ʻIsaia 59

1 Vakai, ʻoku ʻikai fakanounou ʻae nima ʻo Sihova, ke ne taʻefaʻafakamoʻui; pea ʻoku ʻikai mamafa hono fofonga, ke ne taʻefaʻaongoʻi.

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 Ka ko hoʻomou ngaahi hia kuo fakamavae ʻakimoutolu mo homou ʻOtua, pea ʻi hoʻomou angahala kuo ne fakafufū hono fofonga meiate kimoutolu, koeʻuhi ʻe ʻikai te ne fanongo,

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 He kuo fakaʻuli homou nima ʻaki ʻae toto, mo homou louhiʻi nima ʻaki ʻae fai kovi; kuo lea loi homou loungutu, kuo puʻaki ʻe homou ʻelelo ʻae kovi.

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 ‌ʻOku ʻikai ui ha taha ki he angatonu, pe lea ha niʻihi ki he moʻoni, ʻoku nau faʻaki ki he vaʻinga, pea lea loi; ʻoku nau tuituʻia ʻi he fai kovi, pea nau fanauʻi ʻae angahala.

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 ‌ʻOku nau fōfoaʻi ʻae fua ʻoe ngata fekai, pea fi ʻae matamata kupenga ʻoe hina: ko ia ʻoku ne kai honau fua ʻe mate, pea ko ia kuo laiki ʻoku haʻu mei ai ʻae ngata fekai.

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 ‌ʻE ʻikai hoko ko e ngaahi kofu ʻenau matamata kupenga, pea ʻe ʻikai te nau ʻufiʻufi ʻakinautolu ʻaki ʻenau ngaahi ngāue: he ko ʻenau ngaahi ngāue ko e ngāue ʻae angahala, pea ʻoku ʻi honau nima ʻae ngāue fakamālohi.

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 ‌ʻOku lele honau vaʻe ki he kovi, pea ʻoku nau fai toʻotoʻo ke lilingi ʻae toto ʻoe taʻehalaia: ko ʻenau ngaahi mahalo ko e ngaahi mahalo ʻoe angahala; ʻoku ʻi honau ngaahi hala ʻae maumau mo e fakaʻauha.

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 Ko e hala ʻoe melino ʻoku ʻikai te nau ʻiloʻi; pea ʻoku ʻikai ha angatonu ʻi honau ngaahi ʻaluʻanga: kuo nau ngaohi kiate kinautolu ʻae ngaahi hala pikopiko: ko ia ʻe ʻalu ai ʻe ʻikai te ne ʻilo ha fiemālie.

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 “Ko ia ʻoku mamaʻo ai meiate kitautolu ʻae fakamaau, pea ʻoku ʻikai hoko mai ʻae angatonu: ʻoku tau tatali ki he maama, kae vakai ko e fakapoʻuli; ki he maama lahi, ka ʻoku tau ʻeveʻeva ʻi he poʻuli.

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 ‌ʻOku tau tautaufā ki he ʻā ʻo hangē ko e kui, pea ʻoku tau tautaufā ʻo hangē ʻoku ʻikai hatau mata: ʻoku tau humu ʻi he hoʻatāmālie ʻo hangē ha poʻuli; ʻoku tau ʻi he ngaahi potu lala ʻo hangē ko e kakai mate.

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 ‌ʻOku tau tangi kotoa pē ʻo tatau mo e fanga pea, pea ʻoku tangi mamahi ʻo hangē ko e kulukulu, ʻoku tau kumi ki he fakamaau, ka ʻoku ʻikai; ki he fakamoʻui, ka ʻoku mamaʻo ia ʻiate kitautolu.

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 He kuo fakalahi ʻemau ngaahi talangataʻa ʻi ho ʻao, pea ʻoku talatalaakiʻi ʻakitautolu ʻe heʻetau ngaahi angahala: he ʻoku ʻiate kitautolu ʻetau ngaahi talangataʻa; pea ko ʻetau ngaahi angahala, ʻoku tau ʻilo ia;

[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 Ko e meʻa ʻi he angatuʻu mo e lohiakiʻi kia Sihova, mo e ʻalu mei hotau ʻOtua, ʻo lea ki he fakamālohi mo e fakaaoao, ʻi he mahalo ʻaki mo e fakahā mei he loto ʻae ngaahi lea loi.

[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 Pea kuo foki ki mui ʻae fakamaau, pea ʻoku ʻi he mamaʻo ʻae angatonu: he kuo hinga ʻae moʻoni ʻi he hala, pea ʻoku ʻikai faʻa hū ki ai ʻae faitotonu.

[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 ‌ʻIo, kuo mole ʻae moʻoni; pea ʻoku lau ko e faha ʻaia kuo afe mei he kovi: pea naʻe ʻafio ki ai ʻa Sihova, pea naʻe kovi ia ki hono fofonga ʻi he ʻikai ai ha fakamaau.”

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 “Pea naʻa ne ʻafioʻi ʻoku ʻikai ai ha tangata, pea ofo ia ʻi he ʻikai ha fakalaloa: ko ia naʻe ʻomi ʻe hono nima ʻae fakamoʻui kiate ia; pea ko ʻene māʻoniʻoni, naʻe tokoni ia kiate ia.

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 He naʻa ne ʻai ʻae māʻoniʻoni ʻo hangē ko e kofu fatafata, pea mo e tatā ʻoe fakamoʻui ki hono fofonga; pea ne ai ʻae teunga ʻoe houhau ko e kofu, pea naʻa ne kofuʻaki ʻae loto faivelenga ʻo hangē ko e kofutuʻa.”

[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 ‌ʻO fakatatau ki heʻenau ngaahi faianga, ʻe pehē ʻene totongi, ʻaki ʻae houhau ki he kau angatuʻu, ʻae totongi ki hono ngaahi fili; ki he ngaahi motu te ne fakatatau ʻae totongi.

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 Ko ia te nau manavahē ai ki he huafa ʻo Sihova mei he lulunga, pea mo hono nāunau mei he hopoʻangalaʻā. ʻOka ʻoho mai ʻae fili ʻo hangē ko e vaitafe lahi, ʻe hiki hake ʻe he Laumālie ʻo Sihova ha fuka kiate ia.

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 Pea ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, ʻE haʻu ʻae Huhuʻi ki Saione, pea kiate kinautolu ʻoku tafoki mei he talangataʻa ʻia Sēkope.

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 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “Ka ko au, ko ʻeku fuakava eni mo kinautolu; Ko hoku laumālie ʻaia ʻoku ʻiate koe, pea mo ʻeku ngaahi lea kuo u ʻai ki ho ngutu, ʻe ʻikai ʻalu ʻi ho ngutu, pe mei he ngutu ʻo ho hako, pe mei he ngutu ʻoe hako ʻo ho hako, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, ngata mei heni ʻo aʻu ʻo taʻengata.”

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.”