Isaiah 40
1 “Comfort, yes comfort my people!” says your God.
Duduzani, libaduduze abantu bami, kutsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
2 “Speak lovingly to the people of Jerusalem, telling them that their hard times are over, that their sins have been forgiven, and that the Lord has paid them twice over for their sins.”
Khulumani ngomusa kulo iJerusalema, limemezele kulo ukuthi ukusebenza kwalo nzima sekuphelile, ukuthi isono salo sihlawulwe, ukuthi selamukele okuvela esandleni sikaThixo kuphindwe kabili kuzozonke izono zalo.
3 A voice is heard calling, “Prepare the way for the Lord in the wilderness, make a straight highway for our God through the desert.
Ilizwi lomemezayo lithi: “Enkangala lungiselani uThixo indlela, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo oqondileyo enkangala.
4 Fill in all the valleys; level all the mountains and hills; smooth out the uneven ground; make the rough places flat.
Zonke izigodi zizaphakanyiswa, izintaba zonke lamaqaqa kuzakwehliselwa phansi. Umhlabathi ongamakhilikithi uzakwendlaleka, izindawo ezimadundulu zizakuba yisigcawu.
5 The Lord's glory will be revealed, and everyone will see it together. This is what the Lord has declared.”
Inkazimulo kaThixo izabonakaliswa, abantu bonke bazambona kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo kaThixo usukhulumile.”
6 A voice is heard saying, “Shout it out.” I asked, “What shall I shout?” “All human beings are like grass, and all their trustworthiness is like the flowers of the field.
Ilizwi lithi, “Memeza!” Mina ngathi, “Ngimemeze ngisithini na?” “Abantu bonke banjengotshani njalo ubuhle babo bunjengamaluba eganga.
7 The grass wilts and the flower fades when the Lord's breathes on them. Yes, the people are grass!
Utshani buyabuna amaluba ayakhithika, ngoba umoya kaThixo uyakuphephetha. Ngempela abantu babutshani.
8 However, even though the grass wilts and the flower fades, the word of our God will endure forever.”
Utshani buyabuna, amaluba ayakhithika, kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu limi kuze kube nininini.”
9 Zion, bringer of good news, go up a high mountain. Jerusalem, bringer of good news, raise your voice and shout out loud. Don't be afraid to shout really loud! Tell the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”
Wena oletha izindaba ezinhle eZiyoni, khwela entabeni ende. Wena oletha izindaba ezinhle eJerusalema, phakamisa ilizwi lakho ngokumemeza; liphakamise, ungesabi, tshono emadolobheni akoJuda uthi: “Nangu uNkulunkulu wenu!”
10 Look! The Lord God is coming with power! He will rule with a firm hand. Look! He's bringing his reward with him, coming to give his gift.
Khangelani, uThixo Wobukhosi uza elamandla, isandla sakhe sizabusa. Khangelani, umvuzo wakhe ulawo, lenhlawulo yakhe uhamba elayo.
11 He looks after his flock like a shepherd. He picks up the lambs in his arms and holds them close to his chest. He leads those that are nursing young.
Welusa umhlambi wakhe njengomelusi: ubuthelela amawundlu ezingalweni zakhe awathwale eseduzane lenhliziyo yakhe; awakhokhele kuhle lawo alamazinyane.
12 Who has measured the waters he holds in the palm of his hand? Who has marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has worked out the amount of dust of the earth? Who has weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?
Ngubani olinganise amanzi entendeni yesandla sakhe, loba walinganisa amazulu ngobubanzi besandla sakhe na? Ngubani owaphatha uthuli lomhlabathi ngesitsha loba walinganisa izintaba ezilinganisweni lamaqaqa esikalini na?
13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or taught him what to do as his counselor?
Ngubani osewazwisisa imicabango kaThixo, kumbe wamfundisa njengomeluleki wakhe na?
14 Who did the Lord go to for advice to help him understand? Who taught him right from wrong? Who gave him knowledge and showed him the way of wisdom?
Ngubani owake wacelwa nguThixo ukuba ameluleke, njalo ngubani owamfundisa indlela elungileyo na? Ngubani lowo owamfundisa ukwazi, loba owamtshengisa indlela yokuqedisisa na?
15 It's obvious that the nations are just a drop in a bucket. They're like dust on a set of scales. He can pick up islands as if they weigh next to nothing.
