Isaiah 57
1 The righteous perish, but no one considers it, and the people of covenant faithfulness are gathered away, but no one understands that the righteous is gathered away from the evil.
Abalungileyo bayabhubha, kodwa kakho ocabanga ngakho enhliziyweni yakhe. Abantu abazinikele ekukhonzeni bayasuswa, njalo kakho okuzwisisayo ukuthi abalungileyo basuswa ukuba baphetshiswe ebubini.
2 He enters into peace; they rest in their beds, those who walk in their uprightness.
Labo abahamba ngokulunga bayangena ekuthuleni; bathola ukuphumula belele ekufeni.
3 But come here, you sons of the sorceress, children of the adulterer and the woman who has prostituted herself.
“Kodwa lina wozani lapha lina, madodana esanusekazi lina nzalo yezifebe leziphingi!
4 Whom are you merrily mocking? Against whom are you opening the mouth and sticking out the tongue? Are you not children of rebellion, children of deceit?
Ngubani elimklolodelayo na? Ngubani elimnemelayo limkhuphela inlimi zenu? Kalisinzalo yabahlamuki, labantwana babaqamba amanga na?
5 You heat yourselves up sleeping together under the oaks, under every green tree, you who kill your children in the dry riverbeds, under the rocky overhangs.
Liyatshiseka ngenkanuko ezihlahleni zomʼOkhi, langaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziyizithingithingi; lenza umhlatshelo ngabantwabenu emakhelekehleni langaphansi kwamawa.
6 Among the smooth things of the river valley are the things that have been assigned to you. They are the object of your devotion. You pour out your drink offering to them and raise up a grain offering. In these things should I take pleasure?
Izithombe eziphakathi kwamatshe abutshelezi emakhelekehleni yiso isabelo senu, yizo, yizo eziyisabelo senu. Yebo, kuzo lithele iminikelo yokunathwayo lanikela leminikelo yamabele. Ngenxa yalezizinto ngingaba lozwelo na?
7 You prepared your bed on a high mountain; you also went up there to offer sacrifices.
Wenze umbheda wakho phezu koqaqa oluphakemeyo, wakhwela wayanikela imihlatshelo yakho khona.
8 Behind the door and the doorposts you set up your symbols; you deserted me, made yourselves naked, and went up; you made your bed wide. You made a covenant with them; you loved their beds; you saw their private parts.
Ngemva kwezivalo zakho langemva kwezinsika zomnyango wakho ubeke izifanekiso zakho zobuhedeni. Wathi ungilahla wembula umbheda wakho, wakhwela kuwo wawuvula waba banzi, wavumelana lalabo othanda imibheda yabo, wakhangela ubunqunu babo.
9 You went to Molech with oil; you multiplied perfumes. You send your ambassadors far away; you went down to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
Uye kuMoleki ulamafutha e-oliva, wandisa lamakha akho. Uthume izithunywa zakho khatshana wangena ethuneni lona ngokwalo! (Sheol h7585)
10 You were tired from your long journey, but you never said, “It is hopeless.” You found life in your hand; therefore you did not weaken.
Wadiniswa yizindlela zakho zonke, kodwa wawungeke uthi, ‘Akusizi ngalutho.’ Wathola ukuvuselelwa kwamandla akho. Ngakho kawuphelanga amandla.
11 “Whom are you worried about? Whom do you fear so much that has caused you to act so deceitfully, so much that you would not remember me or think about me? Because I was silent for so long, you are no longer afraid of me.
Ngubani omesabe kangaka waze waba lamanga kimi, njalo kawaze wangikhumbula loba ukucabanga lokhu enhliziyweni yakho na? Akusingenxa yokuthi sengathula okwesikhathi eside kakhulu waze wangasangesabi na?
12 I will proclaim all your righteous acts and tell all that you have done, but they will not help you.
Ukulunga kwakho lemisebenzi yakho ngizakuveza obala, njalo akuyikukusiza ngalutho.
13 When you cry out, let your collection of idols rescue you. Instead the wind will carry them all away, a breath will carry them all away. Yet he who takes refuge in me will inherit the land and will take possession of my holy mountain.
Lapho usukhalela ukusizwa, iqoqo lezithombe zakho kalikuhlenge. Umoya uzazithatha zonke, lokuphephetha nje kuziphephulele khatshana. Kodwa umuntu owenza mina isiphephelo sakhe ilizwe lizakuba yilifa lakhe lentaba yami engcwele ibe ngeyakhe.”
14 He will say, 'Build, build! Clear a way! Remove all the stumbling blocks from the path of my people!'”
Njalo kuzathiwa: “Candani, candani, lungisani indlela! Susani izikhubekiso endleleni yabantu bami.”
15 For this is what the high and elevated One says, who lives eternally, whose name is holy, “I live in the exalted and holy place, with him also that is of a crushed and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble ones, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Ngoba ophakemeyo ongaPhezulu, yena ophila kokuphela, obizo lakhe lingcwele uthi: “Ngihlala endaweni ephakemeyo lengcwele, kodwa laye ozisolayo lothobekileyo emoyeni, ukuba kuvuselelwe umoya wabathobekileyo, kuvuselelwe lezinhliziyo zabazisolayo.
16 For I will not accuse forever, nor will I be angry forever, for then man's spirit would faint before me, the lives that I have made.
Angiyikulisola kokuphela kumbe ngihlale ngithukuthele, ngoba umoya womuntu ungaphela phambi kwami, umoya womuntu engawudalayo.
17 Because of the sin of his violent gain, I was angry, and I punished him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went backward in the way of his heart.
Ngathukutheliswa yibuhwaba bakhe obubi; ngamjezisa, ngafihla ubuso bami ngithukuthele, kodwa waqhubeka ngezindlela zakhe zenkani.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him. I will lead him and comfort and console those who mourn for him,
Izindlela zakhe sengizibonile, kodwa ngizamsilisa. Ngizamkhokhela, ngimduduze futhi,
19 and I create the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to those who are far off and to those who are near—says Yahweh—I will heal them.
ngenze ukubonga ezindebeni zabalilayo ko-Israyeli. Ukuthula, ukuthula kwabakhatshana labaseduze,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngizabasilisa.”
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, and its waters churn up mire and mud.
Kodwa ababi banjengolwandle olugubhazelayo, olungeke luphumule, amagagasi alo ephosa udaka lengcekeza phezulu.
21 There is no peace for the wicked one—says God.”
“Akukho kuthula kwababi,” kutsho uNkulunkulu wami.
