Isaya 44
1 “Lakini sasa sikiliza, ee Yakobo, mtumishi wangu, Israeli, niliyemchagua.
And now, give ear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have taken for myself:
2 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, yeye aliyekuhuluku, aliyekuumba tumboni, yeye atakayekusaidia: Usiogope, ee Yakobo, mtumishi wangu, Yeshuruni, niliyekuchagua.
The Lord who made you, forming you in your mother's body, the Lord, your helper, says, Have no fear, O Jacob my servant, and you, Jeshurun, whom I have taken for myself.
3 Kwa maana nitamimina maji juu ya nchi yenye kiu, na vijito vya maji juu ya ardhi iliyokauka; nitamimina Roho wangu juu ya watoto wako, nayo baraka yangu juu ya wazao wako.
For I will send water on the land needing it, and streams on the dry earth: I will let my spirit come down on your seed, and my blessing on your offspring.
4 Nao watachipua kama manyasi katika shamba la majani, kama mierezi kando ya vijito vya maji yatiririkayo.
And they will come up like grass in a well-watered field, like water-plants by the streams.
5 Mmoja atasema, ‘Mimi ni wa Bwana’; mwingine atajiita kwa jina la Yakobo; vilevile mwingine ataandika juu ya mkono wake, ‘Wa Bwana,’ na kujiita kwa jina la Israeli.
One will say, I am the Lord's; and another will give himself the name, Jacob; another will put a mark on his hand, I am the Lord's, and another will take the name of Israel for himself.
6 “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mfalme wa Israeli na Mkombozi, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: Mimi ni wa kwanza na Mimi ni wa mwisho; zaidi yangu hakuna Mungu.
The Lord, the King of Israel, even the Lord of armies who has taken up his cause, says, I am the first and the last, and there is no God but me.
7 Ni nani basi aliye kama mimi? Yeye na atangaze. Yeye atangaze na kuweka mbele yangu ni kitu gani kilichotokea tangu nilipoumba watu wangu wa kale, tena ni nini kitakachotokea: naam, yeye na atoe unabii ni nini kitakachokuja.
If there is one like me, let him come forward and say it, let him make it clear and put it in order before me: who has made clear in the past the things to come? let him make clear the future to me.
8 Msitetemeke, msiogope. Je, sikutangaza hili, na kutoa unabii tangu zamani? Ninyi ni mashahidi wangu. Je, yuko Mungu zaidi yangu mimi? Hasha, hakuna Mwamba mwingine; mimi simjui mwingine.”
Have no fear, be strong in heart; have I not made it clear to you in the past, and let you see it? and you are my witnesses. Is there any God but me, or a Rock of whom I have no knowledge?
9 Wote wachongao sanamu ni ubatili, navyo vitu wanavyovithamini havifai kitu. Wale ambao wanazitetea ni vipofu, ni wajinga, nao waaibika.
Those who make a pictured image are all of them as nothing, and the things of their desire will be of no profit to them: and their servants see not, and have no knowledge; so they will be put to shame.
10 Ni nani atengenezaye mungu na kusubu sanamu, ambayo haiwezi kumfaidia kitu chochote?
Whoever makes a god, makes nothing but a metal image in which there is no profit.
11 Yeye pamoja na wenziwe wa aina yake wataaibishwa, mafundi wao si kitu ila ni wanadamu tu. Wote wakusanyike pamoja na kuwa na msimamo wao, watashushwa chini kwa hofu na kwa fedheha.
Truly, all those who make use of secret arts will be put to shame, and their words of power are only words of men: let them all come forward together; they will all be in fear and be put to shame.
12 Muhunzi huchukua kifaa na kukifanyia kazi kwenye makaa ya moto, hutengeneza sanamu kwa nyundo, huifanyiza kwa nguvu za mkono wake. Huona njaa na kupoteza nguvu zake, asipokunywa maji huzimia.
The iron-worker is heating the metal in the fire, giving it form with his hammers, and working on it with his strong arm: then for need of food his strength gives way, and for need of water he becomes feeble.
13 Seremala hupima kwa kutumia kamba na huuchora mstari kwa kalamu; huchonga kwa patasi na kutia alama kwa bikari. Huifanyiza katika umbo la binadamu, la mwanadamu katika utukufu wake wote, ili iweze kukaa katika sehemu yake ya ibada ya miungu.
The woodworker is measuring out the wood with his line, marking it out with his pencil: after smoothing it with his plane, and making circles on it with his instrument, he gives it the form and glory of a man, so that it may be placed in the house.
14 Hukata miti ya mierezi, huchukua mtiriza au mwaloni. Huuacha ukue miongoni mwa miti ya msituni, au hupanda msunobari, nayo mvua huufanya ukue.
He has cedars cut down for himself, he takes an oak and lets it get strong among the trees of the wood; he has an ash-tree planted, and the rain gives it growth.
15 Ni kuni ya binadamu: yeye huchukua baadhi yake na kuota moto, huwasha moto na kuoka mkate. Lakini pia huutumia kumtengeneza mungu na akamwabudu, huitengeneza sanamu na kuisujudia.
