Isaya 48

1 “Sikilizeni hili, ee nyumba ya Yakobo, ninyi mnaoitwa kwa jina la Israeli, na mnaotoka katika ukoo wa Yuda, ninyi mnaoapa kwa jina la Bwana, mnaomwomba Mungu wa Israeli, lakini si katika kweli au kwa haki;

Hear ye this—O house of Jacob, Ye who call yourselves by the name of Israel, Yea from the waters of Judah, came they forth, —Who swear by the name of Yahweh, And, by the God of Israel, call to remembrance—Not in truth, nor in righteousness;

2 ninyi mnaojiita raiya wa mji mtakatifu, na kumtegemea Mungu wa Israeli, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote ndilo jina lake:

For of the holy city, do they call themselves, And on the God of Israel, do they stay themselves, —Yahweh of hosts, is his name.

3 Nilitoa unabii mambo ya kwanza tangu zamani, kinywa changu kiliyatangaza na kuyafanya yajulikane; kisha ghafula nikayatenda, nayo yakatokea.

Things in advance, of old, I declared, Yea out of mine own mouth, came they forth, that I might let them be known, —Suddenly, I wrought and they came to pass.

4 Kwa kuwa nalijua jinsi ulivyokuwa mkaidi; mishipa ya shingo yako ilikuwa chuma, kipaji chako cha uso kilikuwa shaba.

Because I knew that—Obstinate, thou wast, —And, a sinew of iron, was thy neck, And thy brow, brazen,

5 Kwa hiyo nilikuambia mambo haya tangu zamani, kabla hayajatokea nilikutangazia ili usije ukasema, ‘Sanamu zangu zilifanya hayo; kinyago changu cha mti na mungu wangu wa chuma aliyaamuru.’

therefore told I thee—in time past, Ere yet it came, I let thee hear, —Lest thou shouldest say Mine idol wrought them, Yea, my carved image and my molten image, commanded them!

6 Umesikia mambo haya; yaangalie hayo yote. Je, hutayakubali? “Kuanzia sasa na kuendelea nitakueleza mambo mapya, juu ya mambo yaliyofichika usiyoyajua.

Thou hast heard—see it whole, And will, ye, not tell? I have let thee hear new things—from the present time, Even secrets which ye knew not.

7 Yameumbwa sasa, wala si tangu zamani; hukupata kuyasikia kabla ya siku ya leo. Hivyo huwezi kusema, ‘Naam, niliyajua hayo.’

Now, are they created, and not in time past, And, before to-day, thou hadst not heard of them, —Lest thou shouldest say, Lo! I knew them!

8 Hujayasikia wala kuyaelewa, tangu zamani sikio lako halikufunguka. Ninafahamu vyema jinsi ulivyo mdanganyifu, uliitwa mwasi tangu kuzaliwa kwako.

Nay! thou hadst not heard, Nay! thou hadst not known, Nay! in time past, thine ear, was not opened, —For I knew that thou, wouldst be treacherous, Yea a transgressor from birth, hast thou been called.

9 Kwa ajili ya Jina langu mwenyewe ninaichelewesha ghadhabu yangu, kwa ajili ya sifa zangu nimeizuia isikupate, ili nisije nikakukatilia mbali.

For the sake of mine own Name, will I defer mine anger, And for my praise, will I restrain myself towards thee, —So as not to cut thee off.

10 Tazama, nimekusafisha, ingawa si kama fedha, nimekujaribu katika tanuru ya mateso.

Lo! I have refined thee, but not as silver, —I have tested thee, in a smelting-pot of affliction.

11 Kwa ajili yangu mwenyewe, kwa ajili yangu mwenyewe, nafanya hili. Jinsi gani niliache Jina langu lichafuliwe? Sitautoa utukufu wangu kwa mwingine.

For mine own sake—for mine own sake, will I effectually work For how should it be profaned? And, my glory—to another, will I not give.

12 “Ee Yakobo, nisikilize mimi, Israeli, ambaye nimekuita: Mimi ndiye; mimi ndimi mwanzo na mwisho.

Hearken unto me O Jacob, And Israel, my called one, —I, am, the Same I, the first, yea, I, the last:

13 Mkono wangu mwenyewe uliweka misingi ya dunia, nao mkono wangu wa kuume umezitanda mbingu; niziitapo, zote husimama pamoja.

Surely, mine own hand, founded the earth, And, my right hand, stretched out the heavens, —While I was calling unto them, they stood forth, at once

14 “Kusanyikeni, ninyi nyote, msikilize: Ni ipi miongoni mwa hizo sanamu ambayo imetabiri vitu hivi? Watu wa Bwana waliochaguliwa na kuungana watatimiza kusudi lake dhidi ya Babeli; mkono wa Mungu utakuwa dhidi ya Wakaldayo.

Assemble yourselves—all of you and hear, Who among them, hath told these things? he whom Yahweh loveth, will execute—His pleasure, on Babylon, And his stroke on the Chaldeans.

15 Mimi, naam, Mimi, nimenena; naam, nimemwita yeye. Nitamleta, naye atafanikiwa katika lile nililomtuma.

I—I, have spoken, Yea I have called him, —I have brought him in, and he shall make prosperous his way.

16 “Nikaribieni na msikilize hili: “Tangu tangazo la kwanza sikusema kwa siri; wakati litokeapo, nitakuwako hapo.” Sasa Bwana Mwenyezi amenituma, kwa Roho wake.

Draw ye near unto me—hear ye this, Not in advance in secret, have I spoken, From the very time it cometh into being, there, am I, —And, now, My Lord Yahweh hath sent me and his spirit.

17 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mkombozi wako, yeye Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli: “Mimi ni Bwana, Mungu wako, nikufundishaye ili upate faida, nikuongozaye katika njia ikupasayo kuiendea.

Thus saith Yahweh—Thy Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel, —I—Yahweh, am thy God, Teaching thee to profit, Guiding thee in the way thou shouldest go.

18 Laiti ungesikiliza kwa makini maagizo yangu, amani yako ingekuwa kama mto, haki yako kama mawimbi ya bahari.

Oh! that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, —Then had been, like a river, thy prosperity, And, thy righteousness, like the waves of the sea:

19 Wazao wako wangekuwa kama mchanga, watoto wako kama chembe zake zisizohesabika; kamwe jina lao lisingefutiliwa mbali, wala kuangamizwa kutoka mbele zangu.”

Then had been, like the sand, thy seed, And, the offspring of thy body, like the grains thereof, —Neither cut off nor destroyed had been his name from before me.

20 Tokeni huko Babeli, kimbieni kutoka kwa Wakaldayo! Tangazeni hili kwa kelele za shangwe na kulihubiri. Lipelekeni mpaka miisho ya dunia; semeni, “Bwana amemkomboa mtumishi wake Yakobo.”

Come ye forth out of Babylon, Flee from among the Chaldeans, With triumphant voice, tell ye—let this be heard, Let it go forth as far as the end of the earth, —Say ye—Yahweh hath redeemed his servant Jacob!

21 Hawakuona kiu alipowaongoza kupita jangwani; alifanya maji yatiririke kutoka kwenye mwamba kwa ajili yao; akapasua mwamba na maji yakatoka kwa nguvu.

And they thirsted not, when, through dry places, he led them, Waters out of the rock, caused he to flow out to them, —Yea be cleft a rock and, there gushed out waters:

22 “Hakuna amani kwa waovu,” asema Bwana.

No well-being, saith Yahweh to the lawless,