< Isaiah 37 >

1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
Mfalme Hezekia aliposikia haya, akararua nguo zake na kuvaa nguo ya gunia, naye akaenda katika Hekalu la Bwana.
2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
Akawatuma Eliakimu msimamizi wa nyumba ya mfalme, Shebna mwandishi, na viongozi wa makuhani, wote wakiwa wamevaa nguo za magunia, waende kwa nabii Isaya mwana wa Amozi.
3 And they said unto him, Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Wakamwambia, “Hili ndilo asemalo Hezekia: Siku hii ni siku ya dhiki, ya kukaripiwa na ya aibu, kama wakati watoto wanapofikia karibu kuzaliwa na kumbe hakuna nguvu ya kuwazaa.
4 It may be the LORD your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD your God has heard: wherefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.
Yamkini Bwana, Mungu wako atayasikia maneno ya jemadari wa jeshi, ambaye bwana wake, mfalme wa Ashuru, amemtuma kumdhihaki Mungu aliye hai, tena kwamba atamkemea kwa maneno ambayo Bwana, Mungu wako ameyasikia. Kwa hiyo omba kwa ajili ya mabaki ambao bado wako.”
5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
Maafisa wa Mfalme Hezekia walipofika kwa Isaya,
6 And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall all of you say unto your master, Thus says the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that you have heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
Isaya akawaambia, “Mwambieni bwana wenu, ‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Usiogope kwa hayo uliyoyasikia, yale maneno ambayo watumishi wa mfalme wa Ashuru wamenitukana nayo.
7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
Sikiliza! Nitatia roho fulani ndani yake ili kwamba atakaposikia taarifa fulani, atarudi nchi yake mwenyewe, nami huko nitafanya auawe kwa upanga.’”
8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
Jemadari wa jeshi aliposikia kwamba mfalme wa Ashuru ameondoka Lakishi, alirudi, akamkuta mfalme akipigana na Libna.
9 And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He has come forth to make war with you. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
Basi Senakeribu akapata taarifa kwamba Tirhaka, Mkushi mfalme wa Misri, alikuwa anaenda kupigana naye. Aliposikia jambo hili akatuma wajumbe kwa Hezekia na neno hili:
10 Thus shall all of you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not your God, in whom you trust, deceive you, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
“Mwambieni Hezekia mfalme wa Yuda: Usikubali huyo Mungu unayemtumainia akudanganye wakati anaposema, ‘Yerusalemu haitatiwa mkononi mwa mfalme wa Ashuru.’
11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shall you be delivered?
Hakika umesikia yale ambayo wafalme wa Ashuru wametenda kwa nchi zote, wakiwaangamiza kabisa. Je, wewe utaokolewa?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?
Je, miungu ya mataifa ambayo yaliangamizwa na baba zangu iliweza kuwaokoa? Yaani miungu ya Gozani, Harani, Resefu, na ya watu wa Edeni waliokuwa Telasari?
13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
Yuko wapi mfalme wa Hamathi, mfalme wa Arpadi, mfalme wa mji wa Sefarvaimu, au wa Hena au wa Iva?”
14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
Hezekia akapokea barua kutoka kwa wale wajumbe naye akaisoma. Kisha akapanda katika Hekalu la Bwana, akaikunjua mbele za Bwana.
15 And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,
Naye Hezekia akamwomba Bwana akisema:
16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwell between the cherubims, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: you have made heaven and earth.
“Ee Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa Israeli, uketiye juu ya kiti cha enzi kati ya makerubi, wewe peke yako ndiwe Mungu juu ya falme zote za dunia. Wewe umeumba mbingu na nchi.
17 Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which has sent to reproach the living God.
Tega sikio, Ee Bwana, usikie; fungua macho yako, Ee Bwana, uone; sikiliza maneno yote ambayo Senakeribu ametuma kumtukana Mungu aliye hai.
18 Truthfully, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,
“Ni kweli, Ee Bwana, kwamba wafalme wa Ashuru wameyaangamiza mataifa haya yote pamoja na nchi zao.
19 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
Wameitupa miungu yao kwenye moto na kuiangamiza, kwa kuwa haikuwa miungu, bali miti na mawe tu, iliyotengenezwa kwa mikono ya wanadamu.
20 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are the LORD, even you only.
Sasa basi, Ee Bwana Mungu wetu, tuokoe kutoka mkononi mwake, ili kwamba falme zote duniani zipate kujua kwamba wewe peke yako, Ee Bwana, ndiwe Mungu.”
