Isaiah 59
1 Khenah, pahlong thaih han ai khoek to, Angraeng ih ban loe duem ai; thaih thai han ai khoek to naa doeh pang ai.
Listen to this! Yahweh’s power [MTY] is not ended/gone, with the result that he cannot save [you]. He has not become deaf [MTY], with the result that he cannot hear [you when you call to him for help].
2 Toe na sakpazaehaih hmuennawk mah ni na Sithaw hoi ampraeksak, anih mah thaih han ai ah, na zaehaih mah anih ih mikhmai to khuk khoep boeh.
But, you have separated yourselves from your God by the sins that you have committed. Because of your sins, he has turned away from you, with the result that he does not pay attention to what you request him to do.
3 Nangcae ih ban loe athii akap moe, na banpazungnawk doeh sakpazaehaih oh boeh; na pahninawk mah amsawnlok to thuih o moe, na palainawk mah doeh kasae hmuen khue ni thuih o.
You do violent things [MTY] [to others], with the result that your hands are stained with their blood. You [constantly] tell [MTY] lies, and you say [MTY] evil things [about others].
4 Mi mah doeh kamsoem lok to thui ai, loktang doeh thui o ai; azom pui lok ah amha o moe, amsawnlok to a thuih o; kasae poekhaih to zokpomh o moe, zae sakhaih to tapen o.
When you accuse someone in court, what you say is not fair and it is not true. You accuse people falsely. You are [constantly] planning to cause trouble for others, and then you do those evil things that you planned.
5 Nihcae loe pahui sae tadui to awh o moe, bongpaha tayae to zaeng o; nihcae ih tadui caa kaminawk loe duek o, tadui koih naah pahui caanawk to tacawt o.
What you plan to do to harm people [MET] is as dangerous as the eggs of a (cobra/poisonous snake), because cobras will hatch from those eggs. You trap people like [MET] spiders trap/catch insects in their webs.
6 Nihcae mah bongpaha tayae to kahni ah sah o thai ai; a sak o ih hmuen hoiah doeh padap o thai ai; a sak o ih hmuennawk loe sethaih ah oh pongah, nihcae ban ah athii longhaih to oh.
We people cannot hide/cover our skin with clothes made of spider webs [MET], and similarly you cannot hide the evil things that you have done. You are [constantly] acting [MTY] violently.
7 Nihcae loe kasae sakhaih bangah khok takan rang o moe, tidoeh panoek ai kami athii palong hanah angtawt rang o; kasae poekhaih to a tawnh o, nihcae ih loklam ah loe amrohaih hoi anghmathaih to oh.
You [SYN] are very quick to go and do evil things, and you hurry to murder people [MTY] who are innocent. You are [continually] thinking about sinning. Wherever you go, you destroy things and cause people to suffer.
8 Monghaih loklam to panoek o ai; a caehhaih loklam ah toenghaih om ai; a caeh o haih loklam to angkawn o sak; to loklam ah caeh kaminawk loe monghaih to panoek o mak ai.
You do not know how to act peacefully or to treat others fairly. You always are (dishonest/deceiving others) [MET], and those who imitate your behavior never have any inner peace.
9 To pongah toenghaih loe aicae khae hoi angthla boeh, toenghaih mah aicae hae kae ai boeh; aanghaih a zing o, toe khenah vinghaih to oh lat; ni aengh to a pakrong o, toe tahmuep thungah ni a caeh o lat.
Because of that, God does not rescue us [from our enemies]; [it seems that] he is not acting fairly/righteously toward us. We expect [God to give us] light, but all [he gives us] is darkness [DOU].
10 Aicae loe mikmaeng baktiah tapang to pathoep moe, mik tawn ai kami baktiah loklam to a pathoep o; athun naah khoving baktiah amthaek o; thacak kaminawk salakah kadueh kaminawk baktiah a oh o.
We are like [SIM] blind people who have to feel along a wall to be able to walk anywhere. We stumble [and trip] at noontime like [SIM] we would when it is dark. We are like [SIM] dead people who are among healthy people.
11 Taqomnawk baktiah a hangh o moe; pahuu baktiah a oi o; toenghaih to a pakrong o, toe a hnu o ai; pahlonghaih to a pakrong o, toe pahlonghaih loe aicae khae hoi angthla aep.
We growl like [SIM] [hungry] bears; we continually moan like [SIM] doves. We seek [people who do] what is just/fair, but we cannot find any [anywhere]. [We want God] to rescue us, but [it seems that] he is far away.
