Isaya 36

1 Katika mwaka wa kumi na nne wa mfalme Hezekia, Senacherebi, mfalme wa Asiria, alivamia miji yote ya Yuda na kuwakamata.

And it happened that, in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians, went up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and he seized them.

2 Halafu mfalme wa Asiria akamtuma kamanda mkuu na jeshi kubwa kutoka Lachishi mpaka Yerusalemu kwa mfalme Hezekia. Alipofika kwenye mfereji katika kisima cha juu, katika njia kuu na katika shamba la dobi na akasimama pale.

And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabshakeh from Lachish into Jerusalem, to king Hezekiah, with a great force, and he stood near the aqueduct of the upper pool, at the road to the fuller’s field.

3 Maofisa wa Israeli waliotumwa kuzungumza nao walikuwa ni Eliakimu mtoto wa Hilkia, kiongozi wa jumba, Shebna katibu wa mfalme, na Joa mtoto wa Asapha, anayeandika makubaliano ya serekali.

And those who went to him were Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah, son of Asaph, the historian.

4 Kamanda mkuu wa jeshi akawaambia wao, ''Mwambieni Hezekia kwamba mfalme mkuu, mfalme Asiria, asema, 'Nini chanzo cha ujasiri wako?

And Rabshakeh said to them: “Tell Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this faith in which you believe?

5 Unaongea maneno yasiyo na maana tu, nasema kama kuna shauri na nguvu za vita. Sasa ni nani unayemuamini? na ni nani aliyekupa ujasiri wa kuniasi mimi.

And by what counsel or strength would you prepare to rebel? In whom do you have faith, so much so that you would withdraw from me?

6 Tazama, umeweka imani yako Misri, maana banzi la mwanzi unalolitumia kama fimbo ya kutembelea, ikiwa mtu ataiegemea na kuishika kwenye mkono wake itamchoma. Hivyo ndovyo jinsi Farao mfalme wa Misri alivyo kwa yeyote anayemuamini.

Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, in that broken staff of a reed. But if a man were to lean against it, it would enter his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to all who trust in him.

7 Lakini ikiwa utasema nami, ''Tunamwamini Yahwe Mungu wetu,''Je sio yeye ambaye Hezekia ameondosha mahali palipoinuka na madhebau, asema kwa Yuda na Yerusalemu, ''Lazima tuabudu mbele ya madhebau hii katika Yerusalemu''?

But if you answer me by saying: ‘We trust in the Lord our God.’ Is it not his high places and altars that Hezekiah has taken away? And he has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar.’

8 Hivyo sasa, nataka kukufanya wewe kuwa zawadi nzuri kwa Bwana mfalme Asiria. Nitakupa farasi elfu mbili, kama utaweza kuwatafutia dereva.

And now, hand yourselves over to my lord, the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, and you will not be able to find riders for them on your own.

9 Ni kwa jinsi gani unaweza kumpinga moja kati ya nahodha aliye mdogo katika watumishi wa Bwana wangu? Mmeweka imani yenu Misri katika gari na farasi!

So how will you withstand the face of the ruler of even one place, of even the least of my lord’s subordinates? But if you trust in Egypt, in four-horse chariots and in horsemen:

10 Halafu sasa, Je nimewezaje kusafiri mpaka hapa pasipo Yahwe kupigana dhidi ya nchi hii na kuhiaribu? Yahwe asema nami, Vamia nchi hii na uhiharibu.

do I intend to go up against this land to destroy it without the Lord? But the Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’”

11 Halafu Eliakimu mtoto wa Hilkia, na Shebna na Joa asema kwa kamanda mkuu, Tafadhali zungumza na watu wako kwa lugha ya kiashuru, maana kiashuru tunakielewa. Usiongee na sisi kwa lugha kiyahudi katika masikio ya watu ambao wako ukutani.''

