Isaya 44
1 “Lakini sasa sikiliza, ee Yakobo, mtumishi wangu, Israeli, niliyemchagua.
“And now, hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have fixed on—
2 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, yeye aliyekuhuluku, aliyekuumba tumboni, yeye atakayekusaidia: Usiogope, ee Yakobo, mtumishi wangu, Yeshuruni, niliyekuchagua.
Thus said YHWH, your Maker, and your Former, From the womb He helps you: Do not fear, My servant Jacob, And Yeshurun, whom I have fixed on.
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 pour waters on a thirsty one, And floods on a dry land, I pour My Spirit 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 have sprung up as among grass, As willows by conduits of water.
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.
This [one] says, For I [am] YHWH’s, And this calls [himself] by the name of Jacob, And this [one] writes [with] his hand, For YHWH, And surnames himself by the name of Israel.”
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.
Thus said YHWH, King of Israel, And his Redeemer, YHWH of Hosts: “I [am] the first, and I [am] the last, And besides Me there is no God.
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.
And who [is] as I, call and declare it, And arrange it for Me, Since My placing the people of antiquity, And things that are coming, And those that come, they declare to them.
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.”
Do not fear, nor be afraid, Have I not caused you to hear from that time, and declared? And you [are] My witnesses, Is there a God besides Me? Indeed, there is none, I have not known another Rock.”
9 Wote wachongao sanamu ni ubatili, navyo vitu wanavyovithamini havifai kitu. Wale ambao wanazitetea ni vipofu, ni wajinga, nao waaibika.
Framers of a carved image, all of them [are] emptiness, And their desirable things do not profit, And they [are] their own witnesses, They do not see, nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Ni nani atengenezaye mungu na kusubu sanamu, ambayo haiwezi kumfaidia kitu chochote?
Who has formed a god, And poured out a molten image—not profitable?
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.
Behold, all his companions are ashamed, As for artisans—they [are] of men, All of them gather together, they stand up, They fear, they are ashamed together.
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.
He has worked iron [with] an axe, And has worked with coals, And forms it with hammers, And works it by his powerful arm, Indeed, he is hungry, and there is no power, He does not drink water, and he is wearied.
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.
He has worked [with] wood, He has stretched out a rule, He marks it out with a line, He makes it with carving tools, And he marks it out with a compass, And makes it according to the form of a man, According to the beauty of a man, To remain 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.
Cutting down cedars for himself, He also takes a cypress, and an oak, And he strengthens [it] for himself Among the trees of a forest, He has planted an ash, and the shower nourishes [it].
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.
And it has been for man to burn, And he takes of them, and becomes warm, Indeed, he kindles [it], and has baked bread, Indeed, he makes a god, and bows himself, He has made it a carved image, And he falls down to 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.”
Half of it he has burned in the fire, By [this] half of it he eats flesh, He roasts a roasting and is satisfied, Indeed, he is warm and says: “Aha, I have become warm, I have enjoyed the light.”
17 Mabaki yake hutengeneza mungu, sanamu yake; yeye huisujudia na kuiabudu. Huiomba na kusema, “Niokoe; wewe ni mungu wangu.”
And he has made its remnant for a god—For his carved image, He falls down to it, and worships, And prays to it, and he says, “Deliver me, for you [are] my god.”
18 Hawajui chochote, hawaelewi chochote, macho yao yamefungwa hata hawawezi kuona, akili zao zimefungwa hata hawawezi kufahamu.
They have not known, nor do they understand, For He has coated their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely.
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 none turn [it] back to his heart, Nor has knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, Indeed, I have also baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And I make its remnant for an abomination, I fall down to the stock of a tree.”
20 Hujilisha kwa majivu, moyo uliodanganyika humpotosha; hawezi kujiokoa mwenyewe, au kusema, “Je, kitu hiki kilichoko katika mkono wangu wa kuume si ni uongo?”
Feeding on ashes, the heart is deceived, It has turned him aside, And he does not deliver his soul, nor says: “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
21 “Ee Yakobo, kumbuka mambo haya, ee Israeli, kwa kuwa wewe ni mtumishi wangu. Nimekuumba wewe, wewe ni mtumishi wangu. Ee Israeli, sitakusahau.
“Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, For you [are] My servant, I formed you, you [are] a servant to Me, O Israel, you do not forget Me.
22 Nimeyafuta makosa yako kama wingu, dhambi zako kama ukungu wa asubuhi. Nirudie mimi, kwa kuwa nimekukomboa wewe.”
I have blotted out, as [by] a thick cloud, Your transgressions, And as [by] a cloud, your sins, Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
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.
Sing, O heavens, for YHWH has worked, Shout, O lower parts of earth, Break forth, O mountains, with singing, Forest, and every tree in it, For YHWH has redeemed Jacob, And He beautifies Himself in Israel.
24 “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mkombozi wako, aliyekuumba tumboni: “Mimi ni Bwana, niliyeumba vitu vyote, niliyezitanda mbingu peke yangu, niliyeitandaza nchi mwenyewe,
Thus said YHWH, your Redeemer, And your Framer from the womb: “I [am] YHWH, doing all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, Spreading out the earth—who [is] with Me?
25 “mimi huzipinga ishara za manabii wa uongo, na kuwatia upumbavu waaguzi, niyapinduaye maarifa ya wenye hekima, na kuyafanya kuwa upuzi,
Making void the tokens of devisers, And makes diviners mad, Turning the wise backward, And makes 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,’
Confirming the word of His servant, He perfects the counsel of His messengers, Who is saying of Jerusalem, She is inhabited, And of cities of Judah, They will be built, and her ruins I raise up,
27 niambiaye kilindi cha maji, ‘Kauka, nami nitakausha vijito vyako,’
Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and your rivers I cause to dry up,
28 nisemaye kuhusu Koreshi, ‘Yeye ni mchungaji wangu, naye atatimiza yote yanipendezayo; atauambia Yerusalemu, “Ukajengwe tena,” na kuhusu Hekalu, “Misingi yake na iwekwe.”’
Who is saying of Cyrus, My shepherd, And he perfects all My delight, So as to say of Jerusalem, You are built, And of the temple, You are founded.”