Then it will be used to make a fire, so that a man may get warm; he has the oven heated with it and makes bread: he makes a god with it, to which he gives worship: he makes a pictured image out of it, and goes down on his face before it.
16 Sehemu ya kuni huziweka motoni, akapikia chakula chake, hubanika nyama na kula hadi ashibe. Huota moto na kusema, “Aha! Ninahisi joto, ninaona moto.”
With part of it he makes a fire, and on the fire he gets meat cooked and takes a full meal: he makes himself warm, and says, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire:
17 Mabaki yake hutengeneza mungu, sanamu yake; yeye huisujudia na kuiabudu. Huiomba na kusema, “Niokoe; wewe ni mungu wangu.”
And the rest of it he makes into a god, even his pictured image: he goes down on his face before it, giving worship to it, and making prayer to it, saying, Be my saviour; for you are my god.
18 Hawajui chochote, hawaelewi chochote, macho yao yamefungwa hata hawawezi kuona, akili zao zimefungwa hata hawawezi kufahamu.
They have no knowledge or wisdom; for he has put a veil over their eyes, so that they may not see; and on their hearts, so that they may not give attention.
19 Hakuna anayefikiri, hakuna mwenye maarifa wala ufahamu wa kusema, “Sehemu yake nilitumia kwa kuni; hata pia nilioka mkate juu ya makaa yake, nikabanika nyama na kuila. Je, nifanye machukizo kwa kile kilichobaki? Je, nisujudie gogo la mti?”
And no one takes note, no one has enough knowledge or wisdom to say, I have put part of it in the fire, and made bread on it; I have had a meal of the flesh cooked with it: and am I now to make the rest of it into a false god? am I to go down on my face before a bit of wood?
20 Hujilisha kwa majivu, moyo uliodanganyika humpotosha; hawezi kujiokoa mwenyewe, au kusema, “Je, kitu hiki kilichoko katika mkono wangu wa kuume si ni uongo?”
As for him whose food is the dust of a dead fire, he has been turned from the way by a twisted mind, so that he is unable to keep himself safe by saying, What I have here in my hand is false.
21 “Ee Yakobo, kumbuka mambo haya, ee Israeli, kwa kuwa wewe ni mtumishi wangu. Nimekuumba wewe, wewe ni mtumishi wangu. Ee Israeli, sitakusahau.
Keep these things in mind, O Jacob; and you Israel, for you are my servant: I have made you; you are my servant; O Israel, I will not let you go out of my memory.
22 Nimeyafuta makosa yako kama wingu, dhambi zako kama ukungu wa asubuhi. Nirudie mimi, kwa kuwa nimekukomboa wewe.”
I have put your evil doings out of my mind like a thick cloud, and your sins like a mist: come back to me; for I have taken up your cause.
23 Enyi mbingu, imbeni kwa furaha, kwa maana Bwana amefanya jambo hili. Ee vilindi vya dunia, piga kelele. Enyi milima, pazeni sauti kwa nyimbo, enyi misitu na miti yenu yote, kwa maana Bwana amemkomboa Yakobo, ameuonyesha utukufu wake katika Israeli.
Make a song, O heavens, for the Lord has done it: give a loud cry, you deep parts of the earth: let your voices be loud in song, you mountains, and you woods with all your trees: for the Lord has taken up the cause of Jacob, and will let his glory be seen in Israel.
24 “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mkombozi wako, aliyekuumba tumboni: “Mimi ni Bwana, niliyeumba vitu vyote, niliyezitanda mbingu peke yangu, niliyeitandaza nchi mwenyewe,
The Lord, who has taken up your cause, and who gave you life in your mother's body, says, I am the Lord who makes all things; stretching out the heavens by myself, and giving the earth its limits; who was with me?
25 “mimi huzipinga ishara za manabii wa uongo, na kuwatia upumbavu waaguzi, niyapinduaye maarifa ya wenye hekima, na kuyafanya kuwa upuzi,
Who makes the signs of those who give word of the future come to nothing, so that those who have knowledge of secret arts go off their heads; turning the wise men back, and making their knowledge foolish:
26 niyathibitishaye maneno ya watumishi wake, na kutimiza utabiri wa wajumbe wake, “niambiaye Yerusalemu, ‘Itakaliwa na watu,’ niambiaye miji ya Yuda kuwa, ‘Itajengwa,’ na kuhusu magofu yake, ‘Mimi nitayatengeneza,’
Who makes the word of his servants certain, and gives effect to the purposes of his representatives; who says of Jerusalem, Her people will come back to her; and of the towns of Judah, I will give orders for their building, and will make her waste places fertile again:
27 niambiaye kilindi cha maji, ‘Kauka, nami nitakausha vijito vyako,’
Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will make your rivers dry:
28 nisemaye kuhusu Koreshi, ‘Yeye ni mchungaji wangu, naye atatimiza yote yanipendezayo; atauambia Yerusalemu, “Ukajengwe tena,” na kuhusu Hekalu, “Misingi yake na iwekwe.”’
Who says of Cyrus, He will take care of my sheep, and will do all my pleasure: who says of Jerusalem, I will give the word for your building; and of the Temple, Your bases will be put in place.
