< Isaya 59 >
1 Tazama, mkono wa Yahwe sio mfupi ambao hautweza kukuokoa wewe; wala sikio lake sio zito, ambalo haliwezi kusikia.
Lo, the hand of Jehovah Hath not been shortened from saving, Nor heavy his ear from hearing.
2 Matendo yako ya dhambi, hata hivyo, zimekutenga wewe na Mungu, na dhambi zenu zimemfanya aufiche uso wake msimuone wala kumsikia yeye.
But your iniquities have been separating Between you and your God, And your sins have hidden The Presence from you — from hearing.
3 Maana mikono yenu ina madoa ya damu na vidole vyenu vimejaa dhambi. Midomo yenu inazungumza uongo na ulimi wenu unazungumza kwa nia mbaya.
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 aitae haki, na hakuna anayewasihi kesi yake katika haki. Wanayamini maneno yasiyo ya haki, maneno ya uongo; wanashika matatizo na kuzaa dhambi.
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 Wanetotoa mayai ya nyoka wenye sumu na hufuma mtandao wa buibui. Yeyote alaye mayai yake atakufa, na ikiwa yai litavunjika, litatotoa nyoka mwenye sumu.
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 Mitando yao haitatumika kama mavazi, wala hawawezi kujifukia wenyewe kwa kazi yao. Kazi zao ni kazi za dhambi, na matendo ya vurugu yako 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 inakimbilia uovu, na wanakimbilia kumwaga damu isiyo na hatia. Mawazo yao ni mawazo ya dhambi; vurugu na uharibifu ndio njia yao.
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 Njia ya amani hawaijuyui, na hakuna haki katika njia zao. Wametengeneza njia njia zlizopotoka; yeyote atakaye safiri kupitia njia hizi njia hizi hazijui 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 basi haki iko mbali a sisi, wala haki haijatufikia sisi. Tunasubiri mwanga tunaona giza; tunatafuta mwangaza, lakini tunatembea gizani. Tunapapasa kwenywe ukuta kama kipofu, kama wale wasiona,
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 Tuna mashaka mchana kweupe kama kwenye mwanga unaofifia; miongoni mwa wenye nguvu tuko kama watu waliokufa.
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 Sisi tunaunguruma kama dubu na kuomboleza kama njiwa; tunasubiria haki, lakini hakuna kitu; kwa ukombozi, lakini uko mbali na sisi.
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 Maana makosa yetu mengi yako mbele zako, na dhambi zetu zinatushuhudia sisi; maana makosa yako pamoja na sisi.
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 Tumeaasi, kumkana Yahwe na kuacha kumfuata Mungu. Tulizungumzia ulafi kujeuka nyuma, na kuanza kulalamika kutoka moyoni na maneno ya uongo.
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 Haki imerudishwa nyuma, wenye haki wamesimama mbali sana; maana ukweli uko mashakani katika mraba wa umma, haki haiwezi kuja.
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 Waaminifu wamenda zao, na yeyote anayegeuka mbali na maovu anajiathiri mwenyewe. Yahwe aliliona hilo na hakupendezwa maana hakuna 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 kwamba hakuna mtu, na akastaajabu kwamba hakuna mtu wa kuoma. Hivyo basi mkono wake uliletao wakovu kwake, na haki yake unamtosheleza yeye.
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 Huivaa haki kama ngao kifuani na kofia ya chuma ya wokovu kichwani mwake. Anajivika mwenyewe kwa mavazi ya kisasi na kuvaa vazi la bidii.
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 Analipa tena kwa kilichotokea, hukumu ya hasira kwa adui zake na kwa adui atairidisha adhabu ya kisiwa kama zawadi yao.
According to deeds — so He repayeth. Fury to His adversaries, [their] deed to His enemies, To the isles [their] deed He repayeth.
19 Hivyo wataliogopa jina la Yahwe kutoka magharibi na utukufu wake kutoka mashariki; maana atakuja kama mkondo wa mto, inaendeshwa na pumzi ya Yahwe.
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 na wale watkaojeuka kutoka matendo yao ya uasi katika nyumba ya Yakobo- Hili ni tamko la Yahwe.
And come to Zion hath a redeemer, Even to captives of transgression in Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah.
21 Na kama mimi, hili ni agano langu pamoja nao- asema Yahwe- Roho yangu iliyo juu yenu, na maneno yangu niliyoyaweka kinywani mwenu, hayataondoka midomo mwenu au kuodoka mbali na midomo wajukuu wenu, au kwenda mbali asema Yahwe- kuanziia sasa na hata milele.''
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!