Isaya 1
1 Maono ya Isaya mtoto wa Amozi ambayo aliyaona kuhusu Yuda na Yerusalemu katika vipindi vya utawala wa Uzia, Yothamu, Ahazi, na Hezekia, wafalme wa Yuda.
This is the vision that Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw about Judah and Jerusalem in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Sikia enyi mbingu, tega sikio ewe nchi; kwa kuwa Yahwe amesema: ''Nimewatunza na kuwalea watoto, lakini wamenigeuka.
Heavens, listen! Earth, pay attention! For the Lord has spoken! I brought up children, I cared for them, but they have rebelled against me.
3 Ng'ombe anamjua anayemmiliki na punda anajua sehemu anapowekewa chakula, lakini Israeli hawajui, wala hawafahamu.''
An ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows its feeding trough; but my people don't know me, they don't understand me.
4 Ole! Taifa, wenye zambi, mtu muovu, watoto wa wenye zambi, watoto wanaoenda kinyume, Wamemtelekeza Yahwe, wamedharau aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli, wamejitenga wenyew kutoka kwake.
What a sinful nation—a people carrying such a load of guilt, an evil generation, corrupt children! They have abandoned the Lord. They have despised Israel's Holy One. They have become strangers. They have gone backwards.
5 Kwa nini ulikuwa unaendelea kupigwa? Kwa nini unazidi kuasi zaudi na zaidi? Kichwa chote kinauma, moyo wote ni dhaifu.
Are you wanting to be punished? Are you going to continue to rebel? The whole of your head is damaged, and your heart is totally giving out.
6 Kutoka kwenye unyayo wa mguu mpaka kichwani kila sehemu ina maumivu; ni madonda na majeraha mabichi yaliyoachwa wazi, ambayo hayajafungwa, kuasifishwa, kuwafunga vidonda vyao, wala kuwaponya kwa mafuta.
You're injured from head to toe, bruised and sore, with open wounds that haven't been cleaned or bandaged or treated with olive oil.
7 Nchi yenu imeharibiwa; miji yenu imechomwa moto; mashamba yenu— mbele, wageni wamehiaribu; wamepatelekeza katika uharibifu, ulioangushwa na wageni
Your country has been devastated, your towns burned down, your fields stripped bare by foreigners right in front of you, as they turn it all into a wasteland.
8 Binti Sayuni ameacha kama kibanda katika shamba la mzabu, kama kivuli kitika shamba la matango, kama mji unaomba.
The daughter of Zion is left like a shack in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under attack.
9 Kama Yahwe wa majeshi hakutuasha kwa mda mfupi tungekuwa kama Sodoma, tungekuwa kama Gomora.
If the Lord Almighty hadn't let a few of us survive, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.
10 Sikiliza neno la Yahwe, enyi viongozi wa Sodomu; sikilizeni sheria ya Mungu wetu, enyi watu wa Gomora:
Listen to what the Lord has to say, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the instructions of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 ''Sadaka zenu ni nyingi kiasi gani kwangu?'' asema Yahwe. ''Nimesikia vya kutosha kuhusu sadaka yenu ya mwana kondoo, na mnyama alionona; na damu ya ng'ombe, ndama, au mbuzi si vifurahii.
What use are all your many sacrifices to me? asks the Lord. I am sick and tired of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of sacrificial animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats!
12 Ulipokuja kuonekaa mbele yangu, Ni nani aliyehitaji hili juu yako, kukanyaga katika mahama yangu
When you come to appear before me in worship, who asked you to proudly tramp around my courts?
13 Msilete tena sadaka zisizo na maana; maana zinaniongezea uchafu mmekusanyika katika siku yenu mpya ya mwenzi na sabato—Mimi siwezi vumlia mikusanyio hii ya waovu.
Don't bring me any more meaningless offerings; your incense is offensive to me. Your new moon festivals and Sabbath observations and your calling of special religious meetings—I can't stand them because they're evil, as are your solemn assemblies.
14 Ninaichukia sherehe yenu mpya ya mwenzi na sherehe zilizoteuliwa; ni mzigo kwangu; nimechoka kuubeba.
I detest your new moon and yearly festivals with my whole being! They've become just a burden to me—I can't bear them anymore!
