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.

Be silent [and hearken] unto me, O ye Coastlands, And let the Races of Men renew their strength, —Let them approach, then, let them speak, Together, for controversy, let us draw near: —

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 roused up one from the East, In righteousness, called him to his feet, —Set before him nations And over kings, caused him to rule, His sword, made [them] like dust, His bow like driven chaff:

3 Huwafuatia na kuendelea salama, katika njia ambayo miguu yake haijawahi kupita.

He pursued them passed along safely, —Upon the path of his own feet, entered he not?

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 hath wrought and performed, Calling the generations, in advance? I, Yahweh, [who am] First, And with them who are last, I, am the Same!

5 Visiwa vimeliona na kuogopa, miisho ya dunia inatetemeka. Wanakaribia na kuja mbele,

Coastlands have seen, so they fear, The ends of the earth, are in dread, —They have drawn near, and have come:

6 kila mmoja humsaidia mwingine na kusema kwa ndugu yake, “Uwe hodari!”

Every man, to his neighbour, giveth help, —And to his brother, saith Take courage!

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.

So, the carver, hath encouraged, the goldsmith, he that maketh smooth with the hammer, him that smiteth the anvil, —Saying of the welding, It is, good, Then hath he fastened it with nails—it must not totter!

8 “Lakini wewe, ee Israeli, mtumishi wangu, Yakobo, niliyemchagua, ninyi wazao wa Abrahamu rafiki yangu,

But, thou, Israel, my Servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, —The seed of Abraham my loving one;

9 nilikuchukua toka miisho ya dunia, nilikuita kutoka pembe zake za mbali. Nilisema, ‘Wewe ni mtumishi wangu’; nimekuchagua, wala sikukukataa.

Thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, And from the extremities thereof, have called thee, —And said to thee, My Servant, thou! I have chosen thee and not cast thee off,

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.

Do not fear, for with thee, I am! Look not around, for, I, am thy God, —I have emboldened thee, Yea I have helped thee, Yea I have upheld thee with my righteous right-hand.

11 “Wote walioona hasira dhidi yako hakika wataaibika na kutahayarika, wale wakupingao watakuwa kama vile si kitu, na kuangamia.

Lo! they shall turn pale and be ashamed—All they who have been incensed against thee, —They shall become as nothing and perish—The men who have been thine accusers:

12 Ingawa utawatafuta adui zako, hutawaona. Wale wanaopigana vita dhidi yako watakuwa kama vile si kitu kabisa.

Thou shalt seek them, but shalt not find them—The men who have contended with thee, They shall become as nothing, and as a thing of nought—The men who have warred against thee;

13 Kwa maana Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wako, nikushikaye mkono wako wa kuume na kukuambia, Usiwe na hofu, nitakusaidia.

For I, Yahweh thy God am firmly grasping thy right-hand, —Who am saying unto thee Do not fear! I, have become thy helper!

14 Usiogope, ee Yakobo uliye mdudu, ee Israeli uliye mdogo, kwa kuwa Mimi mwenyewe nitakusaidia,” asema Bwana, Mkombozi wako, yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.

Do not fear, Thou worm Jacob, Ye men of Israel, —I, have become thy helper, Declareth Yahweh, And thy redeemer The Holy One of Israel.

15 “Tazama, nitakufanya chombo cha kupuria, kipya na chenye makali, chenye meno mengi. Utaipura milima na kuiponda na kuvifanya vilima kuwa kama makapi.

Lo! I have made of thee a new pointed threshing sledge, owning teeth, —Thou shalt thresh mountains and crush them, And, hills—like chaff, shalt thou make:

16 Utaipepeta, nao upepo utaichukua, dhoruba itaipeperushia mbali. Bali wewe utajifurahisha katika Bwana na katika utukufu wa yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.

Thou shalt fan them and, a wind, shall carry them away, And, a whirlwind, scatter, them, —But, thou, shalt exult in Yahweh, And, in the Holy One of Israel, shalt thou boast thyself.

17 “Maskini na wahitaji wanatafuta maji, lakini hayapo, ndimi zao zimekauka kwa kiu. Lakini Mimi Bwana nitawajibu, Mimi, Mungu wa Israeli, sitawaacha.

As for the oppressed and the needy. Seeking water when there is none, Their tongue with thirst being parched I—Yahweh, will answer them, The God of Israel, I 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.

I will open, On bare hills rivers, and In the midst of plains, fountains, —I will make The desert, a lake of water, and Parched land, springs of water;

19 Katika jangwa nitaotesha mwerezi, mshita, mhadasi na mzeituni. Nitaweka misunobari, mivinje na misanduku pamoja huko nyikani,

I will set in the desert! Cedar, acacia, and myrtle, and oil-tree, —I will place, in the waste plain, Cypress, holm-oak, and sherbin-cedar, together

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 men may see and observe and consider and understand at once, That, the hand of Yahweh, hath done this, That the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

21 Bwana asema, “Leta shauri lako. Toa hoja yako,” asema Mfalme wa Yakobo.

Bring near your contention, Saith Yahweh, —Advance your defences, Saith 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 advance them, and tell us, What shall happen, —Things known in advance—what they were, tell ye, That we may lay them to our heart and mark the after-story of them, Or, things yet to come, let us hear:

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 ye the events which shall be here-after, That we may perceive that gods, ye are, —Surely ye must do something—good or bad, That we may be amazed and behold it, at once.

24 Lakini ninyi ni zaidi ya bure kabisa, na kazi zenu hazifai kitu kabisa; yeye awachaguaye ni chukizo sana.

Lo! ye, are, of nought, And your work is a puff of breath, —An abomination, he that chooseth you!

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.

I have roused up one from the North, and he hath come, From the rising of the sun, calleth he on my Name, —And he hath come, on deputies, as though they were mortar, And as a potter treadeth clay.

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.

Who hath told in advance, that we might know, And beforetime, that we might say Right! Nay, there is none who can tell. Nay, there is none who can let us hear, Nay, there is none who can understand what ye utter.

27 Nilikuwa wa kwanza kumwambia Sayuni, ‘Tazama, wako hapa!’ Nilimpa Yerusalemu mjumbe wa habari njema.

He who is First, [can say], To Zion, Lo! there they are! And to Jerusalem, A herald of good-tidings, do I give.

28 Ninatazama, lakini hakuna yeyote: hakuna yeyote miongoni mwao awezaye kutoa shauri, hakuna yeyote wa kutoa jibu wakati ninapowauliza.

So I look, And there is not, a Man! Even among these And there is none to advise, —That, when I ask them, can answer a word.

29 Tazama, wote ni ubatili! Matendo yao ni bure; vinyago vyao ni upepo mtupu na machafuko.

Lo! as to all of them, Vanity—nothingness, are their works, Wind and emptiness, their molten images!