Isaya 8
1 Yahwe ameniambia mimi, '' chukua meza kubwa na uandike juu yake, 'Maheri Shalal Hash Baz.'
And the Lord said to me, Take to yourself a volume of a great new [book], and write in it with a man's pen concerning the making a rapid plunder of spoils; for it is near at hand.
2 Nitachagua mashahidi waaminifu wanishuhudie mimi, kuhani Uria, Zakaria mototo wa Yeberekia.''
And make me witnesses [of] faithful men, Urias, and Zacharias the son of Barachias.
3 Nilienda kwa huyo nabii mwanamke alipata mimba na kumzaa mtoto. Halafu Yahwe akaniambia, ''Muite jina lake Shalal Hash Baz;
And I went in to the prophetess; and she conceived, and bore a son. And the Lord said to me, Call his name, Spoil quickly, plunder speedily.
4 Maana kabla mtoto ajajua kulia, 'Baba yangu, 'Mama yangu; utajiri wa Damaskasi, na mateka wa Samaria watachuliwa na mfalme wa Asiria.
For before the child shall know [how] to call [his] father or [his] mother, [one] shall take the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria before the king of the Assyrians.
5 Yahwe aliongea na mimi tena,
And the Lord spoke to me yet again, [saying],
6 Kwa sababu watu hawa wameyakataa maji ya Shiloa na ni furaha kwa Rezeni na mtoto wa Remalia,
Because this people chooses not the water of Siloam that goes softly, but wills to have Rassin, and the son of Romelias [to be] king over you;
7 Hivyo basi Bwana anakairbia kuwaletea maji maji ya mto, yenye nguvu na mengi, mfalme Asiria na utukufu wake utakuja juu na kupita juu ya mifereji yake atafurika juu ya kingo zote.
therefore, behold, the Lord brings up upon you the water of the river, strong and abundant, [even] the king of the Assyrians, and his glory: and he shall come up over every valley of yours, and shall walk over every wall of yours:
8 Mto utafurika kuelekea Yuda, utafurika mpaka kufika kwenye shingo yako. Mabawa yake yaliyonyooshwa utajaza upana wa nchi, Emanueli.''
and he shall take away from Juda [every] man who shall be able to lift up his head, [and every one] able to accomplish anything; and his camp shall fill the breadth of your land, [O] God with us.
9 Nyie watu mtavunjika vipande vipande, Sikilizeni, nyote muishio nchi zilizo mbali; jiandaeni wenyewe na mtavunyika vipande vipande.
Know, you Gentiles, and be conquered; listen you, even to the extremity of the earth: be conquered, after you strengthened yourselves; for even if you should again strengthen yourselves, you shall again be conquered.
10 utatengeneza mpango, lakini haufanyiwa kazi; maana Mungu yuko pamoja nasi.
And whatever counsel you shall take, the Lord shall bring it to nothing; and whatever word you shall speak, it shall not stand amongst you: for God is with us.
11 Yahwe ameiniambia mimi, kwa mkono wake imara juu yangu, na amenikataza nisitembee katika njia za watu hawa. Nisiseme,
Thus says the Lord, With a strong hand they revolt from the course of the way of this people, saying,
12 Ni fitina habari ya mambo ambayo watu hawatasema, ni fitina msihofu wala msiogope.
Let them not say, [It is] hard, for whatever this people says, is hard: but fear not you their fear, neither be dismayed.
13 Yahwe wa majeshi ambaye mtakaye muheshimu kama mtakatifu; yeye ndie mtakayemuogopa na yeye ndiye mtakayemuhofia.
Sanctify you the Lord himself; and he shall be your fear.
14 mtakatifu; lakinia takuwa kama jiwe la kikwazo na mwamba wa kujikwaza kwa nyumba zote za Israeli. Na atakuwa mtego na mtego kwa watu wake Yerusalemu.
And if you shall trust in him, he shall be to you for a sanctuary; and you shall not come against [him] as against a stumbling-stone, neither as against the falling of a rock: but the houses of Jacob are in a snare, and the dwellers in Jerusalem in a pit.
15 Wengi watajikwaa juu yao na kuanguka na kuvunjika, na kutekwa na kukamata mateka.
Therefore many amongst them shall be weak, and fall, and be crushed; and they shall draw near, and men shall be taken securely.
16 Ufunge huo ushuhuda, tia muhuri, na uwape wafuasi wangu,
Then shall those who seal themselves that they may not learn the law be made manifest.
17 Nitamsubiri Yahwe, afichaye uso wake kutoka nyumba ya Yakobo; Nitamsubiri yeye.
And [one] shall say, I will wait for God, who has turned away his face from the house of Jacob, and I will trust in him.
18 Ona, Mimi na watoto ambaye Yahwe amenipa mimi ni ishara na maajabu tu katika Israeli kutoka kwa Yahwe wa Majeshi yeye aishiye mlima wa Sayuni.
Behold I and the children which God has given me: and they shall be [for] signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in mount Sion.
19 Watakuambia wewe, ''tafuta habari kwa watu wenye pepo na wachawi'', walio kama ndege na kunong'ona dua. Lakini hawataacha kutafuta habari kwa Mungu wao? Je waenende kwa watu waliokufa badala ya walio hai?
And if they should say to you, Seek those who have in them a divining spirit, and them that speak out of the earth, them that speak vain words, who speak out of their belly: shall not a nation diligently seek to their God? why do they seek to the dead concerning the living?
20 Kwa sheria na kwa ushuhuda! kama hawatayasema mambo hayo ni kwa sababu hakuna mwanga wa alfajiri.
For he has given the law for a help, that they should not speak according to this word, concerning which there are no gifts to give for it.
21 Nawatapita katikati ya nchi kwa shida kubwa na njaa. Walipokuwa na njaa, walipatwa na hasira na kumlaani mfalme wao na Mungu wao, na wakajeuza macho yao juu.
And famine shall come sorely upon you, and it shall come to pass, [that] when you shall be hungry, you shall be grieved, and you shall speak ill of the prince and your fathers' ordinances: and they shall look up to heaven above,
22 Wataiangalia nchi na kuona dhiki, giza, na ukandamizaji wa viza. Watapelekwa kwenye nchi ya giza.
and they shall look on the earth below, and behold severe distress, and darkness, affliction, and anguish, and darkness so that [one can’t] see; and he that is in anguish shall not be distressed only for a time.
