Isaya 59
1 Hakika mkono wa Bwana si mfupi hata usiweze kuokoa, wala sikio lake si zito hata lisiweze kusikia.
Listen to this! Yahweh’s power [MTY] is not ended/gone, with the result that he cannot save [you]. He has not become deaf [MTY], with the result that he cannot hear [you when you call to him for help].
2 Lakini maovu yenu yamewatenga ninyi na Mungu wenu, dhambi zenu zimewaficha ninyi uso wake, ili asisikie.
But, you have separated yourselves from your God by the sins that you have committed. Because of your sins, he has turned away from you, with the result that he does not pay attention to what you request him to do.
3 Kwa maana mikono yenu imetiwa mawaa kwa damu na vidole vyenu kwa hatia. Midomo yenu imenena uongo, nazo ndimi zenu zimenongʼona mambo maovu.
You do violent things [MTY] [to others], with the result that your hands are stained with their blood. You [constantly] tell [MTY] lies, and you say [MTY] evil things [about others].
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.
When you accuse someone in court, what you say is not fair and it is not true. You accuse people falsely. You are [constantly] planning to cause trouble for others, and then you do those evil things that you planned.
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.
What you plan to do to harm people [MET] is as dangerous as the eggs of a (cobra/poisonous snake), because cobras will hatch from those eggs. You trap people like [MET] spiders trap/catch insects in their webs.
6 Utando wao wa buibui haufai kwa nguo; hawawezi kujifunika kwa kile walichokitengeneza. Matendo yao ni matendo maovu, vitendo vya jeuri vipo mikononi mwao.
We people cannot hide/cover our skin with clothes made of spider webs [MET], and similarly you cannot hide the evil things that you have done. You are [constantly] acting [MTY] violently.
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.
You [SYN] are very quick to go and do evil things, and you hurry to murder people [MTY] who are innocent. You are [continually] thinking about sinning. Wherever you go, you destroy things and cause people to suffer.
8 Hawajui njia ya amani, hakuna haki katika mapito yao. Wameyageuza kuwa njia za upotovu, hakuna apitaye njia hizo atakayeifahamu amani.
You do not know how to act peacefully or to treat others fairly. You always are (dishonest/deceiving others) [MET], and those who imitate your behavior never have any inner peace.
9 Hivyo uadilifu uko mbali nasi, nayo haki haitufikii. Tunatazamia nuru, kumbe! Yote ni giza, tunatazamia mwanga, lakini tunatembea katika giza kuu.
Because of that, God does not rescue us [from our enemies]; [it seems that] he is not acting fairly/righteously toward us. We expect [God to give us] light, but all [he gives us] is darkness [DOU].
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 are like [SIM] blind people who have to feel along a wall to be able to walk anywhere. We stumble [and trip] at noontime like [SIM] we would when it is dark. We are like [SIM] dead people who are among healthy people.
11 Wote tunanguruma kama dubu; tunalia kwa maombolezo kama hua. Tunatafuta haki, kumbe hakuna kabisa; tunatafuta wokovu, lakini uko mbali.
We growl like [SIM] [hungry] bears; we continually moan like [SIM] doves. We seek [people who do] what is just/fair, but we cannot find any [anywhere]. [We want God] to rescue us, but [it seems that] he is far away.
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:
[But these things are happening] because [it is as though] our sins are piled high in the presence of God, and that they testify [PRS] against us. We cannot deny it; we know that we have done many wrong things.
13 Uasi na udanganyifu dhidi ya Bwana, kumgeuzia Mungu wetu kisogo, tukichochea udhalimu na maasi, tukinena uongo ambao mioyo yetu imeuhifadhi.
[We know that] we have rebelled against Yahweh; we have turned away from him. We (oppress people/treat people cruelly) by what we testify [against them]; we do not allow them to get what they have a right to get. We [SYN] think about the lies that we can tell, and then we tell them.
14 Hivyo uadilifu umerudishwa nyuma, nayo haki inasimama mbali, kweli imejikwaa njiani, uaminifu hauwezi kuingia.
[In our courts, the judges] do not decide cases/matters fairly; no one is acting righteously. In plazas where people gather together, no one tells the truth [PRS]; [it seems that people] are not allowed to say what is true.
15 Kweli haipatikani popote, na yeyote aepukaye uovu huwa mawindo. Bwana alitazama naye akachukizwa kwamba hapakuwepo haki.
No one tells the truth, and people try to ruin [the reputations of] those who quit doing evil. Yahweh looked around, and he saw that no one was doing what is just/fair, and he was [very] displeased.
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.
He was disgusted when he saw that no one tried to help [those who were being treated cruelly]. So he used his own power [MTY] to rescue them; it is because he is always righteous that he did that [PRS].
17 Alivaa haki kama dirii kifuani mwake, na chapeo ya wokovu kichwani mwake, alivaa mavazi ya kisasi naye akajifunga wivu kama joho.
[It is as though he is a soldier who] [MET] puts on his armor and a helmet; his continually doing what is right is like [MET] his armor, and his ability to rescue people is [like] his helmet. His being extremely angry and his being ready to get revenge [on those who do evil] are like [MET] his robes.
18 Kulingana na kile walichokuwa wametenda, ndivyo atakavyolipa ghadhabu kwa watesi wake na kisasi kwa adui zake, atavilipa visiwa sawa na wanavyostahili.
He will repay his enemies for the evil things that they have done. He will severely punish [MTY] even those who live far [from Jerusalem].
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.
When that happens, people everywhere, from the east to the west, will respect and honor Yahweh [MTY], because he will come like [SIM] a rushing river that is pushed along by the strong wind that Yahweh sent.
20 “Mkombozi atakuja Sayuni, kwa wale wa Yakobo wanaozitubu dhambi zao,” asema Bwana.
And Yahweh says that he will come to Jerusalem to free [his people]; he will come to rescue those in Judah who have quit (doing sinful things/their sinful behavior).
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.
This is what Yahweh says to his people: “This is the agreement that I will make with you: My Spirit will not leave you, and you will always have my message. You will [be able to] declare it [MTY], and your children and grandchildren will [be able to] declare it forever.”
