Katika Nyumba Ya Mfinyanzi
1Hili ndilo neno lililomjia Yeremia kutoka kwa Bwana: 2“Shuka uende mpaka nyumba ya mfinyanzi, nami huko nitakupa ujumbe wangu.” 3Kwa hiyo nikashuka mpaka kwenye nyumba ya mfinyanzi, nikamkuta akifinyanga kwa gurudumu lake. 4Lakini chombo alichokuwa akikifinyanga kutokana na udongo kilivunjika mikononi mwake, hivyo mfinyanzi akakifanya kuwa chombo kingine, umbo jingine kama vile ilivyoonekana vyema kwake yeye.
5Kisha neno la Bwana likanijia kusema: 618:6 Isa 29:16; 45:9; Rum 9:20-21; Mwa 2:7“Ee nyumba ya Israeli, je, siwezi kuwafanyia kama huyu mfinyanzi afanyavyo?” asema Bwana. “Kama vile udongo ulivyo katika mikono ya mfinyanzi, ndivyo mlivyo katika mkono wangu, ee nyumba ya Israeli. 718:7 Yer 1:10Ikiwa wakati wowote nikitangaza kuwa taifa au ufalme utangʼolewa, utaangushwa na kuangamizwa, 818:8 Kut 32:14; Eze 18:21; Yn 3:8-10; Dan 9:14; Amu 10:15-16; Za 25:11; Yer 26:13; 31:28; 42:10; Hos 11:8-9; Yoe 2:13ikiwa lile taifa nililolionya litatubia uovu wake, ndipo nitakapokuwa na huruma, wala sitawapiga kwa maafa niliyokuwa nimewakusudia. 918:9 Yer 1:10; 31:28Ikiwa wakati mwingine nitatangaza kuwa taifa ama utawala ujengwe na kuwekwa wakfu, 1018:10 Eze 33:18; 1Sam 2:29-30; 13:13; Yer 1:10ikiwa utafanya maovu mbele zangu na hukunitii, ndipo nitakapoghairi makusudio yangu mema niliyokuwa nimeyakusudia.
1118:11 2Fal 22:16; Yer 4:6; Kum 4:30; 2Fal 17:13; Isa 1:16-19; Ay 16:17; Yer 7:3“Basi kwa hiyo waambie watu wa Yuda na wale waishio Yerusalemu, ‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Tazama! Ninaandaa maafa kwa ajili yenu, nami ninabuni mabaya dhidi yenu. Kwa hiyo geukeni kutoka njia zenu mbaya, kila mmoja wenu, tengenezeni njia zenu na matendo yenu.’ 1218:12 Isa 57:10; Yer 2:25; 3:17Lakini wao watajibu, ‘Hakuna faida. Tutaendelea na mipango yetu wenyewe, kila mmoja wetu atafuata ukaidi wa moyo wake mbaya.’ ”
1318:13 Isa 66:8; Yer 2:10; 5:30; 2Fal 19:21Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana:
“Ulizia miongoni mwa mataifa:
Ni nani alishasikia jambo kama hili?
Jambo la kutisha sana limefanywa
na Bikira Israeli.
14Je, barafu ya Lebanoni iliwahi kutoweka
kwenye miteremko yake ya mawe wakati wowote?
Je, maji yake baridi yatokayo katika vyanzo vilivyo mbali
yaliwahi kukoma kutiririka wakati wowote?
1518:15 Yer 51:18; Hos 11:12; Yer 6:16; Isa 57:14; 62:10; 17:10; 1:13; Eze 44:12Lakini watu wangu wamenisahau mimi,
wanafukizia uvumba sanamu zisizofaa kitu,
zilizowafanya wajikwae katika njia zao
na katika mapito ya zamani.
Zimewafanya wapite kwenye vichochoro
na kwenye barabara ambazo hazikujengwa.
