1Here is the vision about Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah saw. It came to him when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were ruling. They were kings of Judah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz.
The Nation Refuses to Obey the Lord
2Listen to me, you heavens! Pay attention to me, earth!
The Lord has said,
“I raised children. I brought them up.
But they have refused to obey me.
3The ox knows its master.
The donkey knows where its owner feeds it.
But Israel does not know me.
My people do not understand me.”
4How terrible it will be for this sinful nation!
They are loaded down with guilt.
They are people who do nothing but evil.
They are children who are always sinning.
They have deserted the Lord.
They have turned against the Holy One of Israel.
They have turned their backs on him.
5Israel, why do you want to be beaten all the time?
Why do you always refuse to obey the Lord?
Your head is covered with wounds.
Your whole heart is weak.
6There isn’t a healthy spot on your body.
You are not healthy from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head.
You have nothing but wounds, cuts
and open sores.
They haven’t been cleaned up or bandaged
or treated with olive oil.
7Your country has been deserted.
Your cities have been burned down.
The food from your fields is being eaten up by outsiders.
They are doing it right in front of you.
Your land has been completely destroyed.
It looks as if strangers have taken it over.
8The city of Zion is left like a shed
where someone stands guard in a vineyard.
It is left like a hut in a cucumber field.
It’s like a city being attacked.
9The Lord who rules over all
has let some people live through that time of trouble.
If he hadn’t, we would have become like Sodom.
We would have been like Gomorrah.
10Rulers of Sodom,
hear the Lord’s message.
People of Gomorrah,
listen to the instruction of our God.
11“Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?”
asks the Lord.
“I have more than enough of your burnt offerings.
I have more than enough of rams
and the fat of your fattest animals.
I do not find any pleasure
in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats.
12Who asked you to bring all these animals
when you come to worship me?
Who asked you and your animals
to walk all over my courtyards?
13Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me!
I hate your incense.
I can’t stand your worthless gatherings.
I can’t stand the way you celebrate your New Moon feasts,
Sabbath days and special services.
14Your New Moon feasts and your other appointed feasts
I hate with my whole being.
They have become a heavy load to me.
I am tired of carrying it.
15You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray.
But I do not look at you.
You might even offer many prayers.
But I am not listening to them.
Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered.
16So wash and make yourselves clean.
Get your evil actions out of my sight!
Stop doing what is wrong!
17Learn to do what is right!
Treat people fairly.
Help those who are treated badly.
Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died.
And do the same thing for widows.
18“Come. Let us settle this matter,”
says the Lord.
“Even though your sins are bright red,
they will be as white as snow.
Even though they are deep red,
they will be white like wool.
19But you have to be willing to change and obey me.
If you are, you will eat the good things that grow on the land.
20But if you are not willing to obey me,
you will be killed by swords.”
The Lord has spoken.
21See how the faithful city of Jerusalem
has become like a prostitute!
Once it was full of people who treated others fairly.
Those who did what was right used to live in it.
But now murderers live there!
22Jerusalem, your silver isn’t pure anymore.
Your best wine has been made weak with water.
23Your rulers refuse to obey the Lord.
They join forces with robbers.
All of them love to accept money from those who want special favors.
They are always looking for gifts from other people.
They don’t stand up in court for children whose fathers have died.
They don’t do it for widows either.
24The Lord is the Mighty One of Israel.
The Lord who rules over all announces,
“Israel, you have become my enemies.
I will act against you in my anger.
I will pay you back for what you have done.
25I will turn my power against you.
I will make you completely ‘clean.’
I will remove everything that is not pure.
26I will give you leaders like the ones you had long ago.
I will give you rulers like those you had at the beginning.
Then you will be called
the City That Does What Is Right.
You will also be called the Faithful City.”
27Zion will be saved when justice is done.
Those who are sorry for their sins will be saved
when what is right is done.
28But sinners and those who refuse to obey the Lord will be destroyed.
And those who desert the Lord will die.
29“Israel, you take delight in worshiping among the sacred oak trees.
You will be full of shame for doing that.
You have chosen to worship in the sacred gardens.
You will be dishonored for doing that.
30You will be like an oak tree whose leaves are dying.
You will be like a garden that doesn’t have any water.
31Your strongest men will become like dry pieces of wood.
Their worship of other gods will be the spark that lights the fire.
Everything will be burned up.
No one will be there to put the fire out.”
1Masomphenya wonena za Yuda ndi Yerusalemu, amene Yesaya mwana wa Amozi, anaona pa nthawi ya ulamuliro wa Uziya, Yotamu, Ahazi ndi Hezekiya, mafumu a Yuda.
Anthu Owukira
2Tamverani, miyamba inu! Tchera khutu, iwe dziko lapansi!
Pakuti Yehova wanena kuti,
“Ndinabala ana ndi kuwalera,
koma anawo andiwukira Ine.
3Ngʼombe imadziwa mwini wake,
bulu amadziwa kumene kuli gome la mbuye wake,
koma Israeli sadziwa,
anthu anga samvetsa konse.”
4Haa, mtundu wochimwa,
anthu olemedwa ndi machimo,
obadwa kwa anthu ochita zoyipa,
ana odzipereka ku zoyipa!
Iwo asiya Yehova;
anyoza Woyerayo wa Israeli
ndipo afulatira Iyeyo.
5Chifukwa chiyani mukufuna kuti muzingolangidwabe?
