< 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.
Keep silent towards Me, O isles, And the peoples pass on [to] power, They come nigh, then they speak, 'Together — to judgment we 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 stirred up from the east a righteous one? He calleth him to His foot, He giveth before him nations, And kings He causeth him to rule, He giveth [them] as dust [to] his sword, As driven stubble [to] his bow.
3 Huwafuatia na kuendelea salama, katika njia ambayo miguu yake haijawahi kupita.
He pursueth them, he passeth over in safety A path with his feet he entereth 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 done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I [am] He.
5 Visiwa vimeliona na kuogopa, miisho ya dunia inatetemeka. Wanakaribia na kuja mbele,
Seen have isles and fear, ends of the earth tremble, They have drawn near, yea, they come.
6 kila mmoja humsaidia mwingine na kusema kwa ndugu yake, “Uwe hodari!”
Each his neighbour they help, And to his brother he saith, 'Be strong.'
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.
And strengthen doth an artisan the refiner, A smoother [with] a hammer, Him who is beating [on] an anvil, Saying, 'For joining it [is] good,' And he strengtheneth it with nails, it is not moved!
8 “Lakini wewe, ee Israeli, mtumishi wangu, Yakobo, niliyemchagua, ninyi wazao wa Abrahamu rafiki yangu,
— And thou, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham, My lover,
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 its near places I have called thee, And I say to thee, My servant Thou [art], I have chosen thee, and not rejected thee.
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.
Be not afraid, for with thee I [am], Look not around, for I [am] thy God, I have strengthened thee, Yea, I have helped thee, yea, I upheld thee, With the right hand of My righteousness.
11 “Wote walioona hasira dhidi yako hakika wataaibika na kutahayarika, wale wakupingao watakuwa kama vile si kitu, na kuangamia.
Lo, all those displeased with thee, They are ashamed and blush, They are as nothing, yea, perish Do the men who strive with thee.
12 Ingawa utawatafuta adui zako, hutawaona. Wale wanaopigana vita dhidi yako watakuwa kama vile si kitu kabisa.
Thou seekest them, and findest them not, The men who debate with thee, They are as nothing, yea, as nothing, The men who war with thee.
13 Kwa maana Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wako, nikushikaye mkono wako wa kuume na kukuambia, Usiwe na hofu, nitakusaidia.
For I, Jehovah thy God, Am strengthening thy right hand, He who is saying to thee, 'Fear not, I have helped thee.'
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, O worm Jacob, ye men of Israel, I helped thee, an affirmation of Jehovah, Even 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 set thee for a new sharp threshing instrument, Possessing teeth, thou threshest mountains, And beatest small, and hills as chaff thou makest.
16 Utaipepeta, nao upepo utaichukua, dhoruba itaipeperushia mbali. Bali wewe utajifurahisha katika Bwana na katika utukufu wa yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
Thou winnowest them, and a wind lifteth them up, And a whirlwind scattereth them, And thou — thou rejoicest in Jehovah, In the Holy One of Israel dost boast thyself.
17 “Maskini na wahitaji wanatafuta maji, lakini hayapo, ndimi zao zimekauka kwa kiu. Lakini Mimi Bwana nitawajibu, Mimi, Mungu wa Israeli, sitawaacha.
The poor and the needy are seeking water, And there is none, Their tongue with thirst hath failed, I, Jehovah do answer them, The God of Israel — I forsake them not.
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 open on high places rivers, And in midst of valleys fountains, I make a wilderness become a pond of water, And a dry land become springs of water.
19 Katika jangwa nitaotesha mwerezi, mshita, mhadasi na mzeituni. Nitaweka misunobari, mivinje na misanduku pamoja huko nyikani,
I give in a wilderness the cedar, Shittah, and myrtle, and oil-tree, I set in a desert the fir-pine and box-wood 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.”
So that they see, and know, And regard, and act wisely together, For the hand of Jehovah hath done this, And the Holy One of Israel hath prepared it.
21 Bwana asema, “Leta shauri lako. Toa hoja yako,” asema Mfalme wa Yakobo.
Bring near your cause, saith Jehovah, Bring nigh your mighty ones, 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,
They bring nigh, and declare to us that which doth happen, The first things — what they [are] declare ye, And we set our heart, and know their latter end, Or the coming things cause us to 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.
Declare the things that are coming hereafter, And we know that ye [are] gods, Yea, ye may do good or do evil, And we look around and see [it] together.
24 Lakini ninyi ni zaidi ya bure kabisa, na kazi zenu hazifai kitu kabisa; yeye awachaguaye ni chukizo sana.
Lo, ye [are] of nothing, and your work of nought, An abomination — it fixeth on 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 stirred up [one] from the north, And he cometh, From the rising of the sun he calleth in My name, And he cometh in [on] prefects as [on] clay, And as a potter treadeth down mire.
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 declared from the first, and we know? And beforetime, and we say, 'Righteous?' yea, there is none declaring, Yea, there is none proclaiming, Yea, there is none hearing your sayings.
27 Nilikuwa wa kwanza kumwambia Sayuni, ‘Tazama, wako hapa!’ Nilimpa Yerusalemu mjumbe wa habari njema.
First to Zion, Behold, behold them, And to Jerusalem one proclaiming tidings I give,
28 Ninatazama, lakini hakuna yeyote: hakuna yeyote miongoni mwao awezaye kutoa shauri, hakuna yeyote wa kutoa jibu wakati ninapowauliza.
And I see that there is no man, Yea, of these that there is no counsellor, And I ask them, and they return word:
29 Tazama, wote ni ubatili! Matendo yao ni bure; vinyago vyao ni upepo mtupu na machafuko.
'Lo, all of them [are] vanity, Nought [are] their works, Wind and emptiness their molten images!'