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 before me, O isles; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to 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 raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
3 Aliwachukuwa wao na kuwapitisha salama, katika njia nyepesi ambayo miguu yake imegusa shida.
He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
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, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
5 Visiwa vimeona na kuogopa; miisho ya dunia yatetemeka; walikaribia n kuja.
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
6 Kila mmoja amsaidie jirani yake, na kila mmoja asemezane na mwenzake, 'Kuwa mfariji;
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, 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.
So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
8 Lakini wewe, Israeli mtumishi wangu, Yakobo niliyekuchagua, mtoto wa Ibrahimu rafiki yangu,
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed 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 taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from its chief men, 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 thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
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 they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that contend with thee shall 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 them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
13 Maana mimi Yahwe Mungu wako, nitawashika mkono wako wa kiume, nikikuambia wewe, 'Usiogope; Nitakusaidia wewe.
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying to thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
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, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, 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 new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt 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 fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt 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 faileth for thirst, I the LORD 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 in high places, 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, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, the pine, and the box tree 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 the LORD hath done this, and 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.
Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth 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 bring them forth, and show us what shall happen: let them show the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things to come.
23 Wajulishe kitu kuhusu baadaye, ili tujue kuwa ninyi ni miungu; fanya kitu kizuri au kibaya, ambacho kitatutisha na kutushangaza.
Show the things that are to come after this, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
24 Tazama sanamu zenu si kitu na matendo yenu si kitu; aliyewachagua ni machukizo.
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: 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 shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth 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 from the beginning, that we may know? and in times past, that we may say, He is righteous? verily, there is none that showeth, verily, there is none that declareth, verily, there is none that heareth your words.
27 Kwanza nilizungumza na Sayuni, ''Tazama hapo walipo;'' Nimemtuma mhubiri Yerusalemu.
The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
28 Nilipoangalia, hakuna hata mmoja, hakuna hata miongoni mwao ambaye anaweza kutoa ushauri mzuri, nani, lini nimulize, awezaye kunijibu neno.
For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29 Tazama, matendo yao si kitu; sanamu zao za chuma zilizotupwa ni upepo na utupu.
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
