Isaiah 41
1 Keep silence, and hear me, ye distant lands. Ye nations, gather your strength! Let them come near; then let them speak; Let us go together into judgment.
“Nyamazeni kimya mbele zangu, enyi visiwa! Mataifa na wafanye upya nguvu zao! Wao na wajitokeze, kisha waseme, tukutane pamoja mahali pa hukumu.
2 Who hath raised up from the region of the East Him whom victory meeteth in his march? Who hath subdued nations before him, And given him dominion over kings? Who made their swords like dust, And their bows like driven stubble?
“Ni nani aliyemchochea mmoja kutoka mashariki, akimwita katika haki kwa utumishi wake? Huyatia mataifa mikononi mwake, na kuwatiisha wafalme mbele zake. Huwafanya kuwa mavumbi kwa upanga wake, huwafanya makapi yapeperushwayo na upepo kwa upinde wake.
3 He pursued them, and passed in safety, By a path which his foot had never trodden.
Huwafuatia na kuendelea salama, katika njia ambayo miguu yake haijawahi kupita.
4 Who hath wrought and done it? I, who have called the generations from the beginning, I, Jehovah, the first; And with the last also am I.
Ni nani aliyefanya jambo hili na kulitimiliza, akiita vizazi tangu mwanzo? Mimi, Bwana, ni wa kwanza nami nitakuwa pamoja na wa mwisho: mimi Bwana ndiye.”
5 Distant nations saw it, and were afraid; The ends of the earth, and trembled; They drew near, and came together.
Visiwa vimeliona na kuogopa, miisho ya dunia inatetemeka. Wanakaribia na kuja mbele,
6 One helped another, And said to him, “Be of good courage!”
kila mmoja humsaidia mwingine na kusema kwa ndugu yake, “Uwe hodari!”
7 The carpenter encouraged the smith, He that smoothed with the hammer him that smote on the anvil, And said, “The soldering is good,” And he fastened it with nails that it might not fall.
Fundi humtia moyo sonara, yeye alainishaye kwa nyundo humhimiza yeye agongeaye kwenye fuawe, Humwambia yeye aunganishaye, “Ni kazi njema.” Naye huikaza sanamu kwa misumari ili isitikisike.
8 But thou, O Israel, my servant, Thou, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Offspring of Abraham, my friend!
“Lakini wewe, ee Israeli, mtumishi wangu, Yakobo, niliyemchagua, ninyi wazao wa Abrahamu rafiki yangu,
9 Thou, whom I have led by the hand from the ends of the earth, And called from the extremities thereof, And said to thee, “Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away!”
nilikuchukua toka miisho ya dunia, nilikuita kutoka pembe zake za mbali. Nilisema, ‘Wewe ni mtumishi wangu’; nimekuchagua, wala sikukukataa.
10 Fear not, for I am with thee; Faint not, for I, thy God, will strengthen thee; I will help thee, and sustain thee, with my right hand of salvation!
Hivyo usiogope, kwa maana niko pamoja nawe; usifadhaike, kwa maana mimi ni Mungu wako. Nitakutia nguvu na kukusaidia; nitakutegemeza kwa mkono wa kuume wa haki yangu.
11 Behold, all who are enraged against thee Shall be ashamed and confounded; All that contend with thee Shall come to nothing and perish.
“Wote walioona hasira dhidi yako hakika wataaibika na kutahayarika, wale wakupingao watakuwa kama vile si kitu, na kuangamia.
12 Thou shalt seek and not find Them that contend with thee; They shall come to nothing, and be no more, Who make war against thee.
Ingawa utawatafuta adui zako, hutawaona. Wale wanaopigana vita dhidi yako watakuwa kama vile si kitu kabisa.
13 For I, Jehovah, am thy God, that holdeth thee by the right hand, That saith to thee, “Fear not, I am thy helper!”
Kwa maana Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wako, nikushikaye mkono wako wa kuume na kukuambia, Usiwe na hofu, nitakusaidia.
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, thou feeble people of Israel! I am thy helper, saith Jehovah; Thy redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Usiogope, ee Yakobo uliye mdudu, ee Israeli uliye mdogo, kwa kuwa Mimi mwenyewe nitakusaidia,” asema Bwana, Mkombozi wako, yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
15 Behold, I will make thee a thrashing-wain, sharp and new, With double edges; Thou shalt thrash the mountains, and beat them small, And make the hills as chaff.
