Isaya 28
1 Ole kwa lile taji la maua, kiburi cha walevi wa Efraimu, kwa ua linalosinyaa, uzuri wa utukufu wake, uliowekwa kwenye kichwa cha bonde lenye rutuba: kwa ule mji, kiburi cha wale walioshushwa na mvinyo!
Alas! for the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And for his fading wreath of majestic beauty, —Which is on the head of the fertile valley, of them who are overcome with wine.
2 Tazama, Bwana anaye mmoja aliye na uwezo na nguvu. Kama dhoruba ya mvua ya mawe na upepo uharibuo, kama mvua inyeshayo kwa nguvu na mafuriko yashukayo, atakiangusha chini kwa nguvu.
Lo! My Lord hath one who is, strong and bold, Like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, Like a storm of mighty waters overflowing, Hath he thrust it down to the earth with force:
3 Lile taji la maua, kiburi cha walevi cha Efraimu, kitakanyagwa chini ya nyayo.
With the feet shall be trodden down, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,
4 Lile ua linalosinyaa, uzuri wa utukufu wake, uliowekwa kwenye kichwa cha bonde lenye rutuba, litakuwa kama tini iliyoiva kabla ya mavuno: mara mtu aionapo, huichuma na kuila.
So shall his fading wreath of majestic beauty, Which is on the head of the fertile valley, become—Like the first-ripe fig before fruit-harvest, Which when he that looketh upon it seeth while it is yet in his hand, he swalloweth it up.
5 Katika siku ile, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote atakuwa taji la utukufu, taji zuri la maua kwa mabaki ya watu wake.
In that day, will Yahweh of hosts become A crown of beauty, and A diadem of majesty, —Unto the remnant of his people:
6 Atakuwa roho ya haki kwa yeye aketiye katika kiti cha hukumu, chanzo cha nguvu kwa wale wazuiao vita langoni.
Even a spirit of justice—to him that presideth over justice, And strength to them who would turn back the battle at the gate.
7 Hawa pia wanapepesuka kwa sababu ya mvinyo, wanayumbayumba kwa sababu ya kileo: Makuhani na manabii wanapepesuka kwa sababu ya kileo, wanachanganyikiwa kwa sababu ya mvinyo; wanapepesuka wanapoona maono, wanajikwaa wanapotoa maamuzi.
But as for these, With wine, do they reel, and With strong drink, do they stagger, —Priest and prophet, reel with strong drink They are swallowed up through wine They stagger through strong drink, They reel in prophetic vision, They totter in pronouncing judgment.
8 Meza zote zimejawa na matapishi wala hakuna sehemu hata ndogo isiyokuwa na uchafu.
For, all tables, are full of filthy vomit, —There is no place!
9 “Yeye anajaribu kumfundisha nani? Yeye anamwelezea nani ujumbe wake? Je, ni kwa watoto walioachishwa kunyonya? Je, ni wale ambao ndipo tu wametolewa matitini?
Whom, would he teach knowledge? And, whom, would he cause to understand the message? Them who are weaned from the milk? taken from the breasts?
10 Kwa maana ni: Amri juu ya amri, amri juu ya amri, kanuni juu ya kanuni, kanuni juu ya kanuni; hapa kidogo, kule kidogo.”
For it is—Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, —A little here a little there.
11 Sawa kabisa, kwa midomo migeni na kwa lugha ngeni, Mungu atasema na watu hawa,
For, with a jabbering lip, and with an alien tongue, must he speak unto this people!
12 wale ambao aliwaambia, “Hapa ni mahali pa kupumzika, waliochoka na wapumzike,” na, “Hapa ni mahali pa mapumziko,” lakini hawakutaka kusikiliza.
To whom he said—This, is the rest—give ye rest to the weary, and This, is the quietness, —But they were unwilling to hear.
13 Hivyo basi, neno la Bwana kwao litakuwa: Amri juu ya amri, amri juu ya amri, kanuni juu ya kanuni, kanuni juu ya kanuni, hapa kidogo, kule kidogo: ili waende na kuanguka chali, wakijeruhiwa, wakinaswa na kukamatwa.
So the word of Yahweh must be to them—Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, A little here, a little there, —That they may go and fall backward and be torn and snared and captured.
14 Kwa hiyo sikieni neno la Bwana, enyi watu wenye dharau mnaotawala watu hawa wa Yerusalemu.
Wherefore, hear ye the word of Yahweh, Ye men who scoff, —Ye rulers of this people that is in Jerusalem.
