Isaya 41
1 “Nyamazeni kimya mbele zangu, enyi visiwa! Mataifa na wafanye upya nguvu zao! Wao na wajitokeze, kisha waseme, tukutane pamoja mahali pa hukumu.
Hold a feast to me, you islands: for the princes shall renew [their] strength: let them draw near and speak together: then let them declare judgement.
2 “Ni nani aliyemchochea mmoja kutoka mashariki, akimwita katika haki kwa utumishi wake? Huyatia mataifa mikononi mwake, na kuwatiisha wafalme mbele zake. Huwafanya kuwa mavumbi kwa upanga wake, huwafanya makapi yapeperushwayo na upepo kwa upinde wake.
Who raised up righteousness from the east, [and] called it to his feet, so that it should go? shall appoint [it] an adversary of Gentiles, and shall dismay kings, and bury their swords in the earth, and cast forth their bows and arrows as sticks?
3 Huwafuatia na kuendelea salama, katika njia ambayo miguu yake haijawahi kupita.
And he shall pursue them; the way of his feet shall proceed in peace.
4 Ni nani aliyefanya jambo hili na kulitimiliza, akiita vizazi tangu mwanzo? Mimi, Bwana, ni wa kwanza nami nitakuwa pamoja na wa mwisho: mimi Bwana ndiye.”
Who has wrought and done these things? he has called it who called it from the generations of old; I God, the first and to [all] futurity, I AM.
5 Visiwa vimeliona na kuogopa, miisho ya dunia inatetemeka. Wanakaribia na kuja mbele,
The nations saw, and feared; the ends of the earth drew near, and came together,
6 kila mmoja humsaidia mwingine na kusema kwa ndugu yake, “Uwe hodari!”
every one judging for his neighbour and [that] to assist his brother: and one will say,
7 Fundi humtia moyo sonara, yeye alainishaye kwa nyundo humhimiza yeye agongeaye kwenye fuawe, Humwambia yeye aunganishaye, “Ni kazi njema.” Naye huikaza sanamu kwa misumari ili isitikisike.
The artificer has become strong, and the coppersmith that smites with the hammer, [and] forges also: sometimes he will say, It is a piece well joined: they have fastened them with nails; they will fix them, and they shall not be moved.
8 “Lakini wewe, ee Israeli, mtumishi wangu, Yakobo, niliyemchagua, ninyi wazao wa Abrahamu rafiki yangu,
But you, Israel, are my servant Jacob, and he whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraam, whom I have loved:
9 nilikuchukua toka miisho ya dunia, nilikuita kutoka pembe zake za mbali. Nilisema, ‘Wewe ni mtumishi wangu’; nimekuchagua, wala sikukukataa.
whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and from the high places of it I have called you, and said to you, You are my servant; I have chosen you, and I have not forsaken you.
10 Hivyo usiogope, kwa maana niko pamoja nawe; usifadhaike, kwa maana mimi ni Mungu wako. Nitakutia nguvu na kukusaidia; nitakutegemeza kwa mkono wa kuume wa haki yangu.
Fear not; for I am with you: wander not; for I am your God, who have strengthened you; and I have helped you, and have established you with my just right hand.
11 “Wote walioona hasira dhidi yako hakika wataaibika na kutahayarika, wale wakupingao watakuwa kama vile si kitu, na kuangamia.
Behold, all your adversaries shall be ashamed and confounded; for they shall be as if they were not: and all your opponents shall perish.
12 Ingawa utawatafuta adui zako, hutawaona. Wale wanaopigana vita dhidi yako watakuwa kama vile si kitu kabisa.
You shall seek them, and you shall not find the men who shall insolently rage against you: for they shall be as if they were not, and they that war against you shall not be.
13 Kwa maana Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wako, nikushikaye mkono wako wa kuume na kukuambia, Usiwe na hofu, nitakusaidia.
For I am your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you,
14 Usiogope, ee Yakobo uliye mdudu, ee Israeli uliye mdogo, kwa kuwa Mimi mwenyewe nitakusaidia,” asema Bwana, Mkombozi wako, yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
Fear not, Jacob, [and you] Israel few in number; I have helped you, says your God, he that redeems you, O Israel.
15 “Tazama, nitakufanya chombo cha kupuria, kipya na chenye makali, chenye meno mengi. Utaipura milima na kuiponda na kuvifanya vilima kuwa kama makapi.
