Isaya 29

1 Ole kwa Arieli, Arieli, mji ambao Daudi ameweka kambi! mwaka hadi mwaka unaongezeka; basi tamasha linakaribia kuja.

Alas for Ariel, Ariel, The city against which, David encamped, —Add ye a year to a year. Let the festivals, come round;

2 Lakini nitauzingira Arieli, na watalia na kuomboleza; na watakuwa kwangu kama Arieli.

Yet will I bring Ariel into straits, —And she shall become a bewailing and wailing, Yea she shall become to me a veritable Hearth of God.

3 Nitaweka kambi dhidi yako katika mzunguko, nitakuzingira kwa kuweka uzio dhidi yako.

And I will encamp round about against thee, —And lay siege against thee with a fort, And raise against thee siege-works;

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.

And thou shalt be brought low—Out of the earth, shalt thou speak, And out of the dust, shalt thou lower thine utterance, —And as one that hath a familiar spirit, Out of the earth, shall come thy voice, And out of the dust, thy speech shall chirp;

5 Jeshi la maadui wako watakuwa kama vumbi dogo, na wingi wa wasiotisha utakuwa kama makapi yanayopita. Itatokea mara moja, papo hapo.

Then shall be as fine dust the multitude of thy foreigners, —And as chaff that passeth away, the multitude of tyrants; And it shall come to pass, in a twinkling, Suddenly,

6 Yahwe wa majeshi atakuja kwenu kwa radi, tetemeko la aridhi, sauti kubwa, na upepo mkali na dhoruba kali, na mwali wa moto uteketezao.

From Yahweh of hosts, shalt thou be visited, With thunder, and with earthquake and a great noise, hurricane and storm and flame of fire devouring;

7 Itakuwa kama ndoto, maono ya usiku: Jeshi la mataifa yote yatapigana dhidi ya Arieli na ngome zake. Watawavamia yeye na ngome zinazowanyanyasa wao.

And it shall be like the dream of a night vision, With the multitude of all the nations who have been making war against Ariel, —Even with all who have been making war against her and her stronghold and who have been laying siege to her;

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.

Yea it shall be As when the hungry man dreameth and lo! he is eating, But he awaketh, and his soul, is empty, Or as when the thirsty man dreameth and lo! he is drinking, But he awaketh and lo! he is faint and his soul, is craving, So, shall it be with the multitude of all the nations, that have come forth to war against Mount Zion.

9 Shangaeni wenyewe na mjishangae; jifanye kipofu na uwe kipofu! uwe mlevi lakini sio wa mvinyo; yumbayumba lakini sio kwa bia.

Stand ye stock still and stare, Besmear your eyes and be blind, —They are drunken but not with wine, They reel, but not with strong drink;

10 Maana Yahwe ameachila roho wake katika usingizi wa kina, Ameyafunga macho yako, manabii, na amefunika kichwa chako, waonaji.

For Yahweh, hath poured out upon you, a spirit of deep sleep, Yea hath tightly shut your eyes—the prophets, —And, your heads—the seers, hath he covered,

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.''

And so all vision hath become unto you as the words of a writing that is sealed, Which is delivered unto one acquainted with writing, saying, Pray thee read this, And he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed;

12 Kama kitabu kitapewa kwa mtu asiyeweza kusoma, na kumwambia, '''Soma hiki,'' na anasema, ''Siwezi kusoma.''

And then the writing is delivered to one unacquainted with writing, saying, Pray thee read this, And he saith I am not acquainted with writing.

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.

Wherefore My Lord hath said, —Because this people, hath drawn near with their mouth, And with their lips, have honoured me, But their heart, have they moved far from me, And so their reverence of me hath become A commandment of men in which they have been schooled,

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.''

Therefore, behold me! again dealing wonderfully with this people, doing wonderfully a wonderful thing, —So shall perish, the wisdom of their wise men, And the intelligence of their intelligent men, shall vanish!

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?

Alas! for them who would fain have been too deep for Yahweh by giving secret counsel, —and therefore in the dark, have been their doings, and they have said Who can see us? and—Who can understand us?

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''?

Your perverseness! As if like clay, the potter could be reckoned; For shall, the thing made say of him that made it, he made me not? Or hath the thing fashioned ever said of him that fashioned it, He hath no understanding.

17 Katika mda mdogo uliobakia, Lebanoni itajeuzwa kuwa shamba, na shamba litakuwa msitu.

Is it not yet a very little while, And Lebanon shall be turned, into garden land, —And garden land, for a forest, be reckoned?

18 Siku hiyo viziwi watasikia maneno ya kitabu, na macho ya vipofu yataona katika giza nene.

Therefore, in that day, shall the deaf hear the words of a book, —And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see;

19 Waliodhulumiwa watafuurahia pamoja na Yahwe, na masikini miongoni mwa watu watafurahia kwa Mtakatifu wa Israeli.

And again shall the humbled in Yahweh, have joy, —And the needy of mankind in the Holy One of Israel, exult;

20 Maana watu wasio katili watakwisha, na wenye dharau watatoweka. Wale wote wanopendakuteda maovu wataondolewa,

For the tyrant, hath vanished, And the scoffer, is no more, Yea cut off are all who watch for iniquity: —

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.

Who bring a man into condemnation with a rumour, And for him that decideth in the gate, lay a snare, —And have driven away, for a thing of nought, one who was righteous.

22 Hivyo basi Yahwe asema hivi kuhusu nyumba ya Yakobo- Yahwe aliyemkomboa Ibrahimu, ''Yakobo hataaibika tena, wala uso wake hautabadilika rangi yake.

Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh, concerning the house of Jacob, [even he saith it] who redeemed Abraham, —Not now, shall, Jacob turn pale, And, not now, shall their faces whiten;

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.

For, when he seeth his children the work of my hands, in his midst, They will hallow my Name, —Yea they will hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And the God of Israel, will they regard with awe.

24 Wale watakaopotea kiroho watapata uelewa na walalamikaji watajifunza maarifa.''

Then will they who erred in spirit comprehend, And the murmurers, accept instruction.