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.
Zwanini lokhu, lina ndlu kaJakobe, elabizwa ngebizo likaIsrayeli, elaphuma emanzini akoJuda, elifunga ngebizo leNkosi, elikhumbuza ngoNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kodwa kungeyisikho ngeqiniso, njalo kungeyisikho 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.
Ngoba bazibiza ngokuthi bangabomuzi oyingcwele, beseyama kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; iNkosi yamabandla libizo 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 izinto zamandulo kwasekuqaleni, zaphuma emlonyeni wami, ngazizwakalisa; ngenza masinyane, zafika.
4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow brass;
Ngoba ngangisazi ukuthi ulukhuni, lentamo yakho ingumsipha wensimbi, lebunzi lakho lilithusi;
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.
ngitsho kwasekuqaleni ngamemezela kuwe, kungakenzakali ngakwenza wakuzwa, hlezi uthi: Isithombe sami sizenzile, lesithombe sami esibaziweyo, lesithombe sami esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa sikulayile.
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.
Usuzwile, khangela konke lokhu; njalo kaliyikukumemezela yini? Ngikwenze uzwe izinto ezintsha kusukela khathesi, lezinto ezifihlakeleyo obungazazi.
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, kungeyisikho ekuqaleni; ngitsho lungakafiki lolusuku ungakezwa ngazo, hlezi uthi: Khangela, bengizazi.
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.
Yebo, kawuzwanga; yebo, kawazanga; yebo, kusukela ngalesosikhathi indlebe yakho yayingavulekanga; ngoba bengisazi ukuthi uzakwenza lokwenza ngenkohliso, wabizwa ngokuthi uyisiphambuki kusukela esizalweni.
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 ngizaphuzisa ulaka lwami, langenxa yodumo lwami ngizibambe ngawe, ukuze ngingakuqumi.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
Khangela, ngikuhlolile, kodwa hatshi ngesiliva, ngikukhethile esithandweni senhlupheko.
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 ngiyakwenza; ngoba ibizo lami lingangcoliswa njani? Njalo kangiyikunika udumo lwami komunye.
12 Listen to me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
Ngilalela, Jakobe, lawe Israyeli obiziweyo wami: 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 laso sabeka isisekelo somhlaba, lesandla sami sokunene sendlale amazulu; lapho ngikubiza, kuyasukuma 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 lina lonke, lizwe; ngubani phakathi kwabo omemezele lezizinto? INkosi imthandile; izakwenza intando yayo eBhabhiloni, lengalo yayo izakuba phezu kwamaKhaladiya.
15 I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Mina uqobo ngikhulumile; yebo ngambiza, ngimlethile, njalo uzaphumelelisa indlela 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; kangikhulumanga ensitha kusukela ekuqaleni; kusukela kulesosikhathi kusenzeka, ngikhona. Khathesi-ke iNkosi uJehova kanye loMoya wayo ingithumile.
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.
Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli: NgiyiNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, ekufundisa okukusizayo, ekukhokhela ngendlela ofanele ukuthi 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:
Kungathi ngabe walalela imilayo yami! Khona ukuthula kwakho kwakuzakuba njengomfula, lokulunga kwakho njengamagagasi 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 layo yayizakuba njengetshebetshebe, lembewu yemibilini yakho njengezinhlamvu zalo; ibizo lawo belingayikuqunywa kumbe lichithwe lisuke 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.
Phumani eBhabhiloni, libalekele amaKhaladiya, limemeze ngelizwi lokuhlabelela, likuzwakalise, likuphumisele ngasemkhawulweni womhlaba, lithi: INkosi ihlengile inceku yayo uJakobe.
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.
Njalo kabomanga lapho ibakhokhela bedabula izinkangala; yenza amanzi abagelezela evela edwaleni, futhi yaqhekeza idwala, lamanzi ampompoza.
22 There is no peace, says the LORD, to the wicked.
Akulakuthula, itsho INkosi, kwabakhohlakeleyo.
