Isaiah 49
1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples from afar. Jehovah hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Nisikilize mimi, enyi mkao pwani! na kuwa makini, enyi watu mkao mbali. Yahwe amenita mimi kutoka kuzaliwa kwa jina, mama yangu aliponileta duniani.
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hath concealed me under the shadow of his hand, and he hath made me a polished shaft: in his quiver hath he hidden me.
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 And he said unto me, Thou art my servant, Israel, in whom I will glorify myself.
Amesema na mimi, ''Wewe ni mtumishi wangu, Israeli, kupitia yeye nitaonyesha utukufu wangu.''
4 — And I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and in vain; nevertheless my judgment is with Jehovah, and my work 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, saith Jehovah, that formed me from the womb to be his servant, that I should bring Jacob again to him; (though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorified in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God shall be 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 — and he saith, It is a small thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; I have even given thee for a light of the nations, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end 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 saith Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to the servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes, and they shall worship, because of Jehovah who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.
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 Thus saith Jehovah: In a time of acceptance have I answered thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the land, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
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 saying to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pasture shall be on all bare hills.
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 shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, and by the springs of water will he guide them.
Hawatasikia njaa wala kiu; wala joto au jua halitawaunguza, kwa yeye mwenye huruma juu yao atawaongoza wao; atawaongoza wao kwenye mikondo ya maji.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be raised up.
Na nitafanya milima yote kuwa barabara, na kufanya njia za juu kuwa sawa''
12 Behold, these shall come from afar; and behold, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Tazama, haya yatatoka kutoka mbali, baadhi kutoka kaskazini na magharibi; na wengine kutoka nchi ya Sinimi.
13 Shout, ye heavens; and be joyful, thou earth; and break forth into singing, ye mountains: for Jehovah hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon 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, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me.
Lakin Sayuni asema, Yahwe ameniacha mimi, na Bwana amenisahau mimi.''
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Even these forget, but I will not forget thee.
''Je mwanamke anaweza kumsahau mtoto wake, aliyemnyonyesha, hivyo hana huruma na mtoto aliye mzaa? ndio, hawakusahau, lakini siwezi kukusahau wewe.
16 Lo, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Tazama, nimeliandika jina lako kwenye kiganja cha mkono wangu; Kuta zako zinaendelea kuwa mbele yangu.
17 Thy sons shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that laid thee waste shall go forth from thee.
Watoto wangu wamerudi haraka, wakati wale wanowaangaimiza nyie wameenda mbali.
18 Lift up thine eyes round about and behold: they all gather themselves together, they come to thee. As I live, saith Jehovah, thou shalt indeed clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and bind them on as a bride doth.
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 [in] thy waste and thy desolate places, and thy destroyed land, thou shalt even now be too straitened by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
Japo umeharibiwa na kuwa na ukiwa, nchi iliyoharibiwa, sasa itakuwa ndogo sana kwa wenyeji, na wale wanao waliokumeza watakuwa mbali,
20 The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too narrow for me: make room for me, that I may dwell.
Watoto watakaozaliwa katika kipindi cha msiba watasema mkiwa mnawasikiliza, 'Sehemu hii ni duni kwetu, tengeneza chumba kwa ajili yetu, ili tuweze kuishi hapa.
21 And thou shalt say in thy heart, Who hath borne me these, seeing I had lost my children and was desolate, an exile, and driven about? and who hath brought up these? behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?
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 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my banner to the peoples; and they shall bring thy sons in [their] bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon the shoulder.
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 And kings shall be thy nursing-fathers, and their princesses thy nursing-mothers: they shall bow down to thee with the face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet. And thou shalt know that I [am] Jehovah; for they shall not be ashamed who wait on me.
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 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty? and shall he that is rightfully captive be delivered?
Je mateka wanaweza kuchukuliwa kwa shujaa, au wafungwa kukombolewa kutoka kwa mkali?
25 For thus saith Jehovah: Even the captive of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; and I will strive with him that striveth with thee, and I will save thy children.
Lakini Yahwe asema hivi, ''Wafungwa watachukuliwa kutoka kwa shujaa, na maeteka watakombolewa; maana utampinga adui yako na kuwakomboa watoto wako.
26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with new wine. And all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, [am] thy Saviour and thy 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.
