< 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 delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
2 Hatalia wala kupiga kelele, wala sauti yake haitasikika mitaani.
He will not shout, nor raise 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.
He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.
4 wala hatazimia wala kukata tamaa mpaka atakapoanzisha haki katika nchi; na pwani inasubiria sheria yake.
He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands 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:
God Yahweh, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:
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, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for 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 the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.
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 Yahweh. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.
9 Tazama, mambo ya nyuma yamekuja na kupita, sasa ninakaribia kutangaza mambo mapya. Kabla hayajaanza kutokea nitawambia kuhusu wao.''
Behold, the former things have happened and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”
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 Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants.
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 wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela 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 Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands.
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.
Yahweh will go out like a mighty man. He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over his enemies.
14 Nimenyamaza kimyi kwa mda mrefu; bado nimendelea kujizuia mimi mwenyewe; Nitalia kama mwanamke anayetaka kuzaa; nitatweta na kuugua.
“I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.
15 Nitaiharibu milima na vilima na kukausha uoto wake wa asili; nitajeuza mito kuwa visiwa na nitakausha matindiga.
I will destroy mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.
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.
I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.
17 Watageuka nyuma, wataabishwa sana, wale wote wanaoiamini sanamu ya kuchonga, wanaosema na kuziambia sanamu za chuma, ''Nyinyi ni miungu wetu.''
“Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.
18 Sikilizeni ewe kiziwi; tazama, ewe kipofu, ili uweze kuona.
“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may 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, but my servant? Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as Yahweh’s servant?
20 Mmeona mambo mengi, lakini hamuelewi; masikio yamefunguka, lakini hakuna anayesikia.
You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.
21 Itampendeza Yahwe kuisifu haki yake na kuitukuza sheria yake.
It pleased Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law and make it honorable.
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.''
But this is a robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become captives, and no one delivers, and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’
23 Ni nani miongoni mwenu atalisikiliza hili? nani atayasikia na ni nani atasikia wakati ujao?
Who is there among you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear 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 as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t Yahweh, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.
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 he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle. It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know. It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”