Isaiah 57

1 Katoeng kami duek naah mi mah doeh dawncang o ai; kami palungnathaih tawn kami hoi katoeng kami to lak ving naah, patangkhanghaih thung hoi loisak han ih ni katoeng kami to lak ving, tiah mi mah doeh panoek o ai.

Righteous people [sometimes] die [when they are still young], and no one is concerned about it. Godly people [sometimes] die because of disasters, and no one understands why. They are taken away in order that they will not endure more calamities,

2 Katoengah khosah kami loe monghaih thungah akunh; toenghaih loklam to pazui o pongah, duek naah angmacae iihkhun nuiah kamong ah iih o.

and now they have peace. They [continually] lived righteously, and [now] they rest [peacefully] in their graves.

3 Toe nangcae miklet kop caanawk, takpum zaw kami ih caanawk, payang caanawk, hae ah angzo oh!

[Yahweh says, ] “But you who practice sorcery, come here! You who worship idols [MET], [listen to me]!

4 Mi maw na pahnui o thuih? Mi han maw pahni na kaek o thuih moe, palai na pathok o thuih? Nangcae loe lokaek thaih kaminawk ih caa, lok amlai kaminawk ih caa ah na ai maw na oh o?

Do you realize [RHQ] whom you are ridiculing, and whom you are insulting? Do you realize [RHQ] to whom you are sticking out your tongues? [You are insulting me, Yahweh]! You are [RHQ] always rebelling against me and always lying.

5 Aqam kahing thing tlim ah krangnawk hoiah zaehaih na sak o; cathaeng tlim ih azawn ah nawktanawk to hum moe, angbawnhaih sah kami ah na ai maw na oh o?

You are eager to have sex under every [big] green tree where you worship your gods. You kill your children as sacrifices [to your idols] in the dry riverbeds, and [also] offer them [as sacrifices to your idols] in the rocky caves.

6 Vacong thung thlung kamnaenawk salak ih krangnawk to bok hanah na qoih o; to krangnawk loe na toep o han koi qawk ah oh; to krangnawk khaeah naek koi angbawnhaih hmuen to na paek o moe, cang hoi angbawnhaih to na sak o. To baktih hmuen pongah, kai palung anghoe tih, tiah na poek o maw?

[You take big] smooth stones from the riverbeds and worship them as your gods. You pour out [wine] to be an offering to them, and you bring grain [to burn for] an offering to them. Do you think that I should not punish you for doing all those things?

7 Maesang nuiah iihhaih to na sak moe, to ahmuen ah angbawnhaih sak hanah na dawh tahang.

You have sex [EUP] [with cult prostitutes] on every hill and mountain, and you go there to offer sacrifices [to your gods].

8 Krang bokhaih to pahnet thaih han ai ah ahnuk ahma thok to na suek; kai hae nang pahnawt sut boeh: minawk kalah khaeah khukbuen nang khring thuih, iihkhun nuiah na dawh, iihkhun to kalen ah na sak moe, nihcae hoi lokmaihaih to na sak; bangkrai ah kaom nihcae to na hnuk naah iihkhun to na khit.

You have put (fetishes/pagan symbols) behind your doors and doorposts, and you have deserted me. You have taken off your clothes [EUP] and climbed into your bed and invited more [of your lovers] to come to bed with you. You have paid them to have sex with you, and you have fondled their sexual organs.

9 Siangpahrang khaeah olive situi hoiah na caeh moe, hmuihoih tuinawk to kapop ah na patoh, na laicaehnawk to kangthla ah na patoeh, taprong karoek to nang hum tathuk boeh. (Sheol h7585)

You have given [fragrant] oil and lots of perfume to your god Molech, and you sent messengers to distant countries [to find other gods to worship]; you [even tried to] send [messengers] to the place of the dead [to search for new gods]. (Sheol h7585)

10 Na caehhaih loklam mah nang tha angphosak, toe Oephaih om ai boeh, tiah thui hmah; na ban thacakhaih hoi hinghaih to na hnuk boeh pongah, nang pho ai boeh.

You became weary because of doing all those things, but you never said, ‘It is useless [for us to do that].’ You found new strength for worshiping idols, so you continued to do that [LIT].

