1
Ole wao wawekao amri zisizo za haki, na waandishi waandikao maneno ya ushupavu;
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees,
2
ili kumpotosha mhitaji asipate haki yake, na kuwanyang'anya maskini wa watu wangu haki yao; ili wajane wawe mateka yao, na kuwafanya yatima waliofiwa na baba zao kuwa mawindo yao!
to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.
3
Nanyi mtafanya nini siku ya kujiliwa, na wakati wa uangamivu, utakaokuja kutoka mbali sana? Je! Mtamkimbilia nani mpate msaada? Na utukufu wenu mtauacha wapi?
What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
4
Watainama chini ya wafungwa tu, wataanguka chini yao waliouawa. Pamoja na hayo yote hasira yake haikugeukia mbali, lakini mkono wake umenyoshwa hata sasa.
Nothing will remain but to crouch among the captives or fall among the slain. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
5
Ole wake Ashuru! Fimbo ya hasira yangu, ambaye gongo lililo mkononi mwake ni ghadhabu yangu!
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath.
6
Nitamtuma juu ya taifa lenye kukufuru, nitampa maagizo juu ya watu wa ghadhabu yangu, ateke nyara, na kuchukua mateka, na kuwakanyaga kama matope ya njiani.
I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets.
7
Lakini hivyo sivyo akusudiavyo mwenyewe, wala sivyo moyo wake uwazavyo; maana katika moyo wake akusudia kuharibu, na kukatilia mbali mataifa, wala si mataifa machache.
But this is not his intention; this is not his plan. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off many nations.
8
Maana asema, Je! Wakuu wangu si wote wafalme?
“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says.
9
Je! Kalno si kama Karkemishi? Hamathi si kama Arpadi? Samaria si kama Dameski?
“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10
Kama vile mkono wangu ulivyofikilia falme za sanamu, ambazo sanamu zao za kuchongwa zilikuwa bora kuliko sanamu za Yerusalemu na za Samaria;
As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11
je! Sitautenda Yerusalemu na sanamu zake vile vile kama nilivyoutenda Samaria na sanamu zake?
and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”
12
Basi, itakuwa, Bwana atakapokuwa ameitimiza kazi yake yote juu ya mlima Sayuni na juu ya Yerusalemu, nitayaadhibu matunda ya kiburi cha moyo wake mfalme wa Ashuru, na majivuno ya macho yake.
So when the Lord has completed all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of his arrogant heart and the proud look in his eyes.
13
Kwa maana amesema, Kwa nguvu za mkono wangu nimetenda jambo hili, na kwa hekima yangu; maana mimi nina busara; nami nimeiondoa mipaka ya watu, nikaziteka akiba zao, nikawaangusha waketio juu ya viti vya enzi kama afanyavyo shujaa.
For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers.
14
Na mkono wangu umezitoa mali za mataifa kama katika kioto cha ndege; na kama vile watu wakusanyavyo mayai yaliyoachwa, ndivyo nilivyokusanya dunia yote; wala hapana aliyetikisa bawa, wala kufumbua kinywa, wala kulia.
My hand reached as into a nest to seize the wealth of the nations. Like one gathering abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth. No wing fluttered, no beak opened or chirped.’”
15
Je! Shoka lijisifu juu yake alitumiaye? Je! Msumeno ujitukuze juu yake auvutaye? Ingekuwa kana kwamba bakora ingewatikisa waiinuao, au fimbo ingemwinua yeye ambaye si mti.
Does an axe raise itself above the one who swings it? Does a saw boast over him who saws with it? It would be like a rod waving the one who lifts it, or a staff lifting him who is not wood!
16
Kwa hiyo Bwana, Bwana wa majeshi, atawapelekea kukonda watu wake walionona; na badala ya utukufu wake kutawashwa kuteketea kama kuteketea kwa moto.
Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame.