21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Whereas you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:
Kisha Isaya mwana wa Amozi akapeleka ujumbe kwa Hezekia, akasema: “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli: Kwa sababu umeniomba kuhusu Senakeribu mfalme wa Ashuru,
22 This is the word which the LORD has spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, has despised you, and laughed you to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
hili ndilo neno ambalo Bwana amelisema dhidi yake: “Bikira binti Sayuni anakudharau na kukudhihaki. Binti Yerusalemu anatikisa kichwa chake unapokimbia.
23 Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? and against whom have you exalted your voice, and lifted up your eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
Ni nani uliyemtukana na kumkufuru? Ni nani uliyeinua sauti yako dhidi yake, na kumwinulia macho yako kwa kiburi? Ni dhidi ya yule Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli!
24 By your servants have you reproached the Lord, and have said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.
Kupitia kwa wajumbe wako umelundika matukano juu ya Bwana. Nawe umesema, ‘Kwa magari yangu mengi ya vita, nimepanda juu ya vilele vya milima, vilele vya juu sana katika Lebanoni. Nami nimeiangusha mierezi yake mirefu, misunobari yake iliyo bora sana. Nimefikia sehemu zake zilizoinuka juu sana, misitu yake iliyo mizuri sana.
25 I have dug, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.
Nimechimba visima katika nchi za kigeni na kunywa maji yake. Kwa nyayo za miguu yangu nimekausha vijito vyote vya Misri.’
26 Have you not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that you should be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.
“Je, hujasikia? Zamani sana niliamuru hili. Siku za kale nilipanga hili; sasa nimelifanya litokee, kwamba umegeuza miji yenye ngome kuwa malundo ya mawe.
27 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
Watu wa miji hiyo wameishiwa nguvu, wanavunjika mioyo na kuaibishwa. Wao ni kama mimea katika shamba, kama machipukizi mororo ya kijani, kama majani yachipuayo juu ya paa la nyumba, ambayo hukauka kabla ya kukua.
28 But I know your abode, and your going out, and your coming in, and your rage against me.
“Lakini ninajua mahali ukaapo, kutoka kwako na kuingia kwako, na jinsi unavyoghadhibika dhidi yangu.
29 Because your rage against me, and your tumult, has come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in your nose, and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.
Kwa sababu unaghadhibika na ufidhuli dhidi yangu, na kwa sababu ufidhuli wako umefika masikioni mwangu, nitaweka ndoana yangu puani mwako na hatamu yangu kinywani mwako, nami nitakufanya urudi kwa njia ile uliyoijia.
30 And this shall be a sign unto you, All of you shall eat this year such as grows of itself; and the second year that which springs of the same: and in the third year sow all of you, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.
“Hii ndiyo itakuwa ishara kwako, ee Hezekia: “Mwaka huu utakula kile kiotacho chenyewe, na mwaka wa pili utakula kutoka machipukizi yake. Lakini katika mwaka wa tatu panda na uvune, panda mashamba ya mizabibu na ule matunda yake.
31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:
Mara nyingine tena mabaki ya nyumba ya Yuda wataeneza mizizi chini na kuzaa matunda juu.
32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.
Kwa kuwa kutoka Yerusalemu watakuja mabaki, na kutoka Mlima Sayuni kundi la walionusurika. Wivu wa Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, ndio utatimiza jambo hili.
33 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.
“Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana kuhusu mfalme wa Ashuru: “Hataingia katika mji huu wala hatapiga mshale hapa. Hatakuja mbele yake na ngao wala kupanga majeshi kuuzingira.
34 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, says the LORD.
Kwa njia ile aliyoijia ndiyo atakayorudi; hataingia katika mji huu,” asema Bwana.
35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
“Nitaulinda mji huu na kuuokoa, kwa ajili yangu mwenyewe, na kwa ajili ya Daudi mtumishi wangu!”
36 Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and stroke in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
Ndipo malaika wa Bwana akaenda, akawaua wanajeshi 185,000 katika kambi ya Waashuru. Wenzao walipoamka asubuhi yake, walikuta maiti kila mahali!
37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
Basi Senakeribu mfalme wa Ashuru akavunja kambi na kuondoka. Akarudi Ninawi na kukaa huko.
38 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons stroke him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his position.
Siku moja, alipokuwa akiabudu katika hekalu la mungu wake Nisroki, wanawe Adrameleki na Shareza wakamuua kwa upanga, nao wakakimbilia nchi ya Ararati. Naye Esar-Hadoni mwanawe akawa mfalme badala yake.

< Isaiah 37 >