“Tazama, nitakufanya chombo cha kupuria, kipya na chenye makali, chenye meno mengi. Utaipura milima na kuiponda na kuvifanya vilima kuwa kama makapi.
16 Thou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them. But thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, And glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Utaipepeta, nao upepo utaichukua, dhoruba itaipeperushia mbali. Bali wewe utajifurahisha katika Bwana na katika utukufu wa yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst, I, Jehovah, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
“Maskini na wahitaji wanatafuta maji, lakini hayapo, ndimi zao zimekauka kwa kiu. Lakini Mimi Bwana nitawajibu, Mimi, Mungu wa Israeli, sitawaacha.
18 I will open rivers upon the bare hills, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water.
Nitaifanya mito itiririke juu ya vilima vilivyo kame, nazo chemchemi ndani ya mabonde. Nitaligeuza jangwa liwe mabwawa ya maji, nayo ardhi iliyokauka kuwa chemchemi za maji.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia, The myrtle and the olive-tree; I will place in the desert the cypress, The plane-tree and the larch together.
Katika jangwa nitaotesha mwerezi, mshita, mhadasi na mzeituni. Nitaweka misunobari, mivinje na misanduku pamoja huko nyikani,
20 That they may see, and know, And consider, and understand together, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this, And that the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
ili kwamba watu wapate kuona na kujua, wapate kufikiri na kuelewa, kwamba mkono wa Bwana umetenda hili, kwamba yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli ndiye alilifanya.”
21 Bring forward your cause, saith Jehovah; Produce your strong reasons, saith the king of Jacob.
Bwana asema, “Leta shauri lako. Toa hoja yako,” asema Mfalme wa Yakobo.
22 Let them produce them, and show us what shall happen! Tell us what ye have predicted in times past, That we may consider, and know its fulfilment! Or declare to us things that are to come!
“Leteni sanamu zenu zituambie ni nini kitakachotokea. Tuambieni mambo ya zamani yalikuwa nini, ili tupate kuyatafakari na kujua matokeo yake ya mwisho. Au tutangazieni mambo yatakayokuja,
23 Let us hear what shall happen in future times, That we may know whether ye are gods; Do something, be it good or evil, That we may be astonished, and see it together!
tuambieni ni nini kitakachotokea baadaye, ili tupate kujua kuwa ninyi ni miungu. Fanyeni jambo lolote zuri au baya, ili tupate kutishika na kujazwa na hofu.
24 Behold, ye are less than nothing, And your work is less than naught; An abomination is he that chooseth you!
Lakini ninyi ni zaidi ya bure kabisa, na kazi zenu hazifai kitu kabisa; yeye awachaguaye ni chukizo sana.
25 I have raised up one from the north, and he cometh; From the rising of the sun he calleth upon my name; He trampleth upon princes as upon mortar; As the potter treadeth down the clay.
“Nimemchochea mtu mmoja kutoka kaskazini, naye yuaja, mmoja toka mawio ya jua aliitaye Jina langu. Huwakanyaga watawala kana kwamba ni matope, kama mfinyanzi akanyagavyo udongo wa kufinyangia.
26 Who hath declared this from the beginning, that we might know it, And long ago, that we might say, It is true? There was not one that foretold it, not one that declared it, Not one that heard your words.
Ni nani aliyenena hili tokea mwanzoni, ili tupate kujua, au kabla, ili tuweze kusema, ‘Alikuwa sawa’? Hakuna aliyenena hili, hakuna aliyetangulia kusema hili, hakuna yeyote aliyesikia maneno kutoka kwenu.
27 I first said to Zion, Behold! behold them! And I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of glad tidings.
Nilikuwa wa kwanza kumwambia Sayuni, ‘Tazama, wako hapa!’ Nilimpa Yerusalemu mjumbe wa habari njema.
28 I looked, but there was no man; Even among them, but there was none that gave counsel; I inquired of them that they might give an answer;
Ninatazama, lakini hakuna yeyote: hakuna yeyote miongoni mwao awezaye kutoa shauri, hakuna yeyote wa kutoa jibu wakati ninapowauliza.
29 But behold, they are all vanity; Their works are nothing; Wind and emptiness are their molten images.
Tazama, wote ni ubatili! Matendo yao ni bure; vinyago vyao ni upepo mtupu na machafuko.
