Isaiah 45
1 Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and to loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and that the gates may not be shut:
“Nanku akutshoyo uThixo kogcotshiweyo wakhe, uKhurosi, engibamba isandla sakhe sokudla ukuba nginqobe izizwe eziphambi kwakhe, ngithathele amakhosi izihlangu zawo, ngivule iminyango phambi kwakhe ukuze amasango angavaleki:
2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;
Ngizahamba phambi kwakho ngenze izintaba zendlaleke. Ngizadiliza amasango ethusi, ngifohle emigoqweni yensimbi.
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I am the LORD, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.
Ngizakupha inotho yobumnyama, lenotho egcinwe ezindaweni ezifihlakeleyo ukuze wazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, okubiza ngebizo.
4 For the sake of Jacob My servant, and Israel Mine elect, I have called thee by thy name, I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me.
Ngenxa kaJakhobe inceku yami, lo-Israyeli okhethiweyo wami, ngikubiza ngebizo ngikunike ibizo lokuhlonipha, lanxa wena unganginakanga.
5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, beside Me there is no God; I have girded thee, though thou hast not known Me;
Mina nginguThixo, njalo kakho omunye; ngaphandle kwami akulaNkulunkulu. Ngizakuqinisa, lanxa wena unganginakanga,
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me; I am the LORD; and there is none else;
ukuze kuthi kusukela empumalanga kusiya entshonalanga, abantu bakwazi ukuthi kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami. Mina nginguThixo, njalo kakho omunye.
7 I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am the LORD, that doeth all these things.
Ngenza ukukhanya njalo ngidale umnyama, ngiletha ukuphumelela njalo ngidale incithakalo; mina Thixo ngiyazenza zonke lezizinto.
8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, that they may bring forth salvation, and let her cause righteousness to spring up together; I the LORD have created it.
Lina mazulu angaphezulu, nisani ukulunga; amayezi kawakuthululele phansi. Umhlaba kawuvuleke kabanzi kuhlume ukusindiswa, ukulunga akukhule lakho; mina, uThixo, ngikudalile.
9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker, as a potsherd with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it: 'What makest thou?' Or: 'Thy work, it hath no hands'?
Maye kulowo ophikisa uMdali wakhe, kulowo oludengezi nje phakathi kwendengezi emhlabathini. Ibumba liyatsho na kumbumbi lithi, ‘Kuyini okubumbayo?’ Umsebenzi wakho uyatsho na uthi, ‘Kalazandla?’
10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father: 'Wherefore begettest thou?' Or to a woman: 'Wherefore travailest thou?'
Maye kulowo othi kuyise, ‘Kuyini owakuzalayo?’ loba athi kunina, ‘Kuyini owakubelethayo?’
11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask Me of the things that are to come; concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands, command ye Me.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, loMdali wakhe uthi: Mayelana lezinto ezizayo, uyangibuza ngabatwabami na, loba uyangilawula emsebenzini engiwenzayo na?
12 I, even I, have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, even My hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
Yimi engadala umhlaba, ngenza labantu abahlala kuwo. Ezami izandla yizo ezananabula amazulu; ngahlela amaxuku ezinkanyezi zawo.
13 I have roused him up in victory, and I make level all his ways; he shall build My city, and he shall let Mine exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
Ngizamvusa uKhurosi ngokulunga kwami, ngenze izindlela zakhe zonke ziqonde. Uzalakha futhi idolobho lami, akhulule abami abaxotshwayo elizweni, kodwa kungekho nhlawulo kumbe umvuzo, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.”
14 Thus saith the LORD: The labour of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine; they shall go after thee, in chains they shall come over; and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee: Surely God is in thee, and there is none else, there is no other God.
Nanku akutshoyo uThixo: “Izithelo zaseGibhithe lempahla ethengiswayo yaseKhushi lamaSebhina lawana amade, bazakuza kuwe babengabakho, bazakhasabula ngemva kwakho, beze kuwe bebotshwe ngamaketane. Bazakukhothamela bakuncenge besithi, ‘Ngempela uNkulunkulu ulawe, kakho omunye, kakho omunye uNkulunkulu.’”
15 Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
Ngeqiniso unguNkulunkulu ozifihlayo, Nkulunkulu loMsindisi ka-Israyeli.
16 They shall be ashamed, yea, confounded, all of them; they shall go in confusion together that are makers of idols.
Bonke ababaza izithombe bazayangiswa badumazeke; bonke bazahamba beyangekile.
17 O Israel, that art saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
Kodwa u-Israyeli uzasindiswa nguThixo ngensindiso engapheliyo; kaliyikuyangiswa kumbe libe lehlazo kuze kube nininini.
18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens, He is God; that formed the earth and made it, He established it, He created it not a waste, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Ngoba nanku okutshiwo nguThixo yena owadala amazulu, unguNkulunkulu, yena owabumba umhlaba wawenza, wawusekela; kawudalanga ukuba ungabi lalutho, kodwa wawenza ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo, uthi: “Mina nginguThixo, kakho omunye.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness; I said not unto the seed of Jacob: 'Seek ye Me in vain'; I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
Angikhulumanga ensitha kwenye indawo elizweni lomnyama; angizange ngithi kuzizukulwane zikaJakhobe, ‘Ngidingani lingangitholi.’ Mina Thixo ngikhuluma iqiniso; ngitsho okuqotho.
20 Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations; they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Qoqanani ndawonye lize kimi; buthanani lina elabaleka ezizweni. Labo abahamba bethwele izithombe zezigodo kabazi lutho; labo abakhuleka kubonkulunkulu abangeke babasize.”
21 Declare ye, and bring them near, yea, let them take counsel together: Who hath announced this from ancient time, and declared it of old? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside Me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me.
Memezelani okufanele kube yikho, likubike, kabemukele izeluleko ndawonye. Ngubani owabika lokhu endulo, ngubani owamemezela ngakho kudala le? Kwakungayisimi mina Thixo na? Njalo kakho uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami, uNkulunkulu olungileyo onguMsindisi; kakho omunye, yimi kuphela.
22 Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.
“Phendukelani kimi lisindiswe, lonke lina mikhawulo yomhlaba; ngoba mina nginguNkulunkulu, njalo kakho omunye.
23 By Myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and shall not come back, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Ngifunge ngami, ngobuqotho bonke umlomo wami ukhulume ilizwi elingayikwesulwa. Amadolo wonke azaguqa phambi kwami; izindimi zonke zizafunga ngami.
24 Only in the LORD, shall one say of Me, is victory and strength; even to Him shall men come in confusion, all they that were incensed against Him.
Zizakutsho ngami zithi, ‘Ukulunga lamandla kuThixo kuphela.’” Bonke abamthukuthelelayo bazakuza kuye bayangiswe.
25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
Kodwa Thixo yonke inzalo ka-Israyeli izafunyanwa ilungile, ithokoze iziqhenya ngaye.
