Isaiah 36
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
Katika mwaka wa kumi na nne wa utawala wa Mfalme Hezekia, Senakeribu mfalme wa Ashuru akaishambulia miji yote ya Yuda yenye ngome na kuiteka.
2 Then the king of Assyria sent the chief commander from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a great army. He approached the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the launderers' field, and stood by it.
Kisha mfalme wa Ashuru akamtuma jemadari wa jeshi pamoja na jeshi kubwa kutoka Lakishi hadi kwa Mfalme Hezekia huko Yerusalemu. Jemadari wa jeshi akasimama kwenye mfereji wa Bwawa la Juu, lililojengwa katika barabara iendayo kwenye Uwanja wa Dobi.
3 The Israelite officials who went out of the city to talk with them were Hilkiah's son Eliakim, the palace administrator, Shebna the king's secretary, and Asaph's son Joah, who wrote down the government decisions.
Eliakimu mwana wa Hilkia aliyekuwa msimamizi wa jumba la kifalme, Shebna aliyekuwa katibu, na Yoa mwana wa Asafu mwandishi wakamwendea.
4 The chief commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that the great king, the king of Assyria, says, 'What is the source of your confidence?
Jemadari wa jeshi akawaambia, “Mwambieni Hezekia, “‘Hili ndilo asemalo mfalme mkuu, mfalme wa Ashuru: Ni wapi unapoweka hili tumaini lako?
5 You speak only useless words, saying there is counsel and strength for war. Now in whom are you trusting? Who has given you courage to rebel against me?
Unasema mnayo mikakati na nguvu za kijeshi, lakini unasema maneno matupu tu. Je, wewe unamtegemea nani, hata ukaniasi mimi?
6 Look, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed that you use as a walking staff, but if a man leans on it, it will stick into his hand and pierce it. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt is to anyone who trusts in him.
Tazama sasa, unaitegemea Misri, fimbo ile ya mwanzi uliopasuka, ambayo huuchoma na kuujeruhi mkono wa mtu akiiegemea! Hivyo ndivyo alivyo Farao mfalme wa Misri, kwa wote wanaomtegemea.
7 But if you say to me, “We are trusting in Yahweh our God,” is not he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?
Nawe kama ukiniambia, “Tunamtumainia Bwana Mungu wetu”: je, siyo yeye ambaye Hezekia aliondoa mahali pake pa juu pa kuabudia miungu na madhabahu zake, akiwaambia Yuda na Yerusalemu, “Ni lazima mwabudu mbele ya madhabahu haya”?
8 Now therefore, I want to make you a good offer from my master the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able to find riders for them.
“‘Njooni sasa, fanyeni mapatano na bwana wangu, mfalme wa Ashuru: Nitakupa farasi elfu mbili, kama unaweza kuwapandisha waendesha farasi juu yao!
9 How could you resist even one captain of the least of my master's servants? You have put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen!
Utawezaje kumzuia hata afisa mmoja aliye mdogo kati ya maafisa wa bwana wangu, ijapo unategemea Misri kwa magari ya vita na wapanda farasi?
10 Now then, have I traveled up here without Yahweh to fight against this land and destroy it? Yahweh said to me, “Attack this land and destroy it.”'”
Zaidi ya hayo, je, nimekuja kushambulia na kuangamiza nchi hii bila Bwana? Bwana mwenyewe ndiye aliniambia niishambulie nchi hii na kuiangamiza.’”
11 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah said to the chief commander, “Please speak to your servants in the Aramean language, Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak with us in the language of Judah in the ears of the people who are on the wall.”
Ndipo Eliakimu, Shebna na Yoa wakamwambia yule jemadari wa jeshi, “Tafadhali zungumza na watumishi wako kwa lugha ya Kiaramu, kwa kuwa tunaifahamu. Usiseme nasi kwa Kiebrania watu walioko juu ya ukuta wakiwa wanasikia.”
12 But the chief commander said, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words? Has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, who will have to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”
Lakini yule jemadari wa jeshi akajibu, “Je, bwana wangu amenituma kutoa ujumbe huu kwa bwana wenu na kwenu tu? Je, hakunituma pia kwa watu walioketi ukutani, ambao, kama ninyi, itawabidi kula mavi yao na kunywa mikojo yao wenyewe?”
13 Then the chief commander stood and shouted in a loud voice in the Jews' language, saying, “Listen to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
Kisha yule jemadari wa jeshi akasimama na kuita kwa lugha ya Kiebrania, akasema: “Sikieni maneno ya mfalme mkuu, mfalme wa Ashuru!
14 The king says, 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to rescue you.
Hili ndilo asemalo mfalme: Msikubali Hezekia awadanganye. Hawezi kuwaokoa!
15 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will surely rescue us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”'
Msikubali Hezekia awashawishi kumtumaini Bwana kwa kuwaambia, ‘Hakika Bwana atatuokoa. Mji huu hautaangukia mikononi mwa mfalme wa Ashuru.’
16 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: 'Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and from his own fig tree, and drink from the water in his own cistern.
“Msimsikilize Hezekia. Hili ndilo mfalme wa Ashuru asemalo: Fanyeni amani nami na mje kwangu. Kisha kila mmoja wenu atakula kutoka kwa mzabibu wake na mtini wake mwenyewe, na kunywa maji kutoka kisima chake mwenyewe,
17 You will do this until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.'
mpaka nije nikawapeleke katika nchi iliyo kama nchi yenu wenyewe, nchi ya nafaka na divai mpya, nchi ya mkate na ya mashamba ya mizabibu.
18 Do not let Hezekiah mislead you, saying, 'Yahweh will rescue us.' Has any of the gods of the peoples rescued them from the hand of the king of Assyria?
“Msikubali Hezekia awapotoshe asemapo, ‘Bwana atatuokoa.’ Je, yuko mungu wa taifa lolote aliyewahi kuokoa nchi yake kutoka mkononi mwa mfalme wa Ashuru?
19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my power?
Iko wapi miungu ya Hamathi na ya Arpadi? Iko wapi miungu ya Sefarvaimu? Je, imeokoa Samaria kutoka mkononi mwangu?
20 Among all the gods of these lands, is there any god who has rescued his land from my power, as if Yahweh could save Jerusalem from my power?”
Ni yupi miongoni mwa miungu yote ya nchi hizi ameweza kuokoa nchi yake mkononi mwangu? Inawezekanaje basi Bwana aiokoe Yerusalemu mkononi mwangu?”
21 But the people remained silent and did not respond, for the king's order was, “Do not answer him.”
Lakini wale watu wakakaa kimya, wala hawakujibu lolote, kwa kuwa mfalme alikuwa amewaamuru, “Msimjibu lolote.”
22 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and reported to him the words of the chief commander.
Kisha Eliakimu mwana wa Hilkia msimamizi wa jumba la kifalme, Shebna katibu, na Yoa mwana wa Asafu, mwandishi wakamwendea Hezekia, nguo zao zikiwa zimeraruliwa, na kumwambia yale jemadari wa jeshi aliyoyasema.