17
Na mwanga wa Israeli utakuwa ni moto, na Mtakatifu wake atakuwa mwali wa moto; nao utateketeza na kula mbigili zake na miiba yake katika siku moja.
And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles.
18
Naye atauteketeza utukufu wa msitu wake, na wa shamba lake linalositawi, tangu nafsi hata nyama ya mwili, itakuwa kama vile afapo mtu aliye mgonjwa.
The splendor of its forests and orchards, both soul and body, it will completely destroy, as a sickness consumes a man.
19
Na miti ya msitu wake itakayosalia itakuwa michache, hata mtoto ataweza kuihesabu.
The remaining trees of its forests will be so few that a child could count them.
20
Tena itakuwa katika siku hiyo mabaki ya Israeli, na hao waliopona wa nyumba ya Yakobo, hawatamtegemea tena yeye aliyewapiga, bali watamtegemea Bwana, Mtakatifu wa Israeli, kwa kweli.
On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
21
Mabaki, nao ni mabaki ya Yakobo, watamrudia Mungu, aliye mwenye nguvu.
A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God.
22
Maana watu wako, Ee Israeli, wajapokuwa wengi kama mchanga wa pwani, ni mabaki tu watakaorudi; kuangamiza kumekusudiwa, kunakofurika kwa haki.
Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overflowing with righteousness.
23
Kwa maana Bwana, Bwana wa majeshi, atayatimiza maangamizo yaliyokusudiwa katika nchi yote.
For the Lord GOD of Hosts will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.
24
Kwa hiyo Bwana, Bwana wa majeshi, asema hivi, Enyi watu wangu mkaao katika Sayuni, msiogope Ashuru, ingawa akupiga kwa fimbo, na kuliinua gongo lake juu yako, kwa namna ya Kimisri.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear Assyria, who strikes you with a rod and lifts his staff against you as the Egyptians did.
25
Maana bado kitambo kidogo tu ghadhabu itakoma, na hasira yangu itageukia kuwaangamiza.
For in just a little while My fury against you will subside, and My anger will turn to their destruction.”
26
Na Bwana wa majeshi ataamsha mjeledi juu yake, kama vile alivyopiga Midiani karibu na jabali la Orebu; na fimbo yake itakuwa juu ya bahari, naye ataiinua kwa namna ya Kimisri.
And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise His staff over the sea, as He did in Egypt.
27
Tena itakuwa katika siku hiyo mzigo wake utaondoka begani mwako, na nira yake shingoni mwako, nayo nira itaharibiwa, kwa sababu ya kutiwa mafuta.
On that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders, and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large.
28
Amefika Ayathi; amepita kati ya Migroni; ameweka mizigo yake huko Mikmashi;
Assyria has entered Aiath and passed through Migron, storing their supplies at Michmash.
29
wamevuka kivuko; wamekwenda kulala katika Geba; Rama unatetemeka; Gibea wa Sauli umekimbia.
They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.
30
Piga kelele sana, Ee binti Galimu; sikiliza, Ee Laisha; ole wako, maskini Anathothi!
Cry aloud, O Daughter of Gallim! Listen, O Laishah! O wretched Anathoth!
31
Madmena ni mkimbizi; wenyeji wa Gebimu wamejikusanya wakimbie;
Madmenah flees; the people of Gebim take refuge.
32
siku hii ya leo atasimama huko Nobu; anatikisa mkono wake juu ya mlima wa binti Sayuni, mlima wa Yerusalemu.
Yet today they will halt at Nob, shaking a fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
33
Angalia, Bwana, Bwana wa majeshi, atayakata matawi kwa nguvu za kutisha; nao walio warefu wa kimo watakatwa; na hao walioinuka wataangushwa chini;
Behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts will lop off the branches with terrifying power. The tall trees will be cut down, the lofty ones will be felled.
34
naye atavikata vichaka vya msitu kwa chuma; na Lebanoni utaanguka kwa mkono wake aliye mwenye uweza.
He will clear the forest thickets with an axe, and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.