The Lord Will Judge His Stubborn People
1“How terrible it will be for these stubborn children of mine!”
announces the Lord.
“How terrible for those who carry out plans that did not come from me!
Their agreement with Egypt did not come from my Spirit.
So they pile up one sin on top of another.
2They go down to Egypt
without asking me for advice.
They look to Pharaoh to help them.
They ask Egypt to keep them safe.
3But looking to Pharaoh will only bring them shame.
Asking Egypt for help will bring them dishonor.
4Their officials have gone to the city of Zoan.
Their messengers have arrived in Hanes.
5But the people of Judah will be put to shame.
That’s because they are trusting in a nation that is useless to them.
Egypt will not bring them any help or advantage.
Instead, it will bring them shame and dishonor.”
6Here is a prophecy the Lord gave me about the animals in the Negev Desert.
Judah’s messengers carry their riches on the backs of donkeys.
They carry their treasures on the humps of camels.
They travel through a land of danger and suffering.
It’s a land filled with lions.
Poisonous snakes are also there.
The messengers travel to a nation
that can’t do them any good.
7They travel to Egypt, whose help is totally useless.
That’s why I call it Rahab the Do-Nothing.
8The Lord said to me, “Go now.
Write on a tablet for the people of Judah
what I am about to say.
Also write it on a scroll.
In days to come
it will be a witness that lasts forever.
9That’s because these people of Judah refuse to obey me.
They are children who tell lies.
They will not listen to what I want to teach them.
10They say to the seers,
‘Don’t see any more visions!’
They say to the prophets,
‘Don’t give us any more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things.
Prophesy things we want to hear even if they aren’t true.
11Get out of our way!
Get off our path!
Keep the Holy One of Israel away from us!’ ”
12So the Holy One of Israel speaks. He says,
“You have turned your backs on what I have said.
You have depended on telling people lies.
You have crushed others.
13Those sins are like cracks in a high wall.
They get bigger and bigger.
Suddenly the wall breaks apart.
Then it quickly falls down.
14It breaks into small pieces like a clay pot.
It breaks up completely.
Not one piece is left big enough
for taking coals from a fireplace.
Not one piece is left for dipping water out of a well.”
15The Lord and King is the Holy One of Israel. He says,
“You will find peace and rest
when you turn away from your sins and depend on me.
You will receive the strength you need
when you stay calm and trust in me.
But you do not want to do what I tell you to.
16You said, ‘No. We’ll escape on horses.’
So you will have to escape!
You said, ‘We’ll ride off on fast horses.’
So those who chase you will use faster horses!
17When one of them dares you to fight,
a thousand of you will run away.
When five of them dare you,
all of you will run away.
So few of you will be left that you will be
like a flagpole on top of a mountain.
You will be like only one banner on a hill.”
18But the Lord wants to have mercy on you.
So he will rise up to give you his tender love.
The Lord is a God who is always fair.
Blessed are all those who wait for him to act!
19People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you won’t weep anymore. When you cry out to the Lord for help, he will have mercy on you. As soon as he hears you, he’ll answer you. 20He might treat you like prisoners. You might eat the bread of trouble. You might drink the water of suffering. But he will be your Teacher. He won’t hide himself anymore. You will see him with your own eyes. 21You will hear your Teacher’s voice behind you. You will hear it whether you turn to the right or the left. It will say, “Here is the path I want you to take. So walk on it.” 22Then you will get rid of the silver statues of your gods. You won’t have anything to do with the gold statues either. All of them are “unclean.” So you will throw them away like dirty rags. You will say to them, “Get away from us!”
23The Lord will send rain on the seeds you plant in the ground. The crops that grow will be rich and plentiful. At that time your cattle will eat grass in rolling meadows. 24The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat the finest feed and crushed grain. The farmers will use pitchforks and shovels to separate it from the straw. 25At that time the towers of your enemies will fall down. Their soldiers will die. Streams of water will flow on every high mountain and hill. 26The moon will shine like the sun. And the sunlight will be seven times brighter than usual. It will be like the light of seven full days. That will happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds and bruises he has brought on his people.
