Isaiah 59
1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
Khangela isandla seNkosi kasifinyezwanga ukuthi singasindisi, lendlebe yayo kayinzima ukuthi ingezwa.
2 But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.
Kodwa iziphambeko zenu zehlukanisile phakathi kwenu loNkulunkulu wenu, lezono zenu zibusithile ubuso bakhe kini, ukuthi angezwa.
3 For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice.
Ngoba izandla zenu zingcoliswe ngegazi, leminwe yenu ngenkohlakalo; indebe zenu zikhulume amanga, lolimi lwenu lungunguna ububi.
4 No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
Kakho omemeza ngokulunga, njalo kakho olabhela ngeqiniso; bathemba okuyize, bakhulume amanga; bamitha ububi, bazale isiphambeko.
5 They hatch the eggs of vipers and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.
Bachamusela amaqanda enhlangwana, beluke ubulembu besayobe; odla okwamaqanda awo uyafa; lelichotshoziweyo liqhamuka lilibululu.
6 Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands.
Ubulembu babo kabuyikuba yizembatho, njalo kabayikuzembesa ngemisebenzi yabo. Imisebenzi yabo yimisebenzi yobubi, lesenzo sodlakela sisezandleni zabo.
7 Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.
Inyawo zabo zigijimela ebubini; baphangisa ukuchitha igazi elingelacala; imicabango yabo yimicabango yobubi; ukubhubhisa lokuchitha kusezindleleni zabo.
8 The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their tracks. They have turned them into crooked paths; no one who treads on them will know peace.
Indlela yokuthula kabayazi; njalo kakulasahlulelo emikhondweni yabo; bazenzela izindlela zabo ezimazombazombe; loba ngubani ohamba kuzo kayikwazi ukuthula.
9 Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
Ngakho-ke isahlulelo sikhatshana lathi, lokulunga kakusifinyeleli. Silindela ukukhanya, kodwa khangela, ubumnyama; silindela ukukhazimula, kodwa sihamba emnyameni omkhulu.
10 Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead.
Siphumputha umduli njengeziphofu, siphumputhe kwangathi kasilamehlo; sikhubeke emini enkulu kwangathi kukusihlwa, sisendaweni ezichithekileyo njengabafileyo.
11 We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but find none, for salvation, but it is far from us.
Sonke siyabhonga njengamabhere, silile lokulila njengamajuba; silindela isahlulelo, kodwa kasikho; losindiso, kodwa lukhatshana lathi.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions are indeed with us, and we know our iniquities:
Ngoba iziphambeko zethu zandile phambi kwakho, lezono zethu zifakaza zimelene lathi; ngoba iziphambeko zethu zilathi, lobubi bethu siyabazi;
13 rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart.
ukuphambuka, lokuqambela iNkosi amanga, lokusuka ekulandeleni uNkulunkulu wethu, ukukhuluma incindezelo lokuhlamuka, ukukhulelwa lokukhuluma amazwi amanga aphuma enhliziyweni.
14 So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.
Ngakho isahlulelo sibuyiselwa emuva, lokulunga kumi khatshana; ngoba iqiniso liyakhubeka esitaladeni, lobuqotho kabulakungena.
15 Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
Yebo, iqiniso liyasilela, lowehlukana lobubi uzenza impango. INkosi yasikubona, njalo kwaba kubi emehlweni ayo ukuthi kakulasahlulelo.
16 He saw that there was no man; He was amazed that there was no one to intercede. So His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained Him.
Yasibona ukuthi kwakungelamuntu, yamangala kakhulu ukuthi kwakungelamlamuli; ngakho ingalo yayo yaletha usindiso kuye, lokulunga kwayo khona kwamsekela.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.
Ngoba yembatha ukulunga njengebhatshi lensimbi, lengowane yosindiso ekhanda layo; yembatha izembatho zempindiselo njengesembatho, yazembesa ukutshiseka njengejazi.
18 So He will repay according to their deeds: fury to His enemies, retribution to His foes, and recompense to the islands.
Njengokwezenzo, ngokunjalo izaphindisela, ulaka kwabamelana layo, umvuzo ezitheni zayo; ezihlengeni uzabuyisela umvuzo.
19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD where the sun sets, and His glory where it rises. For He will come like a raging flood, driven by the breath of the LORD.
Ngokunjalo bazalesaba ibizo leNkosi kusukela entshonalanga, lodumo lwayo kusukela lapho okuphuma khona ilanga. Lapho isitha sizangena njengomfula, uMoya weNkosi uzaphakamisa isiboniso esimelene laso.
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,”
LoMhlengi uzafika eZiyoni, lakulabo abaphenduka eziphambekweni koJakobe, itsho iNkosi.
21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and grandchildren, from now on and forevermore,” says the LORD.
Mina-ke, lesi yisivumelwano sami labo, itsho iNkosi: UMoya wami ophezu kwakho, lamazwi ami engiwafake emlonyeni wakho, kawayikusuka emlonyeni wakho, lemlonyeni wenzalo yakho, lemlonyeni wenzalo yenzalo yakho, itsho iNkosi, kusukela khathesi kuze kube phakade.
