Isaiah 45
1 The LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their armor, to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
“Nanku akutshoyo uThixo kogcotshiweyo wakhe, uKhurosi, engibamba isandla sakhe sokudla ukuba nginqobe izizwe eziphambi kwakhe, ngithathele amakhosi izihlangu zawo, ngivule iminyango phambi kwakhe ukuze amasango angavaleki:
2 “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth. I will break the doors of bronze in pieces and cut apart the bars of iron.
Ngizahamba phambi kwakho ngenze izintaba zendlaleke. Ngizadiliza amasango ethusi, ngifohle emigoqweni yensimbi.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, who calls you by your name, even the God of Israel.
Ngizakupha inotho yobumnyama, lenotho egcinwe ezindaweni ezifihlakeleyo ukuze wazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, okubiza ngebizo.
4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name. I have given you a title, though you have not known me.
Ngenxa kaJakhobe inceku yami, lo-Israyeli okhethiweyo wami, ngikubiza ngebizo ngikunike ibizo lokuhlonipha, lanxa wena unganginakanga.
5 I am the LORD, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me,
Mina nginguThixo, njalo kakho omunye; ngaphandle kwami akulaNkulunkulu. Ngizakuqinisa, lanxa wena unganginakanga,
6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is no one besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else.
ukuze kuthi kusukela empumalanga kusiya entshonalanga, abantu bakwazi ukuthi kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami. Mina nginguThixo, njalo kakho omunye.
7 I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am the LORD, who does all these things.
Ngenza ukukhanya njalo ngidale umnyama, ngiletha ukuphumelela njalo ngidale incithakalo; mina Thixo ngiyazenza zonke lezizinto.
8 Rain, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it.
Lina mazulu angaphezulu, nisani ukulunga; amayezi kawakuthululele phansi. Umhlaba kawuvuleke kabanzi kuhlume ukusindiswa, ukulunga akukhule lakho; mina, uThixo, ngikudalile.
9 Woe to him who strives with his Maker— a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth! Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’ or your work, ‘He has no hands’?
Maye kulowo ophikisa uMdali wakhe, kulowo oludengezi nje phakathi kwendengezi emhlabathini. Ibumba liyatsho na kumbumbi lithi, ‘Kuyini okubumbayo?’ Umsebenzi wakho uyatsho na uthi, ‘Kalazandla?’
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What have you become the father of?’ or to a mother, ‘What have you given birth to?’”
Maye kulowo othi kuyise, ‘Kuyini owakuzalayo?’ loba athi kunina, ‘Kuyini owakubelethayo?’
11 The LORD, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker says: “You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the work of my hands!
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, loMdali wakhe uthi: Mayelana lezinto ezizayo, uyangibuza ngabatwabami na, loba uyangilawula emsebenzini engiwenzayo na?
12 I have made the earth, and created man on it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens. I have commanded all their army.
Yimi engadala umhlaba, ngenza labantu abahlala kuwo. Ezami izandla yizo ezananabula amazulu; ngahlela amaxuku ezinkanyezi zawo.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says the LORD of Armies.
Ngizamvusa uKhurosi ngokulunga kwami, ngenze izindlela zakhe zonke ziqonde. Uzalakha futhi idolobho lami, akhulule abami abaxotshwayo elizweni, kodwa kungekho nhlawulo kumbe umvuzo, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.”
14 The LORD says: “The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you, and they will be yours. They will go after you. They shall come over in chains. They will bow down to you. They will make supplication to you: ‘Surely God is in you; and there is no one else. There is no other god.
Nanku akutshoyo uThixo: “Izithelo zaseGibhithe lempahla ethengiswayo yaseKhushi lamaSebhina lawana amade, bazakuza kuwe babengabakho, bazakhasabula ngemva kwakho, beze kuwe bebotshwe ngamaketane. Bazakukhothamela bakuncenge besithi, ‘Ngempela uNkulunkulu ulawe, kakho omunye, kakho omunye uNkulunkulu.’”
15 Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’”
Ngeqiniso unguNkulunkulu ozifihlayo, Nkulunkulu loMsindisi ka-Israyeli.
16 They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.
Bonke ababaza izithombe bazayangiswa badumazeke; bonke bazahamba beyangekile.
17 Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
Kodwa u-Israyeli uzasindiswa nguThixo ngensindiso engapheliyo; kaliyikuyangiswa kumbe libe lehlazo kuze kube nininini.
18 For the LORD who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and did not create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited says: “I am the LORD. There is no other.
Ngoba nanku okutshiwo nguThixo yena owadala amazulu, unguNkulunkulu, yena owabumba umhlaba wawenza, wawusekela; kawudalanga ukuba ungabi lalutho, kodwa wawenza ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo, uthi: “Mina nginguThixo, kakho omunye.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness. I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the LORD, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.
Angikhulumanga ensitha kwenye indawo elizweni lomnyama; angizange ngithi kuzizukulwane zikaJakhobe, ‘Ngidingani lingangitholi.’ Mina Thixo ngikhuluma iqiniso; ngitsho okuqotho.
20 “Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. Those have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, and pray to a god that cannot save.
Qoqanani ndawonye lize kimi; buthanani lina elabaleka ezizweni. Labo abahamba bethwele izithombe zezigodo kabazi lutho; labo abakhuleka kubonkulunkulu abangeke babasize.”
21 Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Have not I, the LORD? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is no one besides me.
Memezelani okufanele kube yikho, likubike, kabemukele izeluleko ndawonye. Ngubani owabika lokhu endulo, ngubani owamemezela ngakho kudala le? Kwakungayisimi mina Thixo na? Njalo kakho uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami, uNkulunkulu olungileyo onguMsindisi; kakho omunye, yimi kuphela.
22 “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
“Phendukelani kimi lisindiswe, lonke lina mikhawulo yomhlaba; ngoba mina nginguNkulunkulu, njalo kakho omunye.
23 I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
Ngifunge ngami, ngobuqotho bonke umlomo wami ukhulume ilizwi elingayikwesulwa. Amadolo wonke azaguqa phambi kwami; izindimi zonke zizafunga ngami.
24 They will say of me, ‘There is righteousness and strength only in the LORD.’” Even to him will men come. All those who raged against him will be disappointed.
Zizakutsho ngami zithi, ‘Ukulunga lamandla kuThixo kuphela.’” Bonke abamthukuthelelayo bazakuza kuye bayangiswe.
25 All the offspring of Israel will be justified in the LORD, and will rejoice!
Kodwa Thixo yonke inzalo ka-Israyeli izafunyanwa ilungile, ithokoze iziqhenya ngaye.
