Isaya 5

1 Nitaimba wimbo kwa ajili ya mmoja nimpendaye, kuhusu shamba lake la mizabibu: Mpendwa wangu alikuwa na shamba la mizabibu kwenye kilima chenye rutuba.

Let me sing, I pray you, for a well-beloved of mine, The song of my beloved concerning his vineyard: —A vineyard, had my well-beloved on a very fruitful hill;

2 Alililima na kuondoa mawe na akaliotesha mizabibu bora sana. Akajenga mnara wa ulinzi ndani yake, na kutengeneza shinikizo la kukamulia divai pia. Kisha akatazamia kupata mazao ya zabibu nzuri, lakini lilizaa matunda mabaya tu.

And he thoroughly digged it, And gathered out the stones thereof, And planted it with a precious vine, And built a tower in the midst thereof, Moreover also a wine-press, hewed he therein, —Then waited he that it should bring forth grapes. And it brought forth wild grapes:

3 “Basi enyi wakazi wa Yerusalemu na watu wa Yuda, hukumuni kati yangu na shamba langu la mizabibu.

Now, therefore, O inhabitant of Jerusalem, And men of Judah, —Judge, I pray you, betwixt me, and my vineyard: —

4 Ni nini zaidi ambacho kingeweza kufanyika kwa shamba langu la mizabibu kuliko yale niliyofanya? Nilipotazamia kupata zabibu nzuri, kwa nini lilizaa zabibu mbaya tu?

What could have been done further to my vineyard, That I had not done in it? Why then—When I had waited that it should bring forth grapes, Brought it forth, wild grapes?

5 Sasa nitawaambia lile nitakalolitendea shamba langu la mizabibu: Nitaondoa uzio wake, nalo litaharibiwa, nitabomoa ukuta wake, nalo litakanyagwa.

Now, therefore, I pray you, let me tell, you, what I am about to do to my vineyard, —To take away the fence thereof And it shall be eaten up, To destroy the wall thereof And it shall be trodden down;

6 Nitalifanya nchi ya ukiwa isiyokaliwa na watu, halitakatiwa matawi wala kulimwa, nayo michongoma na miiba itamea huko, nitaamuru mawingu yasinyeshe mvua juu yake.”

And I will make it a waste; —It shall be neither pruned nor hoed, But there shall come up briars and thorns, —And upon the clouds, will I lay a charge, That they rain thereon no rain.

7 Shamba la mzabibu la Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote ni nyumba ya Israeli, na watu wa Yuda ni bustani yake ya kumpendeza. Alitazamia haki, lakini akaona umwagaji damu, alitazamia uadilifu, lakini akasikia vilio vya taabu.

Surely the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts, is the house of Israel, And, the men of Judah, are the plantation in which he dearly delighted, —And he waited, For equity but lo! murderous iniquity, For the rule of right but lo the cry of the wronged.

8 Ole wenu mnaoongeza nyumba baada ya nyumba na kuunganisha mashamba baada ya mashamba hadi hakuna nafasi iliyobaki, nanyi mnaishi peke yenu katika nchi.

Alas for them who join house to house, Field to field, bring they near, —Until there is no room, But ye are left to dwell alone in the midst of the land.

9 Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote amesema nikisikia: “Hakika nyumba kubwa zitakuwa ukiwa, nayo majumba ya fahari yatabaki bila kukaliwa.

In mine ears, [said] Yahweh of hosts, —Verily, houses in abundance, shall become, a desolation, Large and fair, without inhabitant;

10 Shamba la mizabibu la eka kumi litatoa bathi moja ya divai, na homeri ya mbegu zilizopandwa itatoa efa moja tu ya nafaka.”

For, ten yokes of vineyard, shall yield one bath, —And the seed of a homer, shall yield an ephah,

11 Ole wao wale waamkao asubuhi na mapema wakikimbilia kunywa vileo, wale wakawiao sana mpaka usiku, mpaka wamewaka kwa mvinyo.

Alas, for them who rise early in the morning that strong drink, they may pursue, —Who follow on in the evening cool [until] with wine, they are heated;

12 Wana vinubi na zeze kwenye karamu zao, matari, filimbi na mvinyo, lakini hawayajali matendo ya Bwana, wala hawana heshima kwa ajili ya kazi ya mikono yake.

And it cometh to pass—that lyre and harp, timbrel and flute and wine are in their banquets, —But, the doing of Yahweh, they do not discern, And the work of his hands, have they not seen.

13 Kwa hiyo watu wangu watakwenda uhamishoni kwa sababu ya kukosa ufahamu, watu wao wenye vyeo watakufa kwa njaa na watu wao wengi watakauka kwa kiu.

Therefore, are my people taken away captive before they know it, —And their honourable men are famished with hunger, And, their multitude, do gape for thirst.

14 Kwa hiyo kaburi limeongeza hamu yake na kupanua mdomo wake bila kikomo, ndani mwake watashuka wakuu wao na wingi wa watu, pamoja na wagomvi wao, na wafanyao sherehe wote. (Sheol h7585)

Therefore, hath hades enlarged her desire, And opened her mouth to its widest, —And their glory, and their multitude and their pomp. and he that is uproarious shall descend thereinto. (Sheol h7585)

15 Hivyo mwanadamu atashushwa, na binadamu kunyenyekezwa, macho ya wenye majivuno yatanyenyekezwa.

And the mean man hath been bowed down And the mighty man hath been humbled, —Yea the looks of the haughty shall be humbled.