Chifukwa chiyani mukupitirira kukhala mʼmoyo wowukira?
Mutu wanu wonse uli ndi mabala,
mtima wanu wonse wafowokeratu.
6Kuchokera ku phazi mpaka ku mutu
palibe pabwino,
paliponse pali mikwingwirima ndi zilonda,
mabala ali magazi chuchuchu,
mabala ake ngosatsuka, ngosamanga
ndiponso ngosapaka mafuta ofewetsa.
7Dziko lanu lasanduka bwinja,
mizinda yanu yatenthedwa ndi moto;
minda yanu ikukololedwa ndi alendo
inu muli pomwepo,
dziko lanu lasanduka bwinja monga ngati lagonjetsedwa ndi alendo.
8Mwana wamkazi wa Ziyoni watsala yekha
ngati nsanja mʼmunda wampesa,
ngati chisimba mʼmunda wa minkhaka,
ngati mzinda wozingidwa ndi nkhondo.
9Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akanapanda
kutisiyira opulumuka,
tikanawonongeka ngati Sodomu,
tikanakhala ngati anthu a ku Gomora.
10Imvani mawu a Yehova,
inu olamulira Sodomu;
mverani lamulo la Mulungu wathu,
inu anthu a ku Gomora!
11Yehova akuti, “Kodi ndili nazo chiyani
nsembe zanu zochuluka?”
“Zandikola nsembe zanu zopsereza
za nkhosa zazimuna ndiponso mafuta a nyama zonenepa;
sindikusangalatsidwanso
ndi magazi angʼombe zamphongo ndi a ana ankhosa ndi ambuzi zazimuna.
12Ndani anakulamulirani kuti
mubwere nazo pamaso panga?
Ndani anakuwuzani kuti muzipondaponda mʼmabwalo a nyumba yanga?
13Siyani kubweretsa nsembe zachabechabezo!
Nsembe zanu zofukiza zimandinyansa Ine.
Sindingapirire misonkhano yanu yoyipa,
kapenanso zikondwerero za Mwezi Watsopano ndi Masabata.
14Zikondwerero zanu za Mwezi Watsopano ndi masiku anu opatulika
ndimadana nazo.
Zasanduka katundu wondilemera;
ndatopa kuzinyamula.
15Mukamatambasula manja anu popemphera,
Ine sindidzakuyangʼanani;
ngakhale muchulukitse mapemphero anu,
sindidzakumverani.
Manja anu ndi odzaza ndi magazi;
16sambani, dziyeretseni.
Chotsani pamaso panu
ntchito zanu zoyipa!
Lekani kuchita zoyipa,
17phunzirani kuchita zabwino!
Funafunani chilungamo,
thandizani oponderezedwa.
Tetezani ana amasiye,
muwayimirire akazi amasiye pa milandu yawo.”
18Yehova akuti,
“Tiyeni tsono tikambe mlandu wanu.
Ngakhale machimo anu ali ofiira,
adzayera ngati thonje.
Ngakhale ali ofiira ngati kapezi,
adzayera ngati ubweya wankhosa.
19Ngati muli okonzeka kundimvera
mudzadya zinthu zabwino za mʼdziko;
20koma mukakana ndi kuwukira
mudzaphedwa ndi lupanga.”
Pakuti Yehova wayankhula.
21Taonani momwe mzinda wokhulupirika
wasandukira wadama!
Mzinda umene kale unali wodzaza ndi chiweruzo cholungama;
mu mzindamo munali chilungamo,
koma tsopano muli anthu opha anzawo!
22Siliva wako wasanduka wachabechabe,
vinyo wako wabwino wasungunulidwa ndi madzi.
23Atsogoleri ako ndi owukira,
anthu ogwirizana ndi mbala;
onse amakonda ziphuphu
ndipo amathamangira mphatso.
Iwo sateteza ana amasiye;
ndipo samvera madandawulo a akazi amasiye.
24Nʼchifukwa chake Ambuye Yehova Wamphamvu,
Wamphamvuyo wa Israeli, akunena kuti,
“Haa, odana nane ndidzawatha,
ndipo ndidzawabwezera ndekha adani anga.
25Ndidzatambasula dzanja langa kuti ndilimbane nawe;
ndidzasungunula machimo ako nʼkuwachotsa,
monga mmene amachotsera dzimbiri ndi mankhwala.
26Ndidzabwezeretsa oweruza ako ngati masiku amakedzana,
aphungu ako ndidzawabwezeretsa ngati poyamba paja.
Kenaka iweyo udzatchedwa
mzinda wolungama,
mzinda wokhulupirika.”
27Ziyoni adzawomboledwa mwa chiweruzo cholungama,
anthu ake olapadi adzapulumutsidwa mwachilungamo.
28Koma owukira ndi ochimwa adzawawonongera pamodzi,
ndipo amene asiya Yehova adzatheratu.
29“Mudzachita nayo manyazi mitengo ya thundu
imene inkakusangalatsani;
mudzagwetsa nkhope chifukwa cha minda
imene munayipatula.
30Mudzakhala ngati mtengo wa thundu umene masamba ake akufota,
mudzakhala ngati munda wopanda madzi.
31Munthu wamphamvu adzasanduka ngati udzu wowuma,
ndipo ntchito zake zidzakhala ngati mbaliwali;
motero zonse zidzayakira limodzi,
popanda woti azimitse motowo.”
