< Isaya 59 >
1 Hakika mkono wa Bwana si mfupi hata usiweze kuokoa, wala sikio lake si zito hata lisiweze kusikia.
Lo, the hand of Jehovah Hath not been shortened from saving, Nor heavy his ear 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 polluted with blood, And your fingers with iniquity, Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue perverseness doth mutter.
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.
Eggs of a viper they have hatched, And webs of a spider they weave, Whoso is eating their eggs doth die, And the crushed hatcheth 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 become not 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 to evil do run, And they haste 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.
A way of peace they have not known, And there is no judgment in their paths, Their paths they have made perverse for themselves, No treader in it hath 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 hath judgment been far from us, And righteousness reacheth us not, We wait for light, and lo, 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 like the blind [for] the wall, Yea, as without eyes we feel, 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 as doves we coo sorely; We wait for judgment, and there is none, For salvation — it hath 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 Thee, 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 Jehovah, 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 removed backward is judgment, And righteousness afar off standeth, For truth hath 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 whoso is turning aside from evil, Is making himself a spoil. And Jehovah seeth, 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 seeth that there is no man, And is astonished that there is no intercessor, And His own arm giveth 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 putteth on righteousness as a breastplate, And an helmet of salvation on His head, And He putteth 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 repayeth. Fury to His adversaries, [their] deed to His enemies, To the isles [their] deed He repayeth.
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 they fear from the west the name of Jehovah, And from the rising of the sun — His honour, When come in as a flood doth an adversary, The Spirit of Jehovah hath raised an ensign against him.
20 “Mkombozi atakuja Sayuni, kwa wale wa Yakobo wanaozitubu dhambi zao,” asema Bwana.
And come to Zion hath a redeemer, Even to captives of transgression in Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah.
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 Jehovah, My Spirit that [is] on thee, And My words that I have put in thy mouth, Depart not from thy mouth, And from the mouth of thy seed, And from the mouth of thy seed's seed, said Jehovah, From henceforth unto the age!