Isaya 29
1 Ole wako, wewe Arieli, Arieli, mji alimokaa Daudi! Ongezeni mwaka kwa mwaka, na mzunguko wa sikukuu zenu uendelee.
Alas for Ariel, Ariel, The city against which, David encamped, —Add ye a year to a year. Let the festivals, come round;
2 Hata hivyo nitauzunguka Arieli kwa jeshi, utalia na kuomboleza, utakuwa kwangu kama mahali pa kuwashia moto madhabahuni.
Yet will I bring Ariel into straits, —And she shall become a bewailing and wailing, Yea she shall become to me a veritable Hearth of God.
3 Nitapiga kambi pande zote dhidi yako, nitakuzunguka kwa minara na kupanga mazingirwa yangu dhidi yako.
And I will encamp round about against thee, —And lay siege against thee with a fort, And raise against thee siege-works;
4 Utakaposhushwa, utanena kutoka ardhini, utamumunya maneno yako kutoka mavumbini. Sauti yako itatoka katika nchi kama vile ya mzimu, utanongʼona maneno yako toka mavumbini.
And thou shalt be brought low—Out of the earth, shalt thou speak, And out of the dust, shalt thou lower thine utterance, —And as one that hath a familiar spirit, Out of the earth, shall come thy voice, And out of the dust, thy speech shall chirp;
5 Lakini adui zako wengi watakuwa kama vumbi laini, kundi la wakatili watakuwa kama makapi yapeperushwayo. Naam, ghafula, mara moja,
Then shall be as fine dust the multitude of thy foreigners, —And as chaff that passeth away, the multitude of tyrants; And it shall come to pass, in a twinkling, Suddenly,
6 Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote atakuja na ngurumo, tetemeko la ardhi, na kwa sauti kuu, atakuja na dhoruba, tufani na miali ya moto iteketezayo.
From Yahweh of hosts, shalt thou be visited, With thunder, and with earthquake and a great noise, hurricane and storm and flame of fire devouring;
7 Kisha makundi ya mataifa yote yale yapiganayo dhidi ya Arieli, yale yanayomshambulia yeye na ngome zake, na kumzunguka kwa jeshi, watakuwa kama ilivyo ndoto, kama maono wakati wa usiku:
And it shall be like the dream of a night vision, With the multitude of all the nations who have been making war against Ariel, —Even with all who have been making war against her and her stronghold and who have been laying siege to her;
8 kama vile mtu aliye na njaa aotavyo kuwa anakula, lakini huamka, bado njaa yake ingalipo, kama vile mtu mwenye kiu aotavyo kuwa anakunywa maji, lakini huamka akiwa anazimia, akiwa bado angali ana kiu. Hivyo ndivyo itakavyokuwa kwa makundi yote ya mataifa yanayopigana dhidi ya Mlima Sayuni.
Yea it shall be As when the hungry man dreameth and lo! he is eating, But he awaketh, and his soul, is empty, Or as when the thirsty man dreameth and lo! he is drinking, But he awaketh and lo! he is faint and his soul, is craving, So, shall it be with the multitude of all the nations, that have come forth to war against Mount Zion.
9 Duwaeni na kushangaa, jifanyeni vipofu wenyewe na msione, leweni, lakini si kwa mvinyo, pepesukeni lakini si kwa kileo.
Stand ye stock still and stare, Besmear your eyes and be blind, —They are drunken but not with wine, They reel, but not with strong drink;
10 Bwana amewaleteeni usingizi mzito: Ameziba macho yenu (ninyi manabii); amefunika vichwa vyenu (ninyi waonaji).
For Yahweh, hath poured out upon you, a spirit of deep sleep, Yea hath tightly shut your eyes—the prophets, —And, your heads—the seers, hath he covered,
11 Kwa maana kwenu ninyi, maono haya yote si kitu ila maneno yaliyotiwa lakiri katika kitabu. Kama mkimpa mtu yeyote awezaye kusoma kitabu hiki, nanyi mkamwambia, “Tafadhali kisome,” yeye atajibu, “Mimi siwezi, kwa kuwa kimetiwa lakiri.”
And so all vision hath become unto you as the words of a writing that is sealed, Which is delivered unto one acquainted with writing, saying, Pray thee read this, And he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed;
12 Au kama mkimpa mtu yeyote kitabu hiki asiyeweza kusoma na kumwambia, “Tafadhali kisome,” atajibu, “Mimi sijui kusoma.”
