Isaya 42
1 “Huyu hapa mtumishi wangu, ninayemtegemeza, mteule wangu, ambaye ninapendezwa naye; nitaweka Roho yangu juu yake, naye ataleta haki kwa mataifa.
[Yahweh says, “I want you people to know about] my servant, whom I encourage. I have chosen him, and I am pleased with him. I have given him my Spirit, and he will make certain that all the people-groups do what is right/just.
2 Hatapaza sauti wala kupiga kelele, wala hataiinua sauti yake barabarani.
He will not [show his power by] shouting [DOU] or by talking very loudly.
3 Mwanzi uliopondeka hatauvunja, na utambi unaofuka moshi hatauzima. Kwa uaminifu ataleta haki,
He will not get rid of [anyone who is weak like] [MET] a smashed reed, and he will not [end the life of anyone who is helpless like] [MET] someone would extinguish a dimly burning wick [of an oil lamp]. He will faithfully/continually make sure that judges decide cases justly.
4 hatazimia roho wala kukata tamaa, mpaka atakaposimamisha haki juu ya dunia. Visiwa vitaweka tumaini lao katika sheria yake.”
He will not become exhausted or discouraged all during the time that he is causing things to be done justly throughout the earth. Even [people living on the islands in] [MTY] the oceans will confidently wait for [him to teach them] his laws.”
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:
Yahweh our God created the sky and spread it out. He also created the earth and everything on it. He gives breath to all the people on the earth; he causes them to live [DOU]. [And he is the one who says to his special servant],
6 “Mimi, Bwana, nimekuita katika haki; nitakushika mkono wako. Nitakulinda na kukufanya kuwa Agano kwa ajili ya watu na nuru kwa Mataifa,
“I, Yahweh, have chosen you to show people that I always act righteously/fairly. I will grasp your hand and protect you, and I will present you to [my Israeli] people to be the one who will put into effect my agreement with them. [You will be like] a light to the [other] nations.
7 kuwafungua macho wale wasioona, kuwaacha huru kutoka kifungoni waliofungwa jela, na kuwafungua kutoka gerezani wale wanaokaa gizani.
You will enable blind [IDM] people to see, you will free those who are in prison (OR, who are bound [by the guilt of their sins]) [MET] and release those who are in dark dungeons.
8 “Mimi ndimi Bwana; hilo ndilo Jina langu! Sitampa mwingine utukufu wangu wala sanamu sifa zangu.
I am Yahweh; that is my name. I will not allow anyone else to receive the honor that only I deserve. And I will not allow idols to be praised like only I should be praised.
9 Tazama, mambo ya kwanza yametokea, nami natangaza mambo mapya; kabla hayajatokea nawatangazia habari zake.”
Everything that I have prophesied has happened, and now I will tell about other things that will happen. I will tell you things that will happen before they happen.”
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 a new song to Yahweh! Sing to praise him throughout the world! All you people who sail across the oceans, and all you creatures that live in the oceans, and all you people who live on islands far away, sing!
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.
You people who live in towns in the desert, sing loudly! You people who live in the Kedar [area in the north of Arabia], you rejoice also! You people in Sela [city in Edom], you also should sing joyfully; shout [to praise him] from the tops of your mountains!
12 Wampe Bwana utukufu, na kutangaza sifa zake katika visiwa.
Even people who live on distant islands should honor Yahweh and sing to praise him.
13 Bwana ataenda kama mtu mwenye nguvu, kama shujaa atachochea shauku yake, kwa kelele ataamsha kilio cha vita, naye atashinda adui zake.
[It will be as though] Yahweh will march out like [SIM] a mighty soldier; he will show that he is very angry. He will shout a battle-cry, and [then] he will defeat all 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.
[He will say], “I have remained silent [DOU] for a long time; I have restrained myself [from doing what I need to do]. But now, like [SIM] a woman who is giving birth to a baby, I will cry out and gasp and pant.
15 Nitaharibu milima na vilima na kukausha mimea yako yote; nitafanya mito kuwa visiwa na kukausha mabwawa.
I will level off the hills and mountains, and I will cause all the plants and trees to dry up. I will cause the rivers to become small streams, and little islands will appear in them, and I will cause all the pools to become dry.
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.
[My people who have been taken to Babylonia are like] [MET] blind people, [but] I will lead them along a road on which they have not walked before, on a road that they have not seen before. They have felt [very helpless, as though] they were walking in the darkness, but I will take away that darkness and I will make smooth the road that is in front of them. Those are the things that I will do for them; I will not abandon them.
17 Lakini wale wanaotumaini sanamu, wanaoviambia vinyago, ‘Ninyi ndio miungu yetu,’ watarudishwa nyuma kwa aibu kubwa.
But those who trust in carved idols, and say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be completely humiliated/disgraced.”
18 “Sikieni, enyi viziwi; tazameni, enyi vipofu, mpate kuona!
You [Israeli people who have acted toward God like] deaf [people], listen [to what Yahweh says]! “You [who have been like] [MET] blind [people], look!
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?
No people are [RHQ] as blind as my people, who [should have been] serving me. No people are [RHQ] as much like [MET] deaf people as [the Israelis, who should have been] my messengers. No people are [RHQ] as much like [MET] blind people as those whom I chose to serve me.
20 Mmeona vitu vingi, lakini hamkuzingatia; masikio yenu yako wazi, lakini hamsikii chochote.”
You see and know what are the right things to do, but you do not do them. You hear [what I say to you], but you do not pay attention.”
21 Ilimpendeza Bwana kwa ajili ya haki yake kufanya sheria yake kuwa kuu na tukufu.
Because Yahweh is righteous, he has honored his glorious laws.
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 [the armies of Babylon have destroyed Jerusalem] and have completely (plundered/taken away) [DOU] all the valuable things, and they have captured Yahweh’s people and taken them away and put them in prison. They have been captured easily, because there was no one to protect them; there was no one to say that they should be allowed to return home.
23 Ni nani miongoni mwenu atakayesikiliza hili, au atakayezingatia kwa makini katika wakati ujao?
Who among you will listen carefully to these things? Who will pay attention from now on?
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 allowed the valuable possessions of the people of Israel to be stolen [RHQ, DOU]? It was Yahweh, because he is he one against whom we had sinned; we did not conduct our lives like he wanted us to, and we did not obey his laws.
25 Hivyo akawamwagia hasira yake inayowaka, ukali wa vita. Iliwazunguka kwa miali ya moto, lakini hata hivyo hawakuelewa; iliwateketeza, lakini hawakuyatia moyoni.
Therefore, he was extremely angry with us, and he caused our soldiers to be destroyed in battles. [It was as though] [MET] he lit a fire around us, but we did not understand [what he was trying to tell us]. [His being angry with us was like] a fire that would burn us up, but we did not pay attention [IDM].
