1“ ‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. 2They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground. 3Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the Lord Almighty.’
Sin and Punishment
4“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“ ‘When people fall down, do they not get up?
When someone turns away, do they not return?
5Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;
they refuse to return.
6I have listened attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent of their wickedness,
saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course
like a horse charging into battle.
7Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know
the requirements of the Lord.
8“ ‘How can you say, “We are wise,
for we have the law of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?
9The wise will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed and trapped.
Since they have rejected the word of the Lord,
what kind of wisdom do they have?
10Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
11They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.
12Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when they are punished,
says the Lord.
13“ ‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
There will be no grapes on the vine.
There will be no figs on the tree,
and their leaves will wither.
What I have given them
will be taken from them.8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.’ ”
14Why are we sitting here?
Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities
and perish there!
For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
and given us poisoned water to drink,
because we have sinned against him.
15We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
16The snorting of the enemy’s horses
is heard from Dan;
at the neighing of their stallions
the whole land trembles.
They have come to devour
the land and everything in it,
the city and all who live there.
17“See, I will send venomous snakes among you,
vipers that cannot be charmed,
and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.
18You who are my Comforter8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. in sorrow,
my heart is faint within me.
19Listen to the cry of my people
from a land far away:
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King no longer there?”
“Why have they aroused my anger with their images,
with their worthless foreign idols?”
20“The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.”
21Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;
I mourn, and horror grips me.
22Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing
for the wound of my people?
18:1 Isa 14:19; Za 53:5“ ‘Wakati huo, asema Bwana, mifupa ya wafalme na maafisa wa Yuda, mifupa ya makuhani na manabii, na mifupa ya watu wa Yerusalemu itaondolewa kutoka makaburi yao. 28:2 Yer 44:19; Mdo 7:42; Za 83:10; 2Fal 23:5; Yer 19:13; Ay 31:27; Yer 14:16Itawekwa wazi kwa jua, na mwezi, na nyota zote za mbingu, ambazo walizipenda na kuzitumikia, na ambazo wamezifuata kutafuta ushauri na kuziabudu. Hawatakusanywa pamoja au kuzikwa, lakini watakuwa kama mavi yaliyotapakaa juu ya ardhi. 38:3 Ay 3:22; Ufu 9:6; Kum 29:28Popote nitakapowafukuzia, mabaki wote wa kizazi hiki kiovu watatamani kufa kuliko kuishi, asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.’
Dhambi Na Adhabu
48:4 Mik 7:8; Mit 24:16; Yer 31:19; Za 119:67“Waambie, ‘Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana:
“ ‘Je, watu wanapoanguka hawainuki?
Je, mtu anapopotea harudi?
58:5 Yer 5:27; Isa 1:20; Yer 7:24; Zek 7:11Kwa nini basi watu hawa walipotea?
Kwa nini Yerusalemu inapotea kila mara?
Wanangʼangʼania udanganyifu
na wanakataa kurudi.
68:6 2Pet 3:9; Ufu 9:20; Za 14:1-3; Mal 3:16Nimewasikiliza kwa makini,
lakini hawataki kusema lililo sawa.
Hakuna anayetubia makosa yake
akisema, “Nimefanya nini?”
Kila mmoja hufuata njia yake mwenyewe
kama farasi anayekwenda vitani.
78:7 Kum 32:28; Wim 2:12; Yer 4:22Hata korongo aliyeko angani
anayajua majira yake yaliyoamriwa,
nao njiwa, mbayuwayu na koikoi
hufuata majira yao ya kurudi.
Lakini watu wangu hawajui
Bwana anachotaka kwao.
88:8 Rum 2:17; Hos 8:12“ ‘Mwawezaje kusema, “Sisi tuna busara
kwa sababu tunayo sheria ya Bwana,”
wakati ambapo kwa hakika kalamu ya uongo ya waandishi
imeandika kwa udanganyifu?
98:9 Isa 29:14; Yer 5:16-19; 2Fal 19:26; Ay 5:13; Yer 6:19; 1Kor 1:20Wenye hekima wataaibika,
watafadhaika na kunaswa.
