Isaya 36

1 Katika mwaka wa kumi na nne wa mfalme Hezekia, Senacherebi, mfalme wa Asiria, alivamia miji yote ya Yuda na kuwakamata.

And it cometh to pass, in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, come up hath Sennacherib king of Asshur against all the fenced cities of Judah, and seizeth them.

2 Halafu mfalme wa Asiria akamtuma kamanda mkuu na jeshi kubwa kutoka Lachishi mpaka Yerusalemu kwa mfalme Hezekia. Alipofika kwenye mfereji katika kisima cha juu, katika njia kuu na katika shamba la dobi na akasimama pale.

And the king of Asshur sendeth Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem, unto the king Hezekiah, with a heavy force, and he standeth by the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller's field,

3 Maofisa wa Israeli waliotumwa kuzungumza nao walikuwa ni Eliakimu mtoto wa Hilkia, kiongozi wa jumba, Shebna katibu wa mfalme, na Joa mtoto wa Asapha, anayeandika makubaliano ya serekali.

and go forth unto him doth Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who [is] over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer.

4 Kamanda mkuu wa jeshi akawaambia wao, ''Mwambieni Hezekia kwamba mfalme mkuu, mfalme Asiria, asema, 'Nini chanzo cha ujasiri wako?

And Rabshakeh saith unto them, 'Say ye, I pray you, unto Hezekiah, 'Thus said the great king, the king of Asshur, What [is] this confidence in which thou hast confided?

5 Unaongea maneno yasiyo na maana tu, nasema kama kuna shauri na nguvu za vita. Sasa ni nani unayemuamini? na ni nani aliyekupa ujasiri wa kuniasi mimi.

I have said: Only, a word of the lips! counsel and might [are] for battle: now, on whom hast thou trusted, that thou hast rebelled against me?

6 Tazama, umeweka imani yako Misri, maana banzi la mwanzi unalolitumia kama fimbo ya kutembelea, ikiwa mtu ataiegemea na kuishika kwenye mkono wake itamchoma. Hivyo ndovyo jinsi Farao mfalme wa Misri alivyo kwa yeyote anayemuamini.

'Lo, thou hast trusted on the staff of this broken reed — on Egypt — which a man leaneth on, and it hath gone into his hand, and pierced it — so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt to all those trusting on him.

7 Lakini ikiwa utasema nami, ''Tunamwamini Yahwe Mungu wetu,''Je sio yeye ambaye Hezekia ameondosha mahali palipoinuka na madhebau, asema kwa Yuda na Yerusalemu, ''Lazima tuabudu mbele ya madhebau hii katika Yerusalemu''?

'And dost thou say unto me, Unto Jehovah our God we have trusted? is it not He, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath turned aside, and saith to Judah and to Jerusalem, Before this altar ye do bow yourselves?

8 Hivyo sasa, nataka kukufanya wewe kuwa zawadi nzuri kwa Bwana mfalme Asiria. Nitakupa farasi elfu mbili, kama utaweza kuwatafutia dereva.

'And now, negotiate, I pray thee, with my lord the king of Asshur, and I give to thee two thousand horses, if thou art able to put for thee riders on them.

9 Ni kwa jinsi gani unaweza kumpinga moja kati ya nahodha aliye mdogo katika watumishi wa Bwana wangu? Mmeweka imani yenu Misri katika gari na farasi!

And how dost thou turn back the face of one captain of the least of the servants of my lord, and dost trust for thee on Egypt, for chariot and for horsemen?

10 Halafu sasa, Je nimewezaje kusafiri mpaka hapa pasipo Yahwe kupigana dhidi ya nchi hii na kuhiaribu? Yahwe asema nami, Vamia nchi hii na uhiharibu.

And now, without Jehovah have I come up against this land to destroy it? Jehovah said unto me, Go up unto this land, and thou hast destroyed it.'

11 Halafu Eliakimu mtoto wa Hilkia, na Shebna na Joa asema kwa kamanda mkuu, Tafadhali zungumza na watu wako kwa lugha ya kiashuru, maana kiashuru tunakielewa. Usiongee na sisi kwa lugha kiyahudi katika masikio ya watu ambao wako ukutani.''

