Isaya 13
1 Neno kuhusu Babeli ambalo Isaya mwana wa Amozi aliliona:
The burden of 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.
Over the foggy mountain lift up a sign! Raise the voice, lift up the hand, and let the rulers enter through the gates!
3 Nimewaamuru watakatifu wangu; nimewaita mashujaa wangu waitimize hasira yangu: wale wanaoshangilia ushindi wangu.
In my wrath, I commanded my sanctified ones, and I called my strong ones, those who exult in my glory.
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.
On the mountains, there is the voice of a multitude, as if of a numerous people, a voice with the sound of kings, of nations gathered together. For the Lord of hosts has given orders to soldiers of war,
5 Wanakuja kutoka nchi za mbali sana, kutoka miisho ya mbingu, Bwana na silaha za ghadhabu yake, kuangamiza nchi yote.
to those who are arriving from a far off land, from the heights of the heavens. It is the Lord and the instruments of his fury, so that he may bring ruin to all the earth.
6 Ombolezeni, kwa maana siku ya Bwana i karibu, itakuja kama uharibifu kutoka kwa Mwenyezi.
Wail aloud! For the day of the Lord draws near! It will arrive like a devastation from the Lord.
7 Kwa sababu ya hili, mikono yote italegea, moyo wa kila mtu utayeyuka.
Because of it, every hand will fail, and every heart of man will waste away and be crushed.
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.
Writhing and pain will seize them. They will be in pain, like a woman in labor. Each one will appear stupefied to his neighbor. Their countenances will be like faces which have been burned up.
9 Tazameni, siku ya Bwana inakuja, siku katili, yenye ghadhabu na hasira kali, kuifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa na kuwaangamiza wenye dhambi waliomo ndani yake.
Behold, the day of the Lord approaches: a cruel day, full of indignation and wrath and fury, which will place the earth in solitude and crush the sinners from it.
10 Nyota za mbinguni na makundi ya nyota havitatoa mwanga wake. Jua linalochomoza litatiwa giza na mwezi hautatoa nuru yake.
For the stars of the heavens, in their splendor, will not display their light. The sun will be obscured at its rising, and the moon will not shine in her brightness.
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 act against the evils of the world, and against the impious for their iniquity. And I will cause the pride of the unfaithful to cease, and I will bring down the arrogance of the strong.
12 Nitawafanya wanadamu kuwa adimu kuliko dhahabu safi, watakuwa wachache sana kuliko dhahabu ya Ofiri.
A man will be more precious than gold, and mankind will become like pure refined gold.
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 purpose, I will stir up heaven, and the earth will be moved from its place, because of the indignation of the Lord of hosts, because of the day of his furious wrath.
14 Kama swala awindwaye, kama kondoo wasio na mchungaji, kila mmoja atarudi kwa watu wake mwenyewe, kila mmoja atakimbilia nchi yake ya kuzaliwa.
And they will be like a doe fleeing away, or like sheep; and there will be no one who may gather them together. Each one will turn to his own people, and every one will flee to his own land.
15 Yeyote atakayetekwa atapasuliwa tumbo, wote watakaokamatwa watauawa kwa upanga.
All who are found will be killed, and all who are caught unaware will fall by the sword.
16 Watoto wao wachanga watavunjwa vipande vipande mbele ya macho yao; nyumba zao zitatekwa na wake zao watatendwa jeuri.
Their infants will be thrown down violently before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered, and their wives will be violated.
17 Tazama, nitawachochea Wamedi dhidi yao, ambao hawajali fedha wala hawafurahii dhahabu.
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them. They will not seek silver, nor desire gold.
18 Mishale yao itawaangusha vijana, hawatakuwa na huruma kwa watoto wachanga wala hawataangalia watoto kwa huruma.
Instead, with their arrows, they will put the little children to death, and they will take no pity on breastfeeding women, and their eye will not spare their children.
19 Babeli, johari ya falme, utukufu wa kiburi cha Wababeli, itaangushwa na Mungu kama Sodoma na Gomora.
And then Babylon, the glorious one among kingdoms, that famous pride of the Chaldeans, will be destroyed, even as the Lord destroyed 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.
It will not be inhabited, even unto the end, and it will not be reestablished, even from generation to generation. The Arab will not pitch his tents there, nor will the shepherds take rest there.
21 Lakini viumbe wa jangwani watalala huko, mbweha watajaza nyumba zake, bundi wataishi humo nao mbuzi-mwitu watarukaruka humo.
Instead, the wild beasts will rest there, and their houses will be filled with serpents, and ostriches will live there, and the hairy ones will leap about there.
22 Fisi watalia ndani ya ngome zake, mbweha ndani ya majumba yake ya kifahari. Wakati wake umewadia, na siku zake hazitaongezwa.
And the tawny owls will answer one another there, in its buildings, and the Sirens in its shrines of pleasure.
