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 call to her, That her warfare hath been completed, That accepted hath been her punishment, That she hath received from the hand of Jehovah Double for all her sins.
3 Sauti inalia nje, ''Katika jangwa tengeneza njia ya Yahwe; njoosha njia ya Araba katika njia kuu ya Mungu.''
A voice is crying — in a wilderness — Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God.
4 Kila bonde litanyanyuliwa juu, kila mlima na kilima kitasawazishwa; na aridhi ya mwinuko itasawazishwa, mahali palipokwaruzwa patakuwa na usawa;
Every valley is raised up, And every mountain and hill become low, And the crooked place hath become a plain, And the entangled places a valley.
5 na utukufu wa Mungu utafunuliwa, na watu wote wataona kwa pamoja; maana mdomo wa Yahwe umezungumza.
And revealed hath been the honour of Jehovah, And seen [it] have all flesh 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 is saying, 'Call,' And he said, 'What do I call?' All flesh [is] grass, and all its goodliness [is] As a flower of the field:
7 Nyasi zinanyauka na maua yanaperuka pale Yehwe atakapo puliza punzi yake juu yake; hakika ubinadamu ni nyasi.
Withered hath grass, faded the flower, For the Spirit of Jehovah blew upon it, Surely the people [is] grass;
8 Nyasi hunyauka, maua hupepea, lakini neno la Yahwe litasimama daima.''
Withered hath grass, faded the flower, But a word of our God riseth for ever.
9 Nenda juu ya mlima mrefu, Sayuni, mbeba taarifa njema. waambie miji ya Yuda, ''Hapa ni Mungu wako!''
On a high mountain get thee up, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, Lift up with power thy voice, O Jerusalem, proclaiming tidings, Lift up, fear not, say to cities of Judah, 'Lo, 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.
Lo, the Lord Jehovah with strength cometh, And His arm is ruling for Him, Lo, His hire [is] with Him, and His wage 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.
As a shepherd His flock He feedeth, With His arm He gathereth lambs, And in His bosom He carrieth [them]: Suckling ones He leadeth.
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 in the hollow of his hand the waters? And the heavens by a span hath meted out, And comprehended in a measure the dust of the earth, And hath weighed in scales the mountains, And the hills in a balance?
13 Ni nani aliyeelewa akili za Yahwe, au kumuelekeza yeye kama mshauri?
Who hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, [being] His counsellor, doth teach 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 consulted He, That he causeth Him to understand? And teacheth Him in the path of judgment, And teacheth Him knowledge? And the way of understanding causeth Him to know?
15 Tazama, Mataifa ni kama tone katika ndoo, na kama mavumbi kwenye mizani; ona, na alipima kisiwa kama tundu.
Lo, nations as a drop from a bucket, And as small dust of the balance, have been reckoned, Lo, isles as a small thing He taketh up.
16 Lebanoni sio mafuta ya kutosha, wala wanyama pori wake hawatoshi kwa dhabihu ya kuteketezwa.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts 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, Less than nothing and emptiness, They have been reckoned to Him.
18 Ni nanibasi utayemlingalisha na Mungu? Ni kwa sanamu ipi utakayomfananisha nayo?
And unto whom do ye liken God, And what likeness do ye compare to Him?
19 Sanamu! ambayo fundi ameitupa: Mfua dhahabu ameka pamoja na mikufu bandi ya fedha.
The graven image poured out hath a artisan, And a refiner with gold spreadeth it over, And chains of silver he is refining.
20 Kuafanya sadaka hii mtu atachagua kuni ambayo haiozi; anamtafuta fundi mwenye ujuzi wa kutengeneza sanamu ambayo haitaanguka.
He who is poor [by] heave-offerings, A tree not rotten doth choose, A skilful artisan he seeketh for it, To establish a graven image — not moved.
21 Je hamkujua? Je hamjasikia? Je hamkuambiwa tokea mwanzo? Je hamkuelewa toka misingi ya nchi?
Do ye not know — do ye not hear? Hath it not been declared from the first to you? Have ye not understood [From] the foundations 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.
He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants [are] as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out as a thin thing the heavens, And spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in.
23 Anawapunguza viongozi kuwa si kitu na amewafanya viongozi wa nchi kwa sio wenye umuhimu.
He who is making princes become nothing, Judges of earth as emptiness hath made;
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.
Yea, they have not been planted, Yea, they have not been sown, Yea, not taking root in the earth is their stock, And also He hath blown upon them, and they wither, And a whirlwind as stubble taketh them away.
25 Ni nani tena utakayemfananisha na mimi, ni nani ninayefanan nae?'' amesema mtakatifu.
And unto whom do ye liken Me, And [am] I 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 on high your eyes, And see — who hath prepared these? He who is bringing out by number their host, To all of them by name He calleth, By abundance of strength (And [he is] strong in power) not one is lacking.
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, O Jacob? and speakest thou, O Israel? 'My way hath been hid from Jehovah, And from my God my judgment passeth over.'
28 Je hakufahamu? Mungu wa milele, Yahwe, Muumbaji wa miisho ya nchi, apatwi na uchovu wala hachoki; hakuna mipaka katika ufahamu wake.
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The God of the age — Jehovah, Preparer of the ends of the earth, Is not wearied nor fatigued, There is no searching of His understanding.
29 Anawapa nguvu waliochoka; na atawapa nguvu mpya waliowadhaifu.
He is giving power to the weary, And to those not strong He increaseth might.
30 Hata vijana wadogo watapatwa na uchovu na kuchoka, vijana wadogo watapata mashaka na kuanguka:
Even youths are wearied and fatigued, And young men utterly stumble,
31 Lakini wale watakao mngojea Yahwe watapewa nguvu mpya; na watapaa kwa mbawa kama malaika; watakimbia wala hawatachoka; watatembea wala hawatazimia.
But those expecting Jehovah pass [to] power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!