27The Lord will come from far away
in all his power and glory.
He will show his burning anger.
Thick clouds of smoke will be all around him.
His mouth will speak angry words.
The words from his tongue will be like a destroying fire.
28His breath will be like a rushing flood
that rises up to the neck.
He’ll separate out the nations he is going to destroy.
He’ll place a bit in their jaws.
It will lead them down the road to death.
29You will sing
as you do on the night you celebrate a holy feast.
Your hearts will be filled with joy.
You will be as joyful as people playing their flutes
as they go up to the mountain of the Lord.
He is the Rock of Israel.
30The Lord will cause people to hear his powerful voice.
He will make them see his arm coming down to punish them.
It will come down with burning anger and destroying fire.
It will come down with rain, thunderstorms and hail.
31The voice of the Lord will tear the Assyrians apart.
He will strike them down with his scepter.
32He will strike them
with his club to punish them.
Each time he does, his people will celebrate
with the music of harps and tambourines.
He will use his powerful arm
to strike down the Assyrians in battle.
33In the Valley of Ben Hinnom, Topheth has been prepared for a long time.
It has been made ready for the king of Assyria.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide.
It has plenty of wood for the fire.
The breath of the Lord
will be like a stream of burning sulfur.
It will set the wood on fire.
Ole Wa Taifa Kaidi
130:1 Isa 29:15; 8:12; Kum 29:19; 21:18; 2Fal 17:4Bwana asema,
“Ole kwa watoto wakaidi,
kwa wale wanaotimiza mipango ambayo si yangu,
wakifanya makubaliano, lakini si kwa Roho wangu,
wakilundika dhambi juu ya dhambi,
230:2 Mwa 25:22; Hes 27:21; 2Fal 25:26; Isa 36:6; Yer 2:18, 36; 42:14; Eze 17:15; 29:16wale washukao kwenda Misri
bila kutaka shauri langu,
wanaotafuta msaada wa ulinzi wa Farao,
watafutao kivuli cha Misri kwa ajili ya kimbilio.
330:3 Yer 37:5-7; Isa 20:4-5; Amu 9:8-15; Za 44:13Lakini ulinzi wa Farao utakuwa kwa aibu yenu,
kivuli cha Misri kitawaletea fedheha.
430:4 Hes 13:22; Isa 19:11Ingawa wana maafisa katika Soani
na wajumbe wamewasili katika Hanesi,
530:5 Isa 20:5; 36:6; 2Fal 18:21; Za 108:12; Yer 37:3-5; Eze 17:15kila mmoja ataaibishwa
kwa sababu ya taifa lisilowafaa kitu,
ambalo haliwaletei msaada wala faida,
bali aibu tu na fedheha.”
630:6 Kut 1:3; Yer 11:4; Kum 8:15; Hos 8:9; Kut 5:10; Isa 13:1; 5:30; 5:29; Mwa 42:26Neno kuhusu wanyama wa Negebu:
Katika nchi ya taabu na shida,
ya simba za dume na jike,
ya nyoka mwenye sumu kali na nyoka warukao,
wajumbe huchukua utajiri wao juu ya migongo ya punda,
hazina zao juu ya nundu za ngamia,
kwa lile taifa lisilokuwa na faida,
730:7 Yer 2:36; Ay 9:13; 2Fal 18:2kuvipeleka Misri,
ambaye msaada wake haufai kabisa.
Kwa hiyo nimemwita “Rahabu Asiyefanya Chochote.”
830:8 Kut 17:14; Hab 2:2; Kum 27:8; Yer 25:13; Yos 24:26-27; Isa 8:1; Yer 30:2Nenda sasa, liandike neno hili juu ya kibao kwa ajili yao,
liandike kwenye kitabu,
ili liweze kuwa shahidi milele
kwa ajili ya siku zijazo.
930:9 Isa 28:15; Kum 32:20; Isa 59:3-4; Za 78:8; Eze 2:6Hawa ni watu waasi, watoto wadanganyifu,
watoto ambao hawataki kusikiliza mafundisho ya Bwana.
