< U-Isaya 59 >

1 Khangela isandla seNkosi kasifinyezwanga ukuthi singasindisi, lendlebe yayo kayinzima ukuthi ingezwa.
Has the hand of the Lord no power to save? or has he made his ear heavy, so that he should not hear?
2 Kodwa iziphambeko zenu zehlukanisile phakathi kwenu loNkulunkulu wenu, lezono zenu zibusithile ubuso bakhe kini, ukuthi angezwa.
Nay, your iniquities separate between you and God, and because of your sins has he turned away [his] face from you, so as not to have mercy [upon you].
3 Ngoba izandla zenu zingcoliswe ngegazi, leminwe yenu ngenkohlakalo; indebe zenu zikhulume amanga, lolimi lwenu lungunguna ububi.
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins; your lips also have spoken iniquity, and your tongue meditates unrighteousness.
4 Kakho omemeza ngokulunga, njalo kakho olabhela ngeqiniso; bathemba okuyize, bakhulume amanga; bamitha ububi, bazale isiphambeko.
None speaks justly, neither is there true judgement: they trust in vanities, and speak empty [words]; for they conceive trouble, and bring forth iniquity.
5 Bachamusela amaqanda enhlangwana, beluke ubulembu besayobe; odla okwamaqanda awo uyafa; lelichotshoziweyo liqhamuka lilibululu.
They have hatched asps' eggs, and weave a spider's web: and he that is going to eat of their eggs, having crushed an addled egg, has found also in it a basilisk.
6 Ubulembu babo kabuyikuba yizembatho, njalo kabayikuzembesa ngemisebenzi yabo. Imisebenzi yabo yimisebenzi yobubi, lesenzo sodlakela sisezandleni zabo.
Their web shall not become a garment, nor shall they at all clothe themselves with their works; for their works are works of iniquity.
7 Inyawo zabo zigijimela ebubini; baphangisa ukuchitha igazi elingelacala; imicabango yabo yimicabango yobubi; ukubhubhisa lokuchitha kusezindleleni zabo.
And their feet run to wickedness, swift to shed blood; their thoughts also are thoughts of murder; destruction and misery are in their ways;
8 Indlela yokuthula kabayazi; njalo kakulasahlulelo emikhondweni yabo; bazenzela izindlela zabo ezimazombazombe; loba ngubani ohamba kuzo kayikwazi ukuthula.
and the way of peace they know not, neither is there judgement in their ways; for their paths by which they go are crooked, and they know not peace.
9 Ngakho-ke isahlulelo sikhatshana lathi, lokulunga kakusifinyeleli. Silindela ukukhanya, kodwa khangela, ubumnyama; silindela ukukhazimula, kodwa sihamba emnyameni omkhulu.
Therefore has judgement departed from them, and righteousness shall not overtake them: while they waited for light, darkness came upon them; while they waited for brightness, they walked in perplexity.
10 Siphumputha umduli njengeziphofu, siphumputhe kwangathi kasilamehlo; sikhubeke emini enkulu kwangathi kukusihlwa, sisendaweni ezichithekileyo njengabafileyo.
They shall feel for the wall as blind [men], and shall feel [for it] as if they had no eyes: and they shall feel at noon-day as at midnight; they shall groan as dying men.
11 Sonke siyabhonga njengamabhere, silile lokulila njengamajuba; silindela isahlulelo, kodwa kasikho; losindiso, kodwa lukhatshana lathi.
They shall proceed together as a bear and as a dove: we have waited for judgement, and there is no salvation, it is gone far from us.
12 Ngoba iziphambeko zethu zandile phambi kwakho, lezono zethu zifakaza zimelene lathi; ngoba iziphambeko zethu zilathi, lobubi bethu siyabazi;
For our iniquity is great before you, and our sins have risen up against us: for our iniquities are in us, and we know our unrighteous deeds.
13 ukuphambuka, lokuqambela iNkosi amanga, lokusuka ekulandeleni uNkulunkulu wethu, ukukhuluma incindezelo lokuhlamuka, ukukhulelwa lokukhuluma amazwi amanga aphuma enhliziyweni.
We have sinned, and dealt falsely, and revolted from our God: we have spoken unrighteous words, and have been disobedient; we have conceived and uttered from our heart unrighteous words.
14 Ngakho isahlulelo sibuyiselwa emuva, lokulunga kumi khatshana; ngoba iqiniso liyakhubeka esitaladeni, lobuqotho kabulakungena.
And we have turned judgement back, and righteousness has departed afar off: for truth is consumed in their ways, and they could not pass by a straight [path].
15 Yebo, iqiniso liyasilela, lowehlukana lobubi uzenza impango. INkosi yasikubona, njalo kwaba kubi emehlweni ayo ukuthi kakulasahlulelo.
And truth has been taken away, and they have turned aside [their] mind from understanding. And the Lord saw it, and it pleased him not that there was no judgement.
16 Yasibona ukuthi kwakungelamuntu, yamangala kakhulu ukuthi kwakungelamlamuli; ngakho ingalo yayo yaletha usindiso kuye, lokulunga kwayo khona kwamsekela.
And he looked, and there was no man, and he observed, and there was none to help: so he defended them with his arm, and established [them] with [his] mercy.
17 Ngoba yembatha ukulunga njengebhatshi lensimbi, lengowane yosindiso ekhanda layo; yembatha izembatho zempindiselo njengesembatho, yazembesa ukutshiseka njengejazi.
And he put on righteousness as a breast-plate, and placed the helmet of salvation on his head; and he clothed himself with the garment of vengeance, and with his cloak,
18 Njengokwezenzo, ngokunjalo izaphindisela, ulaka kwabamelana layo, umvuzo ezitheni zayo; ezihlengeni uzabuyisela umvuzo.
as one about to render a recompence, [even] reproach to his adversaries.
19 Ngokunjalo bazalesaba ibizo leNkosi kusukela entshonalanga, lodumo lwayo kusukela lapho okuphuma khona ilanga. Lapho isitha sizangena njengomfula, uMoya weNkosi uzaphakamisa isiboniso esimelene laso.
So shall they of the west fear the name of the Lord, and they [that come] from the rising of the sun his glorious name: for the wrath of the Lord shall come as a mighty river, it shall come with fury.
20 LoMhlengi uzafika eZiyoni, lakulabo abaphenduka eziphambekweni koJakobe, itsho iNkosi.
And the deliverer shall come for Sion's sake, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
21 Mina-ke, lesi yisivumelwano sami labo, itsho iNkosi: UMoya wami ophezu kwakho, lamazwi ami engiwafake emlonyeni wakho, kawayikusuka emlonyeni wakho, lemlonyeni wenzalo yakho, lemlonyeni wenzalo yenzalo yakho, itsho iNkosi, kusukela khathesi kuze kube phakade.
And this shall be my covenant with them, said the Lord; My Spirit which is upon you, and the words which I have put in your mouth, shall never fail from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, for the Lord has spoken it, henceforth and for ever.

< U-Isaya 59 >