Isaya 40
1 ''Faraja, faraja watu wangu,'' amesema Mungu.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 ''Ongea kwa upole kwa Yerusalemu; na tangaza vita vimeisha, maana maovu yao yamesamehewa, maana alipokea mara mbili kutoka kwa mkono wa Yahwe kwa dhambi zao.''
Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her time of suffering is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
3 Sauti inalia nje, ''Katika jangwa tengeneza njia ya Yahwe; njoosha njia ya Araba katika njia kuu ya Mungu.''
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our God!
4 Kila bonde litanyanyuliwa juu, kila mlima na kilima kitasawazishwa; na aridhi ya mwinuko itasawazishwa, mahali palipokwaruzwa patakuwa na usawa;
Every valley shall be raised up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places a plain.
5 na utukufu wa Mungu utafunuliwa, na watu wote wataona kwa pamoja; maana mdomo wa Yahwe umezungumza.
And the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.
6 Sauti inasema, ''Lia.'' Jibu lingine, ''Kwa nini nilie?'' ''Mwili wote ni nyasi na maagano yaliyoaminika ni kama ua kwenye shamba.
A voice saith, Cry. And he saith, What shall I cry? — All flesh is grass, and all the comeliness thereof as the flower of the field.
7 Nyasi zinanyauka na maua yanaperuka pale Yehwe atakapo puliza punzi yake juu yake; hakika ubinadamu ni nyasi.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, for the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 Nyasi hunyauka, maua hupepea, lakini neno la Yahwe litasimama daima.''
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God abideth for ever.
9 Nenda juu ya mlima mrefu, Sayuni, mbeba taarifa njema. waambie miji ya Yuda, ''Hapa ni Mungu wako!''
O Zion, that bringest glad tidings, get thee up into a high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest glad tidings, lift up thy voice with strength: lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10 Angalia, Bwana Yahwe anakuja kama mpiganaji shujaa na jeshi imara linatawa juu yake. Ona, zawadi yako iko kwake, na wale walikombolewa wataenda mbele yake.
Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come with might, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompence before him.
11 Atalilisha kundi lake kama mchungaji, Atawakusanya kondoo katika jeshi lake, na kulichukua karibu na moyo wake, kwa upole atawongoza wake kuwauuguza watoto wao.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd: he will gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom; he will gently lead those that give suck.
12 Ni nani aliyepima maji ya mashimo kwa mkono wake, anayepima anga kwa urefu wa mkono wake, na kuweka vumbi za nchi katika kikapu, kupima milima kwa mizani, au vilima kwa usawa?
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with [his] span, and grasped the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in scales?
13 Ni nani aliyeelewa akili za Yahwe, au kumuelekeza yeye kama mshauri?
Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, and, [as] his counsellor, hath taught him?
14 Ni kutka kwa nani alipokea maelekezo milele? Nani alikufundisha njia sahihi ya kufanya vitu, kumfundisha yeye maarifa, au kumuonyesha njia ya ufahamu?
With whom took he counsel, and [who] gave him intelligence, and instructed him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed him the way of understanding?
15 Tazama, Mataifa ni kama tone katika ndoo, na kama mavumbi kwenye mizani; ona, na alipima kisiwa kama tundu.
Behold, the nations are esteemed as a drop of the bucket, and as the fine dust on the scales; behold, he taketh up the isles as an atom.
16 Lebanoni sio mafuta ya kutosha, wala wanyama pori wake hawatoshi kwa dhabihu ya kuteketezwa.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.
17 Mataifa yote hayatochelezi mbele yake; wanachukuliwa na yeye kama hakuna kitu.
All the nations are as nothing before him; they are esteemed by him less than a cipher, and vanity.
18 Ni nanibasi utayemlingalisha na Mungu? Ni kwa sanamu ipi utakayomfananisha nayo?
To whom then will ye liken God? and what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19 Sanamu! ambayo fundi ameitupa: Mfua dhahabu ameka pamoja na mikufu bandi ya fedha.
The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains [for it].
20 Kuafanya sadaka hii mtu atachagua kuni ambayo haiozi; anamtafuta fundi mwenye ujuzi wa kutengeneza sanamu ambayo haitaanguka.
He that is impoverished, so that he hath no offering, chooseth a tree that doth not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilled workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved.
21 Je hamkujua? Je hamjasikia? Je hamkuambiwa tokea mwanzo? Je hamkuelewa toka misingi ya nchi?
— Do ye not know? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood the foundation of the earth?
22 Yeye ndiye aketie juu ya upeo wa macho ya nchi? na wenyeji wake ni kama panzi mbele yake. Akijinyoosha nje ya mbingu ni kama pazia na kutawnya nje kama hema la kuishi.
[It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a gauze curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
23 Anawapunguza viongozi kuwa si kitu na amewafanya viongozi wa nchi kwa sio wenye umuhimu.
that bringeth the princes to nothing, that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 Tazama wamekuwa wagumu kuotesha; tazama wamekuwa wagumu kupanda; imekuwa ni vigumu kuchukua mzizi katika nchi, kabla ajapuliza juu yao, na wakanyauka, na upepo unawaondosha mbali kama majani.
Scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely hath their stock taken root in the earth, but he also bloweth upon them and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
25 Ni nani tena utakayemfananisha na mimi, ni nani ninayefanan nae?'' amesema mtakatifu.
To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26 Tazama juu kwenye anga! Nani aliyeziumba nyota hizi zote? Analileta nje jeshi na anawaita kwa majina yote. Kwa ukuu wa nguvu zake na kwa uimara wa nguvu zake, hakuna hata mmoja atakayekosa.
Lift up your eyes on high, and see! Who hath created these things, bringing out their host by number? He calleth them all by name; through the greatness of his might and strength of power, not one faileth.
27 Kwa nini unasema, Yakobo, na kutangaza, Israeli, ''Njia yangu imefichwa Yahwe asione, na Mungu wangu hakuwekwa wazi kuhusiana na uthibitisho wangu''?
Why sayest thou, Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and my right is passed away from my God?
28 Je hakufahamu? Mungu wa milele, Yahwe, Muumbaji wa miisho ya nchi, apatwi na uchovu wala hachoki; hakuna mipaka katika ufahamu wake.
Dost thou not know, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not nor tireth? There is no searching of his understanding.
29 Anawapa nguvu waliochoka; na atawapa nguvu mpya waliowadhaifu.
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.
30 Hata vijana wadogo watapatwa na uchovu na kuchoka, vijana wadogo watapata mashaka na kuanguka:
Even the youths shall faint and shall tire, and the young men shall stumble and fall;
31 Lakini wale watakao mngojea Yahwe watapewa nguvu mpya; na watapaa kwa mbawa kama malaika; watakimbia wala hawatachoka; watatembea wala hawatazimia.
but they that wait upon Jehovah shall renew [their] strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not tire; they shall walk, and not faint.
