Isaya 41
1 ''Sikilizeni mbele yangu kwa ukimya, enyi mkao pwani; wacha mataifa yapate nguvu kwa upya; waache waje karibu na kuzungumza; na tusogee karibu tujadili mgogoro.
Keep silence, and hear me, ye distant lands. Ye nations, gather your strength! Let them come near; then let them speak; Let us go together into judgment.
2 Nani aliyechochea juu mmoja kutoka mashariki, anamuita katika haki yake kwenye huduma yake? Amemkabidhi mataifa juu yake ili amsaidie yeye kuwaangamiza wafalme. Aliwajeuza kuwa mavumbi kwa neno lake, kama upepo unaovuma kwenye mabua kwa upinde wake.
Who hath raised up from the region of the East Him whom victory meeteth in his march? Who hath subdued nations before him, And given him dominion over kings? Who made their swords like dust, And their bows like driven stubble?
3 Aliwachukuwa wao na kuwapitisha salama, katika njia nyepesi ambayo miguu yake imegusa shida.
He pursued them, and passed in safety, By a path which his foot had never trodden.
4 Ni nani aliyeyafanya na kukamilisha matendo haya? Ni nanialiyechagua kizazi kutoka mwanzo? Mimi, Yahwe ni mwanzo na mwisho, mimi ndiye.
Who hath wrought and done it? I, who have called the generations from the beginning, I, Jehovah, the first; And with the last also am I.
5 Visiwa vimeona na kuogopa; miisho ya dunia yatetemeka; walikaribia n kuja.
Distant nations saw it, and were afraid; The ends of the earth, and trembled; They drew near, and came together.
6 Kila mmoja amsaidie jirani yake, na kila mmoja asemezane na mwenzake, 'Kuwa mfariji;
One helped another, And said to him, “Be of good courage!”
7 Hivyo basi seremala anamfariji mfua dhahabu, na yule anayefanya kazi kwa kutumia nyundo anamfariji anayefanya kazi kwa chuma, akisema kwa msemo wa kurehemu, ''Ni mizuri; Naye ataupigilia kwa makini misumari ili isipinduke.
The carpenter encouraged the smith, He that smoothed with the hammer him that smote on the anvil, And said, “The soldering is good,” And he fastened it with nails that it might not fall.
8 Lakini wewe, Israeli mtumishi wangu, Yakobo niliyekuchagua, mtoto wa Ibrahimu rafiki yangu,
But thou, O Israel, my servant, Thou, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Offspring of Abraham, my friend!
9 wewe ambaye ninakurudisha kutoka miisho ya nchi, na ambaye niliyekuita kutoka sehemu ya mbali, na kwako niliyekuambia, 'Wewe ni mtumishi wangu; 'Nimekuchagua wewe na sijakukataa.
Thou, whom I have led by the hand from the ends of the earth, And called from the extremities thereof, And said to thee, “Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away!”
10 Usiogope maana mimi niko pamoja na wewe. Usiwe na wasiwasi, maana mimi ni Mungu wako. Nitakutia nguvu, na nitakusaidia, wewe, na Nitakushika kwa mkono wa haki yangu.
Fear not, for I am with thee; Faint not, for I, thy God, will strengthen thee; I will help thee, and sustain thee, with my right hand of salvation!
11 Tazama, watakuwa na aibu na hawataheshimiwa, wale wote waliokuwa na hasira na wewe; watakuwa si kitu na watatokomea, wale watakao kupinga wewe.
Behold, all who are enraged against thee Shall be ashamed and confounded; All that contend with thee Shall come to nothing and perish.
12 Utawatafuta na wala hautawapata wale wanaopingana na wewe; wale wafanyao vita dhidi yako watakuwa kama si kitu, si kitu kabisa.
Thou shalt seek and not find Them that contend with thee; They shall come to nothing, and be no more, Who make war against thee.
13 Maana mimi Yahwe Mungu wako, nitawashika mkono wako wa kiume, nikikuambia wewe, 'Usiogope; Nitakusaidia wewe.
For I, Jehovah, am thy God, that holdeth thee by the right hand, That saith to thee, “Fear not, I am thy helper!”
14 Usiogope, Yakobo wewe mdudu, na enyi watu wa Israeli; Nitawasaidia''- hili ni tamko la Yahwe, Mkombozi wako, Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, thou feeble people of Israel! I am thy helper, saith Jehovah; Thy redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 Tazama, ninakufanya wewe kuwa chombo kikali cha kuparulia chenye makali pande mbili; utaparua milima na kuiponda; utafanya vilima kama makapi.
