Isaiah 59
1 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].
Ngeqiniso ingalo kaThixo kayimfitshane ukuba isindise, lendlebe yakhe kayibuthundu ukuba izwe.
2 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.
Kodwa ububi benu sebulahlukanise loNkulunkulu wenu; lezono zenu sezisithe ubuso bakhe kini ukuze angezwa.
3 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].
Ngoba izandla zenu zingcolisiwe ngegazi, leminwe yenu ingcoliswe yibubi. Izindebe zenu zikhulume amanga lolimi lwenu luhlebeza izinto ezimbi.
4 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.
Kakho odinga ukwahlulela okuhle, kakho okhuluma ecaleni lakhe ngobuqotho. Bathembe ukuphika ngeze bekhuluma amanga; bemula uhlupho, bazale ububi.
5 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.
Bachamisela amaqanda ezinhlangwana, beluke ubulembu besayobe. Langabe ngubani odla amaqanda azo uzakufa, njalo nxa elinye lawo lichanyiselwe kuphuma ibululu.
6 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.
Ubulembu babo kabusizi ekugqokeni; abangeke bazimboze ngabakwenzayo. Izenzo zabo yizenzo ezimbi, izenzo zodlakela zisezandleni zabo.
7 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.
Inyawo zabo zigijimela ukona; bayaphangisa ukuchitha igazi elimsulwa. Imicabango yabo yimicabango emibi; ukuchitha lokubhubhisa kubonakalisa izindlela zabo.
8 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.
Indlela yokuthula kabayazi; akukho kulunga ezindleleni zabo. Sebenze zaba yimigwaqo ezombelezayo, kakho ohamba ngazo ozakwazi ukuthula.
9 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].
Ngakho-ke ukwahlulela okuhle kukhatshana lathi, lokulunga akufiki kithi. Sidinga ukukhanya, kodwa kulobumnyama kuphela; sidinga ukucazimula, kodwa sihamba emathunzini amnyama.
10 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.
Njengeziphofu siphumputha silandela umduli, siphumputhe indlela yethu njengabantu abangelamehlo. Sikhubeka emini ingathi kukusihlwa; kwabalamandla, sinjengabafileyo.
11 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.
Sonke siyahwabha njengamabhele, sibubule ngosizi njengamajuba. Sidinga ukwahlulela okuhle, kodwa kasikutholi; sidinga ukuhlengwa, kodwa kukhatshana.
12 [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.
Ngoba ukona kwethu kuwe kunengi, lezono zethu zifakaza okubi ngathi. Ukona kwethu kuhlezi kulathi; siyabuvuma ububi bethu,
13 [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.
ukuhlamuka lokungathembeki kuThixo, ukufulathela uNkulunkulu wethu, ukukhuthaza uncindezelo lomvukela, ukukhuluma amanga esiwacabange ngezinhliziyo zethu.
14 [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.
Ngakho ukwahlulela okuhle kufuqelwa emuva, ukulunga kume khatshana; iqiniso likhubekile ezindleleni, ubuqotho bungeke bungene.
15 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.
Iqiniso kalitholwa ndawo; oxwaya ububi uyahlaselwa. UThixo wakhangela wadaniswa yikuswelakala kokwahlulela okuhle.
16 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].
Wabona ukuthi kwakungelamuntu, wanengwa yikuthi kakho owayengalamula; ngakho waletha ukukhululwa ngamandla akhe, ukulunga kwakhe kwamqinisa.
17 [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.
Wagqoka ukulunga njengesivikelo sakhe sasesifubeni, lengowane yensindiso ekhanda lakhe; wagqoka izembatho zokuphindisela njalo wazigoqela ngokutshiseka njengokuzigoqela ngengubo.
18 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].
Uzaphindisela ulaka ezitheni zakhe, kusiya ngalokho abakwenzileyo; lokujeziswa kwabamelana laye; izihlenge uzaziphindisela ngemfanelo yazo.
19 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.
Kusukela entshonalanga abantu bazalesaba ibizo likaThixo, njalo kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga bazadumisa ubukhosi bakhe. Ngoba uzafika njengesikhukhula esifutheleneyo esifuqwa ngumoya kaThixo.
20 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).
“Umhlengi uzafika eZiyoni, kwabakaJakhobe abavuma izono zabo,” kutsho uThixo.
21 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.”
“Mina lesi yiso isivumelwano sami labo,” kutsho uThixo. “Umoya wami okuwe, lamazwi ami engiwabeke emlonyeni wakho akuyikusuka emlonyeni wakho, kumbe emilonyeni yabantwabakho, loba emilonyeni yezizukulwane zabo kusukela ngalesisikhathi kuze kube nininini,” kutsho uThixo.
