pours them out on the surface of the land.
His name is the Lord.
9With a flash of light he destroys places of safety.
He tears down cities
that have high walls around them.
10There are people among you who hate anyone who stands for justice in court.
They hate those who tell the truth.
11You make poor people pay tax on their straw.
You also tax their grain.
So, even though you have built stone houses,
you won’t live in them.
You have planted fruitful vineyards.
But you won’t drink the wine they produce.
12I know how many crimes you have committed.
You have sinned far too much.
Among you are people who crush those who have done no wrong.
They accept money from people who want special favors.
They take away the rights of poor people in the courts.
13So those who are wise keep quiet in times like these.
That’s because the times are evil.
14Look to what is good, not to what is evil.
Then you will live.
And the Lord God who rules over all
will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15Hate evil and love good.
Do what is fair in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God who rules over all
will have mercy on you.
After all, you are the only ones left
in the family line of Joseph.
16The Lord God rules over all. The Lord says,
“People will weep in all the streets.
They will be very sad in every market place.
Even farmers will be told to cry loudly.
People will mourn for the dead.
17Workers will cry in all the vineyards.
That’s because I will punish you,”
says the Lord.
The Day of the Lord Is Coming
18How terrible it will be for you
who long for the day of the Lord!
Why do you want it to come?
That day will be dark, not light.
19It will be like a man running away from a lion
only to meet a bear.
He enters his house and rests his hand on a wall
only to be bitten by a snake.
20The day of the Lord will be dark, not light.
It will be very black.
There won’t be a ray of sunlight anywhere.
21The Lord says,
“I hate your holy feasts.
I can’t stand them.
Your gatherings stink.
22You bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings.
But I will not accept them.
You bring your best friendship offerings.
But I will not even look at them.
23Take the noise of your songs away!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24I want you to treat others fairly.
So let fair treatment roll on
just as a river does!
Always do what is right.
Let right living flow along
like a stream that never runs dry!
25“People of Israel, did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
for 40 years in the desert?
26Yes. But you have honored the place
where your king worshiped other gods.
You have carried the stands
the statues of your gods were on.
You have lifted up the banners
of the stars you worship as gods.
You made all those things for yourselves.
27So I will send you away
as prisoners beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord.
His name is God Who Rules Over All.
Maombolezo Na Wito Wa Toba
15:1 Yer 4:8; 7:29; Eze 9:1Sikia neno hili, ee nyumba ya Israeli, ombolezo hili ninalifanya kuwahusu ninyi:
25:2 2Fal 19:21; Yer 14:17; 50:32; Amo 8:14“Bikira Israeli ameanguka,
kamwe hatainuka tena,
ameachwa pweke katika nchi yake,
hakuna yeyote wa kumwinua.”
35:3 Amo 6:9; Isa 6:13Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo:
“Wakati mmoja wa miji yako utakapopeleka watu elfu moja vitani kwa ajili ya Israeli,
mia moja tu watarudi;
wakati mji utakapopeleka mia moja,
kumi tu ndio watarudi hai.”
45:4 Kum 32:46-47; 4:29; Isa 55:3; 2Nya 15:2; Yer 29:13; Eze 18:9Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo kwa nyumba ya Israeli:
“Nitafuteni mpate kuishi;
55:5 1Sam 11:14; 7:16; 8:6; Mwa 21:31; Hos 4:15; Amu 8:14msitafute Betheli,
msiende Gilgali,
msisafiri kwenda Beer-Sheba.
Kwa maana kwa hakika Gilgali itakwenda uhamishoni,
na Betheli itafanywa kuwa si kitu.”5:5 Yaani Aveni kwa Kiebrania, kumaanisha Beth-Aveni, jina lingine la Betheli kwa dhihaka.
65:6 Sef 2:3; Amo 3:14; Law 18:5; Za 22:26; 105:4; Kum 4:24Mtafuteni Bwana mpate kuishi,
au atafagia nyumba ya Yosefu kama moto;
utawateketeza, nayo Betheli
haitakuwa na yeyote wa kuuzima.
75:7 Isa 5:20; Amo 6:12; 3:10; Hos 10:4Ninyi ambao mnageuza haki kuwa uchungu
na kuiangusha haki chini
85:8 Ay 38:31-34; Mwa 1:16; Isa 42:16; Za 104:6-9, 20; Yer 16:21; Amo 4:13(yeye ambaye alifanya Kilimia na Orioni,
ambaye hugeuza giza kuwa mapambazuko
na mchana kuwa usiku,
ambaye huyaita maji ya bahari
na kuyamwaga juu ya uso wa nchi:
Bwana ndilo jina lake;
9yeye hufanya maangamizo kwenye ngome
na kufanya mji uliozungushiwa ngome kuwa ukiwa),
105:10 Isa 29:21; Mwa 4:16; 1Fal 22:8; Gal 4:16mnamchukia yule akemeaye mahakamani,
na kumdharau yule ambaye husema kweli.
