< Isaya 59 >

1 Hakika mkono wa Bwana si mfupi hata usiweze kuokoa, wala sikio lake si zito hata lisiweze kusikia.
Behold, the hand of YHWH Has not been shortened from saving, Nor His ear heavy from hearing.
2 Lakini maovu yenu yamewatenga ninyi na Mungu wenu, dhambi zenu zimewaficha ninyi uso wake, ili asisikie.
But your iniquities have been separating Between you and your God, And your sins have hidden The Presence from you—from hearing.
3 Kwa maana mikono yenu imetiwa mawaa kwa damu na vidole vyenu kwa hatia. Midomo yenu imenena uongo, nazo ndimi zenu zimenongʼona mambo maovu.
For your hands have been defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity, Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters perverseness.
4 Hakuna hata mmoja anayedai kwa haki; hakuna hata mmoja anayetetea shauri lake kwa haki. Wanategemea mabishano matupu na kusema uongo, huchukua mimba ya magomvi na kuzaa uovu.
There is none calling in righteousness, And there is none pleading in faithfulness, Trusting on emptiness, and speaking falsehood, Conceiving perverseness, and bearing iniquity.
5 Huangua mayai ya nyoka wenye sumu kali na kutanda wavu wa buibui. Yeyote alaye mayai yao atakufa, na wakati moja lianguliwapo, nyoka hutoka humo.
They have hatched eggs of a viper, And weave webs of a spider, Whoever is eating their eggs dies, and the crushed hatches a viper.
6 Utando wao wa buibui haufai kwa nguo; hawawezi kujifunika kwa kile walichokitengeneza. Matendo yao ni matendo maovu, vitendo vya jeuri vipo mikononi mwao.
Their webs do not become a garment, Nor do they cover themselves with their works, Their works [are] works of iniquity, And a deed of violence [is] in their hands.
7 Miguu yao hukimbilia kwenye dhambi, ni myepesi kumwaga damu isiyo na hatia. Mawazo yao ni mawazo maovu; uharibifu na maangamizi huonekana katika njia zao.
Their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed innocent blood, Their thoughts [are] thoughts of iniquity, Spoiling and destruction [are] in their highways.
8 Hawajui njia ya amani, hakuna haki katika mapito yao. Wameyageuza kuwa njia za upotovu, hakuna apitaye njia hizo atakayeifahamu amani.
They have not known a way of peace, And there is no judgment in their paths, They have made their paths perverse for themselves, None treading in it has known peace.
9 Hivyo uadilifu uko mbali nasi, nayo haki haitufikii. Tunatazamia nuru, kumbe! Yote ni giza, tunatazamia mwanga, lakini tunatembea katika giza kuu.
Therefore judgment has been far from us, And righteousness does not reach us, We wait for light, and behold, darkness, For brightness—in thick darkness we go,
10 Tunapapasa ukuta kama kipofu, tunapapasa katika njia zetu kama watu wasio na macho. Adhuhuri tunajikwaa kama wakati wa gizagiza; katikati ya wenye nguvu, tuko kama wafu.
We feel [for] the wall like the blind, Indeed, we feel as without eyes, We have stumbled at noon as at twilight, In desolate places as the dead.
11 Wote tunanguruma kama dubu; tunalia kwa maombolezo kama hua. Tunatafuta haki, kumbe hakuna kabisa; tunatafuta wokovu, lakini uko mbali.
We make a noise as bears—all of us, And we coo severely as doves; We wait for judgment, and there is none, For salvation—it has been far from us.
12 Kwa sababu makosa yetu ni mengi machoni pako, na dhambi zetu zinashuhudia dhidi yetu. Makosa yetu yako pamoja nasi daima, nasi tunayatambua maovu yetu:
For our transgressions have been multiplied before You, And our sins have testified against us, For our transgressions [are] with us, And our iniquities—we have known them.
13 Uasi na udanganyifu dhidi ya Bwana, kumgeuzia Mungu wetu kisogo, tukichochea udhalimu na maasi, tukinena uongo ambao mioyo yetu imeuhifadhi.
Transgressing, and lying against YHWH, And removing from after our God, Speaking oppression and apostasy, Conceiving and uttering from the heart Words of falsehood.
14 Hivyo uadilifu umerudishwa nyuma, nayo haki inasimama mbali, kweli imejikwaa njiani, uaminifu hauwezi kuingia.
And judgment is removed backward, And righteousness stands far off, For truth has been feeble in the street, And straightforwardness is not able to enter,
15 Kweli haipatikani popote, na yeyote aepukaye uovu huwa mawindo. Bwana alitazama naye akachukizwa kwamba hapakuwepo haki.
And the truth is lacking, And whoever is turning aside from evil, Is making himself a spoil. And YHWH sees, and it is evil in His eyes, That there is no judgment.
16 Aliona kuwa hakuwepo hata mtu mmoja, akashangaa kwamba hakuwepo hata mmoja wa kuingilia kati; hivyo mkono wake mwenyewe ndio uliomfanyia wokovu, nayo haki yake mwenyewe ndiyo iliyomtegemeza.
And He sees that there is no man, And is astonished that there is no intercessor, And His own arm gives salvation to Him, And His righteousness—it sustained Him.
17 Alivaa haki kama dirii kifuani mwake, na chapeo ya wokovu kichwani mwake, alivaa mavazi ya kisasi naye akajifunga wivu kama joho.
And He puts on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head, And He puts on garments of vengeance [for] clothing, And is covered, as [with] an upper-robe, [with] zeal.
18 Kulingana na kile walichokuwa wametenda, ndivyo atakavyolipa ghadhabu kwa watesi wake na kisasi kwa adui zake, atavilipa visiwa sawa na wanavyostahili.
According to deeds—so He repays. Fury to His adversaries, [their] deed to His enemies, To the islands He repays [their] deed.
19 Kuanzia magharibi, watu wataliogopa jina la Bwana na kuanzia mawio ya jua, watauheshimu utukufu wake. Wakati adui atakapokuja kama mafuriko, Roho wa Bwana atainua kiwango dhidi yake na kumshinda.
And from the west they fear the Name of YHWH, And from the rising of the sun—His glory, When an adversary comes in as a flood, The Spirit of YHWH has raised an ensign against him.
20 “Mkombozi atakuja Sayuni, kwa wale wa Yakobo wanaozitubu dhambi zao,” asema Bwana.
“And the Redeemer has come to Zion, Even to captives of transgression in Jacob,” A declaration of YHWH.
21 “Kwa habari yangu mimi, hili ndilo agano langu nao,” asema Bwana. “Roho wangu, aliye juu yenu, na maneno yangu ambayo nimeyaweka katika vinywa vyenu, havitaondoka vinywani mwenu, wala kutoka vinywani mwa watoto wenu, wala kutoka vinywani mwa wazao wao, kuanzia sasa na hata milele,” asema Bwana.
“And I—this [is] My covenant with them,” said YHWH, “My Spirit that [is] on you, And My words that I have put in your mouth, Do not depart from your mouth, And from the mouth of your seed, And from the mouth of your seed’s seed,” said YHWH, “From now on, even for all time!”

< Isaya 59 >