1618:16 Eze 33:28-29; Yer 49:13; 42:18; Ay 16:4; 2Fal 19:21; Kum 28:37; Yer 25:9Nchi yao itaharibiwa,
itakuwa kitu cha kudharauliwa daima;
wote wapitao karibu nayo watashangaa
na kutikisa vichwa vyao.
1718:17 Ay 7:10; Yer 13:24; 2Nya 29:6; Yer 2:27Kama upepo utokao mashariki,
nitawatawanya mbele ya adui zao;
nitawapa kisogo wala sio uso,
katika siku ya maafa yao.”
1818:18 Yer 11:19; Hag 2:11; Yer 5:13; Za 64:2-8; Yer 9:3; 2:8; Mao 2:7; Ay 5:13Wakasema, “Njooni, tutunge hila dhidi ya Yeremia; kwa kuwa kufundisha sheria kwa kuhani hakutapotea, wala shauri litokalo kwa mwenye hekima, wala neno la manabii. Hivyo njooni, tumshambulie kwa ndimi zetu na tusijali chochote asemacho.”
19Nisikilize, Ee Bwana,
sikia wanayosema washtaki wangu!
2018:20 Mwa 20:7; Kum 9:19; Za 119:85; 35:7; 109:23; Mwa 44:4; Yer 14:7-9Je, mema yalipwe kwa mabaya?
Lakini wao wamenichimbia shimo.
Kumbuka kwamba nilisimama mbele yako
na kunena mema kwa ajili yao,
ili wewe ugeuze hasira yako kali mbali nao.
2118:21 Yer 11:22; 14:16; 1Sam 15:33; Mao 5:3; Za 63:10; Isa 47:9; 9:17Kwa hiyo uwaache watoto wao waone njaa;
uwaache wauawe kwa makali ya upanga.
Wake zao wasiwe na watoto, na wawe wajane;
waume wao wauawe,
nao vijana wao waume
wachinjwe kwa upanga vitani.
2218:22 Yer 6:26; Za 35:15; Yer 5:26; Za 119:85; Yer 20:10Kilio na kisikike kutoka kwenye nyumba zao
ghafula uwaletapo adui dhidi yao,
kwa kuwa wamechimba shimo ili kunikamata
na wameitegea miguu yangu mitego.
2318:23 Yer 11:21; 37:15; Neh 4:5; Za 109:14; 59:5; Yer 10:24Lakini unajua, Ee Bwana,
hila zao zote za kuniua.
Usiyasamehe makosa yao
wala usifute dhambi zao
mbele za macho yako.
Wao na waangamizwe mbele zako;
uwashughulikie wakati wa hasira yako.
At the Potter’s House
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2“Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5Then the word of the Lord came to me. 6He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. 7If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.
11“Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ 12But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’ ”
13Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“Inquire among the nations:
Who has ever heard anything like this?
A most horrible thing has been done
by Virgin Israel.
14Does the snow of Lebanon
ever vanish from its rocky slopes?
Do its cool waters from distant sources
ever stop flowing?18:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
15Yet my people have forgotten me;
they burn incense to worthless idols,
which made them stumble in their ways,
in the ancient paths.
They made them walk in byways,
on roads not built up.
16Their land will be an object of horror
and of lasting scorn;
all who pass by will be appalled
and will shake their heads.
17Like a wind from the east,
I will scatter them before their enemies;
I will show them my back and not my face
in the day of their disaster.”
18They said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”
19Listen to me, Lord;
hear what my accusers are saying!
20Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood before you
and spoke in their behalf
to turn your wrath away from them.
21So give their children over to famine;
hand them over to the power of the sword.
Let their wives be made childless and widows;
let their men be put to death,
their young men slain by the sword in battle.
22Let a cry be heard from their houses
when you suddenly bring invaders against them,
for they have dug a pit to capture me
and have hidden snares for my feet.
23But you, Lord, know
all their plots to kill me.
Do not forgive their crimes
or blot out their sins from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you;
deal with them in the time of your anger.
