Isaya 13
1 Neno kuhusu Babeli ambalo Isaya mwana wa Amozi aliliona:
The word of the Lord about Babylon which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
2 Twekeni bendera juu ya mlima usio na kitu, wapazieni sauti, wapungieni mkono waingie katika malango ya wenye heshima.
Put up a flag on a clear mountain-top, make a loud outcry to them, give directions with the hand, so that they may go into the doors of the great ones.
3 Nimewaamuru watakatifu wangu; nimewaita mashujaa wangu waitimize hasira yangu: wale wanaoshangilia ushindi wangu.
I have given orders to my holy ones, I have sent out my men of war, those of mine who take pride in their power, to give effect to my wrath.
4 Sikilizeni kelele juu ya milima, kama ile ya umati mkubwa wa watu! Sikilizeni, makelele katikati ya falme, kama mataifa yanayokusanyika pamoja! Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote anakusanya jeshi kwa ajili ya vita.
The noise of great numbers in the mountains, like the noise of a strong people! The noise of the kingdoms of the nations meeting together! The Lord of armies is numbering his forces for war.
5 Wanakuja kutoka nchi za mbali sana, kutoka miisho ya mbingu, Bwana na silaha za ghadhabu yake, kuangamiza nchi yote.
They come from a far country, from the farthest part of heaven, even the Lord and the instruments of his wrath, with destruction for all the land.
6 Ombolezeni, kwa maana siku ya Bwana i karibu, itakuja kama uharibifu kutoka kwa Mwenyezi.
Send out a cry of grief; for the day of the Lord is near; it comes as destruction from the Most High.
7 Kwa sababu ya hili, mikono yote italegea, moyo wa kila mtu utayeyuka.
For this cause all hands will be feeble, and every heart of man be turned to water;
8 Hofu itawakamata, uchungu na maumivu makali yatawashika, watagaagaa kama mwanamke aliye na utungu wa kuzaa. Watatazamana kwa hofu kila mtu na mwenzake, nyuso zao zikiwaka kama moto.
Their hearts will be full of fear; pains and sorrows will overcome them; they will be in pain like a woman in childbirth; they will be shocked at one another; their faces will be like flames.
9 Tazameni, siku ya Bwana inakuja, siku katili, yenye ghadhabu na hasira kali, kuifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa na kuwaangamiza wenye dhambi waliomo ndani yake.
See, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with wrath and burning passion: to make the land a waste, driving the sinners in it to destruction.
10 Nyota za mbinguni na makundi ya nyota havitatoa mwanga wake. Jua linalochomoza litatiwa giza na mwezi hautatoa nuru yake.
For the stars of heaven and its bright armies will not give their light: the sun will be made dark in his journey through the heaven, and the moon will keep back her light.
11 Nitauadhibu ulimwengu kwa ajili ya uovu wake, waovu kwa ajili ya dhambi zao. Nitakomesha majivuno ya wenye kiburi, na nitakishusha kiburi cha watu wakatili.
And I will send punishment on the world for its evil, and on the sinners for their wrongdoing; and I will put an end to all pride, and will make low the power of the cruel.
12 Nitawafanya wanadamu kuwa adimu kuliko dhahabu safi, watakuwa wachache sana kuliko dhahabu ya Ofiri.
I will make men so small in number, that a man will be harder to get than gold, even the best gold of Ophir.
13 Kwa hiyo nitazifanya mbingu zitetemeke, nayo dunia itatikisika kutoka mahali pake katika ghadhabu ya Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, katika siku ya hasira yake iwakayo.
For this cause the heavens will be shaking, and the earth will be moved out of its place, in the wrath of the Lord of armies, and in the day of his burning passion.
14 Kama swala awindwaye, kama kondoo wasio na mchungaji, kila mmoja atarudi kwa watu wake mwenyewe, kila mmoja atakimbilia nchi yake ya kuzaliwa.
And it will be that, like a roe in flight, and like wandering sheep, they will go every man to his people and to his land.
15 Yeyote atakayetekwa atapasuliwa tumbo, wote watakaokamatwa watauawa kwa upanga.
Everyone who is overtaken will have a spear put through him, and everyone who goes in flight will be put to the sword.
16 Watoto wao wachanga watavunjwa vipande vipande mbele ya macho yao; nyumba zao zitatekwa na wake zao watatendwa jeuri.
Their young children will be broken up before their eyes; their goods will be taken away, and their wives made the property of others.
17 Tazama, nitawachochea Wamedi dhidi yao, ambao hawajali fedha wala hawafurahii dhahabu.
See, I am driving the Medes against them, who put no value on silver and have no pleasure in gold.
18 Mishale yao itawaangusha vijana, hawatakuwa na huruma kwa watoto wachanga wala hawataangalia watoto kwa huruma.
In their hands are bows and spears; they are cruel, violently putting the young men to death, and crushing the young women; they have no pity for children, and no mercy for the fruit of the body.
19 Babeli, johari ya falme, utukufu wa kiburi cha Wababeli, itaangushwa na Mungu kama Sodoma na Gomora.
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beautiful town which is the pride of the Chaldaeans, will be like God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 Hautakaliwa na watu kamwe wala watu hawataishi humo kwa vizazi vyote. Hakuna Mwarabu atakayepiga hema lake huko, hakuna mchungaji atakayepumzisha makundi yake huko.
People will never be living in it again, and it will have no more men from generation to generation: the Arab will not put up his tent there; and those who keep sheep will not make it a resting-place for their flocks.
21 Lakini viumbe wa jangwani watalala huko, mbweha watajaza nyumba zake, bundi wataishi humo nao mbuzi-mwitu watarukaruka humo.
But the beasts of the waste land will have their holes there; and the houses will be full of crying jackals, and ostriches will have their place there, and evil spirits will be dancing there.
22 Fisi watalia ndani ya ngome zake, mbweha ndani ya majumba yake ya kifahari. Wakati wake umewadia, na siku zake hazitaongezwa.
And wolves will be answering one another in their towers, and jackals in their houses of pleasure: her time is near, and her days of power will quickly be ended.
