Isaiah 66
1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be?
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Amazulu ayisihlalo sami sobukhosi, lomhlaba uyisenabelo senyawo zami. Ingaphi leyondlu elizangakhela yona? Njalo ingaphi indawo yami yokuphumula?
2 Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.
Ngoba zonke lezizinto isandla sami sazenza, lazo zonke lezizinto zikhona, itsho iNkosi. Kodwa kulowo ngizakhangela, kulowo ongumyanga lolomoya odabukileyo, lothuthumela ngelizwi lami.
3 Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.
Ohlaba inkabi unjengobulala umuntu; onikela umhlatshelo ngewundlu unjengowephula intamo yenja; onikela umnikelo wokudla unjengonikela igazi lengulube; otshisa impepha yesikhumbuzo unjengobusisa isithombe. Yebo, bona bakhethile izindlela zabo, lomphefumulo wabo uthokoza ngezinengiso zabo.
4 So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”
Lami ngizakhetha izigcono zabo, ngibehlisele abakwesabayo; ngoba ngabiza, akwaphendula muntu; ngakhuluma, akwalalela muntu; kodwa benza okubi emehlweni ami, bakhetha lokho engingathokozanga ngakho.
5 You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.”
Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina elithuthumela ngelizwi layo. Abafowenu abalizondayo, abalixotsha ngenxa yebizo lami, bathi: Kayidunyiswe iNkosi; khona sizabona intokozo yenu; bona-ke bazayangeka.
6 Hear the uproar from the city; listen to the voice from the temple! It is the voice of the LORD, repaying His enemies what they deserve!
Ilizwi lomsindo elivela emzini, ilizwi elivela ethempelini, ilizwi leNkosi elibuyisela izinzuzo ezitheni zayo.
7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
Ingakahelelwa, yazala; kungakafiki ubuhlungu bayo, yabeletha owesilisa.
8 Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.
Ngubani owake wezwa okunje? Ngubani owake wabona izinto ezinje? Umhlaba uzakwenziwa uzale yini ngosuku olulodwa? Kumbe isizwe singabelethwa yini ngesikhathi sinye? Ngoba iZiyoni ithe ihelelwa, yazala abantwana bayo.
9 Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the LORD. “Or will I who deliver close the womb?” says your God.
Mina ngizasondeza ekuzalweni, ngingazalisi yini? itsho iNkosi. Ngizazalisa, besengivala yini? utsho uNkulunkulu wakho.
10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her,
Thokozani kanye leJerusalema, lijabule layo, lina lonke eliyithandayo; thokozani kanye layo ngentokozo, lina lonke eliyililelayo;
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you may drink deeply and delight yourselves in her glorious abundance.
ukuze limunye, lisuthe ngamabele ezinduduzo zayo; ukuze limunyisise lizithokozise ngobunengi bodumo lwayo.
12 For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flowing stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm, and bounced upon her knees.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangelani, ngizaqhelisa ukuthula kuye njengomfula, lodumo lwezizwe njengesifula esikhukhulayo; khona lizamunya, lithwalwe enhlangothini, lidlaliswe emadolweni.
13 As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you, and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
Njengalowo unina amduduzayo, ngokunjalo mina ngizaliduduza; njalo lizaduduzeka eJerusalema.
14 When you see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass; then the hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants, but His wrath will be shown to His enemies.
Lapho libona lokhu, inhliziyo yenu izathokoza, lamathambo enu ahlume njengohlaza; lesandla seNkosi sizakwaziwa ngasezincekwini zayo, njalo izakuba lolaka ngasezitheni zayo.
15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire— His chariots are like a whirlwind— to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.
Ngoba khangela, iNkosi izafika ngomlilo, lezinqola zayo njengesivunguzane, ukubuyisela intukuthelo yayo ngokufutheka, lokukhuza kwayo ngamalangabi omlilo.
16 For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.
Ngoba ngomlilo langenkemba yayo iNkosi izangena ekwahluleleni layo yonke inyama, lababuleweyo beNkosi bazakuba banengi.
17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD.
Labo abazingcwelisayo, bazihlambulule ezivandeni ngemva kwesihlahla esisodwa esiphakathi, besidla inyama yezingulube, lesinengiso, legundwane, bazaqedwa kanyekanye, itsho iNkosi.
18 “And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory.
Ngoba mina ngiyayazi imisebenzi yabo lemicabango yabo; kuzafika ukuthi ngibuthe zonke izizwe lezinlimi; njalo zizafika, zibone udumo lwami.
19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So they will proclaim My glory among the nations.
Ngizabeka-ke isibonakaliso phakathi kwazo, ngithume abaphunyukileyo babo baye ezizweni, eTarshishi, iPhuli, leLudi, abadonsa idandili, eThubhali, leJavani, izihlenge ezikhatshana ezingakezwa indumela yami, lezingakaboni udumo lwami; njalo zizamemezela udumo lwami phakathi kwezizwe.
20 And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”
Bazaletha-ke bonke abafowenu babe ngumnikelo eNkosini bephuma kuzo zonke izizwe bephezu kwamabhiza, langezinqola, langamathala, laphezu kwezimbongolo, laphezu kwezinyamazana ezilejubane, entabeni yami engcwele eJerusalema, itsho iNkosi, njengabantwana bakoIsrayeli beletha umnikelo ngesitsha esihlambulukileyo endlini yeNkosi.
21 “And I will select some of them as priests and Levites,” says the LORD.
Ngizathatha-ke lakubo babe ngabapristi njalo babe ngamaLevi, itsho iNkosi.
22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure.
Ngoba njengamazulu amatsha lomhlaba omutsha engizakwenza kuzakuma phambi kwami, itsho iNkosi, ngokunjalo inzalo yakho lebizo lakho kuzakuma.
23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.
Kuzakuthi-ke ekuthwaseni kwenye inyanga kusiya kwenye, njalo kusukela kwelinye isabatha kusiya kwelinye, yonke inyama izakuzakhonza phambi kwami, itsho iNkosi.
24 “As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”
Bazaphuma-ke, babone izidumbu zabantu abaphambeke bemelene lami; ngoba impethu yabo kayiyikufa, lomlilo wabo kawuyikucitsha; njalo bazakuba yisinengiso kuyo yonke inyama.
