Isaya 40
1 Wafarijini, wafarijini watu wangu, asema Mungu wenu.
Give comfort, give comfort, to my people, says your God.
2 Sema na Yerusalemu kwa upole, umtangazie kwamba kazi yake ngumu imekamilika, kwamba dhambi yake imefanyiwa fidia, kwamba amepokea kutoka mkononi mwa Bwana maradufu kwa ajili ya dhambi zake zote.
Say kind words to the heart of Jerusalem, crying out to her that her time of trouble is ended, that her punishment is complete; that she has been rewarded by the Lord's hand twice over for all her sins.
3 Sauti ya mtu aliaye: “Itengenezeni jangwani njia ya Bwana, nyoosheni njia kuu nyikani kwa ajili ya Mungu wetu.
A voice of one crying, Make ready in the waste land the way of the Lord, make level in the lowland a highway for our God.
4 Kila bonde litainuliwa, kila mlima na kilima kitashushwa; penye mabonde patanyooshwa, napo palipoparuza patasawazishwa.
Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, and let the rough places become level, and the hilltops become a valley,
5 Utukufu wa Bwana utafunuliwa, nao wanadamu wote watauona pamoja. Kwa maana kinywa cha Bwana kimenena.”
And the glory of the Lord will be made clear, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has said it.
6 Sauti husema, “Piga kelele.” Nami nikasema, “Nipige kelele gani?” “Wanadamu wote ni kama majani, nao utukufu wao wote ni kama maua ya kondeni.
A voice of one saying, Give a cry! And I said, What is my cry to be? All flesh is grass, and all its strength like the flower of the field.
7 Majani hunyauka na maua huanguka, kwa sababu pumzi ya Bwana huyapuliza. Hakika wanadamu ni majani.
The grass becomes dry, the flower is dead; because the breath of the Lord goes over it: truly the people is grass.
8 Majani hunyauka na maua huanguka, lakini neno la Mungu wetu ladumu milele.”
The grass is dry, the flower is dead; but the word of our God is eternal.
9 Wewe uletaye habari njema Sayuni, panda juu ya mlima mrefu. Wewe uletaye habari njema Yerusalemu, inua sauti yako kwa kupiga kelele, inua sauti, usiogope; iambie miji ya Yuda, “Yuko hapa Mungu wenu!”
You who give good news to Zion, get up into the high mountain; you who give good news to Jerusalem, let your voice be strong; let it be sounding without fear; say to the towns of Judah, See, your God!
10 Tazameni, Bwana Mwenyezi anakuja na nguvu, nao mkono wake ndio utawalao kwa ajili yake. Tazameni, ujira wake u pamoja naye, nayo malipo yake yanafuatana naye.
See, the Lord God will come as a strong one, ruling in power: see, those made free by him are with him, and those whom he has made safe go before him.
11 Huchunga kundi lake kama mchungaji wa mifugo: Hukusanya wana-kondoo katika mikono yake na kuwachukua karibu na moyo wake, huwaongoza taratibu wale wanyonyeshao.
He will give food to his flock like a keeper of sheep; with his arm he will get it together, and will take up the lambs on his breast, gently guiding those which are with young.
12 Ni nani aliyepima maji ya bahari kwenye konzi ya mkono wake, au kuzipima mbingu kwa shibiri yake? Ni nani aliyeyashika mavumbi ya dunia katika kikapu, au kupima milima kwenye kipimio na vilima kwenye mizani?
In the hollow of whose hand have the waters been measured? and who is able to take the heavens in his stretched-out fingers? who has got together the dust of the earth in a measure? who has taken the weight of the mountains, or put the hills into the scales?
13 Ni nani aliyeyafahamu mawazo ya Bwana, au kumfundisha akiwa kama mshauri wake?
By whom has the spirit of the Lord been guided, or who has been his teacher?
14 Ni nani ambaye Bwana ametaka shauri kwake ili kumwelimisha, naye ni nani aliyemfundisha njia iliyo sawa? Ni nani aliyemfundisha maarifa au kumwonyesha mapito ya ufahamu?
Who gave him suggestions, and made clear to him the right way? who gave him knowledge, guiding him in the way of wisdom?
15 Hakika mataifa ni kama tone ndani ya ndoo, ni kama vumbi jembamba juu ya mizani, huvipima visiwa kana kwamba vilikuwa vumbi laini.
See, the nations are to him like a drop hanging from a bucket, and like the small dust in the scales: he takes up the islands like small dust.