And then the writing is delivered to one unacquainted with writing, saying, Pray thee read this, And he saith I am not acquainted with writing.
13 Bwana anasema: “Watu hawa hunikaribia kwa vinywa vyao na kuniheshimu kwa midomo yao, lakini mioyo yao iko mbali nami. Ibada yao kwangu inatokana na maagizo waliyofundishwa na wanadamu.
Wherefore My Lord hath said, —Because this people, hath drawn near with their mouth, And with their lips, have honoured me, But their heart, have they moved far from me, And so their reverence of me hath become A commandment of men in which they have been schooled,
14 Kwa hiyo mara nyingine tena nitawashangaza watu hawa, kwa ajabu juu ya ajabu. Hekima ya wenye hekima itapotea, nayo akili ya wenye akili itatoweka.”
Therefore, behold me! again dealing wonderfully with this people, doing wonderfully a wonderful thing, —So shall perish, the wisdom of their wise men, And the intelligence of their intelligent men, shall vanish!
15 Ole kwa wale wanaokwenda kwenye vilindi virefu kumficha Bwana mipango yao, wafanyao kazi zao gizani na kufikiri, “Ni nani anayetuona? Ni nani atakayejua?”
Alas! for them who would fain have been too deep for Yahweh by giving secret counsel, —and therefore in the dark, have been their doings, and they have said Who can see us? and—Who can understand us?
16 Mnapindua mambo juu chini, kana kwamba mfinyanzi aweza kufikiriwa kuwa kama udongo wa mfinyanzi! Je, kile kilichofinyangwa chaweza kumwambia yule aliyekifinyanga, “Wewe hukunifinyanga mimi?” Je, chungu kinaweza kumwambia mfinyanzi, “Wewe hujui chochote?”
Your perverseness! As if like clay, the potter could be reckoned; For shall, the thing made say of him that made it, he made me not? Or hath the thing fashioned ever said of him that fashioned it, He hath no understanding.
17 Kwa muda mfupi sana, je, Lebanoni haitageuzwa kuwa shamba lenye rutuba, na shamba lenye rutuba liwe kama msitu?
Is it not yet a very little while, And Lebanon shall be turned, into garden land, —And garden land, for a forest, be reckoned?
18 Katika siku ile viziwi watasikia maneno ya kitabu, na katika utusitusi na giza macho ya kipofu yataona.
Therefore, in that day, shall the deaf hear the words of a book, —And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see;
19 Mara nyingine tena wanyenyekevu watafurahi katika Bwana, wahitaji watafurahi katika yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
And again shall the humbled in Yahweh, have joy, —And the needy of mankind in the Holy One of Israel, exult;
20 Wakatili watatoweka na wenye kudhihaki watatokomea, nao wote wenye jicho la uovu watakatiliwa mbali,
For the tyrant, hath vanished, And the scoffer, is no more, Yea cut off are all who watch for iniquity: —
21 wale ambao kwa neno humfanya mtu kuwa mwenye hatia, wamtegeao mtego mtetezi katika mahakama, na kwa ushuhuda wa uongo humnyima haki yeye asiye na hatia.
Who bring a man into condemnation with a rumour, And for him that decideth in the gate, lay a snare, —And have driven away, for a thing of nought, one who was righteous.
22 Kwa hiyo hili ndilo Bwana, aliyemkomboa Abrahamu, analosema kwa nyumba ya Yakobo: “Yakobo hataaibishwa tena, wala nyuso zao hazitabadilika sura tena.
Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh, concerning the house of Jacob, [even he saith it] who redeemed Abraham, —Not now, shall, Jacob turn pale, And, not now, shall their faces whiten;
23 Wakati watakapoona watoto wao miongoni mwao, kazi ya mikono yangu, watalitakasa Jina langu takatifu; wataukubali utakatifu wa yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Yakobo, nao watamcha Mungu wa Israeli.
For, when he seeth his children the work of my hands, in his midst, They will hallow my Name, —Yea they will hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And the God of Israel, will they regard with awe.
24 Wale wanaopotoka rohoni watapata ufahamu, nao wale wanaolalamika watayakubali mafundisho.”
Then will they who erred in spirit comprehend, And the murmurers, accept instruction.
