Isaiah 48
1 Hear you this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
“Zwana lokhu, wena ndlu kaJakhobe, lina elibizwa ngebizo lika-Israyeli elingabosendo lukaJuda, lina elifunga ngoThixo, licele usizo kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kodwa kungasingeqiniso loba ngokulunga,
2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
lina elibizwa ngokuthi lingabasedolobheni elingcwele, lethembe uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uThixo uSomandla yilo ibizo lakhe:
3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
Ngamemezela ngezinto zakuqala endulo, ngazitsho ngomlomo wami, ngazenza zazakala. Ngazenza ngokuphangisa, zahle zenzakala.
4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow brass;
Ngoba ngangikwazi ukuthi ulenkani, imisipha yentamo yakho zinsimbi, ibunzi lakho lithusi.
5 I have even from the beginning declared it to you; before it came to pass I showed it you: lest you should say, My idol has done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, has commanded them.
Ngakho-ke ngakutsho kudala ngalezizinto, ngakwazisa ngazo zingakenzakali ukuze wena ungaze wathi, ‘Izithombe zami yizo ezazenzayo; izithixo zami zezigodo lonkulunkulu wensimbi yibo abakumisayo.’
6 You have heard, see all this; and will not you declare it? I have showed you new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them.
Usuzizwile lezizinto; zikhangele zonke. Awuyikuzivuma na? Kusukela khathesi ngizakutshela ngezinto ezintsha, izinto ezifihlakeleyo wena ongazaziyo.
7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when you heard them not; lest you should say, Behold, I knew them.
Zidalwe khathesi nje, hatshi endulo; awuzange uzwe ngazo mandulo. Ngakho awungeke uthi, ‘Yebo, kade ngizazi.’
8 Yes, you heard not; yes, you knew not; yes, from that time that your ear was not opened: for I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb.
Kawuzange uzwe kumbe uqedisise; kusukela endulo indlebe yakho ibingavulekanga. Ngikwazi kuhle ukuthi wena uyingozi; kwathiwa ungumhlamuki kusukela ekuzalweni kwakho.
9 For my name’s sake will I defer my anger, and for my praise will I refrain for you, that I cut you not off.
Ngenxa yebizo lami, ngiyaluphuzisa ulaka lwami; ngenxa yodumo lwami ngiyalubamba ukuba lungehleli kuwe, ukuze ngingakubhubhisi.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
Khangela, ngikulungisile lanxa kunganjengesiliva; ngikuhlole emlilweni wokuhlupheka.
11 For my own sake, even for my own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory to another.
Ngenxa yami, ngenxa yami, ngenza lokhu. Ngingavuma njani ukuba ibizo lami ligconwe na? Angiyikunika omunye udumo lwami.”
12 Listen to me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
“Ngilalela wena Jakhobe, Israyeli, engikubizileyo: Mina nginguye; ngingowokuqala njalo ngingowokucina.
13 My hand also has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spanned the heavens: when I call to them, they stand up together.
Isandla sami sabeka izisekelo zomhlaba, isandla sami sokudla sendlala amazulu; lapho ngikubiza, kuyasukuma konke kanyekanye.
14 All you, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them has declared these things? The LORD has loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
Buthanani ndawonye lonke lilalele: Yisiphi sezithombe esamemezela ngalezizinto ngaphambilini na? Umsekeli kaThixo okhethiweyo uzafeza inhloso yakhe yokuhlasela amaKhaladiya; ingalo yakhe izamelana lamaKhaladiya.
15 I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Mina, mina ngokwami, sengikhulumile; yebo ngimbizile. Ngizamletha, njalo uzaphumelela kuyo inhloso yakhe.
16 Come you near to me, hear you this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, has sent me.
Sondelani kimi lizwe lokhu: Kusukela esimemezelweni sakuqala angikhulumelanga ensitha; lapho kusenzakala, mina ngikhona.” Khathesi uThixo Wobukhosi ungithumile ngoMoya wakhe.
17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD your God which teaches you to profit, which leads you by the way that you should go.
Nanku uThixo akutshoyo, uMhlengi wakho, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli: “Mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, okufundisa lokho okuhle kakhulu kuwe, ekutshengisa indlela okumele uhambe ngayo.
18 O that you had listened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Aluba wawulalele imilayo yami nje, ukuthula kwakho kwakuzakuba njengomfula, ukulunga kwakho kunjengamagagasi olwandle.
19 Your seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of your bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Inzalo yakho yayizakuba ngangetshebetshebe, abantwabakho babe ngangezinhlamvu zalo ezingeke zibalwe; ibizo labo belingayikwesulwa kumbe lidilizwe phambi kwami.”
20 Go you forth of Babylon, flee you from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare you, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say you, The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.
Sukani eBhabhiloni, libalekele amaBhabhiloni! Bikani lokhu lihlaba umkhosi ngentokozo njalo likumemezele. Kufikiseni emikhawulweni yomhlaba; lithi, “UThixo uyihlengile inceku yakhe uJakhobe.”
21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
Kabomanga ekubaholeni kwakhe bedabula ezinkangala; wabenzela amanzi agelezayo ephuma edwaleni, wadabula idwala amanzi ampompoza.
22 There is no peace, says the LORD, to the wicked.
UThixo uthi, “Akukho ukuthula kwababi.”
