U-Isaya 59
1 Khangela isandla seNkosi kasifinyezwanga ukuthi singasindisi, lendlebe yayo kayinzima ukuthi ingezwa.
Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, Nor is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear;
2 Kodwa iziphambeko zenu zehlukanisile phakathi kwenu loNkulunkulu wenu, lezono zenu zibusithile ubuso bakhe kini, ukuthi angezwa.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God, And your sins have hidden his face from you, that he doth not hear.
3 Ngoba izandla zenu zingcoliswe ngegazi, leminwe yenu ngenkohlakalo; indebe zenu zikhulume amanga, lolimi lwenu lungunguna ububi.
For your hands are polluted with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips speak falsehood, And your tongue muttereth wickedness.
4 Kakho omemeza ngokulunga, njalo kakho olabhela ngeqiniso; bathemba okuyize, bakhulume amanga; bamitha ububi, bazale isiphambeko.
No one bringeth his suit with justice, And no one pleadeth with truth; They trust in vain words, and speak lies; They conceive mischief, and bring forth destruction.
5 Bachamusela amaqanda enhlangwana, beluke ubulembu besayobe; odla okwamaqanda awo uyafa; lelichotshoziweyo liqhamuka lilibululu.
They hatch the eggs of the basilisk, And weave the web of the spider; He that eateth of their eggs dieth, And when one of them is crushed, a viper breaketh forth.
6 Ubulembu babo kabuyikuba yizembatho, njalo kabayikuzembesa ngemisebenzi yabo. Imisebenzi yabo yimisebenzi yobubi, lesenzo sodlakela sisezandleni zabo.
Of their webs no garment is made, Nor can one cover himself with their work; Their works are works of iniquity, And the deed of violence is in their hands.
7 Inyawo zabo zigijimela ebubini; baphangisa ukuchitha igazi elingelacala; imicabango yabo yimicabango yobubi; ukubhubhisa lokuchitha kusezindleleni zabo.
Their feet run to evil; They make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; Oppression and destruction are in their paths.
8 Indlela yokuthula kabayazi; njalo kakulasahlulelo emikhondweni yabo; bazenzela izindlela zabo ezimazombazombe; loba ngubani ohamba kuzo kayikwazi ukuthula.
The way of peace they know not, Nor is there any justice in their steps; They have made for themselves crooked paths; Whoso goeth in them knoweth not peace.
9 Ngakho-ke isahlulelo sikhatshana lathi, lokulunga kakusifinyeleli. Silindela ukukhanya, kodwa khangela, ubumnyama; silindela ukukhazimula, kodwa sihamba emnyameni omkhulu.
Therefore is judgment far from us, And deliverance doth not overtake us. We look for light, and behold obscurity; For brightness, and we walk in darkness.
10 Siphumputha umduli njengeziphofu, siphumputhe kwangathi kasilamehlo; sikhubeke emini enkulu kwangathi kukusihlwa, sisendaweni ezichithekileyo njengabafileyo.
We grope for the wall, like the blind; We feel our way, like those that are deprived of sight; We stumble at noonday as in the night; In the midst of fertile fields we are like the dead.
11 Sonke siyabhonga njengamabhere, silile lokulila njengamajuba; silindela isahlulelo, kodwa kasikho; losindiso, kodwa lukhatshana lathi.
We groan, all of us, like bears, And like doves we make a continued moan; We look for judgment, and it cometh not; For salvation, and it is far from us.
12 Ngoba iziphambeko zethu zandile phambi kwakho, lezono zethu zifakaza zimelene lathi; ngoba iziphambeko zethu zilathi, lobubi bethu siyabazi;
For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, And our sins testify against us! For our transgressions are not hidden from us, And our iniquities we know.
13 ukuphambuka, lokuqambela iNkosi amanga, lokusuka ekulandeleni uNkulunkulu wethu, ukukhuluma incindezelo lokuhlamuka, ukukhulelwa lokukhuluma amazwi amanga aphuma enhliziyweni.
We have rebelled, and proved false to Jehovah; We have departed from our God; We have spoken violence and rebellion; Our hearts have conceived and brought forth words of falsehood.
14 Ngakho isahlulelo sibuyiselwa emuva, lokulunga kumi khatshana; ngoba iqiniso liyakhubeka esitaladeni, lobuqotho kabulakungena.
And justice is turned back, And equity standeth afar off, For truth falleth in the gate, And rectitude cannot enter.
15 Yebo, iqiniso liyasilela, lowehlukana lobubi uzenza impango. INkosi yasikubona, njalo kwaba kubi emehlweni ayo ukuthi kakulasahlulelo.
Truth is not to be found, And he that departeth from evil is plundered; And Jehovah saw it, And it displeased him that there was no justice.
16 Yasibona ukuthi kwakungelamuntu, yamangala kakhulu ukuthi kwakungelamlamuli; ngakho ingalo yayo yaletha usindiso kuye, lokulunga kwayo khona kwamsekela.
He saw that there was none to help, And wondered that there was none to interpose; Then his own arm wrought salvation for him, And his righteousness it supported him.
17 Ngoba yembatha ukulunga njengebhatshi lensimbi, lengowane yosindiso ekhanda layo; yembatha izembatho zempindiselo njengesembatho, yazembesa ukutshiseka njengejazi.
He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And the helmet of salvation upon his head; He put on garments of vengeance for his clothing, And clad himself with zeal, as with a mantle.
18 Njengokwezenzo, ngokunjalo izaphindisela, ulaka kwabamelana layo, umvuzo ezitheni zayo; ezihlengeni uzabuyisela umvuzo.
According to their deeds will he repay them, —Wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; To the distant coasts will he repay a recompense.
19 Ngokunjalo bazalesaba ibizo leNkosi kusukela entshonalanga, lodumo lwayo kusukela lapho okuphuma khona ilanga. Lapho isitha sizangena njengomfula, uMoya weNkosi uzaphakamisa isiboniso esimelene laso.
They in the west shall fear the name of Jehovah, And they in the rising of the sun his glory, When he cometh like a river straitened in its course, Which a strong wind driveth along.
20 LoMhlengi uzafika eZiyoni, lakulabo abaphenduka eziphambekweni koJakobe, itsho iNkosi.
Yet shall a redeemer come to Zion, For them that turn from their transgressions in Jacob, saith Jehovah.
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 as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: My spirit, which is upon thee, And my words, which I have put in thy mouth, They shall not depart from thy mouth, Nor from the mouth of thy sons, Nor from the mouth of thy sons' sons, saith Jehovah, From this time forth forever.
