< Isaya 51 >
1 Nisikilizeni mimi, enyi mtendao haki, enyi mtafutaye Yahwe: Tazama katika mwamba uliouchonga nakuchimba kutoka pale ulipopakata.
Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek Jehovah: look unto the rock [whence] ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit [whence] ye were digged.
2 Mtazameni Ibrahimu, baba yenu, na Sara, aliyewazaa ninyi; maan alipokuwa na upweke yeye mwenyewe, Nilimuita yeye. Nikambariki yeye na kumfanya yeye kuwa wengi.
Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bore you; for I called him when he was alone, and blessed him, and multiplied him.
3 Ndio, Yahwe ataifariji Sayuni; Ataifariji miji yake yote iliyo na ukiwa; jangwa lake atalifanya kama Edeni, na jangwa lililo wazi pembeni ya bonde la mto Yordani kama bustani ya Yahwe; Furaha na shangwe vitakuwa kwake, shukrani, na sauti ya kuimba.
For Jehovah shall comfort Zion, he shall comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah: gladness and joy shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of song.
4 ''Kuwa makini kwangu, watu wangu; na nisikilizeni mimi, watu wangu! Maana nitatoa amri, na nitaifanya haki yangu kuwa sheria ya mataifa.
Listen unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will establish my judgment for a light of the peoples.
5 Haki yangu ipo karibu; wokovu wangu utaenda nje, na mikono yangu itahihukumu mataifa; Pwani itanisubiri mimi; maana wanashauku ya kuhusubiria mkono wangu.
My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the peoples: the isles shall wait for me, and in mine arm shall they trust.
6 Nyanyueni macho yanu juu angani, na tazama nchi chini, maana mbingu zitatoweka mbali kama moshi, na nchi itachakaa kama vazi, na wenyeji wake watakufa kama inzi. Lakini wokovu wangu utaendelea daima, na haki yangu haitaacha kutenda kazi.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall grow old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7 Nisikizeni mimi, enyi mnaotambua ukweli, enyi watu wangu mliobeba sheria yangu katika mioyo yenu: Msiogope matusi ya watu, wala kukatishwa tamaa na unyanyasaji wao.
Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of men, and be not afraid of their revilings.
8 Maana Nonda watawala wao kama vazi, na minyoo itawala wao kama sufu; lakini haki yangu itakwa daima, na wokovu wangu katika vizazi vyote.''
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
9 Amka, amka, jivishe wewe mwenyewe kwa nguvu, mkono wa Yahwe. Amka kama siku za zamani, kizazi cha nyaktii za kale, Je sio wewe uliyeangamiza mnyama wa baharini, na uliyemchoma joka?
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, [as in] the generations of passed ages. Is it not thou that hath hewn Rahab in pieces, [and] pierced the monster?
10 Je haukukausha bahari, maji ya kina kirefu, na kufanya kina cha bahari kuwa nija ya ukombozi kupita?
Is it not thou that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?
11 Fidia ya Yahwe itarudi na kwenda Sayuni kwa kilio cha furaha na furaha ya milele itakuwa katika vichwa vyao, na huzuni na kuomboleza vitatoweka mbali.
So the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
12 ''Mimi, mimi ndiye niwapae faraja. Kwa nini uwaogope watu, ambao wanakufa, watatoto wa wanadamu, waliofanywa kama majani?
I, [even] I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou fearest a man that shall die, and the son of man that shall become as grass;
13 Kwa nini umemsahau Yahwe Muumba, yeye azinyooshayembingu na kuweka misingi ya nchi? Nyie ambao mna hofu za mara kwa mara kila siku kwa sababu ya hasira ya moto ya wanyanyasaji anapo fanya maamuzi ya kuangamiza. Iko wapi hasira ya wanyanyasaji?
and forgettest Jehovah thy Maker, who hath stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and thou art afraid continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he prepareth to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 Yeye aliyeinama chini, Yahwe atafanya haraka kumuachia; hatakufa wala kwenda chini katika shimo, wala hatakosa mkate.
He that is bowed down shall speedily be loosed, and he shall not die in the pit, nor shall his bread fail.
15 Maana Yahwe Mungu wenu, anaye ifanya bahari itembee, hivyo mawimbi yake yavume kwa kishindo- Yahwe wa majeshi ndilo jina lake.
And I am Jehovah thy God, who raiseth the sea, so that its waves roar: Jehovah of hosts is his name.
16 Niweka maneno yangu mdomoni mwako, na nimekufunika wewe kwa kivuli cha mkono wangu, ili niweze kupanda mbingu, kuweka misingi ya nchi, na kutamkia Sayuni, 'ninyi ni watu wangu.''
And I have put my words in thy mouth, and covered thee with the shadow of my hand, to plant the heavens, and to lay the foundations of the earth, and to say unto Zion, Thou art my people.
17 Amka, amka, simama juu, Yerusalemu, ewe unyweae katika kikombe cha hasira ya Yahwe kutoka mkononi mwako; umekunjwa katika kikombe, kikombe cha mateso, na umekunjwa na kumaliza.
Arouse thyself, arouse thyself, stand up, Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of Jehovah the cup of his fury. Thou hast drunk, hast drained out the goblet-cup of bewilderment:
18 Hakuna hata mmoja miongoni mwa watoto aliyewazaa wa kumuongoza yeye; hakuna hata mmoja miongoni mwa wote aliyewalea wa kumshika mkono wake.
— there is none to guide her among all the children that she hath brought forth; neither is there any to take her by the hand of all the children that she hath brought up.
19 Shida hizi mbili ziliwatokea ninyi- ni nani atahuzunika pamja nanyi? - ukiwa na uharibifu, na njaa na upanga. Ni nani atakayekufariji wewe?
These two [things] are come unto thee; who will bemoan thee? — desolation and destruction, and famine and sword: how shall I comfort thee?
20 Watoto wako walizimia; walilala kila kona ya mtaa, kama swala kwenye mtego; Wamejawa na hasira ya Yahwe, Laana ya Mungu wako.
Thy children have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an oryx in a net: they are full of the fury of Jehovah, the rebuke of thy God.
21 Lakini sasa sikiliza hili, ewe uliodhulumiwa na kulewa, lakini sio kwa mvinyo:
Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:
22 Bwana wenu Yahwe Mungu, anayewasihi watu wake, asema hivi, ''Tazama, Nimechukua kikombe cha ukubwa mkononi mwako- ukubwa wa kikombe cha hasira yangu - ili usiweze kunjwa tena.
thus saith thy Lord, Jehovah, and thy God, who pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I take out of thy hand the cup of bewilderment, the goblet-cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:
23 Nitakuweka kwenye mikono ya watesaji, wale waliokuambia wewe, Lala chini, ili tutembee juu yako'; wameufanya mgongo wako kama uwanjwa na kama wao wa.''
and I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street to them that went over.