Isaiah 43
1 But now, says the Lord your Maker, O Jacob, and your life-giver, O Israel: have no fear, for I have taken up your cause; naming you by your name, I have made you mine.
Kodwa khathesi itsho njalo iNkosi eyakudalayo, wena Jakobe, leyakubumbayo, wena Israyeli: Ungesabi, ngoba ngikuhlengile, ngakubiza ngebizo lakho; ungowami.
2 When you go through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not go over you: when you go through the fire, you will not be burned; and the flame will have no power over you.
Lapho udabula emanzini ngizakuba lawe, lemifuleni, kayiyikukukhukhula; lapho uhamba udabula emlilweni, kawuyikutsha, lelangabi kaliyikukulumathisa.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your saviour; I have given Egypt as a price for you, Ethiopia and Seba for you.
Ngoba ngiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, uMsindisi wakho. Nginikele iGibhithe libe lihlawulo lokuthula lakho, iEthiyophiya leSeba esikhundleni sakho.
4 Because of your value in my eyes, you have been honoured, and loved by me; so I will give men for you, and peoples for your life.
Njengoba wawuligugu emehlweni ami, wawudumile, njalo mina ngikuthandile. Ngakho ngizanika abantu esikhundleni sakho, lezizwe endaweni yempilo yakho.
5 Have no fear, for I am with you: I will take your seed from the east, and get you together from the west;
Ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ngizaletha inzalo yakho ivela empumalanga, ngikubuthe uvela entshonalanga;
6 I will say to the north, Give them up; and to the south, Do not keep them back; send back my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;
ngizakutsho kuyo inyakatho: Phana; lakuningizimu: Ungagodli; lethani amadodana ami akhatshana, lamadodakazi ami asemkhawulweni womhlaba,
7 Every one who is named by my name, and whom I have made for my glory, who has been formed and designed by me.
wonke obizwa ngebizo lami; ngoba ngimdalele udumo lwami, ngimbumbile, yebo ngimenzile.
8 Send out the blind people who have eyes, and those who have ears, but they are shut.
Khuphani abantu abayiziphofu abalamehlo, lezacuthe ezilendlebe.
9 Let all the nations come together, and let the peoples be present: who among them is able to make this clear, and give us word of earlier things? let their witnesses come forward, so that they may be seen to be true, and that they may give ear, and say, It is true.
Izizwe zonke kazibuthane ndawonye, labantu bahlangane. Ngubani phakathi kwabo ongamemezela lokhu, asenze sizwe izinto zamandulo? Kabalethe abafakazi babo, ukuze balungisiswe, kumbe bezwe bathi: Kuliqiniso.
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have taken for myself: so that you may see and have faith in me, and that it may be clear to you that I am he; before me there was no God formed, and there will not be after me.
Lingabafakazi bami, kutsho iNkosi, lenceku yami engiyikhethileyo; ukuze lazi, lingikholwe, liqedisise ukuthi nginguye; ngaphambi kwami kakubunjwanga unkulunkulu, langemva kwami kayikuba khona.
11 I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no saviour but me.
Mina, mina ngiyiNkosi; langaphandle kwami kakulamsindisi.
12 I gave the word, and made it clear, and there was no strange god among you: for this reason you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
Ngimemezele, ngasindisa, ngazwakalisa, kungakabikho unkulunkulu wezizwe phakathi kwenu; ngakho lingabafakazi bami, kutsho iNkosi, ukuthi nginguNkulunkulu.
13 From time long past I am God, and from this day I am he: there is no one who is able to take you out of my hand: when I undertake a thing, by whom will my purpose be changed?
Yebo, kungakabi khona usuku, mina nginguye; njalo kakho ongakhulula esandleni sami; ngizasebenza, njalo ngubani ongakubuyisela emuva?
14 The Lord, who has taken up your cause, the Holy One of Israel, says, Because of you I have sent to Babylon, and made all their seers come south, and the Chaldaeans whose cry is in the ships.
Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi wenu, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli: Ngenxa yenu ngithumele eBhabhiloni, ngehlisele phansi bonke ababalekayo babo, lamaKhaladiya okukhala kwawo kusemikhunjini.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Maker of Israel, your King.
NgiyiNkosi, oNgcwele wenu, uMdali kaIsrayeli, inkosi yenu.
16 This is the word of the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a road through the deep waters;
Itsho njalo iNkosi, eyenza indlela olwandle, lomkhondo emanzini alamandla,
17 Who sends out the war-carriages and the horses, the army with all its force; they have come down, they will not get up again; like a feebly burning light they are put out.
ekhupha inqola lebhiza, ibutho lamandla; kuzalala ndawonye, kakuyikuvuka; kuzaphela du, kucitshe njengentambo yesibane.
18 Give no thought to the things which are past; let the early times go out of your minds.
Lingakhumbuli izinto zakuqala, linganakani ngezinto zendulo.
19 See, I am doing a new thing; now it is starting; will you not take note of it? I will even make a way in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country.
Khangelani, ngizakwenza into entsha; khathesi izahluma, kaliyikuyazi yini? Yebo, ngizakwenza indlela enkangala, imifula ogwaduleni.
20 The beasts of the field will give me honour, the jackals and the ostriches: because I send out waters in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country, to give drink to the people whom I have taken for myself:
Inyamazana zeganga zizangidumisa, imigobho lamadodakazi ezintshe; ngoba nginika amanzi enkangala, imifula ogwaduleni, ukunathisa abantu bami, abakhethiweyo bami.
21 Even the people whom I made to be the witnesses of my praise.
Lababantu ngizibumbele bona; bazalandisa udumo lwami.
22 But you have made no prayer to me, O Jacob: and you have given no thought to me, O Israel.
Kanti kawungibizanga, Jakobe, kodwa udiniwe ngami, Israyeli.
23 You have not made me burned offerings of sheep, or given me honour with your offerings of beasts; I did not make you servants to give me an offering, and I did not make you tired with requests for perfumes.
Kawulethanga kimi izimvu zomnikelo wakho wokutshiswa, kawungihloniphanga ngemihlatshelo yakho. Kangikwenzanga wakhonza ngomnikelo, kangikudinisanga ngempepha.
24 You have not got me sweet-smelling plants with your money, or given me pleasure with the fat of your offerings: but you have made me a servant to your sins, and you have made me tired with your evil doings.
Kawungithengelanga umhlanga olephunga elimnandi ngemali, njalo kawungisuthisanga ngamahwahwa emihlatshelo yakho; kodwa ungenze ngasebenza ngezono zakho, wangidinisa ngeziphambeko zakho.
25 I, even I, am he who takes away your sins; and I will no longer keep your evil doings in mind.
Mina, mina nginguye owesula iziphambeko zakho ngenxa yami, kangiyikuzikhumbula izono zakho.
26 Put me in mind of this; let us take up the cause between us: put forward your cause, so that you may be seen to be in the right.
Ngikhumbuza; kasehlulelane; landisa wena, ukuze ulungisiswe.
27 Your first father was a sinner, and your guides have gone against my word.
Uyihlo wokuqala wona, labachasisi bakho baphambukile bemelene lami.
28 Your chiefs have made my holy place unclean, so I have made Jacob a curse, and Israel a thing of shame.
Ngakho ngingcolise iziphathamandla zendlu engcwele, nganikela uJakobe ekutshabalalisweni, loIsrayeli ekuthukweni.
