Isaiah 66
1 Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What is this house that you would build for me? And what is this place of my rest?
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi, lomhlaba uyisenabelo sami. Ingaphi indlu elizangakhela yona na? Indawo yami yokuphumula izakuba ngaphi na?
2 My hand has made all these things, and all these things have been made, says the Lord. But upon whom will I look with favor, except upon a poor little one, who is contrite in spirit, and who trembles at my words?
Isandla sami kasizenzanga zonke lezizinto ukuze zibe khona na?” kutsho uThixo. “Engimbukayo ngulo: lowo othobekileyo ozisolayo emoyeni, olesabayo ilizwi lami.
3 Whoever immolates an ox, it is as if he slaughters a man. Whoever sacrifices a sheep, it is as if he is smashing the head of a dog. Whoever offers an oblation, it is as if he is offering swine’s blood. Whoever makes remembrance with incense, it is as if he is blessing an idol. All these things, they have chosen according to their own ways, and their soul has taken delight in their own abominations.
Kodwa lowo onikela ngenkunzi ufana lomuntu obulala omunye umuntu, lalowo onikela ngewundlu, ufana lowephula intamo yenja; lowo onikela ngamabele ufana lonikela ngegazi lengulube, lalowo otshisa impepha yesikhumbuzo ufana lokhonza isithombe. Sebekhethe izindlela zabo, lemiphefumulo yabo ithokoziswa yizinengiso zabo;
4 Therefore, I also will choose their illusions, and I will lead over them the things that they feared. For I called, and there was no one who would respond. I have spoken, and they have not listened. And they have done evil in my eyes; and what I did not will, they have chosen.
ngakho-ke lami ngizakhetha ukubaphatha kalukhuni, ngibehlisele lokho abakwesabayo. Ngoba kwathi lapho ngibiza, kakho owasabelayo, lapho ngikhuluma, kakho owalalelayo. Benza okubi phambi kwami, bakhetha okungicunulayo.”
5 Listen to the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word. Your brothers, who hate you and who cast you out because of my name, have said: “Let the Lord be glorified, and we will see by your rejoicing.” But they themselves will be confounded.
Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo lina elilesabayo ilizwi lakhe. Uthi, “Abafowenu abalizondayo, labalixwayayo ngenxa yebizo lami, sebethe, kadunyiswe uThixo ukuze sibone intokozo yenu! Kodwa bazayangiswa.”
6 A voice of the people from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord repaying retribution to his enemies!
Zwanini ukuxokozela okusedolobheni, zwanini umsindo osethempelini! Ngumsindo kaThixo ephindisela ezitheni zakhe ngakho konke okuzifaneleyo.
7 Before she was in labor, she gave birth. Before her time arrived for delivery, she gave birth to a male child.
“Uthi engakahelelwa, abelethe; ubuhlungu bungakamfikeli, azale indodana.
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? And who has seen anything like this? Will the earth give birth in one day? Or will a nation be born all at once? For Zion has been in labor, and she has given birth to her sons.
Ngubani owake wezwa into enje na? Ngubani owake wabona izinto ezinje na? Ilizwe lingazalwa ngelanga elilodwa loba isizwe sizalwe ngesikhatshana na? Ikanti iZiyoni ithi ngokuhelelwa nje ihle ibazale abantwana bayo.
9 Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your God?
Kambe ngifikisa esikhathini sokukhululeka ngingabe ngisabelethisa na?” kutsho uThixo. “Ngiyasivala na isibeletho ngesikhathi sengibelethisa na?” kutsho uThixo
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, and exult in her, all you who love her! Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her!
“Thokozani leJerusalema lilithabele, lonke lina elilithandayo; thokozani kakhulu lalo lonke lina elilililelayo.
11 So may you nurse and be filled, from the breasts of her consolations. So may you receive milk and overflow with delights, from every portion of her glory.
Ngoba lizamunya lisuthe emabeleni alo aduduzayo; lizanatha kakhulu, lithokoze ngenala yalo enengi.”
12 For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will turn a river of peace toward her, with an inundating torrent: the glory of the Gentiles, from which you will nurse. You will be carried at the breasts, and they will caress you upon the knees.
Ngoba lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo: “Ngizaletha ukuthula kini okugeleza njengesifula esigcweleyo lomnotho wezizwe njengesifula esithelayo, limunye liphethwe ngengalo yazo njalo lidlaliswe emathangazini azo.