15 Ninyi mnajisifu, “Tumefanya agano na mauti, tumefanya mapatano na kuzimu. Wakati pigo lifurikalo litakapopita, haliwezi kutugusa sisi, kwa kuwa tumefanya uongo kuwa kimbilio letu na miungu ya uongo kuwa mahali petu pa kujificha.” (Sheol h7585)
Because ye have said—We have solemnised a covenant with death, And with hades, have we effected a vision, —The overflowing scourge when it sweepeth by, shall not reach unto us, For we have made lying our refuge. And in falsehood, have we hid ourselves, (Sheol h7585)
16 Kwa hiyo hivi ndivyo Bwana Mwenyezi asemavyo: “Tazama, ninaweka jiwe katika Sayuni, jiwe lililojaribiwa, jiwe la pembeni la thamani kwa ajili ya msingi thabiti. Yeye atumainiye kamwe hatatiwa hofu.
Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, Behold me! founding in Zion a stone, A stone of testing, The costly corner of a well-laid foundation, he that trusteth, shall not make haste!
17 Nitaifanya haki kuwa kamba ya kupimia na uadilifu kuwa timazi; mvua ya mawe itafagia kimbilio lenu, huo uongo, nayo maji yatafurikia mahali penu pa kujificha.
But I will make—Justice the line, and Righteousness the plummet, —And the hail shall, sweep away, your refuge of lying, And your hiding-place, the waters shall overflow;
18 Agano lenu na kifo litabatilishwa, patano lenu na kuzimu halitasimama. Wakati pigo lifurikalo litakapowakumba, litawaangusha chini. (Sheol h7585)
So shall be wiped out your covenant with death, And your vision with hades, not stand, —When the overflowing scourge, sweepeth past, then shall ye be thereby beaten down: (Sheol h7585)
19 Kila mara lijapo litawachukua, asubuhi baada ya asubuhi, wakati wa mchana na wakati wa usiku, litawakumba tangu mwanzo hadi mwisho.” Kuuelewa ujumbe huu utaleta hofu tupu.
As often as it sweepeth past, it shall take you away, For morning by morning, shall it pass along. By day and by night, —And it shall be nothing less than a terror to make out the message;
20 Kitanda ni kifupi mno kujinyoosha juu yake, nguo ya kujifunikia ni nyembamba mno mtu hawezi kujifunikia.
For too short is the couch to stretch oneself out, —And, the coverlet, too narrow, when one draweth up his feet.
21 Bwana atainuka kama alivyofanya kwenye Mlima Perasimu, ataghadhibika kama alivyofanya katika Bonde la Gibeoni: ili kufanya kazi yake, kazi yake ya ajabu, ili kutimiza kazi yake, kazi yake ngeni.
For as in Mount Perazim, will Yahweh, arise, As in the vale of Gibeon, will he be stirred, —To do his work—foreign is his work, And to perform his task—strange is his task.
22 Sasa acheni dharau zenu, la sivyo minyororo yenu itakuwa mizito zaidi. Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, ameniambia habari za maangamizi yaliyoamriwa dhidi ya nchi yote.
Now, therefore do not show yourselves scoffers, Lest your fetters, be bound fast, —For, of a full end, and that a decreed one, have I heard from My Lord, Yahweh of hosts upon all the land
23 Sikilizeni msikie sauti yangu, tegeni masikio na msikie niyasemayo.
Give ear, and hear ye my voice, —Hearken, and hear ye my speech: —
24 Wakati mkulima alimapo ili apande, je, hulima siku zote? Je, huendelea kubomoa ardhi na kusawazisha udongo?
All day long, doth the plowman plow for sowing? Doth he continue laying open and harrowing his soil?
25 Akiisha kusawazisha shamba, je, hatapanyi mbegu za bizari na kutawanya jira? Je, hapandi ngano katika sehemu yake, shayiri katika eneo lake, na nafaka nyingine katika shamba lake?
Doth he not when he hath levelled the face thereof, Cast abroad the fennel? And, the cummin, doth he not scatter? And plant wheat in rows, And barley in a lot, And spelt in the border thereof?
26 Mungu wake humwelekeza na kumfundisha njia iliyo sahihi.
Yea One hath trained him to good judgment, His God, directeth him.
27 Iliki haipurwi kwa nyundo, wala gurudumu la gari halivingirishwi juu ya jira; iliki hupurwa kwa fimbo, na jira kwa ufito.
For not with a sledge, must, black coriander be threshed, Nor must, the wheel of a cart, on cummin, be turned, But with a staff, must fennel be beaten, And cummin with a rod:
28 Nafaka lazima isagwe ili kutengeneza mkate, kwa hiyo mtu haendelei kuipura daima. Ingawa huendesha magurudumu ya gari lake la kupuria juu yake, farasi wake hawasagi.
Bread-corn, must be crushed, —Yet would he not be evermore, threshing, it, So he hasteneth over it the wheel of his cart, with his horsemen, He crusheth it not!
29 Haya yote pia hutoka kwa Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, mwenye mashauri ya ajabu, na anayepita wote kwa hekima.
Even this, from Yahweh of hosts, cometh forth, —Who hath bestowed distinction upon counsel, And magnified sound wisdom.
