Isaya 29
1 Ole kwa Arieli, Arieli, mji ambao Daudi ameweka kambi! mwaka hadi mwaka unaongezeka; basi tamasha linakaribia kuja.
Tragedy is coming to you Ariel, Ariel the city where David lived! Year after year you have your festivals.
2 Lakini nitauzingira Arieli, na watalia na kuomboleza; na watakuwa kwangu kama Arieli.
But I'm going to cause trouble for Ariel; the city will cry and mourn, it will be like an altar hearth to me.
3 Nitaweka kambi dhidi yako katika mzunguko, nitakuzingira kwa kuweka uzio dhidi yako.
I will surround you, I will besiege you with towers and build ramps to attack you.
4 Utaletwa chini na utazungumza kutoka chini kwenye aridhi; maongezi yako yatashushwa kutoka mavumbini. Sauti yako itakuwa kama ya pepo kwenye ardhi, na maneno yako yatakuwa dhaifu kutoka mavumbini.
You will be brought down, you will speak from where you're lying on the ground, mumbling in the dust. Your words will come like a ghost from the grave; your voice will be a whisper from the dust.
5 Jeshi la maadui wako watakuwa kama vumbi dogo, na wingi wa wasiotisha utakuwa kama makapi yanayopita. Itatokea mara moja, papo hapo.
But then all your enemies will become like fine dust; all your cruel oppressors like chaff that's blown away. Then suddenly, in no time at all,
6 Yahwe wa majeshi atakuja kwenu kwa radi, tetemeko la aridhi, sauti kubwa, na upepo mkali na dhoruba kali, na mwali wa moto uteketezao.
the Lord Almighty will arrive with thunder, earthquake, and tremendous noise, with whirlwind, storm, and flames of fire that burn everything up.
7 Itakuwa kama ndoto, maono ya usiku: Jeshi la mataifa yote yatapigana dhidi ya Arieli na ngome zake. Watawavamia yeye na ngome zinazowanyanyasa wao.
The nations besieging Ariel, attacking its fortifications and tormenting the people, they will all disappear as if it was a dream!
8 Itakuwa kama mtu mwenye njaa anayeota anakula, lakini pindi anapoamka tumbo halina kitu. Itakuwa kama mtu mwenye kiu anayeota anakunywa maji, lakini anapoamka, anazirai, kwa sababu ya kiu na sio kuizima. Ndio, itakavyokuwa idadi kubwa ya wapiganaji dhidi ya Mlima Sayuni.
It will be like someone hungry dreaming that they're eating but who wakes up still hungry. It will be like someone thirsty dreaming of drinking but who wakes up still weak and thirsty. This is what it will be like for all your enemies, the ones attacking Mount Zion.
9 Shangaeni wenyewe na mjishangae; jifanye kipofu na uwe kipofu! uwe mlevi lakini sio wa mvinyo; yumbayumba lakini sio kwa bia.
Be shocked and amazed! Make yourselves blind so you can't see! Get drunk, but not from wine! Stagger around, but not from beer!
10 Maana Yahwe ameachila roho wake katika usingizi wa kina, Ameyafunga macho yako, manabii, na amefunika kichwa chako, waonaji.
For the Lord has made you very sleepy, and he has shut the eyes and covered the heads of those who speak for God and see visions.
11 Ufunuo wote umekuja kwako kama maneno ya kitabu kilichotiwa muhuri, ambacho watu wanaweza kumpa mtu anayejifunza, na kusema hivi, ''Soma hiki.'' na atasema, ''Siwezi maana imetiwa muhuri.''
This entire vision is like words in a scroll that is sealed shut. If you give it to someone who knows how to read and say, “Please read it,” they'll say, “I can't read it because it's sealed shut.”
12 Kama kitabu kitapewa kwa mtu asiyeweza kusoma, na kumwambia, '''Soma hiki,'' na anasema, ''Siwezi kusoma.''
If you give it to someone who doesn't know how to read and say, “Please read it,” they'll say, “I don't know how to read.”
13 Bwana asema, ''Watu hawa wananikaribia mimi na kunishimu kwa midomo yao, lakini mioyo yao iko mbalii na mimi. Heshima yao kwangu ni kwa sababu tu ya amri waliofundishwa.
The Lord says, “These people come and praise me with their words, and honor me with lip service, but their thoughts are miles away. Their worship of me only consists of them following rules people have taught them.
14 Hivyo basi, tazama, Nitaendelea kufanya mambo ya ajabu mwiongoni mwa watu hawa, maajabu baada ya maajabu. Hekima ya wenye busara itatoweka, na uelewa wa watu wenye busara utatokomea.''
So once again I will surprise these people with miracle upon miracle. The wisdom of the wise will die, and the insight of the insightful will disappear.”
15 Ole wao wale wanaoficha mipango yao kwa Yahwe, na wale ambao matendo yao ni ya giza. Wanasema, ''Nani anayetuona sisi, na ni nani anayetutambua sisi?
Tragedy is coming to people who take such trouble to hide their plans from the Lord. They work in the dark and say to themselves, “Nobody can see us, can they? Nobody will know, will they?”
16 Nyie mnaebadilisha vitu juu chini! Je mfinyanzi anaweza kufikiriwa kama udongo, hivyo basi vitu vinavyotengeneza vitasema kuhusu aliyevitengeneza, ''Hajanitengeneza mimi, ''au vitu vinavyotngenezwa viseme kuhusu aliyevitengeneza, Hajaelewa''?
How perverse you are! It's as if the clay was thought of as making the potter! Should something made say to its maker, “You didn't make me”? Can the pot tell the potter, “You don't understand anything”?
17 Katika mda mdogo uliobakia, Lebanoni itajeuzwa kuwa shamba, na shamba litakuwa msitu.
It won't be long and the forests of Lebanon will be turned into a productive field, and a productive field will seem like a forest.
18 Siku hiyo viziwi watasikia maneno ya kitabu, na macho ya vipofu yataona katika giza nene.
At that time the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and the eyes of the blind will see through the gloomy darkness what's written there.
19 Waliodhulumiwa watafuurahia pamoja na Yahwe, na masikini miongoni mwa watu watafurahia kwa Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
The humble will be even happier in the Lord, and the poor will find their joy in the Holy One of Israel.
20 Maana watu wasio katili watakwisha, na wenye dharau watatoweka. Wale wote wanopendakuteda maovu wataondolewa,
Cruel people will no longer exist, the scornful will vanish, and those looking to do evil will be destroyed—
21 nani na kwa neno linamfanya mtu kuwa mkosaji. Watamuekea mtego kwa yeye anayeitafuta haki katika geti na kuweka haki chini kwa uongo usio na kitu.
those who say things to trick others into sin, those who trap people by legal arguments in court, those who lie to mislead the innocent.
22 Hivyo basi Yahwe asema hivi kuhusu nyumba ya Yakobo- Yahwe aliyemkomboa Ibrahimu, ''Yakobo hataaibika tena, wala uso wake hautabadilika rangi yake.
So this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob: “You don't need to be ashamed anymore; your faces won't grow pale with fright any longer.
23 Lakini anapowaona watoto wake, kazi ya mikono yangu, watalitakasa jina langu, Watalitakasa jina langu Mtakatifu wa Yakobo, na wtasimama katika hofu ya Mungu wa Israeli.
When you see all your children and everything I've done for you, then you will regard my character as holy, and you will respect the Holy One of Jacob. You will have reverence for the God of Israel.
24 Wale watakaopotea kiroho watapata uelewa na walalamikaji watajifunza maarifa.''
Those who've gone astray will understand their mistakes; those who grumble will learn how to receive instruction.”
