Isaya 58
1 ''Lia kwa sauti; usinyamaze. Paza sauti yako juu kama mbiu. Kabiliana na watu wangu wenye uasi, na nyumba ya Yakobo na dhambi zao.
Call with the throat, restrain not, As a trumpet lift up thy voice, And declare to My people their transgression, And to the house of Jacob their sins;
2 Bali wananitafuta mimi kila siku na kufurahia katika maarifa ya njia zangu, kama taifa linalotenda haki na hawakuiacha sheria ya Mungu wao. Wananiuliza mimi kuhusu hukumu ya haki; wamepata furaha katika mawazo yao ya kwa kumkaribia Mungu
Seeing — Me day by day they seek, And the knowledge of My ways they desire, As a nation that righteousness hath done, And the judgment of its God hath not forsaken, They ask of me judgments of righteousness, The drawing near of God they desire:
3 Kwa niini tulifunga; walisema, 'Lakini hamkuona hilo? Kwa nini tulijinyenyekeza wenywe, lakini hakutambua?' Tazama, siku ya kufunda kwanu utatafuta furaha yanu mwenyewe na kuwanyanyasa wafanyakazi wenu wote.
'Why have we fasted, and Thou hast not seen? We have afflicted our soul, and Thou knowest not.' Lo, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, And all your labours ye exact.
4 Tazama, ninyi mnafunga ili muwe wepesi wa kugombana na kupigana, na kupiga kwa ngumi ya uovu wako; haujafunga leo kuifanya sauti yako isikike juu.
Lo, for strife and debate ye fast, And to smite with the fist of wickedness, Ye fast not as [to] -day, To sound in the high place your voice.
5 Kwa uhalisi aina ya mfungo huu ndio ambao ninauhitaji: Siku ambayo kila mtu hunyenyekea mwenyewe, huinamisha kichwa chake chini kama mwanzi, na hutawanya mavazi ya magunia na majivu chini yake? Je kweli unauita huu ni mfungo, siku ya kumfurahisha Yahwe?
Like this is the fast that I choose? The day of a man's afflicting his soul? To bow as a reed his head, And sackcloth and ashes spread out? This dost thou call a fast, And a desirable day — to Jehovah?
6 Hii sio mfungo ambao niliuchagua mimi: kufungua vifungo vya waovu, kufungua kamba za nira, kuwaweka huru walioangamizwa, na kuharibu kila nira?
Is not this the fast that I chose — To loose the bands of wickedness, To shake off the burdens of the yoke, And to send out the oppressed free, And every yoke ye draw off?
7 Sio kwamba kula mkate na wenye njaa na kuwaleta masikini na kuwaleta wasio na makazi katika nyuma yako?'' Unapomuana mtu yuko uchi, unatakiwa vumvishe mavazi; na usijifiche mwenyewe na ndugu zako.
Is it not to deal to the hungry thy bread, And the mourning poor bring home, That thou seest the naked and cover him, And from thine own flesh hide not thyself?
8 Halafu mwanga wako utafunguliwa kama jua, na uponyaji wako utachipukia juu kwa haraka; haki yako itaenda mbele zake, na na utukufu wa Yahwe utakuwa nyuma kukulinda.
Then broken up as the dawn is thy light, And thy health in haste springeth up, Gone before thee hath thy righteousness, The honour of Jehovah doth gather thee.
9 Halafu utamuita, na Yahwe atakuitikia; utalia ukihitaji msaada, na atasema, ''Nipo hapa.'' Ikiwa utaitoa nira isiwepo miongoni mwako, kidole kinachoshataki, maongezi ya waovu,
Then thou callest, and Jehovah answereth, Thou criest, and He saith, 'Behold Me.' If thou turn aside from thy midst the yoke, The sending forth of the finger, And the speaking of vanity,
10 Ikiwa wewe mwenyewe utawapa wenye njaa na kuwaridhisha wahitaji katika shida, na giza lako litakuwa kama mchana.
And dost bring out to the hungry thy soul, And the afflicted soul dost satisfy, Then risen in the darkness hath thy light, And thy thick darkness [is] as noon.
11 Halafu Yahwe ataendelea kuwaongoza ninyi na kuwa ridhisha ninyi katika mikoa ambayo hakuna maji, Ataimarisha mifupa yenu. Mtakuwa kama bustani iliyonyeshewa maji, na kama mkondo wa maji, ambaopo maji yake hayapungui.
And Jehovah doth lead thee continually, And hath satisfied in drought thy soul, And thy bones He armeth, And thou hast been as a watered garden, And as an outlet of waters, whose waters lie not.
12 Baadhi yenu mtajenga tena sehumu za kale zilizoharibiwa; mtatengeneza sehemu zilizoharibiwana vizazi vingi; na mtaitwa ''Mrekebishaji wa ukuta,'' kuwarejesha katika mtaa ya kuishi.''
And they have built out of thee the wastes of old, The foundations of many generations thou raisest up, And one calleth thee, 'Repairer of the breach, Restorer of paths to rest in.'
13 Tuseme kwamba ukigeuza nyuma miguu yenu kutoka safarini katika siku ya sabato, kufanya anasa siku yangu takatifu, Tuseme kwamba umeiita sabato siku ya furaha, na umeiita siku ya Bwana Yahwe mtakatifu na yenye kuheshimiwa. Tuseme kwamba unahieshimu sabato kwa kuacha biashara zako, na hautafuti anasa zako mwenyewe na uzungumzi maneno yako mwenyewe.
If thou dost turn from the sabbath thy foot, Doing thine own pleasure on My holy day, And hast cried to the sabbath, 'A delight,' To the holy of Jehovah, 'Honoured,' And hast honoured it, without doing thine own ways, Without finding thine own pleasure, And speaking a word.
14 ''Halafu utapata furaha kwa Yahwe; na nitaifanya safari yako juu ya urefu wa nchi; Nitakulisha wewe kwenye urithi wa Yakobo baba yenu- maana mdomo wa Yahwe umezungumza.''
Then dost thou delight thyself on Jehovah, And I have caused thee to ride on high places of earth, And have caused thee to eat the inheritance of Jacob thy father, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken!
