Isaiah 54
1 Let your voice be loud in song, O woman without children; make melody and sounds of joy, you who did not give birth: for the children of her who had no husband are more than those of the married wife, says the Lord.
“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 Make wide the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your house be stretched out without limit: make your cords long, and your tent-pins strong.
Qhelisa indawo yethente lakho, yelula amakhetheni ethente lakho abe banzi, ungathikazi, yelula izintambo zakho, uqinise izikhonkwane zakho.
3 For I will make wide your limits on the right hand and on the left; and your seed will take the nations for a heritage, and make the waste towns full of people.
Ngoba uzaqhela usiya kwesokudla lesenxele; inzalo yakho izazixotsha izizwe yakhe emadolobheni azo adilikayo.
4 Have no fear; for you will not be shamed or without hope: you will not be put to shame, for the shame of your earlier days will go out of your memory, and you will no longer keep in mind the sorrows of your widowed years.
“Ungesabi, ngoba awuyikwehlelwa lihlazo. Ungesabi ukuyangeka, ngoba awuyikudumazeka. Uzalikhohlwa ihlazo lasebutsheni bakho, ungakhumbuli lesithuko sobufelokazi bakho.
5 For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of armies is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is he who takes up your cause; he will be named 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 made you come back to him, like a wife who has been sent away in grief of spirit; for one may not give up the wife of one's early days.
UThixo uzakubiza njengowesifazane olahliweyo, odabukileyo emoyeni, owesifazane owenda esesemncane, waphanga waliwa,” kutsho uNkulunkulu wakho.
7 For a short time I gave you up; but with great mercies I will take you back again.
“Ngakutshiya okomzuzwana omncane, kodwa ngesihawu esikhulu ngizakubuyisa.
8 In overflowing wrath my face was veiled from you for a minute, but I will have pity on you for ever, says the Lord who takes up your cause.
Ngomfutho wokuthukuthela, ngakufihlela ubuso bami okomzuzwana, kodwa ngothando olungapheliyo, ngizakuba lesihawu kuwe,” kutsho uThixo uMhlengi wakho.
9 For this is like the days of Noah to me: for as I took an oath that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so have I taken an oath that I will not again be angry with you, or say bitter words to you.
“Kimi lokhu kunjengasezinsukwini zikaNowa, lapho engafunga khona ngathi amanzi kaNowa kawayikugcwala umhlaba futhi. Ngakho khathesi sengifungile ngathi angiyikukuthukuthelela futhi; angiyikukusola njalo.
10 For the mountains may be taken away, and the hills be moved out of their places, but my love will not be taken from you, or my agreement of peace broken, says the Lord, who has had mercy on you.
Lanxa izintaba zinganyikinyiswa, lamaqaqa asuswe, kodwa uthando lwami olungapheliyo kuwe kaluyikunyikinyiswa, kumbe isivumelwano sami sokuthula sisuswe,” kutsho uThixo olesihawu kuwe.
11 O troubled one, storm-crushed, uncomforted! see, your stones will be framed in fair colours, and your bases will be sapphires.
Wena dolobho elihluphekileyo, elitshaywa yiziphepho alaze laduduzwa, ngizakwakha ngamatshe amahle, izisekelo zakho ngizakhe ngamasafire.
12 I will make your towers of rubies, and your doors of carbuncles, and the wall round you will be of all sorts of beautiful stones.
Izakhiwo zakho zokuvikela ngizazenza ngamarubhi, amasango akho ngiwenze ngamatshe akhazimulayo, yonke imithangala yakho ngiyenze ngamatshe aligugu.
13 And all your builders will be made wise by the Lord; and great will be the peace of your children.
Wonke amadodana akho azafundiswa nguThixo, njalo kuzakuba kukhulu ukuthula kwabantwana bakho.
14 All your rights will be made certain to you: have no fear of evil, and destruction will not come near you.
Uzaqiniswa ngokulunga: uchuku luzakuba khatshana lawe, awuyikwesaba lutho. Ukwesaba kuzasuselwa khatshana, akuyikusondela phansi kwakho.
15 See, they may be moved to war, but not by my authority: all those who come together to make an attack on you, will be broken against you.
Nxa ekhona ozakuhlasela, kobe kungayisimi; loba ngubani okuhlaselayo uzazinikela kuwe.
16 See, I have made the iron-worker, blowing on the burning coals, and making the instrument of war by his work; and I have made the waster for destruction.
“Khangela, yimi engadala umkhandi wensimbi ovuthela amalahle abe lilangabi, akhande isikhali esilungele umsebenzi waso. Njalo yimi engadala umchithi ukuba enze umonakalo;
17 No instrument of war which is formed against you will be of any use; and every tongue which says evil against you will be judged false. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness comes from me, says the Lord.
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