16 Lebanoni hautoshi kwa moto wa madhabahuni, wala wanyama wake hawatoshi kwa sadaka za kuteketezwa.
And Lebanon is not enough to make a fire with, or all its cattle enough for a burned offering.
17 Mbele yake mataifa yote ni kama si kitu, yanaonekana yasio na thamani na zaidi ya bure kabisa.
All the nations are as nothing before him; even less than nothing, a thing of no value.
18 Basi, utamlinganisha Mungu na nani? Utamlinganisha na kitu gani?
Whom then is God like, in your opinion? or what will you put forward as a comparison with him?
19 Kwa habari ya sanamu, fundi huisubu, naye mfua dhahabu huifunika kwa dhahabu na kuitengenezea mikufu ya fedha.
The workman makes an image, and the gold-worker puts gold plates over it, and makes silver bands for it.
20 Mtu aliye maskini sana asiyeweza kuleta sadaka kama hii huuchagua mti usiooza. Humtafuta fundi stadi wa kusimamisha sanamu ambayo haitatikisika.
The wise workman makes selection of the mulberry-tree of the offering, a wood which will not become soft; so that the image may be fixed to it and not be moved.
21 Je, hujui? Je, hujasikia? Je, hujaambiwa tangu mwanzo? Je, hujafahamu tangu kuumbwa kwa dunia?
Have you no knowledge of it? has it not come to your ears? has not news of it been given to you from the first? has it not been clear to you from the time when the earth was placed on its base?
22 Anakaa kwenye kiti cha enzi juu ya duara ya dunia, nao watu wakaao ndani yake ni kama panzi. Huzitandaza mbingu kama chandarua, na kuzitandaza kama hema la kuishi.
It is he who is seated over the arch of the earth, and the people in it are as small as locusts; by him the heavens are stretched out like an arch, and made ready like a tent for a living-place.
23 Huwafanya wakuu kuwa si kitu, na kuwashusha watawala wa dunia hii kuwa kitu bure.
He makes rulers come to nothing; the judges of the earth are of no value.
24 Mara baada ya kupandwa, mara baada ya kutiwa ardhini, mara baada ya kutoa mizizi yao ardhini, ndipo huwapulizia nao wakanyauka, nao upepo wa kisulisuli huwapeperusha kama makapi.
They have only now been planted, and their seed put into the earth, and they have only now taken root, when he sends out his breath over them and they become dry, and the storm-wind takes them away like dry grass.
25 “Utanilinganisha mimi na nani? Au ni nani anayelingana nami?” asema yeye Aliye Mtakatifu.
Who then seems to you to be my equal? says the Holy One.
26 Inueni macho yenu mtazame mbinguni: Ni nani aliyeumba hivi vyote? Ni yeye aletaye nje jeshi la nyota moja baada ya nyingine na kuziita kila moja kwa jina lake. Kwa sababu ya uweza wake mkuu na nguvu zake kuu, hakuna hata mojawapo inayokosekana.
Let your eyes be lifted up on high, and see: who has made these? He who sends out their numbered army: who has knowledge of all their names: by whose great strength, because he is strong in power, all of them are in their places.
27 Kwa nini unasema, ee Yakobo, nanyi ee Israeli, kulalamika, “Njia yangu imefichwa Bwana asiione, Mungu wangu hajali shauri langu?”
Why do you say, O Jacob, such words as these, O Israel, The Lord's eyes are not on my way, and my God gives no attention to my cause?
28 Je wewe, hufahamu? Je wewe, hujasikia? Bwana ni Mungu wa milele, Muumba wa miisho ya dunia. Hatachoka wala kulegea, wala hakuna hata mmoja awezaye kuupima ufahamu wake.
Have you no knowledge of it? has it not come to your ears? The eternal God, the Lord, the Maker of the ends of the earth, is never feeble or tired; there is no searching out of his wisdom.
29 Huwapa nguvu waliolegea na huongeza nguvu za wadhaifu.
He gives power to the feeble, increasing the strength of him who has no force.
30 Hata vijana huchoka na kulegea, nao vijana wanaume hujikwaa na kuanguka,
Even the young men will become feeble and tired, and the best of them will come to the end of his strength;
31 bali wale wamtumainio Bwana atafanya upya nguvu zao. Watapaa juu kwa mbawa kama tai; watapiga mbio wala hawatachoka, watatembea kwa miguu wala hawatazimia.
But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.
