Isaiah 40
1 “Comfort, yes comfort my people!” says your God.
Wafarijini, wafarijini watu wangu, asema Mungu wenu.
2 “Speak lovingly to the people of Jerusalem, telling them that their hard times are over, that their sins have been forgiven, and that the Lord has paid them twice over for their sins.”
Sema na Yerusalemu kwa upole, umtangazie kwamba kazi yake ngumu imekamilika, kwamba dhambi yake imefanyiwa fidia, kwamba amepokea kutoka mkononi mwa Bwana maradufu kwa ajili ya dhambi zake zote.
3 A voice is heard calling, “Prepare the way for the Lord in the wilderness, make a straight highway for our God through the desert.
Sauti ya mtu aliaye: “Itengenezeni jangwani njia ya Bwana, nyoosheni njia kuu nyikani kwa ajili ya Mungu wetu.
4 Fill in all the valleys; level all the mountains and hills; smooth out the uneven ground; make the rough places flat.
Kila bonde litainuliwa, kila mlima na kilima kitashushwa; penye mabonde patanyooshwa, napo palipoparuza patasawazishwa.
5 The Lord's glory will be revealed, and everyone will see it together. This is what the Lord has declared.”
Utukufu wa Bwana utafunuliwa, nao wanadamu wote watauona pamoja. Kwa maana kinywa cha Bwana kimenena.”
6 A voice is heard saying, “Shout it out.” I asked, “What shall I shout?” “All human beings are like grass, and all their trustworthiness is like the flowers of the field.
Sauti husema, “Piga kelele.” Nami nikasema, “Nipige kelele gani?” “Wanadamu wote ni kama majani, nao utukufu wao wote ni kama maua ya kondeni.
7 The grass wilts and the flower fades when the Lord's breathes on them. Yes, the people are grass!
Majani hunyauka na maua huanguka, kwa sababu pumzi ya Bwana huyapuliza. Hakika wanadamu ni majani.
8 However, even though the grass wilts and the flower fades, the word of our God will endure forever.”
Majani hunyauka na maua huanguka, lakini neno la Mungu wetu ladumu milele.”
9 Zion, bringer of good news, go up a high mountain. Jerusalem, bringer of good news, raise your voice and shout out loud. Don't be afraid to shout really loud! Tell the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”
Wewe uletaye habari njema Sayuni, panda juu ya mlima mrefu. Wewe uletaye habari njema Yerusalemu, inua sauti yako kwa kupiga kelele, inua sauti, usiogope; iambie miji ya Yuda, “Yuko hapa Mungu wenu!”
10 Look! The Lord God is coming with power! He will rule with a firm hand. Look! He's bringing his reward with him, coming to give his gift.
Tazameni, Bwana Mwenyezi anakuja na nguvu, nao mkono wake ndio utawalao kwa ajili yake. Tazameni, ujira wake u pamoja naye, nayo malipo yake yanafuatana naye.
11 He looks after his flock like a shepherd. He picks up the lambs in his arms and holds them close to his chest. He leads those that are nursing young.
Huchunga kundi lake kama mchungaji wa mifugo: Hukusanya wana-kondoo katika mikono yake na kuwachukua karibu na moyo wake, huwaongoza taratibu wale wanyonyeshao.
12 Who has measured the waters he holds in the palm of his hand? Who has marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has worked out the amount of dust of the earth? Who has weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?
Ni nani aliyepima maji ya bahari kwenye konzi ya mkono wake, au kuzipima mbingu kwa shibiri yake? Ni nani aliyeyashika mavumbi ya dunia katika kikapu, au kupima milima kwenye kipimio na vilima kwenye mizani?
13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or taught him what to do as his counselor?
Ni nani aliyeyafahamu mawazo ya Bwana, au kumfundisha akiwa kama mshauri wake?
14 Who did the Lord go to for advice to help him understand? Who taught him right from wrong? Who gave him knowledge and showed him the way of wisdom?
Ni nani ambaye Bwana ametaka shauri kwake ili kumwelimisha, naye ni nani aliyemfundisha njia iliyo sawa? Ni nani aliyemfundisha maarifa au kumwonyesha mapito ya ufahamu?
15 It's obvious that the nations are just a drop in a bucket. They're like dust on a set of scales. He can pick up islands as if they weigh next to nothing.