15 Hivyo basi mnapotawanya mikono yenu kitkika maombi, sitawangalia hata kama mkiomba sana, sitawasikiliza; mikono yenu imejaa damu.
When you hold up your hands to me in prayer, I'll look away. Even though you pray many prayers, I won't pay attention to them, because your hands are full of blood.
16 Jiosheni, jitakaseni wenyewe; ondoeni matendo maovu mbele ya macho yangu; acheni kutenda dhambi;
Wash yourselves and clean yourselves up. Get rid of your sins—I don't want to see them! Stop doing evil!
17 jifunze kutenda mema; tafuta ukweli; msiwanyanyase, wapeni haki yatima, walindeni wajane.''
Learn to do good; strive for justice, condemn those who oppress others; support the rights of orphans, take up cases to defend widows.
18 Njooni sasa, njooni tusemezane, asema Yahwe, japokuwa dhambi zenu ni nyekundu kama bendera zitakuwa nyeupe kama theluji; japokuwa ni myekundu kama damu zitakuwa kama sufi.
Come on, let's argue this out, says the Lord. Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will become white like snow. Even though they are red like crimson, they will become like wool.
19 Kama utakubali na kutii, utakula mema ya nchi,
If you really want this, and if you do as you're told, then you yourselves will eat the best things that the land produces.
20 lakini ukikataa na kugeuka, upanga utakuangamiza, maama Yahwe amesema.
But if you are defiant, and if you are rebellious, you'll be killed by the sword. This is what the Lord has declared!
21 Ni kwa jinsi gani mji ulioaminika umekuwa kahaba! ulikuwa ni mij wenye usawa na haki, lakini sasa mji umejaa mauwaji.
The city that used to be faithful has turned into a prostitute! Once she operated on principles of justice and followed what was right, but now only murderers live there.
22 Fedha zenu zimechafuka, na mvinyo wenu umechanganjwa na maji.
Your silver has become worthless waste; you wine has been watered down.
23 Viongozi wenu wamemgeuka Mungu wamekuwa marafiki wa wezi; yeyote anayopenda rushwa na kuikimbilia. Hawawajali yatima, wala wajane wanaokuja kuwanyenyekea mbele yao.
Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and want to get kickbacks. They don't defend the rights of orphans, and refuse to take cases to help widows.
24 Hivyo basi hili ndilo tamko la Bwana, Yahwe wa majeshi, Shujaa wa Israeli: Ole wao! nitachukua hatua kwa wale walio kinyume na mimi na niwaadhibu wale wanaonipinga;
So this is what the Lord says, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel: Ha! I will take satisfaction in punishing my enemies, by paying back those who hate me!
25 Nitaugeuza mkono wangu juu yako, nitatakasa chuma kilicho chakaa na kuondoa kutu yote.
I will turn against you. I will refine you in a furnace, removing all impurities.
26 Nitailinda hukumu yako kama ilivyokuwa mwanzo, na washauri wako kama ilivyokuwa hapo mwanzo; baada ya hapo mtaitwa mji wa haki, mji wa imani.''
I will give you good leaders as you used to have before, wise counselors as you had in the beginning. After that you will once again be called the City of Integrity, the Faithful City.
27 Sayuni itakombolewa kwa haki, na wanaotubu kwa haki.
Zion will be rescued by justice, those who repent by doing right.
28 Waasi na wenye dhambi wataangamizwa pamoja, na wale wataenda kinyume na Yahwe watauliwa.
But rebels and sinners will be destroyed together, and those who abandon the Lord will die.
29 Kwakukuwa utaona aibu juu ya miti ya mialoni uliyoitamani, na utakuwa na hofu juu ya bustani uliyoichagua.
You will be ashamed about how you enjoyed your pagan worship among the oak trees; you will be embarrassed because you chose the pleasure gardens of idols.
30 Kwa kukuwa utakuwa kama mualoni ambao majani yake yamenyauka, na kama bustani isiyokuwa na maji.
As a result you will become like an oak whose leaves have withered, a dried-out garden that has no water.
31 Mtu mwenye nguvu atakuwa kama kitu kikavu, na kazi yake itakuwa kama cheche; zitawaka moto kwa pamoja, na hakuna hata mmoja ataweza kuuzima''.
Your strong people will become like tinder, and their work will become like a spark. They will burn together, and nobody will be able to put out the flames.
