< Isaya 51 >
1 “Nisikilizeni, ninyi mnaofuatia haki na mnaomtafuta Bwana: Tazameni mwamba ambako mlichongwa, na mahali pa kuvunjia mawe ambako mlichimbwa;
Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek Jehovah: look unto the rock [whence] ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit [whence] ye were digged.
2 mwangalieni Abrahamu, baba yenu, na Sara, ambaye aliwazaa. Wakati nilipomwita alikuwa mmoja tu, nami nikambariki na kumfanya kuwa wengi.
Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bore you; for I called him when he was alone, and blessed him, and multiplied him.
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 Jehovah shall comfort Zion, he shall comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah: gladness and joy shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of song.
4 “Nisikilizeni, watu wangu; nisikieni, taifa langu: Sheria itatoka kwangu; haki yangu itakuwa nuru kwa mataifa.
Listen unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will establish my judgment for a light of 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.
My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the peoples: the isles shall wait for me, and in mine arm shall they trust.
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.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall grow old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7 “Nisikieni, ninyi mnaojua lililo sawa, ninyi watu ambao mna sheria yangu mioyoni mwenu: Msiogope mashutumu ya wanadamu wala msitiwe hofu na matukano yao.
Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of men, and be not afraid of their revilings.
8 Kwa maana nondo atawala kama vazi, nao funza atawatafuna kama sufu. Lakini haki yangu itadumu milele, wokovu wangu kwa vizazi vyote.”
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
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 Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, [as in] the generations of passed ages. Is it not thou that hath hewn Rahab in pieces, [and] pierced the monster?
10 Si ni wewe uliyekausha bahari, maji ya kilindi kikuu, uliyefanya barabara katika vilindi vya bahari ili waliokombolewa wapate kuvuka?
Is it not thou that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?
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.
So the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
12 “Mimi, naam mimi, ndimi niwafarijie ninyi. Ninyi ni nani hata kuwaogopa wanadamu wanaokufa, wanadamu ambao ni majani tu,
I, [even] I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou fearest a man that shall die, and the son of man that shall become as 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 forgettest Jehovah thy Maker, who hath stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and thou art afraid continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he prepareth to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 Wafungwa waliojikunyata kwa hofu watawekwa huru karibuni; hawatafia kwenye gereza lao, wala hawatakosa chakula.
He that is bowed down shall speedily be loosed, and he shall not die in the pit, nor shall his bread fail.
15 Kwa maana Mimi ndimi Bwana, Mungu wako, ambaye huisukasuka bahari ili mawimbi yake yangurume: Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote ndilo jina lake.
And I am Jehovah thy God, who raiseth the sea, so that its waves roar: Jehovah of hosts 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 thy mouth, and covered thee with the shadow of my hand, to plant the heavens, and to lay the foundations of the earth, and to say unto Zion, Thou art 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.
Arouse thyself, arouse thyself, stand up, Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of Jehovah the cup of his fury. Thou hast drunk, hast drained out the goblet-cup of bewilderment:
18 Kati ya wana wote aliowazaa hakuwepo hata mmoja wa kumwongoza, kati ya wana wote aliowalea hakuwepo hata mmoja wa kumshika mkono.
— there is none to guide her among all the children that she hath brought forth; neither is there any to take her by the hand of all the children that she hath brought up.
19 Majanga haya mawili yamekuja juu yako: ni nani awezaye kukufariji? Maangamizi, uharibifu, njaa na upanga: ni nani awezaye kukutuliza?
These two [things] are come unto thee; who will bemoan thee? — desolation and destruction, and famine and sword: how shall I comfort thee?
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.
Thy children have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an oryx in a net: they are full of the fury of Jehovah, the rebuke of thy God.
21 Kwa hiyo sikiliza hili, wewe uliyeteswa, uliyelewa, lakini si kwa mvinyo.
Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, 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.
thus saith thy Lord, Jehovah, and thy God, who pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I take out of thy hand the cup of bewilderment, the goblet-cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:
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 them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street to them that went over.