1030:10 Amo 7:13; Yer 11:21; 32:3; 1Sam 9:9; 1Fal 22:8; Yer 4:10; Eze 13:7; Rum 16:18; 2Tim 4:4Wanawaambia waonaji,
“Msione maono tena!”
Nako kwa manabii wanasema,
“Msiendelee kutupatia maono
ambayo ni ya kweli!
Tuambieni mambo ya kupendeza,
tabirini mambo ya uongo.
1130:11 Mdo 13:8; Ay 21:14; Isa 35:8-9; Mit 3:6; Isa 29:19; 48:17Acheni njia hii,
ondokeni katika mapito haya,
nanyi acheni kutukabili pamoja
na yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli!”
1230:12 Isa 5:19; 5:24; Za 10:7; 12:5; Isa 5:7, 24Kwa hiyo, hili ndilo asemalo yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli:
“Kwa sababu mmekataa ujumbe huu,
mkategemea uonevu na kutumainia udanganyifu,
1330:13 Neh 2:17; Za 80:12; 1Fal 20:30; Isa 17:14; Za 62:3dhambi hii itakuwa kwenu
kama ukuta mrefu,
wenye ufa na wenye kubetuka,
ambao unaanguka ghafula,
mara moja.
1430:14 Za 2:9; 2Pet 2:4-5Utavunjika vipande vipande kama chombo cha udongo
ukipasuka pasipo huruma
ambapo katika vipande vyake
hakuna kipande kitakachopatikana
kwa kuukulia makaa kutoka jikoni
au kuchotea maji kisimani.”
1530:15 Isa 32:17; 2Nya 20:12; Mt 23:37Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi, yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli, asemalo:
“Katika kutubu na kupumzika ndio wokovu wenu,
katika kutulia na kutumaini ndizo nguvu zenu,
lakini hamkutaka.
1630:16 Yer 46:6; Kum 17:16; 1Fal 10:28-29Mlisema, ‘Hapana, tutakimbia kwa farasi.’
Kwa hiyo mtakimbia!
Mlisema, ‘Tutakimbia kwa farasi waendao kasi.’
Kwa hiyo wanaowafukuza watakwenda kasi!
1730:17 Kum 28:25; 2Fal 7:7; Law 26:8; Yos 23:10Watu 1,000 watakimbia
kwa ajili ya kitisho cha mtu mmoja,
kwa vitishio vya watu watano
wote mtakimbia,
hadi mtakapoachwa kama mlingoti wa bendera
juu ya kilele cha mlima,
kama bendera juu ya kilima.”
1830:18 Mwa 43:31; 2Pet 3:9, 15; Za 27:14; Mao 3:25; Isa 5:16; 42:14; 48:9; Yon 3:10Hata hivyo Bwana anatamani kutupatia neema,
anainuka ili kuwaonyesha huruma.
Kwa kuwa Bwana ni Mungu wa haki.
Wamebarikiwa wote wanaomngojea yeye!
1930:19 Isa 61:3; Ay 22:27; Mt 7:7-11; Isa 25:8; Ay 24:12; Zek 13:9; Za 86:7; Isa 41:17Enyi watu wa Sayuni, mnaoishi Yerusalemu, hamtalia tena. Tazameni jinsi atakavyokuwa na huruma mtakapolia kwa kumwomba msaada! Mara asikiapo, atawajibu. 2030:20 1Fal 22:27; Za 74:9; Isa 28:9; Amo 8:11Ingawa Bwana huwapa chakula cha shida na maji ya taabu, walimu wenu hawatafichwa tena, kwa macho yenu wenyewe mtawaona. 2130:21 Kum 5:32; Mit 4:27; Isa 29:24; Ay 33:11Mkigeuka kuume au kushoto, masikio yenu yatasikia sauti nyuma yenu ikisema, “Hii ndiyo njia, ifuateni.” 2230:22 Kut 32:4; Isa 2:20; Law 15:19-23; Eze 7:19-20Kisha mtanajisi sanamu zenu zilizofunikwa kwa fedha, na vinyago vyenu vilivyofunikwa kwa dhahabu. Mtazitupilia mbali kama vitambaa vya wakati wa hedhi na kuziambia, “Haya, tokeni hapa!”
