Isaiah 57
1 The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken 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, each one who walks in his uprightness.
Labo abahamba ngokulunga bayangena ekuthuleni; bathola ukuphumula belele ekufeni.
3 “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.
“Kodwa lina wozani lapha lina, madodana esanusekazi lina nzalo yezifebe leziphingi!
4 Whom do you mock? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience and offspring of falsehood,
Ngubani elimklolodelayo na? Ngubani elimnemelayo limkhuphela inlimi zenu? Kalisinzalo yabahlamuki, labantwana babaqamba amanga na?
5 you who inflame yourselves amongst the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
Liyatshiseka ngenkanuko ezihlahleni zomʼOkhi, langaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziyizithingithingi; lenza umhlatshelo ngabantwabenu emakhelekehleni langaphansi kwamawa.
6 Amongst the smooth stones of the valley is your portion. They, they are your lot. You have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things?
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 On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
Wenze umbheda wakho phezu koqaqa oluphakemeyo, wakhwela wayanikela imihlatshelo yakho khona.
8 You have set up your memorial behind the doors and the posts, for you have exposed yourself to someone besides me, and have gone up. You have enlarged your bed and made you a covenant with them. You loved what you saw on their bed.
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 the king with oil, increased your perfumes, sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even 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 wearied with the length of your ways; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint.
Wadiniswa yizindlela zakho zonke, kodwa wawungeke uthi, ‘Akusizi ngalutho.’ Wathola ukuvuselelwa kwamandla akho. Ngakho kawuphelanga amandla.
11 “Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? Haven’t I held my peace for a long time, and you don’t fear 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 declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.
Ukulunga kwakho lemisebenzi yakho ngizakuveza obala, njalo akuyikukusiza ngalutho.
13 When you cry, let those whom you have gathered deliver you, but the wind will take them. A breath will carry them all away, but he who takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit 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 up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”
Njalo kuzathiwa: “Candani, candani, lungisani indlela! Susani izikhubekiso endleleni yabantu bami.”
15 For the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, says: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
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 contend forever, neither will I always be angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls whom I have made.
Angiyikulisola kokuphela kumbe ngihlale ngithukuthele, ngoba umoya womuntu ungaphela phambi kwami, umoya womuntu engawudalayo.
17 I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding 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, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
Izindlela zakhe sengizibonile, kodwa ngizamsilisa. Ngizamkhokhela, ngimduduze futhi,
19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says the LORD; “and I will heal them.”
ngenze ukubonga ezindebeni zabalilayo ko-Israyeli. Ukuthula, ukuthula kwabakhatshana labaseduze,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngizabasilisa.”
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud.
Kodwa ababi banjengolwandle olugubhazelayo, olungeke luphumule, amagagasi alo ephosa udaka lengcekeza phezulu.
21 “There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.”
“Akukho kuthula kwababi,” kutsho uNkulunkulu wami.
