Esias 49
1 Listen to me, you islands; and attend, you Gentiles; after a long time it shall come to pass, says the Lord: from my mother's womb he has called my name:
Ngilalelani lina zihlenge; zwanini lokhu lina zizwe ezikude: uThixo wangibiza ngingakazalwa; kusukela ekuzalweni kwami ubelitsho ibizo lami.
2 and he has made my mouth as a sharp sword, and he has hid me under the shadow of his hand; he has made me as a choice shaft, and he has hid me in his quiver;
Wenza umlomo wami waba njengenkemba eloliweyo, wangifihla emthunzini wesandla sakhe. Wangenza ngaba ngumtshoko ololiweyo, wangifihla emxhakeni wakhe wemitshoko.
3 and said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, and in you I will be glorified.
Wathi kimi, “Wena Israyeli uyinceku yami, engizabonakalisa inkazimulo yami ngayo.”
4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have given my strength for vanity and for nothing: therefore is my judgement with the Lord, and my labour before my God.
Kodwa mina ngathi, “Mina ngisebenzele ize; amandla ami ngiwachithele ize lobala, ikanti okufanele mina kusesandleni sikaThixo, lomvuzo wami ukuNkulunkulu.”
5 And now, thus says the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his own servant, to gather Jacob to him and Israel. I shall be gathered and glorified before the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
Khathesi uThixo uthi, yena owangibumbayo esiswini ukuba ngibe yinceku yakhe ukuze ngibuyisele uJakhobe kuye lokuqoqela u-Israyeli kuye, ngoba ngiphakanyisiwe emehlweni kaThixo njalo uNkulunkulu wami ubengamandla ami
6 And he said to me, [It is] a great thing for you to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel: behold, I have given you for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the end of the earth.
uthi: “Kuyinto encane kakhulu kuwe ukuba yinceku yami ukuze uvuselele izizwe zikaJakhobe ubuyise labako-Israyeli engibalondolozileyo. Ngizakwenza ube yikukhanya kwabeZizwe, ukuze ufikise usindiso lwami emikhawulweni yomhlaba.”
7 Thus says the Lord that delivered you, the God of Israel, Sanctify him that despises his life, him that is abhorred by the nations that are the servants of princes: kings shall behold him, and princes shall arise, and shall worship him, for the Lord's sake: for the Holy One of Israel is faithful, and I have chosen you.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uMhlengi loNgcwele ka-Israyeli, utsho kuye oweyiswa, wenyanywa yisizwe, kuyo inceku yababusi: “Amakhosi azakubona asukume, amakhosana azakubona akhothame, ngenxa kaThixo othembekileyo, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli okukhethileyo.”
8 Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I succored you: and I have formed you, and given you for a covenant of the nations, to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit the desert heritages:
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Ngesikhathi esifaneleyo kimi ngizakuphendula, langosuku lwensindiso ngizakusiza. Ngizakulondoloza ngikwenze ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ukubuyisela ilizwe lokwaba kutsha amafa abo achithekayo,
9 saying to them that are in bonds, Go forth; and [bidding] them that are in darkness show themselves. They shall be fed in all the ways, and in all the paths [shall be] their pasture.
uthi kwabathunjiweyo, ‘Phumani,’ kulabo abasemnyameni uthi, ‘Khululekani!’ Bazadlela emaceleni emigwaqo bathole amadlelo kuwo wonke amaqaqa alugwadule.
10 They shall not hunger, neither shall they thirst; neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them; but he that has mercy on them shall comfort [them], and by fountains of waters shall he lead them.
Kabayikulamba kumbe bome, lokutshisa kwasenkangala kumbe okwelanga kabayikukuzwa. Lowo obazwela isihawu uzabakhokhela abase emithonjeni yamanzi.
11 And I will make every mountain a way, and every path a pasture to them.
Izintaba zami zonke ngizazenza zibe yizindlela, imigwaqo yami izaphakamela phezulu.
12 Behold, these shall come from far: [and] these from the north and the west, and others from the land of the Persians.
Khangelani, bazakuza bevela khatshana, abanye bevela enyakatho, abanye bevela entshonalanga labanye bevela emangweni wase-Asiwani.”
13 Rejoice, you heavens; and let the earth be glad: let the mountains break forth [with] joy; for the Lard has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly ones of his people.
Hlabelelani ngentokozo lina mazulu; jabula lawe mhlaba; tshayani ingoma lina zintaba. Ngoba uThixo uyabaduduza abantu bakhe njalo uzakuba lesihawu kwabahluphekayo bakhe.
