2 Kings 25

1 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.

1 Hivyo katika mwaka wa tisa wa utawala wa Sedekia, katika siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa kumi, Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, akiwa na jeshi lake lote, alifanya vita dhidi ya Yerusalemu. Akapiga kambi nje ya mji na kuuzunguka mji pande zote.

2 And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

2 Mji ulizungukwa na jeshi mpaka mwaka wa kumi na moja wa utawala wa Mfalme Sedekia.

3 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.

3 Ilipowadia siku ya tisa ya mwezi wa nne, njaa ikazidi kuwa kali sana ndani ya mji, hadi hapakuwa na chakula kwa ajili ya watu.

4 Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,

4 Kisha ukuta wa mji ukavunjwa, na jeshi lote likakimbia. Wakaondoka mjini usiku kupitia lango lililokuwa kati ya kuta mbili karibu na bustani ya mfalme, ingawa Wakaldayo walikuwa wameuzunguka mji. Wakakimbia kuelekea Araba.

5 but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him.

5 Lakini jeshi la Wakaldayo likamfuatia mfalme na kumpata katika sehemu tambarare za Yeriko. Askari wake wote wakatengwa naye na kutawanyika,

6 The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him.

6 naye akakamatwa. Akapelekwa kwa mfalme wa Babeli huko Ribla, mahali ambapo hukumu yake ilitangazwa.

7 And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

7 Wakawaua wana wa Sedekia mbele ya macho yake. Kisha wakayangʼoa macho yake, wakamfunga kwa pingu za shaba na kumpeleka Babeli.

8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.

8 Mnamo siku ya saba ya mwezi wa tano, katika mwaka wa kumi na tisa wa utawala wa Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli, Nebuzaradani jemadari wa askari walinzi wa mfalme, afisa wa mfalme wa Babeli, alikuja Yerusalemu.

9 He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.

9 Alichoma moto Hekalu la Bwana, jumba la kifalme, na nyumba zote za Yerusalemu. Aliteketeza kila jengo muhimu.

10 And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

10 Jeshi lote la Wakaldayo, chini ya jemadari wa askari walinzi wa mfalme, walivunja kuta zilizoizunguka Yerusalemu.

11 Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population.

11 Nebuzaradani jemadari wa askari walinzi akawapeleka uhamishoni watu waliokuwa wamebaki katika mji, pamoja na mabaki ya watu wa kawaida, na wale waliojisalimisha kwa mfalme wa Babeli.

12 But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.

12 Lakini yule jemadari wa askari walinzi akawaacha baadhi ya wale watu maskini kabisa ili watunze mashamba ya mizabibu na mashamba mengine.

13 Moreover, the Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house of the LORD, and they carried the bronze to Babylon.

13 Wakaldayo walivunja vipande zile nguzo za shaba, vile vishikilio vya shaba vilivyohamishika, na ile Bahari ya shaba, ambavyo vyote vilikuwa katika Hekalu la Bwana. Hivyo wakaichukua hiyo shaba na kuipeleka Babeli.

14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the articles of bronze used in the temple service.

14 Wakachukua pia vyungu, masepetu, mikasi ya kusawazishia tambi, sahani na vyombo vyote vya shaba vilivyotumika katika huduma ya Hekalu.

15 The captain of the guard also took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.

15 Jemadari wa askari walinzi wa mfalme akachukua vile vyetezo na yale mabakuli ya kunyunyizia, vitu vyote vile vilivyokuwa vimetengenezwa kwa dhahabu safi au fedha.

16 As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the movable stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.

16 Shaba iliyotokana na zile nguzo mbili, ile Bahari na vile vishikilio vilivyohamishika, ambavyo Solomoni alikuwa ametengeneza kwa ajili ya Hekalu la Bwana, ilikuwa na uzito usioweza kupimika.

17 Each pillar was eighteen cubits tall. The bronze capital atop one pillar was three cubits high, with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its network, was similar.

