< 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 as in the gathering of the summer-fruits, as in the grape-gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fruit for which my soul longeth.
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 pious hath disappeared out of the land; and the upright among men there is none; all of them lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.
3 Mikono yote miwili ni hodari katika kufanya ubaya, mtawala anadai zawadi, hakimu anapokea rushwa, wenye nguvu wanaamuru wanachotaka: wote wanafanya shauri baya pamoja.
For the evil of your hands you expect good? while the prince demandeth [bribes], and the judge acteth for pay; and the great man is only speaking the wilful pleasure of his soul: and so do they make a network [of wrong].
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.
The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is [sharper] than a thorn-hedge: the day of thy watchmen, thy punishment, is come; now shall be perplexity among them.
5 Usimtumaini jirani; usiweke matumaini kwa rafiki. Hata kwa yule alalaye kifuani mwako uwe mwangalifu kwa maneno yako.
Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a confidant: from her that lieth in thy bosom guard the doors of thy mouth.
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 disgraceth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
7 Lakini mimi, namtazama Bwana kwa matumaini, namngoja Mungu Mwokozi wangu; Mungu wangu atanisikia mimi.
But I—I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
8 Usifurahie msiba wangu, ee adui yangu! Ingawa nimeanguka, nitainuka. Japo ninaketi gizani, Bwana atakuwa nuru yangu.
Rejoice not, O my enemy, over me: though I am fallen, I rise again: though I should sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me.
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.
The indignation of the Lord will I bear, because I have sinned against him; until that he plead my cause, and execute justice for me: [when] he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
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.
Then she that is my enemy will see it, and shame shall cover her, who said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? My eyes shall complacently see her [suffer]: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
11 Siku ya kujenga kuta zako itawadia, siku ya kupanua mipaka yako.
The day that thy fences are to be built—that same day, the ordained, is yet 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.
It is a day when men shall come to thee from Assyria, and the cities of Mazor, and from Mazor 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.
While the land [of the nations] shall be made desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their doings.
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 heritage, which dwell in solitude in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gil'ad, as in the days of old.
15 “Kama siku zile mlipotoka Misri, nitawaonyesha maajabu yangu.”
As in the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I let them see marvelous things.
16 Mataifa yataona na kuaibika, waliondolewa nguvu zao zote. Wataweka mikono yao kwenye vinywa vyao na masikio yao yatakuwa na uziwi.
Nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deafened.
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 the serpent; like those that crawl on the earth, shall they come forth trembling out of their close places: unto the Lord our God shall they hasten in dread, and shall be afraid of 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 unto thee, pardoning iniquity, and forgiving transgression to the residue of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in kindness.
19 Utatuhurumia tena, utazikanyaga dhambi zetu chini ya nyayo zako, na kutupa maovu yetu yote katika vilindi vya bahari.
He will again have mercy on us, he will suppress our iniquities; yea, thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Utakuwa wa kweli kwa Yakobo, nawe utamwonyesha Abrahamu rehema, kama ulivyowaahidi kwa kiapo baba zetu siku za kale.
Thou wilt show faithfulness unto Jacob, and kindness unto Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers in the days of old.