The Lord Appoints Isaiah to Speak for Him
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was seated on his throne. His long robe filled the temple. He was highly honored. 2Above him were seraphs. Each of them had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces. With two wings they covered their feet. And with two wings they were flying. 3They were calling out to one another. They were saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all.
The whole earth is full of his glory.”
4The sound of their voices caused the stone doorframe to shake. The temple was filled with smoke.
5“How terrible it is for me!” I cried out. “I’m about to be destroyed! My mouth speaks sinful words. And I live among people who speak sinful words. Now I have seen the King with my own eyes. He is the Lord who rules over all.”
6A seraph flew over to me. He was holding a hot coal. He had used tongs to take it from the altar. 7He touched my mouth with the coal. He said, “This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away. Your sin has been paid for.”
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, “Who will I send? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
9So he said, “Go and speak to these people. Tell them,
“ ‘You will hear but never understand.
You will see but never know what you are seeing.’
10Make the hearts of these people stubborn.
Plug up their ears.
Close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes.
They might hear with their ears.
They might understand with their hearts.
And they might turn to me and be healed.”
11Then I said, “Lord, how long will it be like that?”
He answered,
“It will last until the cities of Israel are destroyed.
It will last until no one is living in them.
It will last until the houses are deserted.
The fields will be completely destroyed.
12It will last until the Lord has sent everyone far away.
The land will be totally deserted.
13Suppose only a tenth of the people remain there.
Even then the land will be completely destroyed again.
But when oak trees and terebinth trees
are cut down, stumps are left.
And my holy people will be like stumps
that begin to grow again.”
Agizo Kwa Isaya
16:1 2Nya 26:22-23; Hes 12:8; Ufu 4:2; 1:13; 2Fal 15:7; Kut 24:10; Ufu 4:2; Yn 12:41; 1Fal 22:19Katika mwaka ule Mfalme Uzia alikufa, nilimwona Bwana ameketi katika kiti cha enzi, kilicho juu na kilichotukuzwa sana, nalo pindo la joho lake likajaza Hekalu. 26:2 Eze 1:5; 10:15; 1:11; Ufu 4:8Juu yake walikuwepo maserafi, kila mmoja alikuwa na mabawa sita: Kwa mabawa mawili walifunika nyuso zao, kwa mengine mawili walifunika miguu yao, na kwa mawili walikuwa wakiruka. 36:3 Ufu 4:8; Kut 16:7; 15:11; Hes 14:21; Isa 54:5; 11:9; Za 89:9; 72:19; 89:8; Mal 1:11Nao walikuwa wakiitana kila mmoja na mwenzake:
“Mtakatifu, Mtakatifu, Mtakatifu
ni Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote;
dunia yote imejaa utukufu wake.”
46:4 Kut 19:18; Eze 43:5; 44:4; Ufu 15:8Kwa sauti zao, miimo ya milango na vizingiti vilitikisika, nalo Hekalu likajaa moshi.
56:5 Isa 59:3; Yer 9:3-8; 51:57; Hes 17:12; Kum 5:26; Kut 6:12; 24:10; Isa 24:23; 5:8; Lk 5:8; Yer 5:3; 51:57; Ay 42:5Ndipo nikalia, “Ole wangu! Nimeangamia! Kwa kuwa mimi ni mtu mwenye midomo michafu, nami ninaishi katikati ya watu wenye midomo michafu, nayo macho yangu yamemwona Mfalme, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.”
66:6 Law 10:1; Eze 10:2Ndipo mmoja wa wale maserafi akaruka kunijia akiwa na kaa la moto linalowaka mkononi mwake, ambalo alikuwa amelichukua kwa koleo kutoka madhabahuni. 76:7 Dan 10:16; 12:3; 1Yn 1:7; Isa 45:25; Yer 1:9; Law 26:41Akanigusa nalo kinywa changu na kusema, “Tazama, hili limegusa midomo yako, uovu wako umeondolewa, nayo dhambi yako imesamehewa.”
86:8 Mdo 9:4; Ay 40:9; Yer 26:12-15; Mwa 1:26; 22:1; Kut 3:4Kisha nikasikia sauti ya Bwana ikisema, “Nimtume nani? Ni nani atakayekwenda kwa ajili yetu?”
Nami nikasema, “Mimi hapa. Nitume mimi!”
96:9 Mt 13:15; Lk 8:10; Mt 28:196:9 Amo 7:15; Yer 5:21; Eze 3:11; Mt 13:15; Lk 8:10Akasema, “Nenda ukawaambie watu hawa:
“ ‘Mtaendelea daima kusikiliza,
lakini kamwe hamtaelewa;
mtaendelea daima kutazama,
lakini kamwe hamtatambua.’
106:10 Kut 4:21; Kum 32:39; 29:4; Eze 12:2; Isa 44:18; Yn 12:40; Mk 4:12; 8:18Fanya mioyo ya watu hawa kuwa migumu,
fanya masikio yao yasisikie,
na upofushe macho yao.
Wasije wakaona kwa macho yao,
na wakasikiliza kwa masikio yao,
wakaelewa kwa mioyo yao,
nao wakageuka, nikawaponywa.”
116:11 Yer 4:13; Za 79:5; 79:1; Isa 24:10; Yer 35:17; Za 119:11; Law 26:31, 43Ndipo nikasema, “Hadi lini, Ee Bwana?”
Naye akanijibu:
“Hadi miji iwe imeachwa magofu
na bila wakazi,
hadi nyumba zitakapobaki bila watu,
na mashamba yatakapoharibiwa na kuangamizwa,
126:12 Kum 28:64; Yer 30:17; 4:29; Isa 5:5-9; 60:15; 62:4; 62:4hadi Bwana atakapokuwa amekwisha kumpeleka kila mmoja mbali sana,
na nchi itakapokuwa imeachwa kabisa.
136:13 Rum 11:5; Ay 14:7; 14:8; Isa 10:22; Kum 14:2; Law 27:30; Isa 5:6; 1:9Hata kama sehemu ya kumi ya watu watabaki katika nchi,
itaharibiwa tena.
Lakini kama vile mvinje na mwaloni
ibakizavyo visiki inapokatwa,
ndivyo mbegu takatifu
itakavyokuwa kisiki katika nchi.”
