< Isaya 3 >

1 Tazama sasa, Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, yu karibu kuwaondolea Yerusalemu na Yuda upatikanaji wa mahitaji na misaada, upatikanaji wote wa chakula na tegemeo lote la maji,
For behold, the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, Is turning aside from Jerusalem and from Judah [Both] stay and staff: Every stay of bread and every stay of water;
2 shujaa na mtu wa vita, mwamuzi na nabii, mwaguzi na mzee,
Mighty and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elderly,
3 jemadari wa kikosi cha watu hamsini na mtu mwenye cheo, mshauri, fundi stadi na mlozi mjanja.
Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counselor, and wise craftsmen, And discerning charmer.
4 Nitawafanya wavulana wawe maafisa wao, watoto ndio watakaowatawala.
And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them.
5 Watu wataoneana wao kwa wao: mtu dhidi ya mtu, na jirani dhidi ya jirani yake. Kijana atainuka dhidi ya mzee, mtu mnyonge dhidi ya mtu mwenye heshima.
And the people has exacted—man on man, Even a man on his neighbor, The youths enlarge themselves against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honored.
6 Mtu atamkamata mmoja wa ndugu zake katika nyumba ya baba yake na kusema, “Unalo joho, sasa uwe kiongozi wetu, tawala lundo hili la magofu!”
When one lays hold on his brother, Of the house of his father, [by] the garment, “Come, you are a ruler to us, And this ruin [is] under your hand.”
7 Lakini siku hiyo atapiga kelele akisema, “Sina uponyaji. Sina chakula wala mavazi katika nyumba yangu, msinifanye niwe kiongozi wa watu.”
He lifts up, in that day, saying, “I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, You do not make me a ruler of the people.”
8 Yerusalemu inapepesuka, Yuda inaanguka; maneno yao na matendo yao ni kinyume na Bwana, wakiudharau uwepo wake uliotukuka.
For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, For their tongue and their doings [are] against YHWH, To provoke the eyes of His glory.
9 Nyuso zao zinavyoonekana zinashuhudia dhidi yao, hujivunia dhambi yao kama Sodoma, wala hawaifichi. Ole wao! Wamejiletea maafa juu yao wenyewe.
The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done evil to themselves.
10 Waambie wanyofu itakuwa heri kwao, kwa kuwa watafurahia tunda la matendo yao.
Say to the righteous that [it is] good, Because they eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Ole kwa watu waovu! Maafa yapo juu yao! Watalipwa kwa ajili ya yale mikono yao iliyotenda.
Woe to the wicked—evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him.
12 Vijana wanawatesa watu wangu, wanawake wanawatawala. Enyi watu wangu, viongozi wenu wanawapotosha, wanawapoteza njia.
My people—its exactors [are] sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people—your eulogists are causing to err, And the way of your paths swallowed up.
13 Bwana anachukua nafasi yake mahakamani, anasimama kuhukumu watu.
YHWH has stood up to plead, And He is standing to judge the peoples.
14 Bwana anaingia katika hukumu dhidi ya wazee na viongozi wa watu wake: “Ninyi ndio mlioharibu shamba langu la mizabibu, mali zilizonyangʼanywa maskini zimo nyumbani mwenu.
YHWH enters into judgment With [the] elderly of His people, and its heads: “And you, you have consumed the vineyard, Plunder of the poor [is] in your houses.
15 Mnamaanisha nini kuwaponda watu wangu na kuzisaga nyuso za maskini?” asema Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
Why? Why do you [do this]? You bruise My people, And you grind the faces of the poor.” A declaration of the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, And YHWH says:
16 Bwana asema, “Wanawake wa Sayuni wana kiburi, wanatembea na shingo ndefu, wakikonyeza kwa macho yao, wanatembea kwa hatua za madaha, wakiwa na mapambo ya njuga kwenye vifundo vya miguu yao.
“Because that daughters of Zion have been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving [with] the eyes, They go walking and mincing, And they make a jingling with their feet,
17 Kwa hiyo Bwana ataleta majipu kwenye vichwa vya wanawake wa Sayuni; Bwana atazifanya ngozi za vichwa vyao kuwa vipara.”
The Lord has also scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And YHWH exposes their simplicity.
18 Katika siku ile Bwana atawanyangʼanya uzuri wao: bangili, tepe za kichwani, mikufu yenye alama za mwezi mwandamo,
In that day the Lord turns aside The beauty of the jingling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the crescents,
19 vipuli, vikuku, shela,
Of the pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils,
20 vilemba, mikufu ya vifundo vya miguu, mshipi, chupa za manukato na hirizi,
Of the headdresses, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets,
21 pete zenye muhuri, pete za puani,
Of the seals, and of the nose-rings,
22 majoho mazuri, mitandio, mavazi, kifuko cha kutilia fedha,
Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses,
23 vioo, mavazi ya kitani, taji na shali.
Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the veils,
24 Badala ya harufu ya manukato kutakuwa na uvundo; badala ya mishipi, ni kamba; badala ya nywele zilizotengenezwa vizuri, ni upara; badala ya mavazi mazuri, ni nguo za magunia; badala ya uzuri, ni alama ya aibu kwa chuma cha moto.
And it has been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth.
25 Wanaume wako watauawa kwa upanga, nao mashujaa wako watauawa vitani.
For instead of glory, your men fall by sword, And your might in battle.
26 Malango ya Sayuni yataomboleza na kulia, ataketi mavumbini akiwa fukara.
And her openings have lamented and mourned, Indeed, she has been emptied, she sits on the earth!”

< Isaya 3 >