Isaya 23
1 Neno kuhusu Tiro: Ombolezeni, enyi meli za Tarshishi! Kwa kuwa Tiro imeangamizwa, imeachwa bila nyumba wala bandari. Kuanzia nchi ya Kitimu neno limewajia.
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Tyre [city]: You [sailors on] [APO] ships from Tarshish, weep, because [the harbor of] Tyre and all the houses [in the city] have been destroyed. The reports that you heard in Cyprus [island] about Tyre [are true].
2 Nyamazeni kimya, enyi watu wa kisiwani, pia ninyi wafanyabiashara wa Sidoni, ambao mabaharia wamewatajirisha.
You people who live along the coast [near Tyre], and merchants of Sidon [city], mourn silently. Your sailors went across the seas [to many places like Tyre].
3 Kwenye maji makuu nafaka za Shihori zilikuja; mavuno ya Naili yalikuwa mapato ya Tiro, naye akawa soko la mataifa.
They sailed across deep seas to buy grain in Egypt and [other] crops that are grown along the Nile [River]. Tyre became the city where people from [all] nations bought and sold goods.
4 Uaibishwe ee Sidoni, nawe ee ngome la bahari, kwa kuwa bahari imesema: “Sijapata kuwa na uchungu wa kuzaa wala sijapata kuzaa, wala sijapata kulea wana wala kutunza mabinti.”
But now you people in Sidon should be ashamed, because [you trusted in Tyre], which has been a strong fortress [on an island] in the sea. [Tyre is like a woman who is saying], “[Now it is as though] I have not given birth to [any] children, or raised [any] sons or daughters.”
5 Habari ifikapo Misri, watakuwa katika maumivu makuu kwa ajili ya taarifa kutoka Tiro.
When [the people of] Egypt hear what has happened to Tyre, they will grieve very much.
6 Vukeni mpaka Tarshishi, ombolezeni, enyi watu wa kisiwani.
Sail to Tarshish [and tell them what happened]; weep, you people who live along the coast.
7 Je, huu ndio mji wenu uliojaa sherehe, mji wa zamani, zamani kabisa ambao miguu yake imeuchukua kufanya makao nchi za mbali sana?
[The people in] the very old city [of Tyre] were [RHQ] previously joyful. Traders [PRS] from Tyre established colonies in many distant nations.
8 Ni nani amepanga hili dhidi ya Tiro, mji utoao mataji, ambao wafanyabiashara wake ni wana wa mfalme na wachuuzi wake ni watu mashuhuri wa dunia?
People from Tyre appointed kings [over other places]; their traders were wealthy; they were [as powerful and wealthy as] [MET] kings. [So], who [RHQ] caused the people of Tyre to experience this disaster?
9 Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote ndiye alipanga jambo hili, ili kukishusha kiburi cha utukufu wote na kuwanyenyekesha wale wote ambao ni mashuhuri duniani.
It was the Commander of the armies of angels who did it; he did it in order to cause [you people in] Tyre not to be proud any more, to humiliate you men who are honored all over the world.
10 Ee Binti Tarshishi, pita katika nchi yako kama vile Mto Naili kwa kuwa huna tena bandari.
You people of Tarshish, you must grow crops in your land [instead of trading]; spread out over your land like [SIM] the Nile [River] spreads over the land [of Egypt] when it floods, because there is no harbor [in Tyre for your ships] now.
11 Bwana amenyoosha mkono wake juu ya bahari na kuzifanya falme zake zitetemeke. Ametoa amri kuhusu Kanaani kwamba ngome zake ziangamizwe.
[It is as though] Yahweh stretched out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He commanded that in Phoenicia/Canaan all its fortresses must be destroyed.
12 Alisema, “Usizidi kufurahi, ee Bikira Binti Sidoni, sasa umepondwa! “Simama, vuka uende Kitimu; hata huko hutapata pumziko.”
He said to the people of Sidon, “You will never rejoice again, because you will be crushed; even if you flee to Cyprus [island], you will not escape destruction.”
13 Tazama katika nchi ya Wakaldayo, watu hawa ambao sasa hawaonekani kama wapo! Waashuru wameifanya nchi hiyo kuwa mahali pa viumbe wa jangwani. Wamesimamisha minara yao ya vita kuuzunguka, wameziteka ngome zake na kuziacha tupu na kuufanya kuwa magofu.
Think about what happened in Babylonia: the people who were in that land have disappeared. [The armies of] Assyria have caused that land to become a place where wild animals from the desert live. The Assyrians built dirt ramps to the top of the walls [of the city of Babylon]; [then they entered the city and] tore down the palaces and caused the city to become [a heap of] rubble.
14 Ombolezeni, enyi meli za Tarshishi; ngome yenu imeangamizwa!
[So] wail, you [sailors on the] ships of Tarshish, because the harbor [in Tyre where your ships stop] is destroyed!
15 Wakati huo Tiro utasahauliwa kwa miaka sabini, muda wa maisha ya mfalme. Lakini mwisho wa miaka hiyo sabini, itakuwa kwa Tiro kama ilivyo katika wimbo wa kahaba:
For seventy years, which is as long as kings usually live, people will forget about Tyre. [But then it will be rebuilt]. What will happen there will be like what happened to a prostitute in this song:
16 “Twaa kinubi, tembea mjini kote, ewe kahaba uliyesahauliwa; piga kinubi vizuri, imba nyimbo nyingi, ili upate kukumbukwa.”
“You harlot, whom people had forgotten, play your harp well, and sing many songs, in order that people will remember you again.”
17 Mwishoni mwa miaka sabini, Bwana atashughulika na Tiro. Naye atarudia ajira yake ya ukahaba, na atafanya biashara yake na falme zote juu ya uso wa dunia.
[It is true that] after seventy years Yahweh will restore Tyre. Their merchants will again earn a lot of money by buying things from and selling things to many [other] nations [HYP].
18 Lakini faida na mapato yake yatawekwa wakfu kwa Bwana; hayatahifadhiwa wala kufichwa. Faida zake zitakwenda kwa wale wakaao mbele za Bwana kwa ajili ya chakula tele na mavazi mazuri.
[But] their profits will be given to Yahweh. [The merchants] will not hoard their money; instead, they will give it to Yahweh’s priests in order that they [can] buy food and nice clothes.
