Isaiah 42
1 Behold my servant, I will uphold him: my elect, my soul delighteth in him: I have given my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
“Nansi inceku yami engiyisekelayo, okhethiweyo wami, engithokoza ngaye. Ngizabeka umoya wami phezu kwakhe, uzaletha ukulunga ezizweni.
2 He shall not cry, nor have respect to person, neither shall his voice be heard abroad.
Kayikumemeza kumbe aklabalale, loba aphakamise ilizwi lakhe emigwaqweni.
3 The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Umhlanga ohluzukileyo akayikuwuquma, lentambo yesibane etsha kancane akayikuyicima. Ngokwethembeka uzaletha ukulunga;
4 He shall not be sad, nor troublesome, till he set judgment in the earth: and the islands shall wait for his law.
akayikudinwa kumbe ephulwe inhliziyo aze alethe ukulunga emhlabeni. Izihlenge zizakwethemba umthetho wakhe.”
5 Thus saith the Lord God that created the heavens, and stretched them out: that established the earth, and the things that spring out of it: that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that tread thereon.
Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguNkulunkulu uThixo, yena owadala amazulu wawelula, yena owendlala umhlaba lakho konke okuphuma kuwo, yena onika abantu abakuwo ukuphefumula, kuthi abahamba kuwo abanike ukuphila:
6 I the Lord have called thee in justice, and taken thee by the hand, and preserved thee. And I have given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles:
“Mina, uThixo ngikubizile ngokulunga; ngizabamba isandla sakho. Ngizakulondoloza ngikwenze ube yisivumelwano sabantu lokukhanya kwabeZizwe;
7 That thou mightest open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth the prisoner out of prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukhuphe abathunjiweyo entolongweni, ubakhulule emigodini yezibotshwa labo abahlala emnyameni.
8 I the Lord, this is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things.
Mina nginguThixo, lelo yilo ibizo lami! Ubukhosi bami angiyikubunika omunye loba nginike izithombe udumo lwami.
9 The things that were first, behold they are come: and new things do I declare: before they spring forth, I will make you head them.
Khangela, izinto zakuqala sezenzakele, njalo ngimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakaveli ukuba zibe khona ngiyakutshela ngazo.”
10 Sing ye to the Lora a new song, his praise is from the ends of the earth: you that go down to the sea, and all that are therein: ye islands, and ye inhabitants of them.
Hlabelelani uThixo ingoma entsha, udumo lwakhe kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba, lina eliya phansi olwandle, lakho konke okukulo, lina zihlenge, labo bonke abahlala kini.
11 Let the desert and the cities thereof be exalted: Cedar shall dwell in houses: ye inhabitants of Petra, give praise, they shall cry from the top of the mountains.
Inkangala lamadolobho ayo kakuphakamise amazwi akho; imizi uKhedari ahlala kuyo kayijabule. Abantu baseSela kabahlabele ngentokozo; kabaklabalale besezinqongweni zezintaba.
12 They shall give glory to the Lord, and shall declare his praise in the islands.
Kabamdumise uThixo, amemezele udumo lwakhe ezihlengeni.
13 The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, as a man of war shall he stir up zeal: he shall shout and cry: he shall prevail against his enemies.
UThixo uzaphuma njengendoda elamandla, njengebutho uzavuthela ukutshiseka kwakhe; ngokuklabalala uzakhuza isaga sempi azinqobe izitha zakhe.
14 I have always held my peace, I have I kept silence, I have been patient, I will speak now as a woman in labour: I will destroy, and swallow up at once.
“Bengithule okwesikhathi eside kakhulu, bengithule ngizithiba. Kodwa khathesi, njengowesifazane ebeletha, ngiyakhala, ngiyakhefuzela ngiphefuzela.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills, and will make all their grass to wither: and I will turn rivers into islands, and will dry up the standing pools.
Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa; ngilomise lonke uhlaza lwabo; ngizaphendula imifula ibe yizihlenge ngomise lamachibi.
16 And I will lead the blind into the way which they know not: and in the paths which they were ignorant of I will make them walk: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight: these things have I done to them, and have not forsaken them.
Ngizakhokhela iziphofu ngezindlela ezingazaziyo, ngizihole ngezindledlana ezingajwayelekanga. Ngizaphendula umnyama ube yikukhanya phambi kwazo; ngenze izindawo ezimakhilikithi zibe butshelezi. Lezi yizo izinto engizazenza; angiyikuziyekela.
17 They are turned back: let them be greatly confounded, that trust in a graven thing, that say to a molten thing: You are our god.
Kodwa labo abathemba izithombe, abathi kuzifanekiso, ‘Lingonkulunkulu bethu,’ bazabuyiselwa emuva beyangeke impela.”
18 Hear, ye deaf, and, ye blind, behold that you may see.
“Zwanini, lina zacuthe; khangelani, lina ziphofu, libone!
19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, but he to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, but he that is sold? or who is blind, but the servant of the Lord?
Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, loyisacuthe njengesithunywa engisithumayo na? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengalowo ozinikele kimi, oyisiphofu njengenceku kaThixo na?
20 Thou that seest many things, wilt thou not observe them? thou that hast ears open, wilt thou not hear?
Selabona izinto ezinengi, kodwa kalinakanga; indlebe zenu zivulekile, kodwa kalizwa lutho.”
21 And the Lord was willing to sanctify him, and to magnify the law, and exalt it.
Kwamthokozisa uThixo ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe ukuba akhulise umthetho wakhe ube mkhulu njalo ulodumo.
22 But this is a people that is robbed and wasted: they are all the snare of young men, and they are hid in the houses of prisons: they are made a prey, and there is none to deliver them: a spoil, and there is none that saith: Restore.
Kodwa laba ngabantu abaphangiweyo bathunjwa; bonke bavalelwe emiwolweni, loba bafihlwa ezintolongweni. Sebenziwe baba yimpahla yokuthunjwa, kungela ozabasindisa; sebephendulwe baba yinto yokuthunjwa kungekho othi, “Babuyiseleni emuva.”
23 Who is there among you that will give ear to this, that will attend and hearken for times to come?
Ngubani wenu olalela lokhu, kumbe asinake isikhathi esizayo na?
24 Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to robbers? hath not the Lord himself, against whom we have sinned? And they would not walk in his ways, and they have not hearkened to his law.
Ngubani owanikela uJakhobe ukuba abe yinto yokuthunjwa wanikela lo-Israyeli kubaphangi na? Kwakungasuye uThixo, esamonelayo thina na? Njengoba babengeke balandele izindlela zakhe; kabalalelanga umthetho wakhe.
25 And he hath poured out upon him the indignation of his fury, and a strong battle, and hath burnt him round about, and he knew not: and set him on fire, and he understood not.
Ngakho wathela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo phezu kwabo, ukutshisa kwempi. Wabamboza ngamalangabi, kodwa kabezwisisanga. Wabaqothula, kodwa kabakhathalanga.
