< Isaya 51 >

1 Nisikilizeni mimi, enyi mtendao haki, enyi mtafutaye Yahwe: Tazama katika mwamba uliouchonga nakuchimba kutoka pale ulipopakata.
Hearken unto Me, ye pursuing righteousness, Seeking Jehovah, Look attentively unto the rock — ye have been hewn, And unto the hole of the pit — ye have been 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 attentively unto Abraham your father, And unto Sarah — she bringeth you forth, For — one — I have called him, And I bless him, and multiply 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 hath comforted Zion, He hath comforted all her wastes, And He setteth her wilderness as Eden, And her desert as a garden of Jehovah, Joy, yea, gladness is found in her, Confession, 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.
Attend unto Me, O My people, And, O My nation, unto Me give ear. For a law from Me goeth out, And My judgment to the light, Peoples I do cause to rest.
5 Haki yangu ipo karibu; wokovu wangu utaenda nje, na mikono yangu itahihukumu mataifa; Pwani itanisubiri mimi; maana wanashauku ya kuhusubiria mkono wangu.
Near [is] My righteousness, Gone out hath My salvation and Mine arms, Peoples they judge, on Me isles do wait, Yea, on Mine arm they do wait with hope.
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 ye up to the heavens your eyes, And look attentively unto the earth beneath, For the heavens as smoke have vanished, And the earth as a garment weareth out, And its inhabitants as gnats do die, And My salvation is to the age, And My righteousness is not broken.
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 who know righteousness, A people, in whose heart [is] My law, Fear ye not the reproach of men, And for their reviling be not affrighted,
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 as a garment eat them doth a moth, And as wool eat them doth a worm, And My righteousness is to the age, And My salvation to all generations.
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] days of old, generations of the ages, Art not Thou it that is hewing down Rahab, Piercing a dragon!
10 Je haukukausha bahari, maji ya kina kirefu, na kufanya kina cha bahari kuwa nija ya ukombozi kupita?
Art not Thou it that is drying up a sea, Waters of a great deep? That hath made deep places of a sea A way for the passing of the redeemed?
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.
And the ransomed of Jehovah turn back, And they have come to Zion with singing, And joy age-during [is] on their head, Gladness and joy they attain, Fled away have sorrow and sighing,
12 ''Mimi, mimi ndiye niwapae faraja. Kwa nini uwaogope watu, ambao wanakufa, watatoto wa wanadamu, waliofanywa kama majani?
I — I [am] He — your comforter, Who [art] thou — and thou art afraid of man? he dieth! And of the son of man — grass he is made!
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 thou dost forget Jehovah thy maker, Who is stretching out the heavens, and founding earth, And thou dost fear continually all the day, Because of the fury of the oppressor, As he hath prepared 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.
Hastened hath a wanderer to be loosed, And he doth not die at the pit, And his bread is not lacking.
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, Quieting the sea, when its billows 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 put My words in thy mouth, And with the shadow of My hand have covered thee, To plant the heavens, and to found earth, And to say to Zion, 'My people [art] thou.'
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.
Stir thyself, stir thyself, rise, Jerusalem, Who hast drunk from the hand of Jehovah The cup of His fury, The goblet, the cup of trembling, thou hast drunk, Thou hast wrung out.
18 Hakuna hata mmoja miongoni mwa watoto aliyewazaa wa kumuongoza yeye; hakuna hata mmoja miongoni mwa wote aliyewalea wa kumshika mkono wake.
There is not a leader to her Out of all the sons she hath borne, And there is none laying hold on her hand Out of all the sons she hath nourished.
19 Shida hizi mbili ziliwatokea ninyi- ni nani atahuzunika pamja nanyi? - ukiwa na uharibifu, na njaa na upanga. Ni nani atakayekufariji wewe?
These two are meeting thee, who is moved for thee? Spoiling and destruction — Famine and sword, who — 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 sons have been wrapped up, they have lain down, At the head of all out places, as a wild ox [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, I pray thee, this, O afflicted and drunken one, and 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 said thy Lord Jehovah, and thy God, He pleadeth [for] his people: 'Lo, I have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling, The goblet, the cup of My fury, Thou dost not add to drink it any more.
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 have put it into the hand of those afflicting thee, Who have said to thy soul, Bow down, and we pass over, And thou makest as the earth thy body, And as the street to those passing by!'

< Isaya 51 >