115:11 Mik 6:15; Amo 8:6; 3:15; 9:14; Amu 9:27; Sef 1:13Mnamgandamiza maskini
na kumlazimisha awape nafaka.
Kwa hiyo, ingawa mmejenga majumba ya mawe ya fahari,
hamtaishi ndani yake;
ingawa mmepanda mashamba mazuri ya mizabibu,
hamtakunywa divai yake.
125:12 Ay 5:4; 36:18; Isa 29:21; 5:23; 1:23; Hos 5:3; Eze 22:12; Yer 5:28; Amo 2:6-7Kwa kuwa ninajua hesabu ya makosa yenu
na ukubwa wa dhambi zenu.
Mmewaonea wenye haki na kupokea rushwa
na kuzuia haki ya maskini mahakamani.
13Kwa hiyo mtu mwenye busara hunyamaza kimya nyakati kama hizo,
kwa kuwa nyakati ni mbaya.
145:14 Za 34:12-16; Mit 7:7; 11:27; Isa 1:16, 17; Mik 3:11; 6:8; Rum 2:7-9Tafuteni mema, wala si mabaya,
ili mpate kuishi.
Ndipo Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote atakuwa pamoja nanyi,
kama msemavyo yupo nanyi.
155:15 Rum 12:9; Yoe 2:14; Kut 32:30; Za 52:3; 97:10; Mik 5:7-8; 7:18; Mwa 18:25Yachukieni maovu, yapendeni mema;
dumisheni haki mahakamani.
Yamkini Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote
atawahurumia mabaki ya Yosefu.
165:16 Yer 9:17; 7:34; Sef 1:10; Yoe 1:11Kwa hiyo hili ndilo Bwana, Bwana Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote, asemalo:
“Kutakuwepo maombolezo katika barabara zote
na vilio vya uchungu katika njia kuu zote.
Wakulima wataitwa kuja kulia,
na waombolezaji waje kuomboleza.
175:17 Kut 12:12; Isa 16:10; Yer 48:33Kutakuwepo kuomboleza katika mashamba yote ya mizabibu,
kwa kuwa nitapita katikati yenu,”
asema Bwana.
Siku Ya Bwana
185:18 Isa 2:12; 5:19, 30; Yoe 1:15; Ay 20:28; Yer 30:7; 1Sam 2:9Ole wenu ninyi mnaoitamani
siku ya Bwana!
Kwa nini mnaitamani siku ya Bwana?
Siku hiyo itakuwa giza, si nuru.
195:19 Mhu 10:8; Kum 32:34; Ay 20:24; Mao 3:10; Eze 12:22; Mal 3:1; 2Pet 3:4; Isa 24:17-18; Yer 15:2-3Itakuwa kama vile mtu aliyemkimbia simba
kumbe akakutana na dubu,
kama vile mtu aliyeingia nyumbani mwake
na kuupumzisha mkono wake kwenye ukuta,
kumbe akaumwa na nyoka.
205:20 Oba 1:15; Eze 7:7; 1Sam 2:9; Isa 13:10; Sef 1:15Je, siku ya Bwana haitakuwa giza, na si nuru:
giza nene, bila mwonzi wa mwanga?
215:21 Law 26:31; Hos 2:11; Yer 44:4; Isa 1:11-16; Eze 23:18“Ninachukia, ninazidharau sikukuu zenu za dini;
siwezi kuvumilia makusanyiko yenu.
225:22 Yer 14:12; 7:21; Mik 6:6-7; Isa 1:11-16; 66:3; Za 40:6; Amo 4:4Hata ingawa mnaniletea sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa na sadaka za nafaka,
sitazikubali.
Ingawa mnaniletea sadaka nzuri za amani,
sitazitambua.
23Niondoleeni kelele za nyimbo zenu!
Sitasikiliza sauti za vinubi vyenu.
245:24 Yer 22:3; Mik 6:8; Isa 45:8Lakini acheni haki itiririke kama mto,
na uadilifu uwe kama kijito kisichokauka!
255:25 Isa 43:23; Mdo 7:42; Kum 32:17; Kut 16:35“Je, mliniletea dhabihu na sadaka
kwa miaka arobaini kule jangwani,
ee nyumba ya Israeli?
265:26 Eze 18:6; 20:16Mmeyainua madhabahu ya mfalme wenu,
Sikuthi mungu wenu mtawala,
na Kiuni mungu wenu wa nyota,
ambao mliwatengeneza wenyewe.
275:27 Yer 38:17; Amo 6:7; Mdo 7:42-43; Mik 1:16; Kum 32:17-19Kwa sababu hiyo nitawapeleka uhamishoni mbali kupita Dameski,”
asema Bwana, ambaye jina lake ni Mungu Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
