Isaiah 54
1 “Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,”
“Hlabela wena mfazi oyinyumba, wena ongazange uzale umntwana; susa ingoma, umemeze ngentokozo, wena ongakaze uhelelwe ngoba abantwana bomfazi olahliweyo banengi kulabalowo olendoda,” kutsho uThixo.
2 “Enlarge the site of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not hold back. Lengthen your ropes and drive your stakes in deep.
Qhelisa indawo yethente lakho, yelula amakhetheni ethente lakho abe banzi, ungathikazi, yelula izintambo zakho, uqinise izikhonkwane zakho.
3 For you will spread out to the right and left; your descendants will dispossess the nations and inhabit the desolate cities.
Ngoba uzaqhela usiya kwesokudla lesenxele; inzalo yakho izazixotsha izizwe yakhe emadolobheni azo adilikayo.
4 Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
“Ungesabi, ngoba awuyikwehlelwa lihlazo. Ungesabi ukuyangeka, ngoba awuyikudumazeka. Uzalikhohlwa ihlazo lasebutsheni bakho, ungakhumbuli lesithuko sobufelokazi bakho.
5 For your husband is your Maker— the LORD of Hosts is His name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.
Ngoba uMenzi wakho engumyeni wakho, uThixo uSomandla libizo lakhe oNgcwele ka-Israyeli unguMhlengi wakho; ubizwa ngokuthi nguNkulunkulu womhlaba wonke.
6 For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, like the rejected wife of one’s youth,” says your God.
UThixo uzakubiza njengowesifazane olahliweyo, odabukileyo emoyeni, owesifazane owenda esesemncane, waphanga waliwa,” kutsho uNkulunkulu wakho.
7 “For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will bring you back.
“Ngakutshiya okomzuzwana omncane, kodwa ngesihawu esikhulu ngizakubuyisa.
8 In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.
Ngomfutho wokuthukuthela, ngakufihlela ubuso bami okomzuzwana, kodwa ngothando olungapheliyo, ngizakuba lesihawu kuwe,” kutsho uThixo uMhlengi wakho.
9 “For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you.
“Kimi lokhu kunjengasezinsukwini zikaNowa, lapho engafunga khona ngathi amanzi kaNowa kawayikugcwala umhlaba futhi. Ngakho khathesi sengifungile ngathi angiyikukuthukuthelela futhi; angiyikukusola njalo.
10 Though the mountains may be removed and the hills may be shaken, My loving devotion will not depart from you, and My covenant of peace will not be broken,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Lanxa izintaba zinganyikinyiswa, lamaqaqa asuswe, kodwa uthando lwami olungapheliyo kuwe kaluyikunyikinyiswa, kumbe isivumelwano sami sokuthula sisuswe,” kutsho uThixo olesihawu kuwe.
11 “O afflicted city, lashed by storms, without solace, surely I will set your stones in antimony and lay your foundations with sapphires.
Wena dolobho elihluphekileyo, elitshaywa yiziphepho alaze laduduzwa, ngizakwakha ngamatshe amahle, izisekelo zakho ngizakhe ngamasafire.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
Izakhiwo zakho zokuvikela ngizazenza ngamarubhi, amasango akho ngiwenze ngamatshe akhazimulayo, yonke imithangala yakho ngiyenze ngamatshe aligugu.
13 Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.
Wonke amadodana akho azafundiswa nguThixo, njalo kuzakuba kukhulu ukuthula kwabantwana bakho.
14 In righteousness you will be established, far from oppression, for you will have no fear. Terror will be far removed, for it will not come near you.
Uzaqiniswa ngokulunga: uchuku luzakuba khatshana lawe, awuyikwesaba lutho. Ukwesaba kuzasuselwa khatshana, akuyikusondela phansi kwakho.
15 If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever assails you will fall before you.
Nxa ekhona ozakuhlasela, kobe kungayisimi; loba ngubani okuhlaselayo uzazinikela kuwe.
16 Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task; and I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc.
“Khangela, yimi engadala umkhandi wensimbi ovuthela amalahle abe lilangabi, akhande isikhali esilungele umsebenzi waso. Njalo yimi engadala umchithi ukuba enze umonakalo;
17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,”
akulasikhali esikhandelwe wena esizaphumelela, njalo bonke abakumangalelayo uzabehlula. Leli yilifa lezinceku zikaThixo, lokhu yikho ukwenaniswa kwazo yimi,” kutsho uThixo.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