13 In the manner of one whom a mother caresses, so will I console you. And you will be consoled in Jerusalem.
Njengomama eduduza umntanakhe, kanjalo lami ngizaliduduza, njalo lizaduduzeka eJerusalema.”
14 You will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like a plant, and the hand of the Lord will be known to his servants, and he will be angry with his enemies.
Lapho libona lokhu, inhliziyo zenu zizathokoza, lani likhule njengotshani; isandla sikaThixo sizakwazakala ezincekwini zakhe kodwa ulaka lwakhe luzabonakaliswa ezitheni zakhe.
15 For behold, the Lord will arrive with fire, and his four-horse chariots will be like a whirlwind: to render his wrath with indignation, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
Khangelani, uThixo uza ngomlilo, izinqola zakhe zempi zinjengesivunguzane; ulaka lwakhe uzalwehlisela phansi ngokufuthelana, lokukhuza kwakhe kwehle ngamalangabi omlilo.
16 For the Lord will divide with fire, and with his sword among all flesh, and those slain by the Lord will be many.
Ngoba ngomlilo langenkemba yakhe uThixo uzakwahlulela abantu bonke, njalo abanengi bazakuba yilabo ababulewe nguThixo.
17 Those who were sanctified, who thought themselves to be clean in the gardens behind the inner gate, who were eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse: they will be consumed all at once, says the Lord.
“Labo abazahlukanisayo, bazihlambulule ukungena emasimini belandela lowo ophakathi kwalabo abadla inyama yengulube lamagundwane kanye lezinye izinto ezinengisayo, isiphetho sabo sizafika sikhathi sinye,” kutsho uThixo.
18 But I know their works and their thoughts. I am arriving, so that I may gather them together with all nations and languages. And they will approach, and they will see my glory.
Ngenxa yezenzo zabo lemicabango yabo, sekuseduze ukuthi ngizebutha izizwe zonke lezindimi zonke; njalo bazakuza babone inkazimulo yami.
19 And I will set a sign among them. And I will send some of those who will have been saved to the Gentiles in the sea, to Africa, and to those who draw the bow in Lydia, to Italy and Greece, to islands far away, to those who have not heard of me, and to those who have not seen my glory. And they will announce my glory to the Gentiles.
“Ngizabeka isibonakaliso phakathi kwabo, ngithumele abanye balabo abasalayo ezizweni zeThashishi, kumaLibhiya, lamaLudi (alodumo ekusebenziseni imitshoko), eThubhali leGrisi lasezihlengeni ezikhatshana ezingakaluzwa udumo lwami kumbe zibone inkazimulo yami. Bazamemezela udumo lwami phakathi kwezizwe.
20 And they will lead all of your brothers from all of the Gentiles as a gift to the Lord, on horses, and in four-horse chariots, and on stretchers, and on mules, and in coaches, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, in the same manner that the sons of Israel would carry an offering in a pure vessel into the house of the Lord.
Njalo bazababuyisa bonke abafowenu entabeni yami engcwele eJerusalema njengomnikelo kuThixo bevela ezizweni zonke, bephezu kwamabhiza, izinqola zempi, imbongolo lamakamela,” kutsho uThixo. “Bazababuyisa njengabako-Israyeli beletha iminikelo yabo yamabele ethempelini likaThixo ngezitsha ezihlambulukileyo ngokomkhuba.
21 And I will take from them to be priests and Levites, says the Lord.
Ngizakhetha abanye babo ukuba labo babe ngabaphristi labaLevi,” kutsho uThixo.
22 For in like manner as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will cause to stand before me, says the Lord, so will your offspring and your name stand.
“Njengamazulu amatsha lomhlaba omutsha engikwenzayo kuzakuma kokuphela phambi kwami,” kutsho uThixo, “ngokunjalo ibizo lakho lenzalo yakho izakuma kokuphela.
23 And there will be month after month, and Sabbath after Sabbath. And all flesh will approach, so as to adore before my face, says the Lord.
Kusukela ekuThwaseni kwenye iNyanga kusiya ekuthwaseni kwenye, njalo kusukela kwelinye iSabatha kusiya kwelinye abantu bonke bazakuza bakhothame phambi kwami,” kutsho uThixo.
24 And they will go out, and they will view the carcasses of the men who have transgressed against me. Their worm will not die, and their fire will not be extinguished. And they will be a sight to all flesh even unto revulsion.
“Bazaphuma babone izidumbu zabantu abangihlamukelayo; impethu yazo kayiyikufa, lomlilo wazo kawuyikucitshwa, njalo zizakwenyanyeka ebantwini bonke.”
