Isaiah 41
1 Listen to me in silence, you people who live in lands beyond the sea. Let the nations regain their strength. Then let them come and speak, and let us join together for judgment.
Thulani phambi kwami, zihlenge, kakuthi abantu bavuselele amandla; kabasondele; babesebekhuluma; kasisondele kanyekanye kusahlulelo.
2 Who has encouraged this one from the east who is called into God's service to do what is right? He gives him nations, and helps him trample kings underfoot. He makes them like dust with his sword, and turns them into chaff with his bow, blown before him on the wind.
Ngubani owavusa olungileyo ngasempumalanga? Wambizela enyaweni lwakhe; wanikela izizwe phambi kwakhe, wamenza wabusa phezu kwamakhosi, wawanikela enkembeni yakhe njengothuli, edandilini lakhe njengezibi eziqhutshelwayo.
3 He chases them down, and goes on unharmed, not following the usual routes.
Waxotshana lawo, wedlula ephephile, ngendlela angayihambanga ngenyawo zakhe.
4 Who has achieved and done this, calling into existence each generation from the beginning of time? I, the Lord, the first and the last, I am the one.
Ngubani okusebenzileyo, wakwenza, ebiza izizukulwana kwasekuqaleni? Mina iNkosi ngingowokuqala, njalo ngilabokucina; nginguye.
5 The islands watch in fear, the distant lands tremble. They get together and consult.
Izihlenge zakubona, zesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba yathuthumela; yasondela, yafika.
6 They all help each other, encouraging one another to “Be strong!”
Basiza, ngulowo lalowo umakhelwane wakhe, wonke wasesithi kumfowabo: Qina!
7 The craftsman encourages the goldsmith; the one who beats out the metal with a hammer encourages the one hitting the anvil, saying the soldering is good. They nail the idol down so it won't fall over.
Umbazi waseqinisa umkhandi wegolide, lololonga ngesando lowo otshaya isikhandelo, esithi: Kulungele ukunuselwa; wakuqinisa ngezipikili ukuze kunganyikinyeki.
8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, the ones I have chosen, descendants of my friend Abraham,
Kodwa wena Israyeli, nceku yami, Jakobe engikukhethileyo, nzalo kaAbrahama isithandwa sami,
9 I brought you back from distant lands, I called you back from faraway places, telling you, “You are my servants.” I have chosen you, and I have not abandoned you.
wena engakubambayo kwasemikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza ezikhulwini zawo, ngathi kuwe: Uyinceku yami, ngikukhethile, kangikulahlanga;
10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you! Don't be frightened for I, your God, will make you strong, and I will certainly help you. I will support you with my strong hand, acting for what is right.
ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe, ungathalathalazi, ngoba mina nginguNkulunkulu wakho; ngizakuqinisa, yebo ngizakusiza, yebo ngizakusekela ngesandla sami sokunene esokulunga kwami.
11 See—everyone who is angry with you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who fight against you will end up as nothing and die.
Khangela bonke abakuthukuthelelayo bazayangeka badaniswe, bazakuba njengento engesilutho; labantu abalwa lawe bazabhubha.
12 Even though you look for your enemies, you won't find them. Those who attack you will become absolutely nothing.
Uzabadinga, ungabatholi; abantu abaphikisana lawe bazakuba njengento engesilutho, labantu abalwa lawe bazakuba njengeze.
13 For I the Lord will grab you by the hand and tell you, “Don't be afraid! I myself will help you.
Ngoba mina Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, ngibamba isandla sakho sokunene, ngisithi kuwe: Ungesabi, mina ngizakusiza.
14 Don't be frightened, Jacob, you little worm, you people of Israel, for I will help you,” declared the Lord your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.
Ungesabi, mpethu enguJakobe, bantu bakoIsrayeli; mina ngizakusiza, kutsho iNkosi, lomhlengi wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
15 Look! I will make you into a new and sharp threshing device, with many pointed teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush the hills, turning them into chaff.
