Isaiah 49
1 Listen, O isles, to me, and hearken, ye peoples from far. Jehovah has called me from the womb. From the bowels of my mother he has made mention of my name.
Ngilalelani, zihlenge; lizwe, lina bantu abakhatshana: INkosi ingibizile ngisesiswini; ngisemibilini kamama yaqamba ibizo lami.
2 And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword. He has hid me in the shadow of his hand, and he has made me a polished shaft. He has kept me close in his quiver.
Yasisenza umlomo wami waba njengenkemba ebukhali, yangifihla ngaphansi komthunzi wesandla sayo; yangenza ngibe ngumtshoko ololiweyo, yangifihla esambeni sayo semitshoko.
3 And he said to me, Thou are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Yathi kimi: Uyinceku yami, Israyeli, engizazidumisa ngayo.
4 But I said, I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity. Yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.
Ngasengisithi mina: Ngitshikatshikele ize, amandla ami ngiwachithele okungelutho lokuyize; qiniso, isahlulelo sami siseNkosini, lomvuzo wami ukuNkulunkulu wami.
5 And now says Jehovah who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered to him (for I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God has become my strength),
Khathesi-ke itsho iNkosi, eyangibumba kwasesiswini ukuba yinceku yayo yokubuyisela uJakobe kuyo; lanxa uIsrayeli engabuthwanga, kube kanti ngizadunyiswa emehlweni eNkosi; njalo uNkulunkulu wami uzakuba ngamandla ami.
6 yea, he says, It is too light a thing that thou should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
Yasisithi: Kuyinto encane ukuthi ube yinceku yami yokuvusa izizwe zikaJakobe, lokubuyisela abalondoloziweyo bakoIsrayeli; ngizakupha futhi ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe, ukuze ube lusindiso lwami kuze kube semkhawulweni womhlaba.
7 Thus says Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers. Kings shall see and arise, rulers, and they shall worship, because of Jehovah who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen thee.
Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi kaIsrayeli, oNgcwele wakhe, kumphefumulo odelelwayo, kuye onengwa yisizwe, kunceku yababusi: Amakhosi azabona asukume, iziphathamandla lazo zizakhonza, ngenxa yeNkosi ethembekileyo, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, ekukhethileyo.
8 Thus says Jehovah, In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in a day of salvation I have helped thee. And I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages,
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngesikhathi esemukelekayo ngikuphendulile, langosuku losindiso ngikusizile; njalo ngizakulondoloza, ngikunike ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ukuvuselela umhlaba, ukubenza badle amafa achithekileyo,
9 saying to those who are bound, Go forth; to those who are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pasture shall be on all bare heights.
ukuze uthi kuzibotshwa: Phumani; kwabasemnyameni: Zivezeni. Bazakudla ezindleleni, ledlelo labo libe semadundulwini wonke.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them. For he who has mercy on them will lead them. He will guide them even by springs of water.
Kabayikulamba, kumbe bome, njalo ukutshisa kumbe ilanga kakuyikubatshaya, ngoba yena olesihawu kibo uzabakhokhela, lemithonjeni yamanzi uzabaqondisa.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
Njalo ngizakwenza zonke intaba zami zibe yindlela, lemigwaqo yami iphakame.
12 Lo, these shall come from far, and, lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.
Khangela laba bazavela khatshana, njalo khangela laba ngasenyakatho langasentshonalanga, lalaba elizweni leSinimi.
13 Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains. For Jehovah has comforted his people, and will have compassion upon his afflicted.
Hlabelelani, mazulu, uthokoze, lawe mhlaba, lihlokome ngokuhlabela, lani zintaba, ngoba iNkosi ibaduduzile abantu bayo, izakuba lesihawu kwabahluphekileyo bayo.
14 But Zion said, Jehovah has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.
Kodwa iZiyoni yathi: UJehova ungidelile, njalo iNkosi yami ingikhohliwe.
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, these may forget, yet I will not forget thee.
Owesifazana angamkhohlwa yini umntanakhe omunyayo, ukuba angabi lasihawu kuyo indodana yesisu sakhe? Yebo, bona bangakhohlwa, kodwa mina kangiyikukukhohlwa.
16 Behold, I have engraved thee upon the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually before me.
Khangela, ngikubhale ngokugubha ezintendeni zezandla; imiduli yakho ihlezi iphambi kwami.
17 Thy sons make haste. Thy destroyers and those who made thee waste shall go forth from thee.
Abantwana bakho bazaphangisa; abachithi bakho labakumotshayo bazaphuma kuwe.
18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold. All these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, says Jehovah, thou shall surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride.
Phakamisa amehlo akho inhlangothi zonke, ukhangele; bonke laba bayabuthana, beze kuwe. Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, isibili, uzazigqokisa ngabo bonke njengesiceciso, uzibhince ngabo njengomakoti.
19 For, as for thy waste and thy desolate places, and thy land that has been destroyed, surely now thou shall be too narrow for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed thee up shall be far away.
Ngoba indawo zakho ezichithekileyo lamanxiwa akho, lelizwe lencithakalo yakho, isibili khathesi lizaminyana kakhulu ngenxa yabahlali; lalabo abakuginyayo bazakuba khatshana.
20 The sons of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too narrow for me. Give a place to me that I may dwell.
Abantwana bokufelwa kwakho bazakuthi futhi endlebeni zakho: Lindawo iminyene kakhulu kimi; ngivulela indawo ukuze ngihlale!
21 Then thou shall say in thy heart, Who has begotten these for me, seeing I have been bereaved of my sons, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? And who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone, these, where were they?
Khona uzakuthi enhliziyweni yakho: Ngubani ongizalele laba, njengoba ngafelwa ngabantwana, ngaba njengenyumba, ngingumthunjwa, ngisiwa le lale? Njalo ngubani okhulise laba? Khangela mina ngangisele ngedwa; laba babengaphi?
22 Thus says the lord Jehovah: Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my ensign to the peoples. And they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizaphakamisela izizwe isandla sami, ngimise uphawu lwami ebantwini; njalo bazaletha amadodana akho esifubeni, lamadodakazi akho bewetshete.
23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers. They shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet. And thou shall know that I am Jehovah, and those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.
Lamakhosi azakuba ngabondli bakho, lezindlovukazi zawo zibe ngabalizane bakho. Bazakukhothamela ngobuso emhlabathini, bakhothe uthuli lwezinyawo zakho. Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina ngiyiNkosi, ngoba abangithembayo kabayikuyangeka.
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?
Impango izathathwa yini kolamandla, kumbe umthunjwa ngokomthetho akhululwe?
25 But thus says Jehovah, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered. For I will contend with him who contends with thee, and I will save thy sons.
Kodwa itsho njalo iNkosi: Yebo, abathunjiweyo beqhawe bazathathwa, lempango yabesabekayo izakophulwa; ngoba mina ngizalwisana laye olwisana lawe, mina-ke ngisindise abantwana bakho.
26 And I will feed those who oppress thee with their own flesh. And they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine. And all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
Njalo ngizadlisa abacindezeli bakho eyabo inyama, badakwe ngelabo igazi kungathi ngewayini elimnandi. Njalo yonke inyama izakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi nginguMsindisi wakho, loMhlengi wakho, oLamandla kaJakobe.
