< Isaya 7 >
1 Wakati Ahazi mwana wa Yothamu, mwana wa Uzia, alipokuwa mfalme wa Yuda, Mfalme Resini wa Aramu, na Peka mwana wa Remalia mfalme wa Israeli walipanda kupigana dhidi ya Yerusalemu, lakini hawakuweza kuushinda.
And it came to pass in the days of Achaz the son of Joathan, the son of Ozias, king of Juda, that Basin king of Syria, and Phacee the son of Romelia king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem, to fight against it: but they could not prevail over it.
2 Wakati huu nyumba ya Daudi iliambiwa, “Aramu wameungana na Efraimu.” Kwa hiyo mioyo ya Ahazi na watu wake ilitikiswa, kama miti ya msituni inavyotikiswa na upepo.
And they told the house of David, saying: Syria hath rested upon Ephraim, and his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.
3 Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Isaya, “Toka uende, wewe na mwanao Shear-Yashubu, mkutane na Ahazi huko mwisho wa mfereji wa Bwawa la Juu, kwenye barabara iendayo Shamba la Dobi.
And the Lord said to Isaias: Go forth to meet Achaz, thou and Jasub thy son that is left, to the conduit of the upper pool, a in the way of the fuller’s held.
4 Mwambie, ‘Uwe mwangalifu, utulie na usiogope. Usife moyo kwa ajili ya watu hawa wawili walio kama visiki vya kuni vifukavyo moshi, kwa ajili ya hasira kali ya Resini na Aramu na ya mwana wa Remalia.
And thou shalt say to him: See thou be quiet: fear not, and let not thy heart be afraid of the two tails of these fire brands, smoking with the wrath of the fury of Rasin king of Syria, and of the son of Romelia.
5 Aramu, Efraimu na mwana wa Remalia wamepanga shauri baya ili wakuangamize, wakisema,
Because Syria hath taken counsel against thee, unto the evil of Ephraim and the son of Romelia, saying:
6 “Tuishambulie Yuda, naam, tuirarue vipande vipande na kuigawa miongoni mwetu, na kumtawaza mwana wa Tabeeli awe mfalme juu yake.”
Let us go up to Juda, and rouse it up, and draw it away to us, and make the son of Tabeel king in the midst thereof.
7 Lakini Bwana Mwenyezi asema hivi: “‘Jambo hili halitatendeka, halitatokea,
Thus saith the Lord God: It shall not stand, and this shall not be.
8 kwa kuwa kichwa cha Aramu ni Dameski, na kichwa cha Dameski ni Resini peke yake. Katika muda wa miaka sitini na mitano, Efraimu atakuwa ameharibiwa kiasi kwamba hataweza tena kuwa taifa.
But the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Basin: and within threescore and five years, Ephraim shall cease to be a people:
9 Kichwa cha Efraimu ni Samaria, na kichwa cha Samaria ni mwana wa Remalia peke yake. Kama hamtasimama thabiti katika imani yenu, hamtaimarika kamwe.’”
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria the son of Romelia. If you will not believe, you shall not continue.
10 Bwana akasema na Ahazi tena,
And the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying:
11 “Mwombe Bwana Mungu wako ishara, iwe kwenye vina virefu sana, au kwenye vimo virefu sana.” (Sheol )
Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above. (Sheol )
12 Lakini Ahazi akasema, “Sitaomba; sitamjaribu Bwana.”
And Achaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord.
13 Ndipo Isaya akasema, “Sikia sasa, ewe nyumba ya Daudi! Je, haitoshi kujaribu uvumilivu wa wanadamu? Je, mtaujaribu uvumilivu wa Mungu wangu pia?
And he said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also?
14 Kwa hiyo Bwana mwenyewe atawapa ishara: Bikira atachukua mimba, naye atamzaa mwana, na ataitwa Imanueli.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.
15 Atakula jibini na asali atakapokuwa ameweza kukataa mabaya na kuchagua mema.
He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good.
16 Lakini kabla mtoto hajajua kukataa mabaya na kuchagua mema, nchi ya wafalme hao wawili unaowaogopa itafanywa ukiwa.
For before the child know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good, the land which thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of the face of her two kings.
17 Bwana ataleta juu yako, juu ya watu wako, na juu ya nyumba ya baba yako wakati ambao haujawahi kuwako tangu Efraimu alipojitenga na Yuda: yeye atawaleteeni mfalme wa Ashuru.”
The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon the house of thy father, days that have not come since the time of the separation of Ephraim from Juda with the king of the Assyrians.
18 Katika siku ile Bwana atawapigia filimbi mainzi kutoka vijito vya mbali vya Misri, na nyuki kutoka nchi ya Ashuru.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly, that is in the uttermost parts of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 Wote watakuja na kukaa kwenye mabonde yenye miteremko, na kwenye nyufa za miamba, kwenye vichaka vyote vyenye miiba, na kwenye mashimo yote ya maji.
And they shall come, and shall all of them rest in the torrents of the valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all places set with shrubs, and in all hollow places.
20 Katika siku ile Bwana atatumia wembe ulioajiriwa kutoka ngʼambo ya Mto, yaani mfalme wa Ashuru, kunyoa nywele za kichwa chako na malaika ya miguu yako, na kuziondoa ndevu zako pia.
In that day the Lord shall shave with a razor that is hired by them that are beyond the river, by the king of the Assyrians, the head and the hairs of the feet, and the whole beard.
21 Katika siku ile, mtu atahifadhi hai ndama mmoja na kondoo wawili.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep.
22 Kwa ajili ya wingi wa maziwa watakayotoa, atapata jibini ya kula. Wote watakaobakia katika nchi watakula jibini na asali.
And for the abundance of milk he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that shall be left in the midst of the land.
23 Katika siku ile, kila mahali palipokuwa na mizabibu elfu moja yenye thamani ya shekeli 1,000 za fedha, patakuwa na michongoma na miiba tu.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place where there were a thousand vines, at a thousand pieces of silver, shall become thorns and briers.
24 Watu watakwenda huko wakiwa na upinde na mshale, kwa maana nchi itafunikwa na michongoma na miiba.
With arrows and with bows they shall go in thither: for briars and thorns shall be in all the land.
25 Kuhusu vilima vyote vilivyokuwa vikilimwa kwa jembe, hamtakwenda huko tena kwa ajili ya hofu ya michongoma na miiba. Patakuwa mahali ambapo ngʼombe wataachiwa huru, na kondoo kukimbia kimbia.
And as for all the hills that shall be raked with a rake, the fear of thorns and briers shall not come thither, but they shall be for the ox to feed on, and the lesser cattle to tread upon.