And Eliakim, and Shebna, and Joah said to Rabshakeh: “Speak to your servants in the Syrian language. For we understand it. Do not speak to us in the Jewish language, in the hearing of the people, who are upon the wall.”

12 Lakini kamanda mkuu akasema, ''Je bwana wenu ametuma kwa bwana wako na kuzungumza haya maneno? Je hajanituma kwa watu walio kaa kwenye ukuta, ili wale kinyesi chaao mwenyewe na kunywa mkojo waomwenyewe?

And Rabshakeh said to them: “Has my lord sent me to your lord and to you in order to speak all these words, and not even more so to the men who are sitting on the wall, so that they may eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

13 Halafu kamanda mkuu akasimama na kupiga kelele kwa sauti kubwa kwa lugha ya kiyahudi, na akisema,

Then Rabshakeh stood up, and he cried out with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and he said: “Listen to the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians.

14 ''Mfalme asema, ' Msimruhusu Hezekia awadanganye ninyi, maana hataweza kuwaokoa ninyi.

Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. For he will not be able to rescue you.

15 Msimruhusu Hezekia awafanye muumuamini Yahwe, Nawambieni Hakika Yahwe atatukomboa sisi; mjii huu hautachukuliwa na mfalme wa Asiria.''

And do not let Hezekiah cause you to trust in the Lord, saying: ‘The Lord will rescue and free us. This city will not be given into the hands of the king of the Assyrians.’

16 Msimsikilize Hezekia, maana hivi ndivyo mfalme wa Asiria anavyosema: 'Fanyeni amani na mimi na mje kwangu. Halafu kila mmoja wenu atakula kwenye mzabibu wake mwenyewe na tunda la mti wake mwenyewe, na kunjwa maji ya kisima chake mwenyewe.

Do not listen to Hezekiah. For the king of the Assyrians says this: Act with me to your own benefit, and come out to me. And let each one eat from his own vine, and each one from his own fig tree. And let each one drink water from his own well,

17 Mtafanya hivi mpaka nije kuwachukua na kuwapeleka kwenye nchi kama ya kwenu. nchi ya mavuno na mvinyo mpya, nchi ya mkate na shamba.

until I arrive and take you away to a land which is like your own: a land of grain and of wine, a land of bread and of vineyards.

18 Msimruhusu Hezekia awapotoshe nyie, akisema, Yahwe atatuokoa nyie; Je kuna miungu ya aina yeyote ya watu iliyowakomboa kutoka mikononi mwa mfalme wa Asiria?

But you should not let Hezekiah disturb you, saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have any of the gods of each of the nations delivered their land from the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

19 Wako wapi miungu wa Hamathi na Arpadi? Iko wapi miungu ya Sefarvaimu? Je wameikomboa Samaria kutoka kwenye nguvu zangu?

Where is the god of Hamath and of Arpad? Where is the god of Sepharvaim? Have they freed Samaria from my hand?

20 Miongoni mwa miungu yote ya nchi hii, Je kuna miungu ya aina yeyote iliyoikomboa nchi yao kutoka kwenye nguvu yangu, ni kama Yahwe anaweza kuawokoa Yerusalemu kutoka kwenye nguvu yangu?''

Who is there, among all the gods of these lands, who has rescued his land from my hand, so that the Lord would rescue Jerusalem from my hand?”

21 Lakini watu wanabaki kimya na hawataki kujibu, maana amri ya mfalme ilikuwa, ''Msimjibu''.

And they remained silent and did not answer a word to him. For the king had commanded them, saying, “You shall not respond to him.”

22 Halafu Eliakimu mtoto wa Hilkia, yeye aliye juu ya kaya, Shebna mwandishi, na Joa mtoto wa Asafu, na mtunza kumbukumbu, walikuja kwa Hezekia na nguo zilizotoboka na wakapeleka maneno ya kamanda mkuu.

And Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah, son of Asaph, the historian, entered to Hezekiah with their garments rent, and they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.