Behold, I have made you as new saw-shaped threshing wheels of a waggon; and you shall thresh the mountains, and beat the hills to powder, and make [them] as chaff:
16 Utaipepeta, nao upepo utaichukua, dhoruba itaipeperushia mbali. Bali wewe utajifurahisha katika Bwana na katika utukufu wa yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
and you shall winnow [them], and the wind shall carry them away, and a tempest shall scatter them: but you shall rejoice in the holy ones of Israel.
17 “Maskini na wahitaji wanatafuta maji, lakini hayapo, ndimi zao zimekauka kwa kiu. Lakini Mimi Bwana nitawajibu, Mimi, Mungu wa Israeli, sitawaacha.
And the poor and the needy shall exult; for [when] they shall seek water, and there shall be none, [and] their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord God, I the God of Israel will hear, and will not forsake them:
18 Nitaifanya mito itiririke juu ya vilima vilivyo kame, nazo chemchemi ndani ya mabonde. Nitaligeuza jangwa liwe mabwawa ya maji, nayo ardhi iliyokauka kuwa chemchemi za maji.
but I will open rivers on the mountains, and fountains in the midst of plains: I will make the desert pools of water, and a thirsty land watercourses.
19 Katika jangwa nitaotesha mwerezi, mshita, mhadasi na mzeituni. Nitaweka misunobari, mivinje na misanduku pamoja huko nyikani,
I will plant in the dry land the cedar and box, the myrtle and cypress, and white poplar:
20 ili kwamba watu wapate kuona na kujua, wapate kufikiri na kuelewa, kwamba mkono wa Bwana umetenda hili, kwamba yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli ndiye alilifanya.”
that they may see, and know, and perceive, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has wrought these [works], and the Holy One of Israel has displayed [them].
21 Bwana asema, “Leta shauri lako. Toa hoja yako,” asema Mfalme wa Yakobo.
Your judgement draws near, says the Lord God; your counsels have drawn near, says the King of Jacob.
22 “Leteni sanamu zenu zituambie ni nini kitakachotokea. Tuambieni mambo ya zamani yalikuwa nini, ili tupate kuyatafakari na kujua matokeo yake ya mwisho. Au tutangazieni mambo yatakayokuja,
Let them draw near, and declare to you what things shall come to pass; or tell [us] what things were of old, and we will apply [our] understanding, and we shall know what are the last and the future things:
23 tuambieni ni nini kitakachotokea baadaye, ili tupate kujua kuwa ninyi ni miungu. Fanyeni jambo lolote zuri au baya, ili tupate kutishika na kujazwa na hofu.
tell us, declare you to us the things that are coming on at the last [time], and we shall know that you are gods: do good, and do evil, and we shall wonder, and see at the same time
24 Lakini ninyi ni zaidi ya bure kabisa, na kazi zenu hazifai kitu kabisa; yeye awachaguaye ni chukizo sana.
whence you are, and whence is your works: they have chosen you an abomination out of the earth.
25 “Nimemchochea mtu mmoja kutoka kaskazini, naye yuaja, mmoja toka mawio ya jua aliitaye Jina langu. Huwakanyaga watawala kana kwamba ni matope, kama mfinyanzi akanyagavyo udongo wa kufinyangia.
But I have raised up him that [comes] from the north, and him that [comes] from the rising of the sun: they shall be called by my name: let the princes come, and as potter's clay, and as a potter treading clay, so shall you be trodden down.
26 Ni nani aliyenena hili tokea mwanzoni, ili tupate kujua, au kabla, ili tuweze kusema, ‘Alikuwa sawa’? Hakuna aliyenena hili, hakuna aliyetangulia kusema hili, hakuna yeyote aliyesikia maneno kutoka kwenu.
For who will declare the things from the beginning, that we may know also the former things, and we will say that they are true? there is no one that speaks beforehand, nor anyone that hears your words.
27 Nilikuwa wa kwanza kumwambia Sayuni, ‘Tazama, wako hapa!’ Nilimpa Yerusalemu mjumbe wa habari njema.
I will give dominion to Sion, and will comfort Jerusalem by the way.
28 Ninatazama, lakini hakuna yeyote: hakuna yeyote miongoni mwao awezaye kutoa shauri, hakuna yeyote wa kutoa jibu wakati ninapowauliza.
For from amongst the nations, behold, [there was] no one; and of their idols there was none to declare [anything]: and if I should ask them, Whence are you? they could not answer me.
29 Tazama, wote ni ubatili! Matendo yao ni bure; vinyago vyao ni upepo mtupu na machafuko.
For [these] are your makers, [as you think], and they that cause you to err in vain.
