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.
[Now] I will sing a song about my dear friend, and about his vineyard. The vineyard was on a very fertile hillside.
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.
My friend plowed the ground and cleared away the stones. Then he planted very good grapevines on that ground. In the middle of the vineyard, he built a watchtower, and he dug a (winepress/pit for squeezing the grapes). Then he waited [each year] to harvest some good grapes, but the vines produced [only] sour grapes.
3 “Basi enyi wakazi wa Yerusalemu na watu wa Yuda, hukumuni kati yangu na shamba langu la mizabibu.
Now [this is what Yahweh says]: “You people of Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah, I [am like the friend, and you are like] my vineyard; [so] you judge which of us [has done what is right].
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 more could I have done for you than what I have already done? I expected you to be doing good deeds [MET], so it is disgusting that [RHQ] you were [doing only evil things] like the vineyard that produced only sour grapes!
5 Sasa nitawaambia lile nitakalolitendea shamba langu la mizabibu: Nitaondoa uzio wake, nalo litaharibiwa, nitabomoa ukuta wake, nalo litakanyagwa.
[So], I will now tell you what I will do to [Judah, the place that is like] my vineyard. I will cut down the hedges, and they will be destroyed. I will tear down the walls [of the cities] and allow [wild animals] to trample the land.
6 Nitalifanya nchi ya ukiwa isiyokaliwa na watu, halitakatiwa matawi wala kulimwa, nayo michongoma na miiba itamea huko, nitaamuru mawingu yasinyeshe mvua juu yake.”
I will cause it to become a wasteland where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed. It will be a place where briers and thorns [DOU] grow. And I will command that no rain will fall on it.”
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.
The nation of Israel is [like] [MET] the vineyard of the Commander of the armies of angels. The people of Judah are [like] the garden that was pleasing to him. He expected you to be doing what is just/fair, but instead, [what he saw was people] murdering [MTY] others. [He expected that you would be doing] righteous deeds, but instead, he heard cries from people who were being [attacked] violently.
8 Ole wenu mnaoongeza nyumba baada ya nyumba na kuunganisha mashamba baada ya mashamba hadi hakuna nafasi iliyobaki, nanyi mnaishi peke yenu katika nchi.
Terrible things will happen to you who continually [illegally] acquire houses and fields. You force one family after another to leave their homes until you are the only ones [HYP] [still] living in the land.
9 Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote amesema nikisikia: “Hakika nyumba kubwa zitakuwa ukiwa, nayo majumba ya fahari yatabaki bila kukaliwa.
[But] I heard the Commander of the armies of angels solemnly declare this: “[Some day], many of those huge houses will be empty/deserted; no one will be living in those beautiful mansions.
10 Shamba la mizabibu la eka kumi litatoa bathi moja ya divai, na homeri ya mbegu zilizopandwa itatoa efa moja tu ya nafaka.”
The vines on ten acres of land will not produce enough grapes to make (six gallons/22 liters) [of juice/wine], and ten baskets of seed will produce only one basket [of grain].”
11 Ole wao wale waamkao asubuhi na mapema wakikimbilia kunywa vileo, wale wakawiao sana mpaka usiku, mpaka wamewaka kwa mvinyo.
Terrible things will happen to those who get up early [each] morning to begin drinking alcoholic drinks, and who stay awake until late at night [drinking a lot of wine] until they are completely drunk.
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.
They have [big parties and provide lots of] wine. At their parties, there are [people playing] harps and lyres and tambourines and flutes, but they never think about what Yahweh does or appreciate what he has created.
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.
So, my people will be (exiled/taken to other countries) [far away] because they do not know [about me]. Those who are [now very important and] honored will starve, and the other people will die from 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)
[It is as though] [PRS] the place where the dead people are is eagerly looking for more Israeli people, opening its mouth to swallow them, and a huge number of people will be thrown into that place, including their leaders as well as a noisy crowd of people who enjoy living in Jerusalem. (Sheol h7585)
15 Hivyo mwanadamu atashushwa, na binadamu kunyenyekezwa, macho ya wenye majivuno yatanyenyekezwa.
[Yahweh] will get rid of a huge number of people; and he will humble [many more] people who [now] are proud/arrogant.
