< Isaiah 48 >
1 "Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of the waters of Judah; who swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness
“Sikilizeni hili, ee nyumba ya Yakobo, ninyi mnaoitwa kwa jina la Israeli, na mnaotoka katika ukoo wa Yuda, ninyi mnaoapa kwa jina la Bwana, mnaomwomba Mungu wa Israeli, lakini si katika kweli au kwa haki;
2 (for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name):
ninyi mnaojiita raiya wa mji mtakatifu, na kumtegemea Mungu wa Israeli, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote ndilo jina lake:
3 I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they happened.
Nilitoa unabii mambo ya kwanza tangu zamani, kinywa changu kiliyatangaza na kuyafanya yajulikane; kisha ghafula nikayatenda, nayo yakatokea.
4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;
Kwa kuwa nalijua jinsi ulivyokuwa mkaidi; mishipa ya shingo yako ilikuwa chuma, kipaji chako cha uso kilikuwa shaba.
5 therefore I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I showed it to you; lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, and my engraved image, and my molten image, has commanded them.'
Kwa hiyo nilikuambia mambo haya tangu zamani, kabla hayajatokea nilikutangazia ili usije ukasema, ‘Sanamu zangu zilifanya hayo; kinyago changu cha mti na mungu wangu wa chuma aliyaamuru.’
6 You have heard it; see all this; and you, will you not declare it? "I have shown you new things from this time, even hidden things, which you have not known.
Umesikia mambo haya; yaangalie hayo yote. Je, hutayakubali? “Kuanzia sasa na kuendelea nitakueleza mambo mapya, juu ya mambo yaliyofichika usiyoyajua.
7 They are created now, and not from of old; and before this day you did not hear them; lest you should say, 'Look, I knew them.'
Yameumbwa sasa, wala si tangu zamani; hukupata kuyasikia kabla ya siku ya leo. Hivyo huwezi kusema, ‘Naam, niliyajua hayo.’
8 Yes, you did not hear; yes, you did not know; yes, from of old your ear was not opened: for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and was called a transgressor from the womb.
Hujayasikia wala kuyaelewa, tangu zamani sikio lako halikufunguka. Ninafahamu vyema jinsi ulivyo mdanganyifu, uliitwa mwasi tangu kuzaliwa kwako.
9 For my name's sake will I defer my anger, and for my praise will I refrain for you, that I not cut you off.
Kwa ajili ya Jina langu mwenyewe ninaichelewesha ghadhabu yangu, kwa ajili ya sifa zangu nimeizuia isikupate, ili nisije nikakukatilia mbali.
10 Look, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
Tazama, nimekusafisha, ingawa si kama fedha, nimekujaribu katika tanuru ya mateso.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be profaned? I will not give my glory to another.
Kwa ajili yangu mwenyewe, kwa ajili yangu mwenyewe, nafanya hili. Jinsi gani niliache Jina langu lichafuliwe? Sitautoa utukufu wangu kwa mwingine.
12 "Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
“Ee Yakobo, nisikilize mimi, Israeli, ambaye nimekuita: Mimi ndiye; mimi ndimi mwanzo na mwisho.
13 Yes, my hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spread out the heavens: when I call to them, they stand up together.
Mkono wangu mwenyewe uliweka misingi ya dunia, nao mkono wangu wa kuume umezitanda mbingu; niziitapo, zote husimama pamoja.
14 "Let all of them assemble and hear; who among them has declared these things? He whom the LORD loves shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
“Kusanyikeni, ninyi nyote, msikilize: Ni ipi miongoni mwa hizo sanamu ambayo imetabiri vitu hivi? Watu wa Bwana waliochaguliwa na kuungana watatimiza kusudi lake dhidi ya Babeli; mkono wa Mungu utakuwa dhidi ya Wakaldayo.
15 I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Mimi, naam, Mimi, nimenena; naam, nimemwita yeye. Nitamleta, naye atafanikiwa katika lile nililomtuma.
16 "Come near to me and hear this: "From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I." Now the LORD has sent me, with his Spirit.
“Nikaribieni na msikilize hili: “Tangu tangazo la kwanza sikusema kwa siri; wakati litokeapo, nitakuwako hapo.” Sasa Bwana Mwenyezi amenituma, kwa Roho wake.
17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.
Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mkombozi wako, yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli: “Mimi ni Bwana, Mungu wako, nikufundishaye ili upate faida, nikuongozaye katika njia ikupasayo kuiendea.
18 But would that you had listened to my commandments. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Laiti ungesikiliza kwa makini maagizo yangu, amani yako ingekuwa kama mto, haki yako kama mawimbi ya bahari.
19 Your descendants would have been as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains; his name not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Wazao wako wangekuwa kama mchanga, watoto wako kama chembe zake zisizohesabika; kamwe jina lao lisingefutiliwa mbali, wala kuangamizwa kutoka mbele zangu.”
20 Go forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare, tell this, send it out throughout the earth. Say, 'The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.'
Tokeni huko Babeli, kimbieni kutoka kwa Wakaldayo! Tangazeni hili kwa kelele za shangwe na kulihubiri. Lipelekeni mpaka miisho ya dunia; semeni, “Bwana amemkomboa mtumishi wake Yakobo.”
21 They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
Hawakuona kiu alipowaongoza kupita jangwani; alifanya maji yatiririke kutoka kwenye mwamba kwa ajili yao; akapasua mwamba na maji yakatoka kwa nguvu.
22 "There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked."
“Hakuna amani kwa waovu,” asema Bwana.