U-Isaya 57
1 Olungileyo uyabhubha, njalo kakulamuntu okubeka enhliziyweni; njalo abantu abalomusa bayasuswa, engekho okunanzayo ukuthi olungileyo ususiwe ngaphambi kobubi.
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and pious men are taken away, without one considering that before the evil the righteous is taken away.
2 Uzangena ekuthuleni. Bazaphumula emibhedeni yabo, ngulowo lalowo ehamba ebuqothweni bakhe.
He shall come [to his fathers] in peace: they shall repose in their resting-place, every one that walketh in his uprightness.
3 Kodwa lina sondelani lapha, madodana omthakathikazi, nzalo yesifebe, lawe wule.
But ye draw near hither, sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot.
4 Lidlala limelene lobani? Livulela bani umlomo ube banzi, likhupha ulimi? Alisibantwana besiphambeko yini, inzalo yenkohliso,
Over whom will you make yourselves merry? concerning whom will you open wide your mouth, stretch out your tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
5 lizitshisa phakathi kwezihlahla zama-okhi ngaphansi kwaso sonke isihlahla esiluhlaza, libulalela abantwana ezihotsheni ngaphansi kwezingoxo zamadwala?
That are inflamed after the idols under every green tree; that slaughter the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Isabelo sakho siphakathi kwamatshe abutshelezi esifula; wona, wona ayinkatho yakho; njalo kiwo uthululele umnikelo wokunathwayo, waletha umnikelo wokudla. Ngizazisola ngalezizinto yini?
Of the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured out a drink-offering, hast thou offered a meat-offering. Shall I for these things repent me [of the evil]?
7 Phezu kwentaba ende lephakemeyo ubekile umbheda wakho; ngitsho lapho wenyukela khona ukuyanikela umhlatshelo.
Upon a high and lofty mountain hast thou placed thy couch: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
8 Langemva kwesivalo lensika yomnyango wabeka isikhumbuzo sakho; ngoba uzivezile komunye kulakimi, wenyuka, waqhelisa umbheda wakho, wazenzela isivumelwano labo; wathanda umbheda wabo lapho uwubona.
And behind the doors and the door-posts hast thou placed thy [mark of] remembrance; for [departing] from me, thou hast laid open, and art gone up, —hast enlarged thy couch, and made thee a covenant with some of them; thou hast loved their lying with thee, hast selected a fitting place.
9 Waya enkosini ulamafutha, wandisa amakha akho, wathuma izithunywa zakho khatshana, wazehlisela esihogweni. (Sheol h7585)
And thou didst show thyself unto the king without ointment, and thou didst multiply thy perfumes, and thou didst send out thy messengers even into the far-off distance, and didst debase thyself even down to the nether world. (Sheol h7585)
10 Wadinwa yibukhulu bendlela yakho, kodwa kawutshongo ukuthi: Kakulathemba; wathola impilo yesandla sakho, ngakho-ke kawuphelanga amandla.
Though thou art wearied by the length of thy way, yet saidst thou not, It is useless: thou hadst found enough for thy hand; therefore didst thou feel no care.
11 Njalo wesaba bani watshaywa luvalo, ukuthi uqambe amanga, ungangikhumbuli, ungakufaki enhliziyweni yakho? Kangithulanga yini ngitsho kwasendulo, njalo mina ungangesabi?
And of whom hadst thou dread or fear, that thou becamest false, and didst not remember me, nor lay it to thy heart? is it not so? I kept silence, and this from earliest times, and therefore thou fearest me not!
12 Mina ngizamemezela ukulunga kwakho, lemisebenzi yakho; ngoba kakuyikukusiza.
I, I ever tell thee [what deeds would be] thy righteousness; but thy works—these indeed will not profit thee.
13 Lapho ukhala, amaxuku akho kawakukhulule! Kanti umoya uzawaphephula wonke, ize lizawathatha. Kodwa othemba kimi uzakudla ilifa lelizwe, adle ilifa lentaba yami engcwele.
When thou criest, let thy masses of idols deliver thee; but all of them will the wind carry away, a breath will take them off; but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.
14 Azakuthi: Buthelelani, buthelelani, lungisani indlela, susani isikhubekiso endleleni yabantu bami.
And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, clear out the way, lift up every stumbling block out of the way of my people.
15 Ngoba utsho njalo ophezulu lophakemeyo, ohlala ephakadeni, obizo lakhe lingoNgcwele, uthi: Ngihlala endaweni ephakemeyo lengcwele, njalo kanye laye olomoya odabukileyo lozithobayo, ukuvuselela umoya wabathobekileyo, lokuvuselela inhliziyo yabadabukileyo.
For thus hath said the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, In the high and holy place do I dwell, yet also with the contrite and humble of spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 Ngoba kangiyikulwisa kuze kube phakade, kangiyikuthukuthela njalonjalo; ngoba umoya ungaphela amandla phambi kwami, lemiphefumulo mina engiyenzileyo.
For not to eternity will I contend, neither will I be for ever wroth: when the spirit from before me is overwhelmed, and the souls which I have made.
17 Ngenxa yobubi bokufisa kwakhe ngathukuthela, ngamtshaya, ngazifihla, ngathukuthela; kodwa waqhubeka ehlubuka ngendlela yenhliziyo yakhe.
Because of the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and I smote him, hiding my face, and was wroth: while he went on frowardly in the way of his own heart.
18 Ngizibonile izindlela zakhe, njalo ngizamsilisa, ngimkhokhele, ngibuyisele izinduduzo kuye labalilayo bakhe.
I [now] see his ways, and I will heal him; and I will guide him, and bestow full comforts on him and on his mourners;
19 Ngidala izithelo zezindebe; ukuthula, ukuthula kokhatshana loseduze, itsho iNkosi; njalo ngizamsilisa.
Creating the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him that is afar off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.
20 Kodwa ababi banjengolwandle olutshukumayo; ngoba kalulakuphumula, lamanzi alo akhafula udaka lengcekeza.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can never be at rest, but its waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 Kakulakuthula, utsho uNkulunkulu wami, kwababi.
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
