War and Hunger
1A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. He told Jeremiah there wouldn’t be any rain in the land. The Lord said,
2“Judah is filled with sadness.
Its cities are wasting away.
The people weep for the land.
Crying is heard in Jerusalem.
3The nobles send their servants to get water.
They go to the wells.
But they do not find any water.
They return with empty jars.
They are terrified. They do not have any hope.
They cover their heads.
4The ground is dry and cracked.
There isn’t any rain in the land.
The farmers are terrified.
They cover their heads.
5Even the female deer in the fields
desert their newborn fawns.
There isn’t any grass to eat.
6Wild donkeys stand on the bare hilltops.
They long for water as wild dogs do.
Their eyesight fails
because they do not have any food to eat.”
7Lord, our sins are a witness against us.
But do something for the honor of your name.
We have often turned away from you.
We’ve sinned against you.
8You are Israel’s only hope.
You save us when we’re in trouble.
Why are you like a stranger to us?
Why are you like a traveler who stays for only one night?
9Why are you like a man taken by surprise?
Why are you like a soldier who can’t save anyone?
Lord, you are among us.
And we are your people.
Please don’t desert us!
10The Lord gave Jeremiah a message about these people. The Lord said,
“They really love to wander away from me.
Their feet go down the wrong path.
I do not accept these people.
I will remember the evil things they have done.
I will punish them for their sins.”
11The Lord continued, “Do not pray that things will go well with them. 12Even if they go without food, I will not listen to their cry for help. They might sacrifice burnt offerings and grain offerings. But I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with war, hunger and plague.”
13But I said, “Lord and King, the prophets keep telling them something else. They say, ‘You won’t have to suffer from war or hunger. Instead, the Lord will give you peace and rest in this place.’ ”
14Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them. I have not even spoken to them. Everything they tell you about their visions or secret knowledge is a lie. They pretend to bring you messages from other gods. They try to get you to believe their own mistaken ideas. 15So here is what I am saying about the prophets who are prophesying in my name. I did not send them. But they are saying, ‘No war or hunger will come to this land.’ Those same prophets will die because of war and hunger. 16And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem. They will die because of hunger and war. No one will bury them. No one will bury their wives and children. I will pour out trouble on them. That is exactly what they should get.
17“Jeremiah, give them this message. Tell them,
“ ‘Let tears flow from my eyes.
Let them pour out night and day.
Never let them stop.
The people of my own nation
have suffered a terrible wound.
They have been crushed.
18Suppose I go into the country.
Then I see people who have been killed by swords.
Or suppose I go into the city.
Then I see people who have died of hunger.
Prophet and priest alike have gone to a land
they hadn’t known about before.’ ”
19Lord, have you completely turned your back on Judah?
Do you hate the city of Zion?
Why have you made us suffer?
We can’t be healed.
We hoped peace would come.
But nothing good has happened to us.
We hoped we would finally be healed.
But all we got was terror.
20Lord, we admit we’ve done evil things.
We also admit that our people of long ago were guilty.
It’s true that we’ve sinned against you.
21For the honor of your name, don’t turn your back on us.
Don’t bring shame on your glorious throne in the temple.
Remember the covenant you made with us.
Please don’t break it.
22Do any of the worthless gods of the nations bring rain?
Do the skies send down showers all by themselves?
No. Lord our God, you send the rain.
So we put our hope in you.
You are the one who does all these things.
Ukame, Njaa Na Upanga
1Hili ndilo neno la Bwana kwa Yeremia kuhusu ukame:
214:2 Isa 3:26; Yer 8:21; Mit 21:13“Yuda anaomboleza,
miji yake inayodhoofika;
wanaomboleza kwa ajili ya nchi,
nacho kilio kinapanda kutoka Yerusalemu.
314:3 Kum 28:48; 2Fal 18:31; 2Sam 15:30; Es 6:12; Ay 6:19-20Wakuu wanawatuma watumishi wao maji;
wanakwenda visimani
lakini humo hakuna maji.
Wanarudi na vyombo bila maji;
wakiwa na hofu na kukata tamaa,
wanafunika vichwa vyao.
414:4 Amo 4:8; Zek 14:17; Yer 3:3; 12:11Ardhi imepasuka nyufa
kwa sababu hakuna mvua katika nchi;
wakulima wana hofu
na wanafunika vichwa vyao.
514:5 Isa 15:6Hata kulungu mashambani
anamwacha mtoto wake aliyezaliwa wakati huo huo
kwa sababu hakuna majani.
614:6 Ay 39:5-6; Yer 2:24; Za 104:11; Mwa 47:4Punda-mwitu wanasimama juu ya miinuko iliyo kame
na kutweta kama mbweha;
macho yao yanakosa nguvu za kuona
kwa ajili ya kukosa malisho.”
714:7 Isa 3:9; Hos 5:5; Yer 2:19; 8:14; Za 25:11; 79:9; 1Sam 12:22Ingawa dhambi zetu zinashuhudia juu yetu,
Ee Bwana, tenda jambo kwa ajili ya jina lako.
Kwa kuwa kukengeuka kwetu ni kukubwa,
nasi tumetenda dhambi dhidi yako.
