Isaiah 49
1 Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken, ye peoples, from far: the LORD hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name;
Ngilalelani lina zihlenge; zwanini lokhu lina zizwe ezikude: uThixo wangibiza ngingakazalwa; kusukela ekuzalweni kwami ubelitsho ibizo lami.
2 And He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me; and He hath made me a polished shaft, in His quiver hath He concealed me;
Wenza umlomo wami waba njengenkemba eloliweyo, wangifihla emthunzini wesandla sakhe. Wangenza ngaba ngumtshoko ololiweyo, wangifihla emxhakeni wakhe wemitshoko.
3 And He said unto me: 'Thou art My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.'
Wathi kimi, “Wena Israyeli uyinceku yami, engizabonakalisa inkazimulo yami ngayo.”
4 But I said: 'I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God.'
Kodwa mina ngathi, “Mina ngisebenzele ize; amandla ami ngiwachithele ize lobala, ikanti okufanele mina kusesandleni sikaThixo, lomvuzo wami ukuNkulunkulu.”
5 And now saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, and that Israel be gathered unto Him — for I am honourable in the eyes of the LORD, and my God is become my strength —
Khathesi uThixo uthi, yena owangibumbayo esiswini ukuba ngibe yinceku yakhe ukuze ngibuyisele uJakhobe kuye lokuqoqela u-Israyeli kuye, ngoba ngiphakanyisiwe emehlweni kaThixo njalo uNkulunkulu wami ubengamandla ami
6 Yea, He saith: 'It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give thee for a light of the nations, that My salvation may be unto the end of the earth.'
uthi: “Kuyinto encane kakhulu kuwe ukuba yinceku yami ukuze uvuselele izizwe zikaJakhobe ubuyise labako-Israyeli engibalondolozileyo. Ngizakwenza ube yikukhanya kwabeZizwe, ukuze ufikise usindiso lwami emikhawulweni yomhlaba.”
7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him who is despised of men, to him who is abhorred of nations, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uMhlengi loNgcwele ka-Israyeli, utsho kuye oweyiswa, wenyanywa yisizwe, kuyo inceku yababusi: “Amakhosi azakubona asukume, amakhosana azakubona akhothame, ngenxa kaThixo othembekileyo, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli okukhethileyo.”
8 Thus saith the LORD: In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Ngesikhathi esifaneleyo kimi ngizakuphendula, langosuku lwensindiso ngizakusiza. Ngizakulondoloza ngikwenze ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ukubuyisela ilizwe lokwaba kutsha amafa abo achithekayo,
9 Saying to the prisoners: 'Go forth'; to them that are in darkness: 'Show yourselves'; they shall feed in the ways, and in all high hills shall be their pasture;
uthi kwabathunjiweyo, ‘Phumani,’ kulabo abasemnyameni uthi, ‘Khululekani!’ Bazadlela emaceleni emigwaqo bathole amadlelo kuwo wonke amaqaqa alugwadule.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He that hath compassion on them will lead them, even by the springs of water will He guide them.
Kabayikulamba kumbe bome, lokutshisa kwasenkangala kumbe okwelanga kabayikukuzwa. Lowo obazwela isihawu uzabakhokhela abase emithonjeni yamanzi.
11 And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be raised on high.
Izintaba zami zonke ngizazenza zibe yizindlela, imigwaqo yami izaphakamela phezulu.
12 Behold, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.
Khangelani, bazakuza bevela khatshana, abanye bevela enyakatho, abanye bevela entshonalanga labanye bevela emangweni wase-Asiwani.”
13 Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the LORD hath comforted His people, and hath compassion upon His afflicted.
Hlabelelani ngentokozo lina mazulu; jabula lawe mhlaba; tshayani ingoma lina zintaba. Ngoba uThixo uyabaduduza abantu bakhe njalo uzakuba lesihawu kwabahluphekayo bakhe.
14 But Zion said: 'The LORD hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me.'
Kodwa iZiyoni yathi, “UThixo ungilahlile, uThixo usengikhohliwe.”
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee.
“Owesifazane angamkhohlwa umntanakhe omunyayo na, angabi lesihelo emntwaneni amzeleyo na? Lanxa engamkhohlwa, mina angiyikukukhohlwa!”
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.
Khangela, sengikudwebe ezintendeni zezandla zami; imiduli yakho ihlezi iphambi kwami.
17 Thy children make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth from thee.
Amadodana akho aphanga emuva, lalabo abakuchithayo bayasuka kuwe.
18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride.
Phakamisa amehlo akho ukhangele emaceleni wonke, wonke amadodana akho ayaqoqana eze kuwe. UThixo uthi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngiphila, bonke uzabagqiza njengezigqizo, ucece ngabo njengomlobokazi.
19 For thy waste and thy desolate places and thy land that hath been destroyed — surely now shalt thou be too strait for the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
Lanxa nje wadilizwa waba lunxiwa lelizwe lakho lachithwa, khathesi uzakuba mncane kakhulu ebantwini bakho; lalabo abakuchithayo bazakuba khatshana.
20 The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears: 'The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell.'
Abantwana abazalwa ngesikhathi sokufelwa kwakho bazakutsho lawe usizwa bathi, ‘Indawo le incinyane kakhulu kithi; siphe enye njalo indawo yokuhlala.’
21 Then shalt thou say in thy heart: 'Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?'
Lapho-ke uzakuthi enhliziyweni yakho, ‘Ngubani owangizalela laba na? Ngafelwa njalo ngaba njengongazalanga; ngaxotshwa elizweni, ngalahlwa. Laba bondliwa ngubani? Mina ngangisele ngedwa, kodwa laba-ke, bavele ngaphi?’”
22 Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and set up Mine ensign to the peoples, and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Khangela, ngizaqhweba abeZizwe. Ngizaphakamisela uphawu lwami ebantwini; bazaletha amadodana akho bewagonile, amadodakazi akho bewathwele ngamahlombe abo.
23 And kings shall be thy foster-fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD, for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.
Amakhosi azakuba ngoyihlo bokukukhulisa, amakhosikazi awo abe ngonyoko bokukondla. Bazakhothama phambi kwakho ubuso babo buphansi, emhlabathini, bazakhotha uthuli ezinyaweni zakho. Lapho-ke uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo; labo abangithembayo abayikudaniswa.”
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of the victorious be delivered?
Amabutho angemukwa impango na, kumbe abathunjiweyo bahlengwe kwabesabekayo na?
25 But thus saith the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; and I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
Kodwa nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Yebo, abathunjiweyo bazathathwa emabuthweni lempango izahluthunwa futhi kwabesabekayo, ngoba ngizamelana lalabo abamelana lawe, abantwabakho ngizabahlenga.
26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
Ngizakwenza abancindezeli bakho badle inyama yemizimba yabo; bazadakwa ngelabo igazi njengewayini. Lapho-ke izizwe zonke zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo, nginguMsindisi wakho, uMhlengi wakho, uMninimandla kaJakhobe.”
