< Isaiah 48 >
1 Hear ye this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, not in truth, nor in righteousness.
Sikiliza hili, nyumba ya Jakobo, mlioitwa kwa jina la Israeli, na mmetoka katika mbegu ya Yuda; yeye akirie kwa jina la Yahwe na kumuhusisha Mungu wa Israeli, lakini sio kweli wala kwa namna ya haki.
2 For they are named after the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel: Jehovah of hosts is his name.
Maana wanajiita wenyewewatu wa mji mtakatifu na kumuamini Mungu wa Israeli; Yahwe wa majeshi ndilo jina lake.
3 I have declared the former things long ago; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to be heard: I wrought suddenly, and they came to pass.
''Nimetangaza vitu kutoka siku nyingi; Wamekuja nje kutoka mdomoni mwangu, na nimewafanya wajulikane; halafu gafla nimewafanyia, na yakatimia.
4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass,
Kwa sababu nilijua kwamba wewe ni mkaiidi, misuli ya shingo yako ni kama ya chuma, na paji la uso ni kama shaba,
5 so I have long ago declared [them] to thee; before they came to pass I caused thee to hear [them]; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, or my molten image hath commanded them.
Hivyo basi nilitangaza vitu hivi kabla havijatokeo hivyo, nilikujulisha wewe, 'Sanamu yangu imefanya haya au sanamu yangu ya kuchonga na sanamu yangu ya kuyeyusha, yamekwishisha vitu.
6 Thou heardest, see all this; — and ye, will not ye declare [it]? I have caused thee to hear new things from this time, and things hidden, and that thou knewest not:
Umesikia kuhusu mambo haya; angalia ushahidi wote; na wewe, Je hautakubali kwamba ninacho kisema ni cha kweli? Kuanzia sasa na kuendelea Nitawaonyesha vitu vipya, mambo yaliyofichika ambayo hamkuyajua.
7 they are created now, and not long ago; and before this day thou hast not heard them, lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
Sasa, na sio yaliyopita, yamekuwa sasa, na kabla ya leo hamkusikia kuhusu wao, hivyo hautaweza kusema, 'Ndio, nilijua kuhusu wao.'
8 Yea, thou heardest not, yea, thou knewest not, yea, from of old thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldest ever deal treacherously, and thou wast called a transgressor from the womb.
Haukusikia; haukuelewa; haya mambo hayakufuniliwa katika masikio kabla ya. Maana nilijua kwamba umekuwa mdanganyifu, na kwamba umekuwa muasi kutoka kuzaliwa.
9 For my name's sake I will defer mine anger, and [for] my praise will I refrain as to thee, that I cut thee not off.
Kwa niaba ya jina langu nitahairisha asira yangu, na kwa heshima yangu nitajizuia kutokumuharibu yeye.
10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Tazama, Mimi niliwaandaa ninyi, lakini sio kama fedha; Nimekusafisha wewe katika tanuru la mateso.
11 For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do [it]; for how should [my name] be profaned? and I will not give my glory unto another.
Kwa niaba yangu, kwa niaba yangu nitafanya; maana ni kwa jinsi gani niruhusu jina langu lisiheshimike? Sitampa utukufu wangu mtu yeyote.
12 Hearken unto me, Jacob, and [thou] Israel, my called. I [am] HE; I, the first, and I, the last.
Nisikilize mimi, Yakobo, na Israeli niliyekuita: Mimi ndiye; Mimi ni wa kwanza, na pia wa mwisho.
13 Yea, my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spread abroad the heavens: I call unto them, they stand up together.
Ndio, mkono wangu umeweka msingi wa nchi, na mkono wangu wa kuume ulizitawanya mbingu, zimesimama juu kwa pamoja.
14 All ye, gather yourselves together, and hear: which among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah hath loved shall execute his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm [shall be on] the Chaldeans.
Jikusanyeni wenyewe, nyinyi nyote, na sikilizeni; ni nani miongoni mwenu atangazaye mambo haya? Yahwe atakamilisha lengo lake dhidi ya Babeli. Atachukua mapenzi ya Yahwe dhidi ya wa Wakaldayo.
15 I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and his way shall be prosperous.
Mimi, nimezungumza, ndio, nimemchagua yeye, nimemleta yeye, na yeye atafanikiwa.
16 Come near unto me, hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit.
Sogea karibu na mimi, sikiliza hili; kutoka mwanzo sikuzungumza katika siri; lakini ilipotokea, Mimi niko hapa; na sasa Bwana Mungu amenituma mimi, na Roho wake.''
17 Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee for [thy] profit, who leadeth thee in the way that thou shouldest go.
Yahwe asema hivi, Mkombozi wenu, Mtakatifu wa Israeli anasema, ''Mimi ni Yahwe Mungu wenu, ninayewafundisha juu ya kufanikiwa, ninayewaonyesha njia mtakayoiptia.
18 Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then would thy peace have been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;
Ikiwa kama mtaheshimu amri zangu! Hivyo amani na maendeleo yatatiririka kama mto, na wokovu wenu ni kama mawimbi kwenye bahari.
19 and thy seed would have been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof: their name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Watoto wako watakuwa wengi kama mchanga, na watoto kutoka kwenye tombo zenu watakuwa wengi kama nafaka kwenye mchanga; majina yao hayataondolewa wala kufutwa mbele yangu.
20 Go ye forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing; declare, cause this to be heard, utter it to the end of the earth; say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
Tokeni nje ya Babeli! wakimbieni Wakaldayo! kwa sauti ya kupiga kelele tangaza kwamba! hakikisha hili linajulikana, hakikisha hili linafika mpaka miisho ya nchi! sema 'Yahwe amemkomboa Yakobo mtumishi wake.
21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; yea, he clave the rock, and the waters gushed out.
Hawakupatwa na kiu alipowaongoza katika jangwa, alifanya maji kutokea kwenye mwamba kwa ajili yao; aliugawa na kufungua mwamba, na maji yakatoka nje.
22 There is no peace, saith Jehovah, unto the wicked.
Hakuna amani kwa watenda makosa- amesema Yahwe.''