U-Isaya 57

1 Abalungileyo bayabhubha, kodwa kakho ocabanga ngakho enhliziyweni yakhe. Abantu abazinikele ekukhonzeni bayasuswa, njalo kakho okuzwisisayo ukuthi abalungileyo basuswa ukuba baphetshiswe ebubini.

See how the just man has perished, and no one lays [it] to heart: and righteous men are taken away, and no one considers: for the righteous has been removed out of the way of injustice.

2 Labo abahamba ngokulunga bayangena ekuthuleni; bathola ukuphumula belele ekufeni.

His burial shall be in peace: he has been removed out of the way.

3 “Kodwa lina wozani lapha lina, madodana esanusekazi lina nzalo yezifebe leziphingi!

But draw ye near hither, ye lawless children, the seed of adulterers and the harlot.

4 Ngubani elimklolodelayo na? Ngubani elimnemelayo limkhuphela inlimi zenu? Kalisinzalo yabahlamuki, labantwana babaqamba amanga na?

Wherein have ye been rioting? and against whom have ye opened your mouth, and against whom have ye loosed your tongue? are ye not children of perdition? a lawless seed?

5 Liyatshiseka ngenkanuko ezihlahleni zomʼOkhi, langaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziyizithingithingi; lenza umhlatshelo ngabantwabenu emakhelekehleni langaphansi kwamawa.

who call upon idols under the leafy trees, slaying your children in the valleys among the rocks?

6 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?

That is thy portion, this is thy lot: and to them hast thou poured forth drink-offerings, and to these hast thou offered meat-offerings. Shall I not therefore be angry for these things?

7 Wenze umbheda wakho phezu koqaqa oluphakemeyo, wakhwela wayanikela imihlatshelo yakho khona.

On a lofty and high mountain, there is thy bed, and thither thou carriedst up thy meat-offerings:

8 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.

and behind the posts of thy door thou didst place thy memorials. Didst thou think that if thou shouldest depart from me, thou wouldest gain? thou hast loved those that lay with thee;

9 Uye kuMoleki ulamafutha e-oliva, wandisa lamakha akho. Uthume izithunywa zakho khatshana wangena ethuneni lona ngokwalo! (Sheol h7585)

and thou hast multiplied thy whoredom with them, and thou hast increased the number of them that are far from thee, and hast sent ambassadors beyond thy borders, and hast been debased even to hell. (Sheol h7585)

10 Wadiniswa yizindlela zakho zonke, kodwa wawungeke uthi, ‘Akusizi ngalutho.’ Wathola ukuvuselelwa kwamandla akho. Ngakho kawuphelanga amandla.

Thou has wearied thyself with thy many ways; yet thou saidst not, I will cease to strengthen myself: for thou has done these things; therefore thou has not supplicated me.

11 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?

Through dread of whom hast thou feared, and lied against me, and has not remembered, nor considered me, nor regarded me, yea, though when I see thee I pass thee by, yet thou has not feared me.

12 Ukulunga kwakho lemisebenzi yakho ngizakuveza obala, njalo akuyikukusiza ngalutho.

And I will declare thy righteousness, and thy sins, which shall not profit thee.

13 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.”

When thou criest out, let them deliver thee in thine affliction: for all these the wind shall take, and the tempest shall carry [them] away: but they that cleave to me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.

14 Njalo kuzathiwa: “Candani, candani, lungisani indlela! Susani izikhubekiso endleleni yabantu bami.”

And they shall say, Clear the ways before him, and take up the stumbling-blocks out of the way of my people.

15 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.

Thus saith the Most High, who dwells on high for ever, Holy in the holies, is his name, the Most High resting in the holies, and giving patience to the faint-hearted, and giving life to the broken-hearted:

16 Angiyikulisola kokuphela kumbe ngihlale ngithukuthele, ngoba umoya womuntu ungaphela phambi kwami, umoya womuntu engawudalayo.

I will not take vengeance on you for ever, neither will I be always angry with you: for my Spirit shall go forth from me, and I have created all breath.

17 Ngathukutheliswa yibuhwaba bakhe obubi; ngamjezisa, ngafihla ubuso bami ngithukuthele, kodwa waqhubeka ngezindlela zakhe zenkani.

On account of sin for a little while I grieved him, and smote him, and turned away my face from him; and he was grieved, and he went on sorrowful in his ways.

18 Izindlela zakhe sengizibonile, kodwa ngizamsilisa. Ngizamkhokhela, ngimduduze futhi,

I have seen his ways, and healed him, and comforted him, and given him true comfort;

19 ngenze ukubonga ezindebeni zabalilayo ko-Israyeli. Ukuthula, ukuthula kwabakhatshana labaseduze,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngizabasilisa.”

peace upon peace to them that are far off, and to them that are nigh: and the Lord has said, I will heal them.

20 Kodwa ababi banjengolwandle olugubhazelayo, olungeke luphumule, amagagasi alo ephosa udaka lengcekeza phezulu.

But the unrighteous shall be tossed as troubled waves, and shall not be able to rest.

21 “Akukho kuthula kwababi,” kutsho uNkulunkulu wami.

There is no joy to the ungodly, said God.