And Eliakim saith — and Shebna and Joah — unto Rabshakeh, 'Speak, we pray thee, unto thy servants [in] Aramaean, for we are understanding; and do not speak unto us [in] Jewish, in the ears of the people who [are] on the wall.'

12 Lakini kamanda mkuu akasema, ''Je bwana wenu ametuma kwa bwana wako na kuzungumza haya maneno? Je hajanituma kwa watu walio kaa kwenye ukuta, ili wale kinyesi chaao mwenyewe na kunywa mkojo waomwenyewe?

And Rabshakeh saith, 'Unto thy lord, and unto thee, hath my lord sent me to speak these words? is it not for the men — those sitting on the wall to eat their own dung and to drink their own water with you?'

13 Halafu kamanda mkuu akasimama na kupiga kelele kwa sauti kubwa kwa lugha ya kiyahudi, na akisema,

And Rabshakeh standeth and calleth with a great voice [in] Jewish, and saith, 'Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Asshur:

14 ''Mfalme asema, ' Msimruhusu Hezekia awadanganye ninyi, maana hataweza kuwaokoa ninyi.

Thus said the king, Let not Hezekiah lift you up, for he is not able to deliver you;

15 Msimruhusu Hezekia awafanye muumuamini Yahwe, Nawambieni Hakika Yahwe atatukomboa sisi; mjii huu hautachukuliwa na mfalme wa Asiria.''

and let not Hezekiah make you trust unto Jehovah, saying, Jehovah doth certainly deliver us, this city is not given into the hand of the king of Asshur.

16 Msimsikilize Hezekia, maana hivi ndivyo mfalme wa Asiria anavyosema: 'Fanyeni amani na mimi na mje kwangu. Halafu kila mmoja wenu atakula kwenye mzabibu wake mwenyewe na tunda la mti wake mwenyewe, na kunjwa maji ya kisima chake mwenyewe.

'Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, for thus said the king of Asshur, Make ye with me a blessing, and come out unto me, and eat ye each of his vine, and each of his fig-tree, and drink ye each the waters of his own well,

17 Mtafanya hivi mpaka nije kuwachukua na kuwapeleka kwenye nchi kama ya kwenu. nchi ya mavuno na mvinyo mpya, nchi ya mkate na shamba.

till my coming in, and I have taken you unto a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards;

18 Msimruhusu Hezekia awapotoshe nyie, akisema, Yahwe atatuokoa nyie; Je kuna miungu ya aina yeyote ya watu iliyowakomboa kutoka mikononi mwa mfalme wa Asiria?

lest Hezekiah doth persuade you, saying, Jehovah doth deliver us. 'Have the gods of the nations delivered each his land out of the hand of the king of Asshur?

19 Wako wapi miungu wa Hamathi na Arpadi? Iko wapi miungu ya Sefarvaimu? Je wameikomboa Samaria kutoka kwenye nguvu zangu?

Where [are] the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where the gods of Sepharvaim, that they have delivered Samaria out of my hand?

20 Miongoni mwa miungu yote ya nchi hii, Je kuna miungu ya aina yeyote iliyoikomboa nchi yao kutoka kwenye nguvu yangu, ni kama Yahwe anaweza kuawokoa Yerusalemu kutoka kwenye nguvu yangu?''

Who among all the gods of these lands [are] they who have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah doth deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'

21 Lakini watu wanabaki kimya na hawataki kujibu, maana amri ya mfalme ilikuwa, ''Msimjibu''.

And they keep silent, and have not answered him a word, for a command of the king is, saying, 'Do not answer him.'

22 Halafu Eliakimu mtoto wa Hilkia, yeye aliye juu ya kaya, Shebna mwandishi, na Joa mtoto wa Asafu, na mtunza kumbukumbu, walikuja kwa Hezekia na nguo zilizotoboka na wakapeleka maneno ya kamanda mkuu.

And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who [is] over the house, cometh in, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer, unto Hezekiah with rent garments, and they declare to him the words of Rabshakeh.