12 Kaicae sakpazaehaih loe na hmaa ah paroeai pop moe, kaimacae zaehaih mah zaehaih ang net; sakpazaehaih hoi ka oh o pongah, ka sakpazaehaihnawk to ka panoek o.
[But these things are happening] because [it is as though] our sins are piled high in the presence of God, and that they testify [PRS] against us. We cannot deny it; we know that we have done many wrong things.
13 Zae sakhaih hoi amsawnlok thuihaih mah Angraeng to misa ah ohsak, aimaecae ih Sithaw to angqoi o taak ving boeh; pacaekthlaekhaih lok, ang aekhaih lok, alinghaih hoi amsawnlok to palung thung hoiah a thuih o boeh.
[We know that] we have rebelled against Yahweh; we have turned away from him. We (oppress people/treat people cruelly) by what we testify [against them]; we do not allow them to get what they have a right to get. We [SYN] think about the lies that we can tell, and then we tell them.
14 Katoeng ah lokcaekhaih loe hnukbang ah angnawn ving boeh moe, toenghaih doeh kangthla ah angdoet ving boeh; loktang loe loklam ah amtim sut, toenghaih loe athung ah akun thai ai.
[In our courts, the judges] do not decide cases/matters fairly; no one is acting righteously. In plazas where people gather together, no one tells the truth [PRS]; [it seems that people] are not allowed to say what is true.
15 Ue, loktang loe anghmat ving boeh; hmuensae caehtaak kami to lomh o; lomhaih to Angraeng mah hnuk naah, toenghaih om ai boeh pongah anghoe ai.
No one tells the truth, and people try to ruin [the reputations of] those who quit doing evil. Yahweh looked around, and he saw that no one was doing what is just/fair, and he was [very] displeased.
16 Anih mah khet naah mi doeh hnu ai, hnikung mi doeh om ai pongah, palungboeng sut; to pongah a ban mah angmah hanah pahlonghaih to sak; a toenghaih mah anih to kacakah angdoetsak.
He was disgusted when he saw that no one tried to help [those who were being treated cruelly]. So he used his own power [MTY] to rescue them; it is because he is always righteous that he did that [PRS].
17 Toenghaih to saoek pakaahaih kahni baktiah angkhuk moe, pahlonghaih sumlumuek to angmuek; lu lakhaih kahni hoiah amthoep moe, poek thacakhaih kahni to angkhuk.
[It is as though he is a soldier who] [MET] puts on his armor and a helmet; his continually doing what is right is like [MET] his armor, and his ability to rescue people is [like] his helmet. His being extremely angry and his being ready to get revenge [on those who do evil] are like [MET] his robes.
18 A sak o ih hmuennawk baktih toengah, anih mah sah pathok let tih; a misanawk khaeah palungphuihaih baktih toengah, a misanawk to lu la tih; tuipui mah takui ih prae thungah kaom kaminawk doeh a sak o ih hmuennawk baktih toengah, anih mah sah pathok let tih.
He will repay his enemies for the evil things that they have done. He will severely punish [MTY] even those who live far [from Jerusalem].
19 Niduem bang ih kaminawk mah Angraeng ih ahmin to zii o ueloe, ni angyae bang ih kaminawk mah a lensawkhaih to khingza o tih. Kalen tuiphu baktiah misa angzoh naah, Angraeng ih Muithla mah pakaa tih.
When that happens, people everywhere, from the east to the west, will respect and honor Yahweh [MTY], because he will come like [SIM] a rushing river that is pushed along by the strong wind that Yahweh sent.
20 Krangkung loe dawnpakhuem Jakob imthung ih kaminawk khae hoiah Zion mae ah angzo tih, tiah Angraeng mah thuih.
And Yahweh says that he will come to Jerusalem to free [his people]; he will come to rescue those in Judah who have quit (doing sinful things/their sinful behavior).
21 Nihcae hoi ka sak ih lokmaihaih loe nangcae nuiah kaom kai ih Muithla, nangcae pakha thungah ka suek ih ka loknawk loe vaihi hoi kamtong dungzan khoek to, nangcae ih pakha, na caanawk ih pakha hoi na caanawk patoeng ih pakha thung hoiah anghmaa mak ai, tiah Angraeng mah thuih.
This is what Yahweh says to his people: “This is the agreement that I will make with you: My Spirit will not leave you, and you will always have my message. You will [be able to] declare it [MTY], and your children and grandchildren will [be able to] declare it forever.”
