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 delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
2 Hatapaza sauti wala kupiga kelele, wala hataiinua sauti yake barabarani.
He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 Mwanzi uliopondeka hatauvunja, na utambi unaofuka moshi hatauzima. Kwa uaminifu ataleta haki,
He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.
4 hatazimia roho wala kukata tamaa, mpaka atakaposimamisha haki juu ya dunia. Visiwa vitaweka tumaini lao katika sheria yake.”
He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands 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:
God the LORD, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:
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 you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for 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 the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.
8 “Mimi ndimi Bwana; hilo ndilo Jina langu! Sitampa mwingine utukufu wangu wala sanamu sifa zangu.
“I am the LORD. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.
9 Tazama, mambo ya kwanza yametokea, nami natangaza mambo mapya; kabla hayajatokea nawatangazia habari zake.”
Behold, the former things have happened and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”
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 the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants.
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 wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela 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 the LORD, and 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 will go out like a mighty man. He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over 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 been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.
15 Nitaharibu milima na vilima na kukausha mimea yako yote; nitafanya mito kuwa visiwa na kukausha mabwawa.
I will destroy mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the 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.
I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.
17 Lakini wale wanaotumaini sanamu, wanaoviambia vinyago, ‘Ninyi ndio miungu yetu,’ watarudishwa nyuma kwa aibu kubwa.
“Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.
18 “Sikieni, enyi viziwi; tazameni, enyi vipofu, mpate kuona!
“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, 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 who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as the LORD’s servant?
20 Mmeona vitu vingi, lakini hamkuzingatia; masikio yenu yako wazi, lakini hamsikii chochote.”
You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.
21 Ilimpendeza Bwana kwa ajili ya haki yake kufanya sheria yake kuwa kuu na tukufu.
It pleased the LORD, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law and make it honourable.
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 robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become captives, and no one delivers, and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’
23 Ni nani miongoni mwenu atakayesikiliza hili, au atakayezingatia kwa makini katika wakati ujao?
Who is there amongst you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear 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 as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.
25 Hivyo akawamwagia hasira yake inayowaka, ukali wa vita. Iliwazunguka kwa miali ya moto, lakini hata hivyo hawakuelewa; iliwateketeza, lakini hawakuyatia moyoni.
Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle. It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know. It burnt him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”