2330:23 1Tim 4:8; Za 65:13; Kum 28:12; Isa 65:21-22; Yer 31:14; Ay 36:31Pia atawapa mvua kwa ajili ya mbegu mnazootesha ardhini, chakula kinachotoka ardhini kitakuwa kizuri sana, tena tele. Katika siku ile, ngʼombe wenu watalisha katika shamba pana la majani. 2430:24 Mt 3:12; Lk 3:17; Isa 32:14; Ay 6:5Maksai na punda walimao watakula majani makavu na vyakula vilivyotengenezwa, vinavyotandazwa kwa uma na sepeto. 2530:25 Isa 13:5; Kut 17:6; Isa 32:2; Yoe 3:18Katika siku ile ya mauaji makuu, wakati minara itakapoanguka, vijito vya maji vitatiririka juu ya kila mlima mrefu na kila kilima kilichoinuka sana. 2630:26 Zek 14:7-8; Ufu 21:23; 2Nya 7:14; Hos 14:4; Isa 60:19-20; Yer 3:22; 17:14Mwezi utaangaza kama jua, nao mwanga wa jua utangʼaa mara saba zaidi, kama nuru ya siku saba, wakati Bwana atakapoyafunga majeraha ya watu wake na kuwaponya vidonda alivyowatia.
2730:27 1Fal 18:24; Isa 26:20; 60:14; Eze 22:31; Ay 41:21Tazama, Jina la Bwana linakuja kutoka mbali,
likiwa na hasira kali inayowaka
pamoja na wingu zito la moshi,
midomo yake imejaa ghadhabu
na ulimi wake ni moto ulao.
2830:28 2The 2:8; Amo 9:9; 2Fal 19:28; Isa 37:29; 11:4; 28:15; Za 50:3Pumzi yake ni kama mkondo wa maji yaendayo kasi,
yakipanda hadi shingoni.
Hutikisa mataifa katika chekecheke ya uharibifu,
huweka lijamu katika mataya ya mataifa
ambayo huwaongoza upotevuni.
2930:29 Mt 26:30; Za 42:4; Isa 25:9; 1Sam 10:5; Mwa 49:24Nanyi mtaimba kama usiku ule mnaadhimisha
sikukuu takatifu.
Mioyo yenu itashangilia
kama vile watu wanapokwea na filimbi
kwenye mlima wa Bwana,
kwa Mwamba wa Israeli.
3030:30 Kut 19:18; Za 29:3; Kut 20:18; Isa 47:14; 9:12Bwana atawasababisha watu waisikie sauti yake ya utukufu,
naye atawafanya wauone mkono wake ukishuka
pamoja na hasira yake kali na moto ulao,
kukiwa na tufani ya mvua,
ngurumo za radi na mvua ya mawe.
3130:31 Isa 10:5, 12; 11:4Sauti ya Bwana itaivunjavunja Ashuru,
kwa fimbo yake ya utawala atawapiga.
3230:32 Isa 11:15; 10:26; Eze 32:10; Kut 15:20Kila pigo Bwana atakaloliweka juu yao
kwa fimbo yake ya kuadhibu,
litakuwa kwa wimbo wa matari na vinubi,
anapopigana nao katika vita
kwa mapigo ya mkono wake.
3330:33 2Fal 23:10; Yer 7:31; Mwa 19:24; Ufu 9:17; 2Sam 22:16Tofethi imeandaliwa toka zamani,
imewekwa tayari kwa ajili ya mfalme.
Shimo lake la moto limetengenezwa kwa kina kirefu
na kwa upana mkubwa,
likiwa na moto na kuni tele;
pumzi ya Bwana,
kama kijito cha kiberiti,
huuwasha moto.
