Isaya 42
1 “Huyu hapa mtumishi wangu, ninayemtegemeza, mteule wangu, ambaye ninapendezwa naye; nitaweka Roho yangu juu yake, naye ataleta haki kwa mataifa.
Behold my servant, I will uphold him: my elect, my soul delighteth in him: I have given my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 Hatapaza sauti wala kupiga kelele, wala hataiinua sauti yake barabarani.
He shall not cry, nor have respect to person, neither shall his voice be heard abroad.
3 Mwanzi uliopondeka hatauvunja, na utambi unaofuka moshi hatauzima. Kwa uaminifu ataleta haki,
The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 hatazimia roho wala kukata tamaa, mpaka atakaposimamisha haki juu ya dunia. Visiwa vitaweka tumaini lao katika sheria yake.”
He shall not be sad, nor troublesome, till he set judgment in the earth: and the islands shall wait for his law.
5 Hili ndilo asemalo Mungu, Bwana, yeye aliyeziumba mbingu na kuzitanda, aliyeitandaza dunia na vyote vitokavyo humo, awapaye watu wake pumzi, na uzima kwa wale waendao humo:
Thus saith the Lord God that created the heavens, and stretched them out: that established the earth, and the things that spring out of it: that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that tread thereon.
6 “Mimi, Bwana, nimekuita katika haki; nitakushika mkono wako. Nitakulinda na kukufanya kuwa Agano kwa ajili ya watu na nuru kwa Mataifa,
I the Lord have called thee in justice, and taken thee by the hand, and preserved thee. And I have given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles:
7 kuwafungua macho wale wasioona, kuwaacha huru kutoka kifungoni waliofungwa jela, na kuwafungua kutoka gerezani wale wanaokaa gizani.
That thou mightest open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth the prisoner out of prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
8 “Mimi ndimi Bwana; hilo ndilo Jina langu! Sitampa mwingine utukufu wangu wala sanamu sifa zangu.
I the Lord, this is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things.
9 Tazama, mambo ya kwanza yametokea, nami natangaza mambo mapya; kabla hayajatokea nawatangazia habari zake.”
The things that were first, behold they are come: and new things do I declare: before they spring forth, I will make you head them.
10 Mwimbieni Bwana wimbo mpya, sifa zake toka miisho ya dunia, ninyi mshukao chini baharini, na vyote vilivyomo ndani yake, enyi visiwa na wote wakaao ndani yake.
Sing ye to the Lora a new song, his praise is from the ends of the earth: you that go down to the sea, and all that are therein: ye islands, and ye inhabitants of them.
11 Jangwa na miji yake na vipaze sauti zao; makao anamoishi Kedari na yashangilie. Watu wa Sela waimbe kwa furaha, na wapige kelele kutoka vilele vya milima.
Let the desert and the cities thereof be exalted: Cedar shall dwell in houses: ye inhabitants of Petra, give praise, they shall cry from the top of the mountains.
12 Wampe Bwana utukufu, na kutangaza sifa zake katika visiwa.
They shall give glory to the Lord, and shall declare his praise in the islands.
13 Bwana ataenda kama mtu mwenye nguvu, kama shujaa atachochea shauku yake, kwa kelele ataamsha kilio cha vita, naye atashinda adui zake.
The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, as a man of war shall he stir up zeal: he shall shout and cry: he shall prevail against his enemies.
14 “Kwa muda mrefu nimenyamaza kimya, nimekaa kimya na kujizuia. Lakini sasa, kama mwanamke wakati wa kujifungua, ninapiga kelele, ninatweta na kushusha pumzi.
I have always held my peace, I have I kept silence, I have been patient, I will speak now as a woman in labour: I will destroy, and swallow up at once.
15 Nitaharibu milima na vilima na kukausha mimea yako yote; nitafanya mito kuwa visiwa na kukausha mabwawa.
I will lay waste the mountains and hills, and will make all their grass to wither: and I will turn rivers into islands, and will dry up the standing pools.
16 Nitawaongoza vipofu kwenye njia ambayo hawajaijua, kwenye mapito wasiyoyazoea nitawaongoza; nitafanya giza kuwa nuru mbele yao, na kufanya mahali palipoparuza kuwa laini. Haya ndiyo mambo nitakayofanya; mimi sitawaacha.
And I will lead the blind into the way which they know not: and in the paths which they were ignorant of I will make them walk: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight: these things have I done to them, and have not forsaken them.
17 Lakini wale wanaotumaini sanamu, wanaoviambia vinyago, ‘Ninyi ndio miungu yetu,’ watarudishwa nyuma kwa aibu kubwa.
They are turned back: let them be greatly confounded, that trust in a graven thing, that say to a molten thing: You are our god.
18 “Sikieni, enyi viziwi; tazameni, enyi vipofu, mpate kuona!
Hear, ye deaf, and, ye blind, behold that you may see.
19 Ni nani aliye kipofu isipokuwa mtumishi wangu, na kiziwi kama mjumbe ninayemtuma? Ni nani aliye kipofu kama yeye aliyejitoa kwangu, aliye kipofu kama mtumishi wa Bwana?
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, but he to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, but he that is sold? or who is blind, but the servant of the Lord?
20 Mmeona vitu vingi, lakini hamkuzingatia; masikio yenu yako wazi, lakini hamsikii chochote.”
Thou that seest many things, wilt thou not observe them? thou that hast ears open, wilt thou not hear?
21 Ilimpendeza Bwana kwa ajili ya haki yake kufanya sheria yake kuwa kuu na tukufu.
And the Lord was willing to sanctify him, and to magnify the law, and exalt it.
22 Lakini hili ni taifa lililoibwa na kutekwa nyara, wote wamenaswa katika mashimo, au wamefichwa katika magereza. Wamekuwa nyara, wala hapana yeyote awaokoaye. Wamefanywa mateka, wala hapana yeyote asemaye, “Warudishe.”
But this is a people that is robbed and wasted: they are all the snare of young men, and they are hid in the houses of prisons: they are made a prey, and there is none to deliver them: a spoil, and there is none that saith: Restore.
23 Ni nani miongoni mwenu atakayesikiliza hili, au atakayezingatia kwa makini katika wakati ujao?
Who is there among you that will give ear to this, that will attend and hearken for times to come?
24 Ni nani aliyemtoa Yakobo kuwa mateka, na Israeli kwa wateka nyara? Je, hakuwa yeye, Bwana, ambaye tumetenda dhambi dhidi yake? Kwa kuwa hawakufuata njia zake, hawakutii sheria zake.
Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to robbers? hath not the Lord himself, against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, and they have not hearkened to his law.
25 Hivyo akawamwagia hasira yake inayowaka, ukali wa vita. Iliwazunguka kwa miali ya moto, lakini hata hivyo hawakuelewa; iliwateketeza, lakini hawakuyatia moyoni.
And he hath poured out upon him the indignation of his fury, and a strong battle, and hath burnt him round about, and he knew not: and set him on fire, and he understood not.