14 But Sion said, The Lord has forsaken me, and, The Lord has forgotten me.
Kodwa iZiyoni yathi, “UThixo ungilahlile, uThixo usengikhohliwe.”
15 Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have compassion upon the offspring of her womb? but if a woman should even forget these, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord.
“Owesifazane angamkhohlwa umntanakhe omunyayo na, angabi lesihelo emntwaneni amzeleyo na? Lanxa engamkhohlwa, mina angiyikukukhohlwa!”
16 Behold, I have painted your walls on my hands, and you are continually before me.
Khangela, sengikudwebe ezintendeni zezandla zami; imiduli yakho ihlezi iphambi kwami.
17 And you shall soon be built by those by whom you were destroyed, and they that made you desolate shall go forth of you.
Amadodana akho aphanga emuva, lalabo abakuchithayo bayasuka kuwe.
18 Lift up your eyes round about, and look on them all; behold, they are gathered together, and are come to you. [As] I live, says the Lord, you shall clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and put them on as a bride her attire.
Phakamisa amehlo akho ukhangele emaceleni wonke, wonke amadodana akho ayaqoqana eze kuwe. UThixo uthi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngiphila, bonke uzabagqiza njengezigqizo, ucece ngabo njengomlobokazi.
19 For your desert and marred and ruined [places] shall now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that devoured you shall be removed far from you.
Lanxa nje wadilizwa waba lunxiwa lelizwe lakho lachithwa, khathesi uzakuba mncane kakhulu ebantwini bakho; lalabo abakuchithayo bazakuba khatshana.
20 For your sons whom you have lost shall say in your ears, The place [is too] narrow for me: make room for me that I may dwell.
Abantwana abazalwa ngesikhathi sokufelwa kwakho bazakutsho lawe usizwa bathi, ‘Indawo le incinyane kakhulu kithi; siphe enye njalo indawo yokuhlala.’
21 And you shall say in your heart, Who has begotten me these? whereas I [was] childless, and a widow; but who has brought up these for me? and I was left alone; but whence came these to me?
Lapho-ke uzakuthi enhliziyweni yakho, ‘Ngubani owangizalela laba na? Ngafelwa njalo ngaba njengongazalanga; ngaxotshwa elizweni, ngalahlwa. Laba bondliwa ngubani? Mina ngangisele ngedwa, kodwa laba-ke, bavele ngaphi?’”
22 Thus says the Lord, [even] the Lord, Behold, I lift up mine hand to the nations, and I will lift up my signal to the islands: and they shall bring your sons in [their] bosom, and shall bear your daughters on [their] shoulders.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Khangela, ngizaqhweba abeZizwe. Ngizaphakamisela uphawu lwami ebantwini; bazaletha amadodana akho bewagonile, amadodakazi akho bewathwele ngamahlombe abo.
23 And kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their princesses your nurses, they shall bow down to you on the face of the earth, and shall lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the Lord, and they that wait on me shall not be ashamed.
Amakhosi azakuba ngoyihlo bokukukhulisa, amakhosikazi awo abe ngonyoko bokukondla. Bazakhothama phambi kwakho ubuso babo buphansi, emhlabathini, bazakhotha uthuli ezinyaweni zakho. Lapho-ke uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo; labo abangithembayo abayikudaniswa.”
24 Will any one take spoils from a giant? and if one should take [a man] captive unjustly, shall he be delivered?
Amabutho angemukwa impango na, kumbe abathunjiweyo bahlengwe kwabesabekayo na?
25 For thus says the Lord, If one should take a giant captive, he shall take spoils, and he who takes [them] from a mighty [man] shall be delivered: for I will plead your cause, and I will deliver your children.
Kodwa nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Yebo, abathunjiweyo bazathathwa emabuthweni lempango izahluthunwa futhi kwabesabekayo, ngoba ngizamelana lalabo abamelana lawe, abantwabakho ngizabahlenga.
26 And they that afflicted you shall eat their own flesh; and they shall drink their own blood as new wine, and shall be drunken: and all flesh shall perceive that I am the Lord that delivers you, and that upholds the strength of Jacob.
Ngizakwenza abancindezeli bakho badle inyama yemizimba yabo; bazadakwa ngelabo igazi njengewayini. Lapho-ke izizwe zonke zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo, nginguMsindisi wakho, uMhlengi wakho, uMninimandla kaJakhobe.”
