Isaya 42
1 Tazama, mtumishi wangu, niliyekushika; niliyekuchagua, kwake ninapata furaha. Nimeiweka roho yangu juu yake; ataleta haki kwa mataifa.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him; He shall cause law to go forth to the nations.
2 Hatalia wala kupiga kelele, wala sauti yake haitasikika mitaani.
He shall not cry aloud, nor lift up his voice, Nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 Mwanzi ulioangamizwa hatauvunja, na wala utambi unaowaka na kutoa mwanga hautaungua: atatekeleza haki kwa uaminifu.
The bruised reed shall he not break, And the glimmering flax shall he not quench; He shall send forth law according to truth.
4 wala hatazimia wala kukata tamaa mpaka atakapoanzisha haki katika nchi; na pwani inasubiria sheria yake.
He shall not fail, nor become weary, Until he shall have established justice in the earth. And distant nations shall wait for his law.
5 Mungu Yahwe asema hivi—yeye aliyeziumba mbingu na yeye zinyoosha nje, yeye aliyeiumba nchi na vitu vyote izalishavyo, yeye aliyewapa punzi watu na wale waishio juu:
Thus saith God Jehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth, and that which springeth forth from it, Who gave breath to the people upon it, And spirit to them that walk thereon:
6 Mimi Yahwe nimekuita kwa haki yangu na nitakushika kwa mkono wangu. Nitakutunza wewe, na nitakuweka wewe kama agano kwa watu wangu, kama mwanga wa wayunani
I, Jehovah, have called thee for salvation; I will hold thee by the hand; I will defend thee, and make thee a covenant to the people, A light to the nations;
7 Kuyafungua macho ya vipofu, kuwatoa waliofungwa gerezani, kuwatoa wale walio gizani kutoka kwenye nyumba iliyofungiwa.
To open the blind eyes, To bring out the prisoners from the prison, And them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
8 Mimi ni Yahwe, Hilo ndilo jina langu; na utukufu wangu sitashiriana na mtu mwingine wala sifa zangu sitashirkiana na sanamu ya kuchonga.
I am Jehovah, that is my name; And my glory will I not give to another, Nor my praise to graven images.
9 Tazama, mambo ya nyuma yamekuja na kupita, sasa ninakaribia kutangaza mambo mapya. Kabla hayajaanza kutokea nitawambia kuhusu wao.''
The former things, behold! they are come to pass, And new things do I now declare; Before they spring forth, I make them known to you.
10 Mwimbieni Yahwe wimbo mpya, na sifa zake kutoka mwisho wa nchi; wewe ushukae chini kwenye bahari, na vyote vilivyomo ndani yake, waishio pwani na wale wanaoishi huko.
Sing to Jehovah a new song; His praise to the ends of the earth; Ye that go down upon the sea, and all that fill it; Ye distant coasts, and ye that dwell therein!
11 Wacha jangwa na miji ilie, vijiji anavyoishi na Kaderi, lia kwa furaha! waache wenyeji wa Sela waimbe; waache wapige kelele juu ya kilele cha mlima.
Let the desert cry aloud, and the cities thereof; The villages, that Kedar inhabiteth; Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 waache wamtukuze Yahwe na kutangaza sifa zake katika aridhi ya pwani.
Let them give glory to Jehovah, And proclaim his praise in distant lands!
13 Yahwe atatoka nje kama shujaa; kama mtu wa vita ataichochea bidii yake. Atapiga kelele, ndio, atalia kw kishindo katika vita yake; atawaonyesha adui zake nguvu zake.
Jehovah shall march forth like a hero; Like a mighty warrior shall he rouse his indignation, He shall cry aloud; he shall shout the war-cry, And show himself mighty against his enemies.
14 Nimenyamaza kimyi kwa mda mrefu; bado nimendelea kujizuia mimi mwenyewe; Nitalia kama mwanamke anayetaka kuzaa; nitatweta na kuugua.
“I have long held my peace; I have been still and refrained myself; But now will I cry like a woman in travail; I will destroy and swallow up at once.
15 Nitaiharibu milima na vilima na kukausha uoto wake wa asili; nitajeuza mito kuwa visiwa na nitakausha matindiga.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, And dry up all their herbs. I will make the river solid land, And dry up the pools of water.
16 Nitawaleta vipofu kwa njia wasioijua; katika njia wasiyoijua Nitawapitisha wao. Nitaligeuza giza kuwa mwanga mbele yao, na kupanyoosha mahali palipopotoka. Mambo yote haya nitayafanya, na sitaachana na wao.
Then will I lead the blind in a way which they know not, And in unknown paths will I guide them; I will make darkness light before them, And crooked paths straight; These things will I do for them, and not forsake them.”
17 Watageuka nyuma, wataabishwa sana, wale wote wanaoiamini sanamu ya kuchonga, wanaosema na kuziambia sanamu za chuma, ''Nyinyi ni miungu wetu.''
Then shall they be turned back, and be put to shame, Who trust in graven images; Who say to molten images, “Ye are our gods!”
18 Sikilizeni ewe kiziwi; tazama, ewe kipofu, ili uweze kuona.
Hear, O ye deaf! And look, ye blind, and see!
19 aliye kipofu ila mtumishi wangu? au kiziwi ni kama mjumbe niliyemtuma? Ni nani aliye kipofu kama mpenzi wangu wa agano, au kipofu kama mtumishi wa Yahwe?
Who is blind, if not my servant? And who so deaf as my messenger, whom I send? Who so blind as the friend of God, So blind as the servant of Jehovah?
20 Mmeona mambo mengi, lakini hamuelewi; masikio yamefunguka, lakini hakuna anayesikia.
Thou seest many things, but regardest them not; Thou hast thine ears open, but hearest not!
21 Itampendeza Yahwe kuisifu haki yake na kuitukuza sheria yake.
It pleased Jehovah for his goodness' sake To give him a law, great and glorious;
22 Lakini watu hawa ni wale waliokamtw na kutekwa; wote wamenaswa kwenye mashimo; wafungwa wote wamewekwa gerezani; wamekuwa mateka na hakuna hata mmoja wa kuwaokoa wao, hakuna asemaye, warudisheni.''
And yet it is a robbed and plundered people; They are all of them bound in prisons, And hid in dungeons; They have become a spoil, and none delivereth; A prey, and none saith, “Restore!”
23 Ni nani miongoni mwenu atalisikiliza hili? nani atayasikia na ni nani atasikia wakati ujao?
Who is there among you that will give ear to this, That will listen and attend for the time to come?
24 Ni nani aliyemtoa Yakobo kwa majambazi, na Israeli kwa wanyang'anyi? Je hakuwa Yahwe, dhidi ya wale waliotenda dhambi, waliokataa kutembea katika njia zako na wale waliokataa kusheshimu sheria yako.
Who gave Jacob to be a spoil, And Israel to plunderers? Was it not Jehovah, against whom we sinned, In whose ways we would not walk, And whose laws we would not obey?
25 Hivyo basi humwaga asira yake kali nje dhidi yao, kwa uharibifu wa vita. Iliwaka kuwazunguka wao, hata hawakujua hilo, lakini hawakuyachukulia hayo moyoni mwao.
Therefore hath he poured out upon Israel the fury of his wrath, and the violence of war; It kindled a flame around about him, yet he did not regard it; It set him on fire, yet he laid it not to heart.