Behold, I will make thee a thrashing-wain, sharp and new, With double edges; Thou shalt thrash the mountains, and beat them small, And make the hills as chaff.
16 Utawatawanya wao, na upepo utawabeba na kuwapeka mbali; upepo utawatanya wao. Utashanglia katika Yahwe, utashangiliakatika mtakatifu wa Israeli
Thou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them. But thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, And glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 Waliodhulumiwa na masikini wanatafuta maji, lakini hakuna kitu, ndimi zao zimekauka kwa kiu; Mimi Yahwe, nitajibu maombi yao; Mimi Mungu wa Israeli, sitawacha wao.
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst, I, Jehovah, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 Nitatengeneza mikondo ya maji kushusha chini, na chemichem katikati ya mabonde; nitalifanya jangwa kuwa kisima cha maji, na aridhi kavu kuwa chemichem ya maji.
I will open rivers upon the bare hills, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water.
19 Katika jangwa nitapanda mierezi, mshita, mhadisi, na mti wa mizeituni. Nitaotesha mberoshi katika uwazi wa jangwa, pamoja na mbono nitapanda mberoshi kitika jangwa lililowazi.
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia, The myrtle and the olive-tree; I will place in the desert the cypress, The plane-tree and the larch together.
20 Nitayafanya haya ili waweze kuona, kutambua na kuelewa kwa pamoja, kwamba mkono wa Yahwe umetenda haya, kama Mtakatifu wa Israeli aliyeliumba.
That they may see, and know, And consider, and understand together, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this, And that the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
21 Wakilisha keshi yako, '' asema Yahwe; ''wakilisha hoja zenu nzuri kwa sanamu yenu,'' asema Mfalme wa Yakobo.
Bring forward your cause, saith Jehovah; Produce your strong reasons, saith the king of Jacob.
22 Waache walete hoja zao wenyewe; waache waje mbele na watutangazie sisi nini kitakachotokea, ili tuweze kuelewa haya mambo vizuri. Tuawaache watupe tamko mapema, ili tuweze kulitafakari na tuweze kujua n kwa jinsi gani litatimia.
Let them produce them, and show us what shall happen! Tell us what ye have predicted in times past, That we may consider, and know its fulfilment! Or declare to us things that are to come!
23 Wajulishe kitu kuhusu baadaye, ili tujue kuwa ninyi ni miungu; fanya kitu kizuri au kibaya, ambacho kitatutisha na kutushangaza.
Let us hear what shall happen in future times, That we may know whether ye are gods; Do something, be it good or evil, That we may be astonished, and see it together!
24 Tazama sanamu zenu si kitu na matendo yenu si kitu; aliyewachagua ni machukizo.
Behold, ye are less than nothing, And your work is less than naught; An abomination is he that chooseth you!
25 Nimemnyanyua mmoja kutoka kaskazini, naye amekuja kutoka mawio ya jua nimemchagua yeye alitajae jina langu, na atawakanyaga viongozi kama matope, kama mfinyanzi akanyagavyo udongo.
I have raised up one from the north, and he cometh; From the rising of the sun he calleth upon my name; He trampleth upon princes as upon mortar; As the potter treadeth down the clay.
26 Ni nani aliyetangaza hili tangu mwanzo, ili tuweze kujua? na kabla ya mda, ili tuseme, ''Yuko sawasawa''? Kweli hakuna hata mmoja aliyekiri hili, ndio hakuna hata mmoja aliyekusikia ukisema chochote.
Who hath declared this from the beginning, that we might know it, And long ago, that we might say, It is true? There was not one that foretold it, not one that declared it, Not one that heard your words.
27 Kwanza nilizungumza na Sayuni, ''Tazama hapo walipo;'' Nimemtuma mhubiri Yerusalemu.
I first said to Zion, Behold! behold them! And I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of glad tidings.
28 Nilipoangalia, hakuna hata mmoja, hakuna hata miongoni mwao ambaye anaweza kutoa ushauri mzuri, nani, lini nimulize, awezaye kunijibu neno.
I looked, but there was no man; Even among them, but there was none that gave counsel; I inquired of them that they might give an answer;
29 Tazama, matendo yao si kitu; sanamu zao za chuma zilizotupwa ni upepo na utupu.
But behold, they are all vanity; Their works are nothing; Wind and emptiness are their molten images.
