Isaiah 41
1 Keep silence before Me, O islands, and let the peoples renew their strength; let them draw near, then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.
“Thulani lithi zwi phambi kwami lina zihlenge! Izizwe kazivuselele amandla azo! Kazisondele phambili zikhulume; kasihlanganeni sonke endaweni yokwahlulela.
2 Who hath raised up one from the east, at whose steps victory attendeth? He giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; his sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble.
Ngubani osevuse lowo ovela empumalanga, embizela emsebenzini wakhe ngokulunga na? Unikela izizwe kuye, anqobe amakhosi phambi kwakhe. Ngenkemba yakhe uwenza abe luthuli, ngedandili lakhe awenze abe ngamakhoba aphetshulwa ngumoya.
3 He pursueth them, and passeth on safely; the way with his feet he treadeth not.
Uyawaxotsha yena adlule engathintwanga lutho, endleleni angakaze ahambe ngayo.
4 Who hath wrought and done it? He that called the generations from the beginning. I, the LORD, who am the first, and with the last am the same.
Ngubani owenze lokhu wakuphumelelisa, ebiza izizukulwane kusukela ekuqaleni na? Mina uThixo, kusukela kwesokuqala sazo kanye lesokucina, nginguye.”
5 The isles saw, and feared; the ends of the earth trembled; they drew near, and came.
Izihlenge zikubonile njalo ziyesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba iyathuthumela, iyasondela ize ngaphambili;
6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother: 'Be of good courage.'
yilowo lalowo usiza omunye athi kumfowabo, “Woba lesibindi!”
7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil, saying of the soldering: 'It is good'; and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
Umbazi ukhuthaza umkhandi wegolide, lalowo ololonga ngesando utshotshozela otshaya ihandila. Mayelana lokunusela uthi, “Kulungile.” Ubethelela isithombe phansi ngezipikili ukuze singawi.
8 But thou, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend;
“Kodwa wena we Israyeli, nceku yami, Jakhobe, wena engikukhethileyo, wena nzalo ka-Abhrahama, umngane wami,
9 Thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the uttermost parts thereof, and said unto thee: 'Thou art My servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away';
ngakuthatha emikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza usemakhoneni akhatshana kakhulu. Ngathi, ‘Wena uyinceku yami’; ngikukhethile njalo angikulahlanga.
10 Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I strengthen thee, yea, I help thee; yea, I uphold thee with My victorious right hand.
Ngakho ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ungakhathazeki, ngoba nginguNkulunkulu wakho. Ngizakuqinisa, ngikusize; ngizakusekela ngesandla sami sokudla esiqotho.
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded; they that strove with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish.
Bonke abakuthukutheleleyo, ngoqotho bazayangeka babe lenhloni; labo abakuphikisayo bazakuba njengeze, babhubhe.
12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee; they that warred against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Lanxa izitha zakho uzidinga, awuyikuzithola. Labo abalwa impi lawe bazakuba yize.
13 For I the LORD thy God hold thy right hand, who say unto thee: 'Fear not, I help thee.'
Ngoba mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, okubamba ngesandla sakho sokudla athi kuwe: Ungesabi; ngizakusiza.
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I help thee, saith the LORD, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Ungesabi, wena mpethu enguJakhobe, wena Israyeli omncinyazana, ungesabi, ngoba mina ngokwami ngizakusiza,” kutsho uThixo, uMhlengi wakho, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
15 Behold, I make thee a new threshing-sledge having sharp teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
“Khangela, ngizakwenza ube yisileyi sokubhula esitsha njalo esibukhali esilenhlendla ezinengi. Uzabhula izintaba uzibhidlize. Wenze amaqaqa abe ngamakhoba.
16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Uzawahlungula, umoya uwathathe, isavunguzane siwaphephulele khatshana. Kodwa wena uzathokoza kuThixo njalo uzibule koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
17 The poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I the LORD will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
Abayanga labaswelayo badinga amanzi, kodwa kawakho; inlimi zabo sezitshile ngokoma. Kodwa mina Thixo ngizabaphendula; mina, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, angiyikubalahla.
18 I will open rivers on the high hills, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Ngizakwenza amanzi ageleze emiqolweni engelalutho lemithombo phakathi kwezigodi. Ngizaguqula inkangala ibe yiziziba zamanzi, lomhlabathi owomileyo ube yimithombo yamanzi.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia-tree, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane-tree, and the larch together;
Enkangala ngizamilisa khona imisedari lemi-akhakhiya, amamithili kanye lama-oliva. Ogwaduleni ngizamisa izihlahla zamaphayini, ndawonye lemifiri kanye lemisiphresi,
20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
ukuze abantu babone njalo bazi, bacabange bazwisise ukuthi isandla sikaThixo yiso esenza lokhu, lokuthi oNgcwele ka-Israyeli ukudalile.
21 Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
Bikani indaba yenu,” kutsho uThixo. “Bekani izizatho zenu,” kutsho iNkosi kaJakhobe.
22 Let them bring them forth, and declare unto us the things that shall happen; the former things, what are they? Declare ye, that we may consider, and know the end of them; or announce to us things to come.
“Lethani izithombe zenu zisitshele okuzakwenzakala. Sitsheleni izinto zendulo ukuthi zaziyini ukuze sizihlole, sazi isiphetho sazo. Loba sitsheleni izinto ezizayo,
23 Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods; yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
lisazise okuqukethwe yizinsuku ezizayo, ukuze sazi ukuthi lingonkulunkulu. Yenzani okuthile, okuhle kumbe okubi, ukuze sithuthumele, sibe lokwesaba.
24 Behold, ye are nothing, and your work a thing of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.
Kodwa lina liyize, lemisebenzi yenu kayisilutho, okhetha lina uyisinengiso.
25 I have roused up one from the north, and he is come, from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon My name; and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.
Sengithukuthelise omunye enyakatho, njalo uyeza omunye ovela empumalanga obiza ibizo lami. Lowo unyathela phezu kwababusi kube sengathi baludaka, kube angathi ngumbumbi evoxa ibumba.
26 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say that he is right? Yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that announceth, yea, there is none that heareth your utterances.
Ngubani owabika lokhu kwasekuqaleni, ukuze sazi, kumbe ngaphambilini ukuze sithi, ‘Wayeqinisile na’? Kakho owabika ngalokhu, kakho owakutsho ngaphambilini, kakho owake wezwa amazwi aphuma kuwe.
27 A harbinger unto Zion will I give: 'Behold, behold them', and to Jerusalem a messenger of good tidings.
Mina yimi engaba ngowokuqala ukutshela iZiyoni ukuthi, ‘Khangela, nampa lapha!’ Nganika iJerusalema isithunywa sezindaba ezinhle.
28 And I look, but there is no man; even among them, but there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can give an answer.
Ngiyakhangela kodwa akulamuntu, kakho phakathi kwabo onganika iseluleko, kakho ongaphendula lapho ngibabuza.
29 Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.
Khangela, bonke bayize! Izenzo zabo kazisilutho; izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya lensambatheka.”