Khangela, ngizakwenza ube lubhulo olubukhali olutsha, olubukhali nhlangothi zombili; uzabhula izintaba uzichoboze, wenze amaqaqa abe njengamakhoba;
16 You will throw them into the air, the wind will carry them away, and a storm will scatter them. Then you will be happy in the Lord, and boast about the Holy One of Israel.
uzawela, lomoya uzawasusa, lesivunguzane siwachithachithe; njalo wena uthokoze ngeNkosi, uzidumise ngoNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
17 The poor and needy search for water, but don't find any—their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will respond to them; I, the God of Israel, won't abandon them.
Abayanga labaswelayo badinga amanzi, kodwa engekho; ulimi lwabo lome ngokoma; mina Nkosi ngizabaphendula; mina Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kangiyikubadela.
18 I will open up rivers in the desolate highlands and springs in the valleys. I will make pools in the wilderness and springs in the desert.
Ngizavula imifula emadundulwini, lemithombo phakathi kwezigodi; ngizakwenza inkangala ibe yisiziba samanzi, lomhlabathi owomileyo ube yiziphethu zamanzi.
19 I will plant cedars, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees in the desert. I will place evergreens in the desert, firs and box trees together.
Ngizamisa enkangala umsedari, isihlahla sesinga, lemiteli, lesihlahla samafutha; ngibeke egwaduleni isihlahla sefiri, umangwe, lomsayiphuresi ndawonye;
20 In this way everyone can see and know, they can think about it and draw the conclusion that the it is the Lord who has done this, that the Holy One of Israel made it happen.
ukuze babone, bazi, baqaphelise, baqedisise kanyekanye, ukuthi isandla seNkosi sikwenzile lokhu, loNgcwele kaIsrayeli ukudalile.
21 “Now you submit your case,” says the Lord. “Present your evidence,” says the King of Jacob.
Sondezani indaba yenu, itsho iNkosi, lisondeze izizatho zenu eziqinileyo, itsho iNkosi kaJakobe.
22 “Let them come and tell us what's about to happen. Let them explain the things of the past, so that we can think about them and discover the final outcome. Or they can tell us about the future.
Kabasondeze, basitshele okuzakwenzakala; kabakhulume izinto zamandulo, ukuthi ziyini, ukuze sizibeke enhliziyweni yethu, sazi isiphetho sazo; loba yenza ukuthi sizwe izinto ezizayo.
23 Predict what's coming so we can know for sure that you are gods. At least do something, good or bad, to impress us when we see it.
Tshonini izinto ezizakuza ngasemuva, ukuze sazi ukuthi lingonkulunkulu; yebo, yenzani okuhle kumbe lenze okubi, ukuze simangale, sikhangele kanyekanye.
24 But look at you! You're nothing, and you can't do anything! Anyone who chooses you is disgusting!
Khangelani, livela kokungekho, lomsebenzi wenu uvela emayeni; uyisinengiso olikhethayo.
25 I have encouraged the one who comes from the north. He is from the east, and will respect me. He will tread on rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter treading on clay.
Ngimvusileovela enyakatho, njalo uzafika, evela lapho eliphuma khona ilanga uzabiza ibizo lami; njalo uzakwehlela phezu kweziphathamandla njengodaka, lanjengombumbi evoxa ibumba.
26 Who announced this beforehand so that we could know about it? Who let us know in the past, so that now we could say: ‘He was right’? None of you announced it, none of you predicted it, and nobody heard you say a word!
Ngubani owabikayo kwasekuqaleni, ukuze sazi, langaphambili ukuze sitsho ukuthi: Ulungile? Yebo, kakho obikayo, yebo, kakho ozwakalisayo, yebo, kakho owezwayo amazwi enu.
27 I was the first to announce to Zion: ‘Look, here they are!’ I was the one who brought to Jerusalem the good news.
Owokuqala uzakuthi eZiyoni: Khangela, ubakhangele; njalo ngizanika iJerusalema oletha izindaba ezinhle.
28 I look at these idols, and find there is no one who can say anything. None of them can give advice; when I ask them something, they can't even answer.
Ngoba ngakhangela, njalo kwakungelamuntu, laphakathi kwabo kungekho umeluleki, ukuthi, lapho ngibabuza, baphendule ilizwi.
29 Look at them! They're all evil, deceptive things. They can't do anything! They're just idols full of hot air!”
Khangela, bonke bayize; imisebenzi yabo kayisilutho; izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya lokusanganiseka.