Kwa kuwa wamelikataa neno la Bwana,
hiyo hekima waliyo nayo ni ya namna gani?
108:10 Yer 6:12; Isa 56:11; Mao 4:13; Isa 28:7; Yer 14:14; Mao 2:14; Yer 23:11-15Kwa hiyo nitawapa watu wengine wake zao,
na mashamba yao kwa wamiliki wengine.
Kuanzia aliye mdogo kabisa hadi aliye mkubwa kabisa,
wote wana tamaa ya kupata zaidi;
manabii na makuhani wanafanana,
wote wanafanya udanganyifu.
118:11 Yer 6:14; Eze 13:10; 7:25; Yer 4:10Wanafunga majeraha ya watu wangu
bila uangalifu.
Wanasema, “Amani, amani,”
wakati hakuna amani.
128:12 Za 52:5-7; Yer 3:3; Isa 3:9; Yer 6:15Je, wanaona aibu kwa ajili ya tabia yao inayochukiza mno?
Hapana, hawana aibu hata kidogo,
hawajui hata kuona haya.
Kwa hiyo wataanguka miongoni mwa hao walioanguka,
watashushwa chini watakapoadhibiwa,
asema Bwana.
138:13 Hos 2:12; Mt 21:19; Yer 5:17; Lk 13:6“ ‘Nitayaondoa mavuno yao,
asema Bwana.
Hapatakuwepo zabibu kwenye mzabibu.
Hapatakuwepo na tini kwenye mtini,
majani yake yatanyauka.
Kile nilichowapa
watanyangʼanywa.’ ”
148:14 Yos 10:20; Yer 23:15; Kum 29:18; Dan 9:5; Yer 35:11; 9:15; 14:7, 20“Kwa nini tunaketi hapa?
Kusanyikeni pamoja!
Tukimbilie kwenye miji yenye maboma,
tukaangamie huko!
Kwa kuwa Bwana, Mungu wetu
ametuhukumu kuangamia,
na kutupa maji yenye sumu tunywe,
kwa sababu tumemtenda dhambi.
158:15 Ay 19:8; Yer 14:19Tulitegemea amani,
lakini hakuna jema lililokuja,
tulitegemea wakati wa kupona,
lakini kulikuwa hofu tu.
168:16 Mwa 30:6; Yer 4:15, 29; 51:29; 5:17Mkoromo wa farasi za adui
umesikika kuanzia Dani,
kwa mlio wa madume yao ya farasi,
nchi yote inatetemeka.
Wamekuja kuangamiza nchi na vyote vilivyomo,
mji na wote waishio ndani yake.”
178:17 Hes 21:6; Kum 32:24; Isa 3:3; Za 58:5“Tazama, nitatuma nyoka wenye sumu kali katikati yenu,
fira ambao hawawezi kulogwa,
nao watawauma,”
asema Bwana.
188:18 Mao 5:17Ee Mfariji wangu katika huzuni,
moyo wangu umezimia ndani yangu.
198:19 Kum 28:64; Yer 9:16; Mik 4:9; Yer 44:3; Isa 41:24; Kum 32:21Sikia kilio cha watu wangu
kutoka nchi ya mbali:
“Je, Bwana hayuko Sayuni?
Je, Mfalme wake hayuko tena huko?”
“Kwa nini wamenikasirisha kwa vinyago vyao,
kwa sanamu zao za kigeni zisizofaa?”
20“Mavuno yamepita,
kiangazi kimekwisha,
nasi hatujaokolewa.”
218:21 Nah 2:10; Mao 2:13; Eze 6:9; Za 94:5; Isa 43:24; Yer 4:19Kwa kuwa watu wangu wamepondwa, nami nimepondeka pia;
ninaomboleza, nayo hofu kuu imenishika.
228:22 Mwa 37:25; Yer 30:12; Ay 13:4; Isa 1:6Je, hakuna zeri ya kuponya katika Gileadi?
Je, hakuna tabibu huko?
Kwa nini basi hakuna uponyaji
wa majeraha ya watu wangu?