Ngeqiniso izizwe zinjengethonsi emgqonyeni; zibalwa njengothuli ezilinganisweni; uThixo ulinganisa izihlenge angathi ziluthuli olucolekileyo.
16 All the wood in Lebanon for a fire and all its animals as a sacrifice wouldn't be enough a burnt offering.
ILebhanoni kalaneli imililo ye-alithare, lezinyamazana zalo kazaneli iminikelo yokutshiswa.
17 To him all the nations are like nothing. He counts them as less than nothing—like they don't exist.
Phambi kwakhe zonke izizwe zinjengeze; yena uzikhangela njengento engasi yalutho njalo zingaphansi kweze.
18 Who do you think is like God? What image do you think he looks like?
Pho ngubani elingamfanisa loNkulunkulu na? Yisifanekiso bani elingasilinganisa laye na?
19 Is he a metal idol that a craftsman casts in a mold, and then a goldsmith overlays it with gold and makes silver chains for it?
Isithombe sibunjwa yingcwethi, umkhandi wegolide asinameke ngegolide asenzele imigaxo yesiliva.
20 Those who are too poor to pay for that choose wood that won't rot, then they look for a skilled wood-carver to make an idol that won't fall over.
Umuntu ongumyanga onganelisiyo ukunikela ngomnikelo onjalo ukhetha isigodo esingaboliyo. Udinga ingcitshi elolwazi ukuba imise isithombe esingayikubhidlika.
21 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? Hasn't it been explained to you from the very beginning? Haven't you understood from the time the world was created?
Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga na? Kalikutshelwanga kwasekuqaleni na? Kalizwisisanga na selokhu umhlaba wadalwayo?
22 God sits on his throne above the horizon of the earth; the people that live there are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, spreading them out like a tent to live in.
UThixo uhlezi ebukhosini ngaphezu kwendingiliza yomhlaba, njalo abantu bakhe banjengezintethe. Welula amazulu njengekhetheni, awendlale njengethente lokuhlala kulo.
23 He brings leaders down; he makes the rulers of the world like nothing.
Udiliza amakhosana, enze ababusi bomhlaba lo babe yize.
24 In fact they are hardly even planted, hardly even sown, hardly even taken root, when he blows on them and they wither, and the wind carries them away like straw.
Banele ukugxunyekwa nje, banele ukuhlanyelwa nje, banele ukugxila impande emhlabathini abe ephephetha phezu kwabo, babune, isavunguzane sibakhukhulele khatshana njengamakhoba.
25 “Who are you going to compare me with? Who is equal to me?” asks the Holy One.
“Ngubani elizangilinganisa laye na? Loba ngubani olingana lami na?” kutsho yena oNgcwele.
26 Look at the heavens. Who created all this? He leads the stars like an army, and calls each one by name. Because he has great power and incredible strength, not a single one of them is missing.
Phakamisani amehlo enu likhangele phezulu: Ngubani owadala konke lokhu na? Yena okhupha amaxuku ezinkanyezi ngalinye ngalinye, awabize ngalinye ngamabizo awo. Ngenxa yamandla akhe amakhulu lokuqina okulamandla, akukho lalinye elingekho.
27 Why do you speak like this, Jacob, and why do you say, Israel, “The Lord doesn't see what's happening to me, and he's ignoring my rights!”
Kungani usithi, we Jakhobe, usole usithi, we Israyeli, “Indlela yami ifihlakele Thixo; ilungelo lami kalinanzwa nguNkulunkulu wami na?”
28 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He's never weak or tired; you can't find out all he knows.
Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga na? UThixo unguNkulunkulu waphakade, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba. Kayikudinwa kumbe akhathale, ukuqedisisa kwakhe kakho ongakulinganisa.
29 He gives strength to the weary and power the powerless.
Abakhatheleyo uyabanika amandla, andise amandla ababuthakathaka.
30 Even young people grow weak and tired—they fall down when they're exhausted.
Labatsha baphelelwa ngamandla bakhathale, lamajaha ayakhubeka awe,
31 But those who trust in the Lord will have their strength renewed. They will fly high with wings like eagles. They will run and not be tired. They will walk and not be worn out.
kodwa labo abathemba uThixo bazavuselelwa amandla abo. Bazaqonga ngempiko njengezinkozi, bazagijima kodwa bangadinwa, bazahamba kodwa bangapheli amandla.
