< 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.
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, that he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days 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.
Hear, heavens, and give ear, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me.
3 Ng'ombe anamjua anayemmiliki na punda anajua sehemu anapowekewa chakula, lakini Israeli hawajui, wala hawafahamu.''
The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's feeding trough, but Israel does not know, Israel does not understand.”
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.
Woe! Nation, sinners, a people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned Yahweh, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves from him.
5 Kwa nini ulikuwa unaendelea kupigwa? Kwa nini unazidi kuasi zaudi na zaidi? Kichwa chote kinauma, moyo wote ni dhaifu.
Why are you still being beaten? Why do you rebel more and more? The whole head is sick, the whole heart is weak.
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.
From the sole of the foot to the head there is no part unharmed; only wounds, and bruises, and fresh open wounds; they have not been closed, cleansed, bandaged, nor treated with oil.
7 Nchi yenu imeharibiwa; miji yenu imechomwa moto; mashamba yenu— mbele, wageni wamehiaribu; wamepatelekeza katika uharibifu, ulioangushwa na wageni
Your country is ruined; your cities are burned; your fields—in your presence, strangers are destroying them— abandoned devastation, overthrown by strangers.
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 hut in a vineyard, like a shed in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city.
9 Kama Yahwe wa majeshi hakutuasha kwa mda mfupi tungekuwa kama Sodoma, tungekuwa kama Gomora.
If Yahweh of hosts had not left for us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.
10 Sikiliza neno la Yahwe, enyi viongozi wa Sodomu; sikilizeni sheria ya Mungu wetu, enyi watu wa Gomora:
Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law 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 is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?” says Yahweh. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fatted beasts; and in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats I do not delight.
12 Ulipokuja kuonekaa mbele yangu, Ni nani aliyehitaji hili juu yako, kukanyaga katika mahama yangu
When you come to appear before me, who has required this of you, to trample 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.
Bring no more meaningless offerings; incense is an abomination to me; your new moon and Sabbath assemblies—I cannot tolerate these wicked assemblies.
14 Ninaichukia sherehe yenu mpya ya mwenzi na sherehe zilizoteuliwa; ni mzigo kwangu; nimechoka kuubeba.
I hate your new moons and your appointed feasts; they are a burden to me; I am tired of enduring them.
15 Hivyo basi mnapotawanya mikono yenu kitkika maombi, sitawangalia hata kama mkiomba sana, sitawasikiliza; mikono yenu imejaa damu.
So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
16 Jiosheni, jitakaseni wenyewe; ondoeni matendo maovu mbele ya macho yangu; acheni kutenda dhambi;
Wash, cleanse yourselves; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight; stop being evil;
17 jifunze kutenda mema; tafuta ukweli; msiwanyanyase, wapeni haki yatima, walindeni wajane.''
learn to do good; seek justice, make straight the oppression, give justice to the fatherless, defend the widow.”
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 now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh; “though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.
19 Kama utakubali na kutii, utakula mema ya nchi,
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land,
20 lakini ukikataa na kugeuka, upanga utakuangamiza, maama Yahwe amesema.
but if you refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you,” for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.
21 Ni kwa jinsi gani mji ulioaminika umekuwa kahaba! ulikuwa ni mij wenye usawa na haki, lakini sasa mji umejaa mauwaji.
How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She who was full of justice—she was full of righteousness, but now she is full of murderers.
22 Fedha zenu zimechafuka, na mvinyo wenu umechanganjwa na maji.
Your silver has become impure, your wine mixed with water.
23 Viongozi wenu wamemgeuka Mungu wamekuwa marafiki wa wezi; yeyote anayopenda rushwa na kuikimbilia. Hawawajali yatima, wala wajane wanaokuja kuwanyenyekea mbele yao.
Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after payoffs. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the widow's legal plea come before them.
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;
Therefore this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Woe to them! I will take vengeance against my adversaries, and avenge myself against my enemies;
25 Nitaugeuza mkono wangu juu yako, nitatakasa chuma kilicho chakaa na kuondoa kutu yote.
I will turn my hand against you, refine away your dross as with lye, and take away all your dross.
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 restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful town.”
27 Sayuni itakombolewa kwa haki, na wanaotubu kwa haki.
Zion will be redeemed by justice, and her repentant ones by righteousness.
28 Waasi na wenye dhambi wataangamizwa pamoja, na wale wataenda kinyume na Yahwe watauliwa.
Rebels and sinners will be crushed together, and those who abandon Yahweh will be done away with.
29 Kwakukuwa utaona aibu juu ya miti ya mialoni uliyoitamani, na utakuwa na hofu juu ya bustani uliyoichagua.
“For you will be ashamed of the sacred oak trees that you desired, and you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.
30 Kwa kukuwa utakuwa kama mualoni ambao majani yake yamenyauka, na kama bustani isiyokuwa na maji.
For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a 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''.
The strong man will be like tinder, and his work like a spark; they will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”

< Isaya 1 >