A Parable
1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
Na nimwimbie mpenzi wangu wimbo wa mpenzi wangu katika habari za shamba lake la mizabibu. Mpenzi wangu alikuwa na shamba la mizabibu, Kilimani penye kuzaa sana;
2 and he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
Akafanya handaki kulizunguka pande zote, Akatoa mawe yake, Akapanda ndani yake mzabibu ulio mzuri, Akajenga mnara katikati yake, Akachimba shinikizo ndani yake; Akatumaini ya kuwa utazaa zabibu, Nao ukazaa zabibu-mwitu.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
Na sasa, enyi wenyeji wa Yerusalemu, nanyi watu wa Yuda, amueni, nawasihi, kati ya mimi na shamba langu la mizabibu.
4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
Je! Ni kazi gani iliyoweza kutendeka ndani ya shamba langu la mizabibu nisiyoitenda? Basi, nilipotumaini ya kuwa litazaa zabibu, mbona lilizaa zabibu-mwitu?
5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
Haya basi, sasa nitawaambieni nitakalolitenda shamba langu la mizabibu; nitaondoa kitalu chake, nalo litaliwa; nitabomoa ukuta wake, nalo litakanyagwa;
6 and I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
nami nitaliharibu; wala halitapogolewa wala kulimwa, bali litamea mbigili na miiba; nami nitayaamuru mawingu yasinyeshe mvua juu yake.
7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
Kwa maana shamba la mizabibu la Bwana wa majeshi ndilo nyumba ya Israeli, na watu wa Yuda ni mche wake wa kupendeza; akatumaini kuona hukumu ya haki, na kumbe! Aliona dhuluma; alitumaini kuona haki, na kumbe! Alisikia kilio.
8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
Ole wao waongezao nyumba baada ya nyumba, na kuweka shamba karibu na shamba, hata hapana nafasi tena, nanyi hamna budi kukaa peke yenu kati ya nchi!
9 In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
Bwana wa majeshi asema katika masikio yangu, Hakika majumba mengi yatakuwa ukiwa, naam, majumba makubwa, mazuri, yatakuwa hayana watu.
10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.
Kwa maana shamba la mizabibu la eka kumi litatoa bathi moja tu, na homeri ya mbegu itatoa efa tu.
11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
Ole wao waamkao asubuhi na mapema, wapate kufuata kileo; wakishinda sana hata usiku wa manane mpaka mvinyo imewaka kama moto ndani yao!
12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
Na kinubi, na zeze, na matari, na filimbi, na mvinyo, zote ziko katika karamu zao; lakini hawaiangalii kazi ya Bwana wala kuyafikiri matendo ya mikono yake.
13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
Kwa sababu hiyo watu wangu wamechukuliwa mateka, kwa kukosa kuwa na maarifa; na watu wao wenye cheo wana njaa, na wengi wao waona kiu sana.
14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Kwa hiyo kuzimu kumeongeza tamaa yake, kumefunua kinywa chake bila kiasi; na utukufu wao, na wingi wao, na ghasia yao, naye pia afurahiye miongoni mwao, hushuka na kuingia humo.
15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
Na mtu mnyonge ainamishwa, na mtu mkubwa amedhilika, na macho yao walioinuka hunyenyekezwa,
16 but the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
bali Bwana wa majeshi ametukuzwa katika hukumu, na Mungu aliye Mtakatifu ametakaswa katika haki.
17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
Ndipo wana-kondoo watakapolisha kama katika malisho yao wenyewe, na mahali pao waliowanda, palipoachwa ukiwa, wageni watakula.
18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
Ole wao wavutao uovu kwa kamba za ubatili, na dhambi kama kwa kamba za gari!
19 that say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
Wasema, Na afanye haraka, aihimize kazi yake, tupate kuiona; na likaribie shauri lake aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli, tupate kuliona.
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Ole wao wasemao kwamba uovu ni wema, na kwamba wema ni uovu; watiao giza badala ya nuru, na nuru badala ya giza; watiao uchungu badala ya utamu, na utamu badala ya uchungu!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Ole wao walio wenye hekima katika macho yao wenyewe, na wenye busara katika fikira zao wenyewe!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Ole wao walio hodari kunywa kileo chenye nguvu, watu waume wenye nguvu kuchanganya vileo;
23 which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
wampao haki mwenye uovu, ili wapewe ijara, na kumwondolea mwenye haki haki yake!
24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Kwa hiyo kama vile mwali wa moto uteketezavyo mabua makavu, na kama manyasi makavu yaangukavyo katika mwali wa moto; kadhalika shina lao litakuwa kama ubovu, na ua lao litapeperushwa juu kama mavumbi; kwa sababu wameikataa sheria ya Bwana wa majeshi, na kulidharau neno lake aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Kwa sababu hiyo hasira ya Bwana imewaka juu ya watu wake, naye amenyosha mkono wake juu yao; akawapiga, navyo vilima vilitetemeka, na mizoga yao ilikuwa kama takataka katika njia kuu. Pamoja na hayo yote hasira yake haikugeukia mbali, lakini mkono wake umenyoshwa hata sasa.
26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
Naye atawatwekea bendera mataifa toka mbali, Naye atawapigia miunzi tokea mwisho wa nchi; Na tazama, watakuja mbio mbio upesi sana.
27 none shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
Miongoni mwao hakuna achokaye wala kukwaa; Hakuna asinziaye wala kulala usingizi; Wala mshipi wa viuno vyao hautalegea. Wala ukanda wa viatu vyao hautakatika;
28 whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:
Mishale yao ni mikali, na pindi zao zote zimepindika; Kwato za farasi zao zitahesabika kama gumegume; Na gurudumu zao kama kisulisuli;
29 their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it .
Ngurumo yao itakuwa kama ya simba; Watanguruma kama wana-simba; Naam, watanguruma na kukamata mateka, Na kuyachukua na kwenda zao salama, Wala hakuna mtu atakayeokoa.
30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
Nao watanguruma juu yao siku hiyo Kama ngurumo ya bahari; Na mtu akiitazama nchi, ataona giza na dhiki Nayo nuru imetiwa giza katika mawingu yake.
