Isaya 26
1 Siku hiyo wimbo huu utaimbwa katika nchi ya Yuda: Tuna mji imara; Mungu amefanya wokovu katika kuta na ngome zake.
Some day, [people in] Judah will sing this song: Our city [of Jerusalem] is strong! Yahweh protects our city; He is like [MET] a wall that surrounds it.
2 Fungua lango, ili mataifa yenye haki yaweze na yenye kutunza imani yaweze kuingia ndani.
Open the gates of the city for people who are righteous; allow people who faithfully [obey Yahweh] to enter the city.
3 Akili mlionayo, mtamuhifadhi yeye katika amani kamili, maana anawamini ninyi.
Yahweh, those who trust in you, those who firmly resolve to never doubt you, you will enable them to feel perfectly peaceful.
4 Mwamini Yahwe daima; maana Yaha, Yahwe, ni mwamba wa milele.
[So] always trust in Yahweh, because Yahweh, [our God], is forever [like] [MET] a huge rock [under which we are sheltered/protected/safe].
5 Maana atawashusha wale wote wenye kiburi; mji ulio juu atushusha chini, ataushusha chini kwenye aridhi; na ataulinganisha na mavumbi.
He humbles proud people and destroys cities whose people are arrogant. He causes those cities to collapse into the dust/dirt.
6 Utakanyagwakanyagwa chini na miguu ya walio masikini na wahitaji.
[When that happens], poor and oppressed people will trample on the ruins.
7 Mapito ya mwenye haki yamenyooka, Wenye haki; mapito ya wenye haki umeyanyoosha.
[But as for] righteous people, Yahweh, you do what is right; [it is as though] you cause the paths where they walk to be level and smooth.
8 Ndio, kaika mapito ya hukumu yako, Yahwe, tunakusubiri wewe; jina lako na sifa zako ni matamanio yetu.
Yahweh, by obeying your laws we show that we trust you to help us; and what we desire is that you will be honored/praised/exalted.
9 Nimekutamani wewe wakati wa usiku; ndio, roho iliyo ndani yangu ina kutafuta kwa bidii. Pindi hukumu yako itakapokuja duniani, wenyeji wa duniani watajua kuhusu haki.
[All] through the night I [SYN] desire to know you better, and each morning I still want to be with you. [Only] when you come to judge [and punish] people who live on the earth will they learn to do what is right.
10 Na tuonyeshe upendeleo kwa waovu, lakini hawatajifunza haki. katika nchi ya wanyofu anatenda maovu na haoni ukuu wa Yahwe.
[But] your acting kindly toward wicked people does not cause them to do what is good. [Even] in places where people do what is right, the wicked people continue to do what is evil, and they do not realize that you, Yahweh, are great.
11 Yahwe, mkono wako umenyanyuliwa juu, lakini hawapati hizo taarifa. Lakini wataona bidii kwa watu na wataona aibu, kwa sababu idadi ya maadui watawatafuna.
Yahweh, [it is as though] your fist is raised up [ready to strike them], but they do not realize that. Show them that you are very eager to help your people. If your enemies would realize that, they would be ashamed; allow your fire to burn them up [because they are] your enemies.
12 Yahwe, utaleta amani kwetu, maana kweli, umekamilisha kazi zetu zote.
Yahweh, [we desire that] you will allow things to go well for us; everything that we have done is what you have enabled us to do.
13 Yahwe Mungu wetu, viongozi wengine badala yako wametutawala sisi; Lakini tunalitukuza jina lako.
Yahweh, our God, others have ruled over us, but you [MTY] are the only one whom we honor.
14 Wamekufa, hawataishi tena; ni maremu hao, hawatafufuka tena. Kweli, umekuja kuwahukumu na kuwaharibu wao, na umefanya kila kumbukumbu kutoweka.
Those who ruled us are [now] gone; they are dead; their spirits have left this earth, and they will not become alive [again]. You punished those rulers and got rid of them, and people do not even remember them any more.
15 Umeliongeza taifa, Yahwe, umeliongeza taifa; umeheshimiwa; umeinuliwa katika mipaka yote ya nchi.
Yahweh, you have enabled our nation to become great; we are more in [now], and we have more land, [so we] thank/praise you.
16 Yahwe, katika mateso yao walikuangalia wewe; walipatwa na wasiwasi katika maombi yao maana adhabu yako ilikuwa juu yao.
Yahweh, when we were distressed, we asked you [to help us]; when you disciplined/punished us, we were able only to whisper when we prayed to you.
17 Kama mwanamke mjamzito anayekaribia kujifungua, hupatwa na uchungu na hulia kwa uchungu, hivyo ndivyo tulivyokuwa kabla, Bwana.
Like pregnant women writhe and cry out when they are giving birth, we suffered very much, too.
18 Tulikuwa wajawazito, tumekuwa katika mateso, lakini ni kama tumeshajifungua katika akili zetu. Hatujauleta wokovu duniani, na wakazi wa duniani hawakuanguka.
We had severe pain, but nothing good resulted [MET] from it. We have not rescued our people [from being conquered by our enemies], and we have not given birth to children [who will rule the world correctly] (OR, not defeated the armies [that have attacked other nations].
19 Wafu wenu wataishi; watu wenu walio kufa watafufuka. Amka na uimbe kwa furaha, njie muishio mavumbini; maana umande wenu ni umande wa mwanga, na dunia itawaleta mbele wafu wake.
But Yahweh’s people who have died will become alive [again], their corpses will become alive! Those whose bodies lie in graves will rise and shout joyfully! His light will be [like] dew that falls on his people who have died, who are [now] in the place where the dead people are, [and will cause them to become alive again].
20 Enendeni, watu wangu, ingieni katika vyumba vyenu na mfunge mlango nyuma yenu; jificheni kwa mda mfupi, mpaka hasira itakapopita.
But now, my people/fellow-citizens, go home and lock your doors! Hide for a short time, until [Yahweh] is no longer angry.
21 Maana, angalia, Yahwe anakaribia kutoka katika eneo lake kuwahadhibu watu waishio duniani kwa ajili ya makosa yao; dunia itaachia umwagaji wa damu, na hawatawaficha tena waliokufa.
Listen to this: Yahweh will come from heaven to punish [all] the people on the earth for the sins that they have committed. People will be able to see [PRS] the (blood of those/the people) who have been murdered; their murderers will no longer be able to hide.
