< Mika 7 >
1 Taabu gani hii niliyo nayo! Nimefanana na yule akusanyaye matunda ya kiangazi, aokotaye masazo baada ya kuvunwa shamba la mizabibu; hakuna kishada chenye matunda ya kula, hakuna hata ile tini ya mwanzoni ninayoitamani.
Woe is me, for I am become as one that gleaneth in autumn the grapes of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat, my soul desired the firstripe figs.
2 Wanaomcha Mungu wameondolewa kutoka nchi; hakuna mtu mnyofu hata mmoja aliyebaki. Watu wote wanavizia kumwaga damu, kila mmoja anamwinda ndugu yake kwa wavu.
The holy man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood, every one hunteth his brother to death.
3 Mikono yote miwili ni hodari katika kufanya ubaya, mtawala anadai zawadi, hakimu anapokea rushwa, wenye nguvu wanaamuru wanachotaka: wote wanafanya shauri baya pamoja.
The evil of their hands they call good: the prince requireth, and the judge is for giving: and the great man hath uttered the desire of his soul, and they have troubled it.
4 Aliye mwema kupita wote kati yao ni kama mchongoma, anayeonekana mnyofu zaidi miongoni mwao ni mbaya kuliko uzio wa miiba. Siku ya walinzi wako imewadia, siku atakayokutembelea Mungu. Sasa ni wakati wao wa kuchanganyikiwa.
He that is best among them, is as a brier: and he that is righteous, as the thorn of the hedge. The day of thy inspection, thy visitation cometh: now shall be their destruction.
5 Usimtumaini jirani; usiweke matumaini kwa rafiki. Hata kwa yule alalaye kifuani mwako uwe mwangalifu kwa maneno yako.
Believe not a friend, and trust not in a prince: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that sleepeth in thy bosom.
6 Kwa kuwa mwana humdharau baba yake, naye binti huinuka dhidi ya mama yake, mkwe kuwa kinyume na mama mkwe wake: adui wa mtu ni wale wa nyumbani mwake hasa.
For the son dishonoureth the father, and the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man’s enemies are they of his own household.
7 Lakini mimi, namtazama Bwana kwa matumaini, namngoja Mungu Mwokozi wangu; Mungu wangu atanisikia mimi.
But I will look towards the Lord, I will wait for God my Saviour: my God will hear me.
8 Usifurahie msiba wangu, ee adui yangu! Ingawa nimeanguka, nitainuka. Japo ninaketi gizani, Bwana atakuwa nuru yangu.
Rejoice not, thou, my enemy, over me, because I am fallen: I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light.
9 Kwa sababu nimetenda dhambi dhidi yake, nitabeba ghadhabu ya Bwana, mpaka atakaponitetea shauri langu na kuithibitisha haki yangu. Atanileta nje kwenye mwanga, nami nitaiona haki yake.
I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him; until he judge my cause and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth into the light, I shall behold his justice.
10 Kisha adui yangu ataliona naye atafunikwa na aibu, yule aliyeniambia, “Yu wapi Bwana Mungu wako?” Macho yangu yataona kuanguka kwake, hata sasa atakanyagwa chini ya mguu kama tope barabarani.
And my enemy shall behold, and she shall be covered with shame, who saith to me: Where is the Lord thy God? My eyes shall look down upon her: now shall she be trodden under foot as the mire of the streets.
11 Siku ya kujenga kuta zako itawadia, siku ya kupanua mipaka yako.
The day shall come, that thy walls may be built up: in that day shall the law be far removed.
12 Siku hiyo watu watakuja kwako kutoka Ashuru na miji ya Misri, hata kutoka Misri hadi Frati na kutoka bahari hadi bahari na kutoka mlima hadi mlima.
In that day they shall come even from Assyria to thee, and to the fortified cities: and from the fortified cities even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13 Dunia itakuwa ukiwa kwa sababu ya wakazi wake, kwa sababu ya matunda ya matendo yao.
And the land shall be made desolate, because of the inhabitants thereof, and for the fruit of their devices.
14 Wachunge watu wako kwa fimbo yako, kundi la urithi wako, ambalo linaishi peke yake msituni, katika nchi ya malisho yenye rutuba. Waache walishe katika Bashani na Gileadi kama ilivyokuwa siku za kale.
Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thy inheritance, them that dwell alone in the forest, in the midst of Carmel: they shall feed in Basan and Galaad according to the days of old.
15 “Kama siku zile mlipotoka Misri, nitawaonyesha maajabu yangu.”
According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt I will shew him wonders.
16 Mataifa yataona na kuaibika, waliondolewa nguvu zao zote. Wataweka mikono yao kwenye vinywa vyao na masikio yao yatakuwa na uziwi.
The nations shall see, and shall be confounded at all their strength: they shall put the hand upon the mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
17 Wataramba mavumbi kama nyoka, kama viumbe vitambaavyo juu ya ardhi. Watatoka nje ya mapango yao wakitetemeka; watamgeukia Bwana Mungu wetu kwa hofu nao watakuogopa.
They shall lick the dust like serpents, as the creeping things of the earth, they shall be disturbed in their houses: they shall dread the Lord our God, and shall fear thee.
18 Ni nani Mungu kama wewe, ambaye anaachilia dhambi na kusamehe makosa ya mabaki ya urithi wake? Wewe huwi na hasira milele, bali unafurahia kuonyesha rehema.
Who is a God like to thee, who takest away iniquity, and passest by the sin of the remnant of thy inheritance? he will send his fury in no more, because he delighteth in mercy.
19 Utatuhurumia tena, utazikanyaga dhambi zetu chini ya nyayo zako, na kutupa maovu yetu yote katika vilindi vya bahari.
He will turn again, and have mercy on us: he will put away our iniquities: and he will cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea.
20 Utakuwa wa kweli kwa Yakobo, nawe utamwonyesha Abrahamu rehema, kama ulivyowaahidi kwa kiapo baba zetu siku za kale.
Thou wilt perform the truth of Jacob, the mercy to Abraham: which thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old.