Isaiah 49
1 Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.
Nisikilize mimi, enyi mkao pwani! na kuwa makini, enyi watu mkao mbali. Yahwe amenita mimi kutoka kuzaliwa kwa jina, mama yangu aliponileta duniani.
2 He made My mouth like a sharp sword; He hid Me in the shadow of His hand. He made Me like a polished arrow; He hid Me in His quiver.
Amefanya mdomo wangu kuwa kama upanga mkali; amenificha mimi katika kivuli cha mkono wake; amenifanya mimi kuwa mshale unaong'aa; katika podo yake amenificha mimi.
3 He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, in whom I will display My glory.”
Amesema na mimi, ''Wewe ni mtumishi wangu, Israeli, kupitia yeye nitaonyesha utukufu wangu.''
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
Lakini nilimjibu, ''Japo nilifikiria nilifanya kazi bure, nimetumia nguvu zangu bure, ikiwa haki yangu iko pamoja na Yahwe, na zawadi yangu iko kwa Mungu wangu.
5 And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, that Israel might be gathered to Him— for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and My God is My strength—
Na sasa Yahwe asema hivi, yeye aliyeniumba mimi toka kuzaliwa na kuwa mtumishi wake, kumrejesha Yakobo tena kwake mwenyewe, na Israeli wakusanyike kwake. Mimi ninaheshimika katika macho ya Yahwe, na Mungu wangu amekuwa nguvu zangu.
6 He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Asema hivi, ''Ni kitu kidogo sana kwa wewe kuwa mtumishi wangu ili kuanzisha ukoo wa Yakobo, na kuwarejesha wanaoishi Israeli. Nitakufanya wewe kuwa mwanga kwa Wayunani, ili uwe wokovu wangu katika mipaka ya nchi.
7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”
Yahwe asema hivi, Mkombozi wa Israeli, Mtatakatifu wao, kwa yeye ambae maisha yake yamedharauliwa, kuchukiwa na mataifa, na mtumwa wa viongozi, ''Mfalme atakuona wewe na nyanyuka, na wakuu watakuona wewe na inama chini, kwa sababu ya Yahwe ambae ni mwaminifu, hata mtakatifu wa Israeli, aliyewachagua ninyi.''
8 This is what the LORD says: “In the time of favor I will answer You, and in the day of salvation I will help You; I will keep You and appoint You to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to apportion its desolate inheritances,
Yahwe asema hivi, ''Kwa mda huu nimeamua kuwaonyesha neema yangu na nitawajibu ninyi, na siku ya wokovu nitawasaidi ninyi; Nitakulinda wewe; na nitawapa kama agano kwa watu, kuitengeneza tena nchi, kuwarihtisha urithi uliokuwa na ukiwa.
9 to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will feed along the pathways, and find pasture on every barren hill.
Utasema kwa wafungwa, 'Tokeni nje; kwa wale mlio katika giza gerezani, 'Jionyeshe mwenyewe. 'Watachunga pembeni ya barabara, na juu ya miteremko ya wazi yatakuwa malisho yake.
10 They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
Hawatasikia njaa wala kiu; wala joto au jua halitawaunguza, kwa yeye mwenye huruma juu yao atawaongoza wao; atawaongoza wao kwenye mikondo ya maji.
11 I will turn all My mountains into roads, and My highways will be raised up.
Na nitafanya milima yote kuwa barabara, na kufanya njia za juu kuwa sawa''
12 Behold, they will come from far away, from the north and from the west, and from the land of Aswan.”
Tazama, haya yatatoka kutoka mbali, baadhi kutoka kaskazini na magharibi; na wengine kutoka nchi ya Sinimi.
13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; break forth in song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and He will have compassion on His afflicted ones.
Imba, ewe mbingu, na uwe na furaha, ewe nchi pazeni sauti ya kuimmba enyi milima! maana Yahwe anawafariji watu wake, na watakuwa na huruma kwa wale wanoteseka.
14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!”
Lakin Sayuni asema, Yahwe ameniacha mimi, na Bwana amenisahau mimi.''
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!
''Je mwanamke anaweza kumsahau mtoto wake, aliyemnyonyesha, hivyo hana huruma na mtoto aliye mzaa? ndio, hawakusahau, lakini siwezi kukusahau wewe.
16 Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.
Tazama, nimeliandika jina lako kwenye kiganja cha mkono wangu; Kuta zako zinaendelea kuwa mbele yangu.
17 Your builders hasten back; your destroyers and wreckers depart from you.
Watoto wangu wamerudi haraka, wakati wale wanowaangaimiza nyie wameenda mbali.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around. They all gather together; they come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “you will wear them all as jewelry and put them on like a bride.
Tazama karibu na uone, wote wamekusanyika na wanakuja kwako. Nitahakikisha kama ninaishi- hili ni tamko la Yahwe- hakika mtavivaaa kama kama kijiti; utajifungia kama bibi harusi.
19 For your ruined and desolate places and your ravaged land will now indeed be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.
Japo umeharibiwa na kuwa na ukiwa, nchi iliyoharibiwa, sasa itakuwa ndogo sana kwa wenyeji, na wale wanao waliokumeza watakuwa mbali,
20 Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’
Watoto watakaozaliwa katika kipindi cha msiba watasema mkiwa mnawasikiliza, 'Sehemu hii ni duni kwetu, tengeneza chumba kwa ajili yetu, ili tuweze kuishi hapa.
21 Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. So who has reared them? Look, I was left all alone, so where did they come from?’”
Halafu utajiuliza mwenyewe, ni nani aliyewazaa watu hawa kwangu? Mimi nilifiwa na ni tasa, niliyefungwa na kupewa talaka. Ni nani aliyewalea hawa watoto? Tazama, niliachiwa yote mimi mwenyewe; Je haya yametoka wapi?''
22 This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
Yahwe asema hivi, ''Tazama, nitanyanyua mkono wangu juu ya mataifa; Nitanyanyua bendera yangu ya ishara kwa watu. Watawaleta watoto wako kwenye mikono yao na watawabeba binti zako juu ya mabega yao.
23 Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”
Wafalme watakuwa baba zako wa kambo, na malikia watakuwa wafanyakazi wa ndani; watakuinamia chini wewe kw uso wao kwa nchi na kukung'uta mavumbi ya miguu yenu; wale wanonisubiri mimi hawataabika.''
24 Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered?
Je mateka wanaweza kuchukuliwa kwa shujaa, au wafungwa kukombolewa kutoka kwa mkali?
25 Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.
Lakini Yahwe asema hivi, ''Wafungwa watachukuliwa kutoka kwa shujaa, na maeteka watakombolewa; maana utampinga adui yako na kuwakomboa watoto wako.
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Na nitawalisha wanowaonea kwa mwili wao wenyewe; na watalewa kwa damu zao wenyewe, kama iliyo mvinyo; na watu wote watajua kwamba Mimi Yahwe, ni Mokozi wenu na Mkombozi wenu, yeye aliyemkuu wa Isareli.