16 Lakini Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote atatukuzwa kwa ajili ya haki yake, naye Mungu Mtakatifu atajionyesha mwenyewe kuwa mtakatifu kwa haki yake.

But Yahweh of hosts, hath been exalted, in justice, —And the GOD that is holy hath been hallowed in righteousness;

17 Kondoo watajilisha kwenye malisho yao wenyewe, wana-kondoo watajilisha katika magofu ya matajiri.

Then shall the young rams feed where they please, —And, the wastes of the wealthy, shall strangers consume.

18 Ole wao wanaovuta dhambi kwa kamba za udanganyifu na uovu kama kwa kamba za mkokoteni,

Alas! for them Who draw on themselves punishment with cords of falsehood, —And as with waggon-bands, penalty:

19 kwa wale wanaosema, “Mungu na afanye haraka, aharakishe kazi yake ili tupate kuiona. Huo mpango wa Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli na ukamilike, tena udhihirike ili tupate kuujua.”

Who say—Let his work quicken—let it hasten, That we may see, —And let the purpose of Israel’s Holy One, draw near and come. That we may know!

20 Ole wao wanaoita ubaya ni wema, na wema ni ubaya, wawekao giza badala ya nuru, na nuru badala ya giza, wawekao uchungu badala ya utamu, na utamu badala ya uchungu.

Alas! for them Who call evil good and good evil, —Who put darkness for light and light for darkness, Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

21 Ole wao walio na hekima machoni pao wenyewe, na kujiona wenye akili machoni pao wenyewe.

Alas for them Who are wise in their own eyes, —And in their own sight, are prudent.

22 Ole wao walio mashujaa kwa kunywa mvinyo, nao walio hodari katika kuchanganya vileo,

Alas for them Who are heroes to drink wine, —And men of valour to mingle strong drink,

23 wale wanaoachilia wenye hatia kwa kupokea hongo, lakini huwanyima haki wasio na hatia.

Who justify the lawless, for a bribe, —Whereas the righteousness of the righteous, they take from him.

24 Kwa hiyo, kama ndimi za moto zirambavyo nyasi, na kama vile majani makavu yazamavyo katika miali ya moto, ndivyo mizizi yao itakavyooza na maua yao yatakavyopeperushwa kama mavumbi; kwa kuwa wameikataa sheria ya Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote na kulisukumia mbali neno la Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.

Therefore, As a tongue of fire, eateth up straw, And a flame reduceth, dry grass, to powder, Their root, like rottenness, shall become, And their blossom, like dust shall ascend, —Because they refused the law of Yahweh of hosts, And the utterance of the Holy One of Israel, they despised.

25 Kwa hiyo hasira ya Bwana inawaka dhidi ya watu wake, mkono wake umeinuliwa na anawapiga. Milima inatetemeka, maiti ni kama takataka kwenye barabara. Hata kwa haya yote, hasira yake haijageukia mbali, mkono wake bado umeinuliwa juu.

For this cause, did the anger of Yahweh kindle upon his own people, And he stretched out his hand against them and smote them—So that the mountains, trembled, And, their dead bodies, served, for fuel in the midst of the streets. For all this, hath his anger, not turned back, But still, is his hand outstretched,

26 Yeye anainua bendera kwa ajili ya mataifa yaliyo mbali, anapiga filimbi kwa ajili ya wale walio kwenye miisho ya dunia. Tazama wamekuja, kwa kasi na kwa haraka!

Therefore will he lift up an ensign to the nations afar off, And signal for him from the end of the earth, —And lo! with hot haste, will he come:

27 Hakuna hata mmoja wao anayechoka wala kujikwaa, hakuna hata mmoja anayesinzia wala kulala, hakuna mkanda uliolegezwa kiunoni, hakuna gidamu ya kiatu iliyokatika.

None shall be weary, and none shall stumble in his midst, He shall neither slumber nor sleep, —Nor shall be loosened, the girdle of his loins, Nor snapped, the thong of his sandals:

28 Mishale yao ni mikali, pinde zao zote zimevutwa, kwato za farasi wao ziko kama jiwe la gumegume, magurudumu ya magari yao ya vita ni kama upepo wa kisulisuli.

Whose arrows, are sharpened, and all his bows, bent, —The hoofs of his horses, like flint, are accounted, And, his wheels, [are] like a storm-wind:

29 Ngurumo yao ni kama ile ya simba, wananguruma kama wana simba, wanakoroma wanapokamata mawindo yao, na kuondoka nayo pasipo yeyote wa kuokoa.

A roar, hath he, like a lioness, —He will roar like wild lions—And will growl, and lay hold on prey, and carry into safety, and there be none to deliver.

30 Katika siku ile watanguruma juu yake kama ngurumo za bahari. Kama mtu akiitazama nchi, ataona giza na dhiki; hata nuru itatiwa giza kwa mawingu.

Yea he will growl at him in that day, like the growling of the sea, —Though he look hard for the land, lo! the darkness of distress, Yea the light, hath grown dark in its clouds!