16 Lakini Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote atatukuzwa kwa ajili ya haki yake, naye Mungu Mtakatifu atajionyesha mwenyewe kuwa mtakatifu kwa haki yake.
But the Commander of the armies of angels will be exalted/praised because of his acting justly. God will show that he is holy by doing righteous/just deeds.
17 Kondoo watajilisha kwenye malisho yao wenyewe, wana-kondoo watajilisha katika magofu ya matajiri.
Then lambs and fat sheep will [be able to] find good grass to eat, [even] among the ruins [of the houses of rich people].
18 Ole wao wanaovuta dhambi kwa kamba za udanganyifu na uovu kama kwa kamba za mkokoteni,
Some people constantly tell lies, and [it is as though] they are dragging behind them the wrong things that they have done. Terrible things will happen to them!
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.”
They [make fun of God and] say [to him, ] “Go ahead, do something [to punish us]! We want to see what you will do. You, the Holy One of Israel, should do what you are planning to do, because we want to know what it is.”
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.
Terrible things will happen to those who say that evil is good, and that good is evil, that darkness is light and that light is darkness, that what is bitter is sweet and what is sweet is bitter.
21 Ole wao walio na hekima machoni pao wenyewe, na kujiona wenye akili machoni pao wenyewe.
Terrible things will happen to those who think that they are wise and that they (are very clever/know everything).
22 Ole wao walio mashujaa kwa kunywa mvinyo, nao walio hodari katika kuchanganya vileo,
Terrible things will happen to those who [think that] [IRO] they are great/heroes because they are able to drink [lots of] wine, and boast about being able to mix good alcoholic drinks.
23 wale wanaoachilia wenye hatia kwa kupokea hongo, lakini huwanyima haki wasio na hatia.
If people offer them bribes in order that they will enable wicked people not to be punished, they accept those bribes, and they cause people who are innocent to be punished.
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, just like [SIM] fires burn up stubble and dry grass shrivels up and quickly burns in flames, [it will be as though] those people have roots that will rot and have flowers that will wither. [That will happen] because they rejected the laws of the Commander of the armies of angels; they have despised the messages of the Holy One of Israel.
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.
That is why Yahweh is [extremely] angry [with his people]; [it is as though] his hand is raised [and he is ready to smash them]. [When he does that], the mountains will shake, and the corpses of people will be scattered in the streets like [SIM] manure. But even when that happens, Yahweh will still be very angry; he will be ready to punish his people [MET] again.
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!
Yahweh will send a signal to summon [armies of] nations far away; [it is as though] he will whistle [to summon those soldiers who are] in very remote places on the earth. They will come very swiftly [DOU] [to Jerusalem].
27 Hakuna hata mmoja wao anayechoka wala kujikwaa, hakuna hata mmoja anayesinzia wala kulala, hakuna mkanda uliolegezwa kiunoni, hakuna gidamu ya kiatu iliyokatika.
They will not get tired or stumble. They will not [stop to] rest or to sleep. None of their belts will be loose, and none of them will have sandals with broken straps, [so they will all be ready to fight in battles].
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.
Their arrows will be sharp, and their bows will be ready [to shoot those arrows in a battle]. [Because their horses pull the chariots fast], sparks will shoot out from their hooves, and the wheels of the chariots will spin like a whirlwind.
29 Ngurumo yao ni kama ile ya simba, wananguruma kama wana simba, wanakoroma wanapokamata mawindo yao, na kuondoka nayo pasipo yeyote wa kuokoa.
They will roar like [very strong] lions [DOU] that growl and [then] pounce on the animals they want to kill and carry them off, and no one is able to rescue them.
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.
[Similarly, your enemies] will roar when they see the people they are about to kill, like [SIM] the sea roars. [On that day], if someone looks across the land, he will see [only people who are in] darkness and distressed; [it will be as though] even the sunlight is hidden by dark clouds.
