Isaya 51
1 “Nisikilizeni, ninyi mnaofuatia haki na mnaomtafuta Bwana: Tazameni mwamba ambako mlichongwa, na mahali pa kuvunjia mawe ambako mlichimbwa;
Give ear to me, you who are searching for righteousness, who are looking for the Lord: see the rock from which you were cut out, and the hole out of which you were taken.
2 mwangalieni Abrahamu, baba yenu, na Sara, ambaye aliwazaa. Wakati nilipomwita alikuwa mmoja tu, nami nikambariki na kumfanya kuwa wengi.
Let your thoughts be turned to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth: for when he was but one, my voice came to him, and I gave him my blessing, and made him a great people.
3 Hakika Bwana ataifariji Sayuni, naye atayaangalia kwa huruma magofu yake yote; atayafanya majangwa yake yawe kama Edeni, nazo sehemu zake zisizolimika ziwe kama bustani ya Bwana. Shangwe na furaha zitakuwako ndani yake, shukrani na sauti za kuimba.
For the Lord has given comfort to Zion: he has made glad all her broken walls; making her waste places like Eden, and changing her dry land into the garden of the Lord; joy and delight will be there, praise and the sound of melody.
4 “Nisikilizeni, watu wangu; nisikieni, taifa langu: Sheria itatoka kwangu; haki yangu itakuwa nuru kwa mataifa.
Give attention to me, O my people; and give ear to me, O my nation; for teaching will go out from me, and the knowledge of the true God will be a light to the peoples.
5 Haki yangu inakaribia mbio, wokovu wangu unakuja, nao mkono wangu utaleta hukumu kwa mataifa. Visiwa vitanitegemea na kungojea mkono wangu kwa matumaini.
Suddenly will my righteousness come near, and my salvation will be shining out like the light; the sea-lands will be waiting for me, and they will put their hope in my strong arm.
6 Inueni macho yenu mbinguni, mkaitazame dunia chini; mbingu zitatoweka kama moshi, dunia itachakaa kama vazi, na wakazi wake kufa kama mainzi. Bali wokovu wangu utadumu milele, haki yangu haitakoma kamwe.
Let your eyes be lifted up to the heavens, and turned to the earth which is under them: for the heavens will go in flight like smoke, and the earth will become old like a coat, and its people will come to destruction like insects: but my salvation will be for ever, and my righteousness will not come to an end.
7 “Nisikieni, ninyi mnaojua lililo sawa, ninyi watu ambao mna sheria yangu mioyoni mwenu: Msiogope mashutumu ya wanadamu wala msitiwe hofu na matukano yao.
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge of righteousness, in whose heart is my law; have no fear of the evil words of men, and give no thought to their curses.
8 Kwa maana nondo atawala kama vazi, nao funza atawatafuna kama sufu. Lakini haki yangu itadumu milele, wokovu wangu kwa vizazi vyote.”
For like a coat they will be food for the insect, the worm will make a meal of them like wool: but my righteousness will be for ever, and my salvation to all generations.
9 Amka, Amka! Jivike nguvu, ewe mkono wa Bwana, Amka, kama siku zilizopita, kama vile vizazi vya zamani. Si ni wewe uliyemkata Rahabu vipande vipande, uliyemchoma yule joka?
Awake! awake! put on strength, O arm of the Lord, awake! as in the old days, in the generations long past. Was it not by you that Rahab was cut in two, and the dragon Wounded?
10 Si ni wewe uliyekausha bahari, maji ya kilindi kikuu, uliyefanya barabara katika vilindi vya bahari ili waliokombolewa wapate kuvuka?
Did you not make the sea dry, the waters of the great deep? did you not make the deep waters of the sea a way for the Lord's people to go through?
11 Wale waliolipiwa fidia na Bwana watarudi. Wataingia Sayuni wakiimba; furaha ya milele itakuwa taji juu ya vichwa vyao. Furaha na shangwe zitawapata, huzuni na kulia kwa uchungu kutatoweka.
Those whom the Lord has made free will come back with songs to Zion; and on their heads will be eternal joy: delight and joy will be theirs, and sorrow and sounds of grief will be gone for ever.