17 Kila nguzo ilikuwa na urefu wa dhiraa kumi na nane. Sehemu ya shaba juu ya nguzo moja ilikuwa na urefu wa dhiraa tatu na ilikuwa imepambwa kwa wavu na makomamanga ya shaba kuizunguka kote. Ile nguzo nyingine pamoja na wavu wake ilifanana na hiyo ya kwanza.

18 The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.

18 Yule jemadari wa askari walinzi akawachukua kama wafungwa Seraya kuhani mkuu, kuhani Sefania aliyefuata kwa cheo, na mabawabu watatu.

19 Of those still in the city, he took a court official who had been appointed over the men of war, as well as five royal advisors. He also took the scribe of the captain of the army, who had enlisted the people of the land, and sixty men who were found in the city.

19 Miongoni mwa wale watu waliokuwa wamesalia katika mji, alimchukua afisa kiongozi wa wapiganaji, na washauri watano wa mfalme. Akamchukua pia mwandishi aliyesimamia uandikishaji wa watu wa nchi, pamoja na watu wake sitini waliopatikana ndani ya mji.

20 Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

20 Nebuzaradani jemadari akawachukua hao wote na kuwapeleka kwa mfalme wa Babeli huko Ribla.

21 There at Riblah in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death. So Judah was taken into exile, away from its own land.

21 Huko Ribla, katika nchi ya Hamathi, mfalme wa Babeli akaamuru wanyongwe. Hivyo Yuda wakaenda utumwani, mbali na nchi yao.

22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah.

22 Nebukadneza mfalme wa Babeli akamteua Gedalia mwana wa Ahikamu, mwana wa Shafani, awe msimamizi wa watu aliowaacha Yuda.

23 When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.

23 Maafisa wote wa jeshi na watu wao waliposikia kwamba mfalme wa Babeli amemteua Gedalia kuwa mtawala, wakamjia Gedalia huko Mispa. Hawa walikuwa Ishmaeli mwana wa Nethania, Yohanani mwana wa Karea, Seraya mwana wa Tanhumethi Mnetofathi, na Yezania mwana wa Mmaaka, pamoja na watu wao.

24 And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

24 Gedalia akaapa ili kuwatia moyo wao na watu wao. Akasema, “Msiwaogope maafisa wa Kikaldayo. Kaeni katika nchi na kumtumikia mfalme wa Babeli, na itakuwa vyema kwenu.”

25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

25 Hata hivyo, katika mwezi wa saba Ishmaeli mwana wa Nethania mwana wa Elishama, aliyekuwa wa uzao wa mfalme, akaja pamoja na watu kumi, nao wakamuua Gedalia, na pia watu wa Yuda, pamoja na Wakaldayo waliokuwa naye huko Mispa.

26 Then all the people small and great, together with the commanders of the army, arose and fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans.

26 Baada ya haya, watu wote kuanzia aliye mdogo sana hadi aliye mkubwa kabisa, pamoja na maafisa wa jeshi, wakakimbilia Misri kwa kuwaogopa Wakaldayo.

27 On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison.

27 Katika mwaka wa thelathini na saba tangu Yehoyakini mfalme wa Yuda apelekwe uhamishoni, katika mwaka ule ambao Evil-Merodaki alifanyika mfalme wa Babeli, alimwacha huru Yehoyakini kutoka gerezani siku ya ishirini na saba ya mwezi wa kumi na mbili.

28 And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

28 Alizungumza naye kwa upole na kumpa kiti cha heshima zaidi kuliko wale wafalme wengine aliokuwa nao huko Babeli.

29 So Jehoiachin changed out of his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life.

29 Hivyo Yehoyakini akayavua mavazi yake ya mfungwa, na siku zote za maisha yake zilizobaki alikula mezani mwa mfalme.

30 And the king provided Jehoiachin a daily portion for the rest of his life.

30 Siku kwa siku mfalme alimpa Yehoyakini posho siku zote za maisha yake.