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, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him; He shall cause law to go forth to the nations.
2 Hatapaza sauti wala kupiga kelele, wala hataiinua sauti yake barabarani.
He shall not cry aloud, nor lift up his voice, Nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 Mwanzi uliopondeka hatauvunja, na utambi unaofuka moshi hatauzima. Kwa uaminifu ataleta haki,
The bruised reed shall he not break, And the glimmering flax shall he not quench; He shall send forth law according to truth.
4 hatazimia roho wala kukata tamaa, mpaka atakaposimamisha haki juu ya dunia. Visiwa vitaweka tumaini lao katika sheria yake.”
He shall not fail, nor become weary, Until he shall have established justice in the earth. And distant nations 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 God Jehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth, and that which springeth forth from it, Who gave breath to the people upon it, And spirit to them that walk thereon:
6 “Mimi, Bwana, nimekuita katika haki; nitakushika mkono wako. Nitakulinda na kukufanya kuwa Agano kwa ajili ya watu na nuru kwa Mataifa,
I, Jehovah, have called thee for salvation; I will hold thee by the hand; I will defend thee, and make thee a covenant to the people, A light to the nations;
7 kuwafungua macho wale wasioona, kuwaacha huru kutoka kifungoni waliofungwa jela, na kuwafungua kutoka gerezani wale wanaokaa gizani.
To open the blind eyes, To bring out the prisoners from the 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 am Jehovah, that is my name; And my glory will I not give to another, Nor my praise to graven images.
9 Tazama, mambo ya kwanza yametokea, nami natangaza mambo mapya; kabla hayajatokea nawatangazia habari zake.”
The former things, behold! they are come to pass, And new things do I now declare; Before they spring forth, I make them known to you.
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 to Jehovah a new song; His praise to the ends of the earth; Ye that go down upon the sea, and all that fill it; Ye distant coasts, and ye that dwell therein!
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 cry aloud, and the cities thereof; The villages, that Kedar inhabiteth; Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 Wampe Bwana utukufu, na kutangaza sifa zake katika visiwa.
Let them give glory to Jehovah, And proclaim his praise in distant lands!
13 Bwana ataenda kama mtu mwenye nguvu, kama shujaa atachochea shauku yake, kwa kelele ataamsha kilio cha vita, naye atashinda adui zake.
Jehovah shall march forth like a hero; Like a mighty warrior shall he rouse his indignation, He shall cry aloud; he shall shout the war-cry, And show himself mighty 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 long held my peace; I have been still and refrained myself; But now will I cry like a woman in travail; 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 mountains and hills, And dry up all their herbs. I will make the river solid land, And dry up the pools of water.
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.
Then will I lead the blind in a way which they know not, And in unknown paths will I guide them; I will make darkness light before them, And crooked paths straight; These things will I do for them, and not forsake them.”
17 Lakini wale wanaotumaini sanamu, wanaoviambia vinyago, ‘Ninyi ndio miungu yetu,’ watarudishwa nyuma kwa aibu kubwa.
Then shall they be turned back, and be put to shame, Who trust in graven images; Who say to molten images, “Ye are our gods!”
18 “Sikieni, enyi viziwi; tazameni, enyi vipofu, mpate kuona!
Hear, O ye deaf! And look, ye blind, and 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, if not my servant? And who so deaf as my messenger, whom I send? Who so blind as the friend of God, So blind as the servant of Jehovah?
20 Mmeona vitu vingi, lakini hamkuzingatia; masikio yenu yako wazi, lakini hamsikii chochote.”
Thou seest many things, but regardest them not; Thou hast thine ears open, but hearest not!
21 Ilimpendeza Bwana kwa ajili ya haki yake kufanya sheria yake kuwa kuu na tukufu.
It pleased Jehovah for his goodness' sake To give him a law, great and glorious;
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.”
And yet it is a robbed and plundered people; They are all of them bound in prisons, And hid in dungeons; They have become a spoil, and none delivereth; A prey, and none 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 listen and attend for the time 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 gave Jacob to be a spoil, And Israel to plunderers? Was it not Jehovah, against whom we sinned, In whose ways we would not walk, And whose laws we would not obey?
25 Hivyo akawamwagia hasira yake inayowaka, ukali wa vita. Iliwazunguka kwa miali ya moto, lakini hata hivyo hawakuelewa; iliwateketeza, lakini hawakuyatia moyoni.
Therefore hath he poured out upon Israel the fury of his wrath, and the violence of war; It kindled a flame around about him, yet he did not regard it; It set him on fire, yet he laid it not to heart.