11 Kai khaeah lok nam lai moe, kai hae nang pahnet, palung thung hoi doeh na poek ai boeh, to tih khoek to mi maw na zit? Atue sawk parai ah kang oh taak duem pongah maw kai hae nang zii ai?

Was it because you were afraid [of those idols more than you were afraid of me] that you lied [about what you were doing], and you do not even think about [DOU, RHQ] me? Was it because I did not punish you for a long time that you are not afraid of me [RHQ]?

12 Nangmah hoi nangmah to kahoih ah na poek, toe na toenghaih hoi na toksakhaihnawk to kam tuengsak han; toe nang han tih atho doeh om mak ai.

You [think that] [IRO] the things that you have done are right, but I will tell the truth. It will not help you to do any of those things.

13 Na qah naah nangmah ih krangnawk mah abomh o nasoe; krangnawk loe takhi mah hmut phaeng tih; anghahhaih takhi mah to krangnawk to hmut boih tih; toe kai oep kaminawk loe prae to toep o ueloe, kai ih kaciim mae to toep o tih.

When you cry out [for help] to your collection of idols, they will not rescue you. The wind will blow them away [DOU]. But those who trust in me will live in the land [of Israel], and [they will worship me on Zion], my sacred hill.”

14 Long to aphum oh, aphum oh, loklam to pakhrai oh! Kai ih kaminawk caehhaih loklam ah amthaek han koi kaom hmuennawk to takhoe oh, tiah thui tih.

Yahweh will say, “Prepare [yourselves to receive] me, [like] [MET] people build and prepare a road [for a king to come on]. Get rid of [the things that are causing you to sin] [like] [MET] people remove from a road (obstacles/things that cause people to stumble).

15 Ciimcai tiah ahmin kaom, dungzan khoek to kaom, ranui koekah kaom Sithaw mah; Kai loe hmuensang hoi hmuenciim ah ka oh, poekhaih pahnaem kami hoi dawnpakhuem kaminawk palung angthawksak hanah, kai loe poekhaih pahnaem moe, dawnpakhuem kaminawk hoi nawnto ka oh.

Because this is what [I], Yahweh, who am holy and greatly honored and who live forever, say: I live in the highest heaven, where [everything] is holy, but I also am with those who are humble and who are sorry for the sinful things that they have done. I will greatly encourage [DOU] those who have repented.

16 Nihcae to zaehaih ka net poe mak ai, palung doeh ka phui thuih poe mak ai; ka sak ih hinghaih hoi muithla loe ka hmaa ah amro tih boeh.

I will not accuse [people] forever; I will not always be angry [with them], because [if I did that], people would become weak/discouraged; all the people whom I created and caused to live would die.

17 Amtlai hmoek koehhaih anih zaehaih pongah palung ka phui moe, anih to ka thuitaek; palungphui moe, mikhmai ka hawk ving, toe anih loe a caeh koehhaih loklam bangah caeh toengtoeng vop.

I was angry [with my people] because they sinned by wanting the things that others had. So because I was angry, I punished them and turned away from them, but they continued sinning.

18 Anih caehhaih loklam to ka hnuk boeh, toe ngan ka tuisak han; anih to ka zaeh moe, angmah hoi nawnto palungsae kaminawk khaeah monghaih to ka paek han.

I have seen the evil things that they continually do, but I will restore them and lead them. I will encourage/comfort them. And to those who are mourning,

19 Pahni ah thingthai ka ohsak; kangthla ah kaom kaminawk hoi kazoi ah kaom kaminawk khaeah, Monghaih, monghaih to om nasoe, ngan ka tuisak han, tiah Angraeng mah thuih.

I will enable them to sing songs to praise me. I will restore [all my people], those who live near [Jerusalem] and those who live far away, and I will cause things to go well for them.

20 Toe kasae kaminawk loe anghak ai ah kangthawk tuiphu, tangnong hoi anghnoeng pazawk tuinawk baktiah ni oh o.

Wicked [people do not have peace in their inner beings]; they are like [SIM] a sea [whose waves are] always churning up mud,

21 Kasae kami hanah loe monghaih roe om ai, tiah Angraeng mah thuih.

and [I], Yahweh, say that things will never (go well/be peaceful) for those who are evil.”