814:8 Za 9:18; Mdo 28:20; Yer 17:13; 50:7; Za 18:46; Isa 25:9Ee Tumaini la Israeli,
Mwokozi wake wakati wa taabu,
kwa nini unakuwa kama mgeni katika nchi,
kama msafiri anayekaa kwa usiku mmoja tu?
914:9 Isa 50:2; Mwa 17:7; Yer 8:19; 15:16; Kut 29:45; Isa 63:19; Za 27:9Mbona unakuwa kama mtu aliyeshtukizwa,
kama shujaa asiye na uwezo wa kuokoa?
Wewe uko katikati yetu, Ee Bwana,
nasi tunaitwa kwa jina lako;
usituache!
1014:10 Yer 2:25; Za 119:101; Yer 6:20; Hes 8:13; Ebr 8:12; Amo 5:22; Hos 7:2; 9:9; Yer 44:21Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo kuhusu watu hawa:
“Wanapenda sana kutangatanga,
hawaizuii miguu yao.
Hivyo Bwana hawakubali;
sasa ataukumbuka uovu wao
na kuwaadhibu kwa ajili ya dhambi zao.”
1114:11 Kut 32:10; 1Sam 2:25Kisha Bwana akaniambia, “Usiombe kwa ajili ya mafanikio ya watu hawa. 1214:12 Kum 1:45; 1Sam 8:18; Yer 7:21; Law 1:1-17; Yer 11:11; Amo 5:22; Isa 51:19; Yer 9:16Ingawa wanafunga, sitasikiliza kilio chao; hata wakitoa dhabihu za kuteketezwa na dhabihu za nafaka, sitazikubali. Badala yake, nitawaangamiza kwa upanga, njaa na tauni.”
13Lakini nikasema, “Aa, Bwana Mwenyezi, manabii wanaendelea kuwaambia, ‘Hamtaona upanga wala kukabiliwa na njaa. Naam, nitawapa amani ya kudumu mahali hapa.’ ”
1414:14 Yer 23:25; 2The 2:9-11; Eze 13:2-6; Yer 23:16; Mao 2:9; Eze 12:24; Yer 27:14Ndipo Bwana akaniambia, “Manabii wanatabiri uongo kwa jina langu. Sikuwatuma, wala sikuwaweka, wala sikusema nao. Wanawatabiria maono ya uongo, maaguzi, maono ya sanamu zisizofaa kitu, na madanganyo ya mawazo yao wenyewe. 1514:15 Yer 20:6; Eze 14:9; Yer 16:4; Mao 1:19; Yer 23:15; 5:12-13Kwa hiyo, hili ndilo Bwana asemalo kuhusu manabii wanaotabiri kwa jina langu: Mimi sikuwatuma, lakini wanasema, ‘Hakuna upanga wala njaa itakayoigusa nchi hii.’ Manabii hao hao watakufa kwa upanga na njaa. 1614:16 Yer 17:10; Mit 1:31; Yer 7:33; Za 79:3; Mt 15:14Nao watu hao wanaowatabiria watatupwa nje katika barabara za Yerusalemu kwa sababu ya njaa na upanga. Hapatakuwepo yeyote wa kuwazika wao au wake zao, wana wao au binti zao. Nitawamwagia maafa wanayostahili.
1714:17 Za 119:136; Yer 8:21; Mao 1:16; 2Fal 19:21; Yer 23:12“Nena nao neno hili:
“ ‘Macho yangu na yatiririkwe na machozi
usiku na mchana bila kukoma;
kwa kuwa binti yangu aliye bikira, yaani watu wangu,
amepata jeraha baya,
pigo la kuangamiza.
1814:18 Eze 7:14-15; 2Nya 36:10; Yer 13:17Kama nikienda mashambani,
ninaona wale waliouawa kwa upanga;
kama nikienda mjini,
ninaona maangamizi ya njaa.
Nabii na kuhani kwa pamoja
wamekwenda katika nchi wasiyoijua.’ ”
1914:19 Yer 7:29; 30:12-13; 8:15; Isa 1:6Je, umemkataa Yuda kabisa?
Umemchukia Sayuni kabisa?
Kwa nini umetuumiza
hata hatuwezi kuponyeka?
Tulitarajia amani,
lakini hakuna jema lililotujia;
tulitarajia wakati wa kupona
lakini kuna hofu kuu tu.
2014:20 Amu 10:10; Dan 9:7-8; Yer 3:13; Law 26:40; 1Fal 8:47; Ezr 9:6Ee Bwana, tunatambua uovu wetu
na kosa la baba zetu;
kweli tumetenda dhambi dhidi yako.
2114:21 Yer 17:12; Yos 7:9; Isa 62:7; Yer 3:17; Kut 2:24Kwa ajili ya jina lako usituchukie kabisa;
usikidharau kiti chako cha enzi kilichotukuka.
Kumbuka agano lako nasi
na usilivunje.
2214:22 1Fal 8:36; Isa 30:23; Za 135:7; Isa 41:24; 44:10; Yer 10:15Je, kuna sanamu yoyote isiyofaa kitu ya mataifa
iwezayo kuleta mvua?
Je, anga peke yake zaweza kutoa mvua?
La hasha, ni wewe peke yako,
Ee Bwana, Mungu wetu.
Kwa hiyo tumaini letu liko kwako,
kwa kuwa wewe ndiwe ufanyaye haya yote.