12 “Mimi, naam mimi, ndimi niwafarijie ninyi. Ninyi ni nani hata kuwaogopa wanadamu wanaokufa, wanadamu ambao ni majani tu,
I, even I, am your comforter: are you so poor in heart as to be in fear of man who will come to an end, and of the son of man who will be like grass?
13 kwamba mnamsahau Bwana Muumba wenu, aliyezitanda mbingu na kuiweka misingi ya dunia, kwamba mnaishi katika hofu siku zote kwa sababu ya ghadhabu ya mdhalimu, ambaye nia yake ni kuangamiza? Iko wapi basi ghadhabu ya mdhalimu?
And you have given no thought to the Lord your Maker, by whom the heavens were stretched out, and the earth placed on its base; and you went all day in fear of the wrath of the cruel one, when he was making ready for your destruction. And where is the wrath of the cruel one?
14 Wafungwa waliojikunyata kwa hofu watawekwa huru karibuni; hawatafia kwenye gereza lao, wala hawatakosa chakula.
The prisoner, bent under his chain, will quickly be made free, and will not go down into the underworld, and his bread will not come to an end.
15 Kwa maana Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wako, ambaye huisukasuka bahari ili mawimbi yake yangurume: Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote ndilo jina lake.
For I am the Lord your God, who makes the sea calm when its waves are thundering: the Lord of armies is his name.
16 Nimeweka maneno yangu kinywani mwako na kukufunika kwa uvuli wa mkono wangu: Mimi niliyeweka mbingu mahali pake, niliyeweka misingi ya dunia, niwaambiaye Sayuni, ‘Ninyi ni watu wangu.’”
And I have put my words in your mouth, covering you with the shade of my hand, stretching out the heavens, and placing the earth on its base, and saying to Zion, You are my people.
17 Amka, amka! Simama, ee Yerusalemu, wewe uliyekunywa kutoka mkono wa Bwana kikombe cha ghadhabu yake, wewe uliyekunywa mpaka kufikia machujo yake, kikombe kile cha kunywea kiwafanyacho watu kuyumbayumba.
Awake! awake! up! O Jerusalem, you who have taken from the Lord's hand the cup of his wrath; tasting in full measure the wine which overcomes.
18 Kati ya wana wote aliowazaa hakuwepo hata mmoja wa kumwongoza, kati ya wana wote aliowalea hakuwepo hata mmoja wa kumshika mkono.
She has no one among all her children to be her guide; not one of the sons she has taken care of takes her by the hand.
19 Majanga haya mawili yamekuja juu yako: ni nani awezaye kukufariji? Maangamizi, uharibifu, njaa na upanga: ni nani awezaye kukutuliza?
These two things have come on you; who will be weeping for you? wasting and destruction; death from need of food, and from the sword; how may you be comforted?
20 Wana wako wamezimia, wamelala kwenye mwanzo wa kila barabara, kama swala aliyenaswa kwenye wavu. Wamejazwa na ghadhabu ya Bwana na makaripio ya Mungu wako.
Your sons are overcome, like a roe in a net; they are full of the wrath of the Lord, the punishment of your God.
21 Kwa hiyo sikiliza hili, wewe uliyeteswa, uliyelewa, lakini si kwa mvinyo.
So now give ear to this, you who are troubled and overcome, but not with wine:
22 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenyezi wako, Mungu wako, yeye ambaye huwatetea watu wake: “Tazama, nimeondoa mkononi mwako kikombe kilichokufanya uyumbayumbe; kutoka kikombe hicho, kikombe cha kunywa cha ghadhabu yangu, kamwe hutakunywa tena.
This is the word of the Lord your master, even your God who takes up the cause of his people: See, I have taken out of your hand the cup which overcomes, even the cup of my wrath; it will not again be given to you:
23 Nitakiweka mikononi mwa watesi wako, wale waliokuambia, ‘Anguka kifudifudi ili tuweze kutembea juu yako.’ Ukaufanya mgongo wako kama ardhi, kama njia yao ya kupita.”
And I will put it into the hand of your cruel masters, and of those whose yoke has been hard on you; who have said to your soul, Down on your face! so that we may go over you: and you have given your backs like the earth, even like the street, for them to go over.
