Isaya 16
1 Pelekeni wana-kondoo kama ushuru kwa mtawala wa nchi, Kutoka Sela, kupitia jangwani, hadi mlima wa Binti Sayuni.
[The rulers of Moab will say to each other, ] “We must send some [lambs] from Sela [city] as a gift to the ruler of Judah [to persuade him to not allow his army to attack us any more]. We should send them through the desert to the king.
2 Kama ndege wanaopapatika waliofukuzwa kutoka kwenye kiota, ndivyo walivyo wanawake wa Moabu kwenye vivuko vya Arnoni.
The women of Moab will be left alone at the (fords of/places where people can walk across) the Arnon [River]; they will be like [SIM] birds that have been pushed out of their nests.
3 “Tupeni shauri, toeni uamuzi. Wakati wa adhuhuri, fanyeni kivuli chenu kama usiku. Waficheni watoro, msisaliti wakimbizi.
They will cry out, ‘Help us! Tell us what we should do! Protect us completely [MET], we who are running away [from our enemies], and do not (betray us/tell our enemies where we are).
4 Waacheni watoro wa Moabu wakae pamoja nanyi; kuweni mahali pao pa salama ili kuepuka mharabu.” Mtesi atafikia mwisho na maangamizi yatakoma, aletaye vita atatoweka kutoka nchi.
Allow [those of us] who are fleeing from Moab to stay with you; hide/protect us from [our enemies who want to] destroy us!’ [Some day] there will be no one to oppress us, and our enemies will stop destroying [our land].
5 Kwa upendo kiti cha enzi kitaimarishwa, kwa uaminifu mtu ataketi juu yake, yeye atokaye nyumba ya Daudi: yeye ambaye katika kuhukumu hutafuta haki, na huhimiza njia ya haki.
Then [Yahweh] will appoint someone to be king who will be [a descendant of King] David. As he rules [MTY], he will be merciful and truthful. He will always do what is fair/just and quickly do what is righteous.”
6 Tumesikia juu ya kiburi cha Moabu: kiburi chake cha kujivuna na udanganyifu, kiburi chake na ufidhuli wake, lakini majivuno yake si kitu.
We [people of Judah] have heard about [the people of] Moab; we have heard that they are very proud and conceited [DOU]; they are insolent, but what they proudly say about themselves is not true.
7 Kwa hiyo Wamoabu wanaomboleza, wanaiombolezea Moabu kwa pamoja. Wanaomboleza na kuhuzunika kwa ajili ya watu wa Kir-Haresethi.
[Some day all the people in] Moab will weep. They will all mourn, because [there will be no more] raisin cakes in Kir-Hareseth [city].
8 Mashamba ya Heshboni yananyauka, pia na mizabibu ya Sibma. Watawala wa mataifa wamekanyaga mizabibu iliyo mizuri sana, ambayo ilipata kufika Yazeri na kuenea kuelekea jangwani. Machipukizi yake yalienea yakafika hadi baharini.
The [crops in] the fields at Heshbon [city] will wither, and the vineyards at Sibmah [town] will wither also. The armies of [other] nations will destroy Moab, which is [like] [MET] a beautiful grapevine whose branches spread [north] to Jazer [town] and [east] to the desert. Its branches spread very far [west], to the west side of the [Dead] Sea.
9 Hivyo ninalia kama Yazeri aliavyo, kwa ajili ya mizabibu ya Sibma. Ee Heshboni, ee Eleale, ninakulowesha kwa machozi! Kelele za furaha kwa ajili ya tunda lako lililoiva na kwa ajili ya mavuno zimekomeshwa.
So I will weep for Jazer and for the grapevines of Sibmah. I will shed tears for all of you. I will cry because people will no longer shout joyfully, like they usually do when they gather the fruit that ripens in the (summer/hot season) and the other crops that they harvest.
10 Furaha na shangwe zimeondolewa kutoka mashamba ya matunda; hakuna yeyote aimbaye wala apazaye sauti katika mashamba ya mizabibu; hakuna yeyote akanyagaye zabibu shinikizoni, kwa kuwa nimekomesha makelele.
People will no longer be glad at harvest time. No one will sing in the vineyards, no one will shout joyfully. No one will tread on grapes [to get grape juice for wine]; there will be nothing to shout about [joyfully].
11 Moyo wangu unaomboleza kwa ajili ya Moabu kama kinubi, nafsi yangu yote kwa ajili ya Kir-Haresethi.
I cry inwardly for Moab; my groaning is like [SIM] [a sad song played on] a harp. I am sad about Kir-Hareseth.
12 Wakati Moabu anapojitokeza mahali pake pa juu, anajichosha mwenyewe tu; anapokwenda mahali pake pa kuabudia miungu ili kuomba, haitamfaidi lolote.
[The people of] Moab will go and pray at their sacred shrines, but that will not help them. They will cry out to their gods in their temples, [but] none of them will be able to rescue the people.
13 Hili ndilo neno ambalo Bwana ameshasema kuhusu Moabu.
Yahweh has already spoken those things about Moab.
14 Lakini sasa Bwana anasema: “Katika miaka mitatu, kama vile mtumishi aliyefungwa na mkataba angeihesabu, fahari ya Moabu na watu wake wengi watadharauliwa, nao walionusurika watakuwa wachache sana, tena wanyonge.”
But now he says that exactly three years from now, he will destroy all the things that [the people of] Moab have been proud of. Even though they have a huge number of people in Moab now, only a few people will remain alive, and they will be weak/helpless.