Hakika mataifa ni kama tone ndani ya ndoo, ni kama vumbi jembamba juu ya mizani, huvipima visiwa kana kwamba vilikuwa vumbi laini.
16 All the wood in Lebanon for a fire and all its animals as a sacrifice wouldn't be enough a burnt offering.
Lebanoni hautoshi kwa moto wa madhabahuni, wala wanyama wake hawatoshi kwa sadaka za kuteketezwa.
17 To him all the nations are like nothing. He counts them as less than nothing—like they don't exist.
Mbele yake mataifa yote ni kama si kitu, yanaonekana yasio na thamani na zaidi ya bure kabisa.
18 Who do you think is like God? What image do you think he looks like?
Basi, utamlinganisha Mungu na nani? Utamlinganisha na kitu gani?
19 Is he a metal idol that a craftsman casts in a mold, and then a goldsmith overlays it with gold and makes silver chains for it?
Kwa habari ya sanamu, fundi huisubu, naye mfua dhahabu huifunika kwa dhahabu na kuitengenezea mikufu ya fedha.
20 Those who are too poor to pay for that choose wood that won't rot, then they look for a skilled wood-carver to make an idol that won't fall over.
Mtu aliye maskini sana asiyeweza kuleta sadaka kama hii huuchagua mti usiooza. Humtafuta fundi stadi wa kusimamisha sanamu ambayo haitatikisika.
21 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? Hasn't it been explained to you from the very beginning? Haven't you understood from the time the world was created?
Je, hujui? Je, hujasikia? Je, hujaambiwa tangu mwanzo? Je, hujafahamu tangu kuumbwa kwa dunia?
22 God sits on his throne above the horizon of the earth; the people that live there are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, spreading them out like a tent to live in.
Anakaa kwenye kiti cha enzi juu ya duara ya dunia, nao watu wakaao ndani yake ni kama panzi. Huzitandaza mbingu kama chandarua, na kuzitandaza kama hema la kuishi.
23 He brings leaders down; he makes the rulers of the world like nothing.
Huwafanya wakuu kuwa si kitu, na kuwashusha watawala wa dunia hii kuwa kitu bure.
24 In fact they are hardly even planted, hardly even sown, hardly even taken root, when he blows on them and they wither, and the wind carries them away like straw.
Mara baada ya kupandwa, mara baada ya kutiwa ardhini, mara baada ya kutoa mizizi yao ardhini, ndipo huwapulizia nao wakanyauka, nao upepo wa kisulisuli huwapeperusha kama makapi.
25 “Who are you going to compare me with? Who is equal to me?” asks the Holy One.
“Utanilinganisha mimi na nani? Au ni nani anayelingana nami?” asema yeye Aliye Mtakatifu.
26 Look at the heavens. Who created all this? He leads the stars like an army, and calls each one by name. Because he has great power and incredible strength, not a single one of them is missing.
Inueni macho yenu mtazame mbinguni: Ni nani aliyeumba hivi vyote? Ni yeye aletaye nje jeshi la nyota moja baada ya nyingine na kuziita kila moja kwa jina lake. Kwa sababu ya uweza wake mkuu na nguvu zake kuu, hakuna hata mojawapo inayokosekana.
27 Why do you speak like this, Jacob, and why do you say, Israel, “The Lord doesn't see what's happening to me, and he's ignoring my rights!”
Kwa nini unasema, ee Yakobo, nanyi ee Israeli, kulalamika, “Njia yangu imefichwa Bwana asiione, Mungu wangu hajali shauri langu?”
28 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He's never weak or tired; you can't find out all he knows.
Je wewe, hufahamu? Je wewe, hujasikia? Bwana ni Mungu wa milele, Muumba wa miisho ya dunia. Hatachoka wala kulegea, wala hakuna hata mmoja awezaye kuupima ufahamu wake.
29 He gives strength to the weary and power the powerless.
Huwapa nguvu waliolegea na huongeza nguvu za wadhaifu.
30 Even young people grow weak and tired—they fall down when they're exhausted.
Hata vijana huchoka na kulegea, nao vijana wanaume hujikwaa na kuanguka,
31 But those who trust in the Lord will have their strength renewed. They will fly high with wings like eagles. They will run and not be tired. They will walk and not be worn out.
bali wale wamtumainio Bwana atafanya upya nguvu zao. Watapaa juu kwa mbawa kama tai; watapiga mbio wala hawatachoka, watatembea kwa miguu wala hawatazimia.
