< Isaiah 51 >
1 Listen to me, you that follow after righteousness, you that seek the LORD: look to the rock from where you are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from where you are dig.
Lalelani kimi, lina elidingisisa ukulunga, lina elidinga iNkosi; khangelani edwaleni elacezulwa kulo, lemlindini wegodi elagejwa kuwo.
2 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah that bore you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
Khangelani kuAbrahama uyihlo, lakuSara owalizalayo; ngoba ngambiza eyedwa, ngambusisa, ngamandisa.
3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Ngoba iNkosi izayiduduza iZiyoni, iduduze wonke amanxiwa ayo, njalo izakwenza inkangala yayo ifanane leEdeni, logwadule lwayo lufanane lensimu yeNkosi; injabulo lentokozo kuzatholakala kuyo, ukubonga lelizwi lokuhlabelela.
4 Listen to me, my people; and give ear to me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
Lalelani kimi, bantu bami, libeke indlebe kimi, sizwe sami; ngoba umlayo uzaphuma kimi, njalo ngizakwenza ukwahlulela kwami kuphumule kube yikukhanya kwabantu.
5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and my arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait on me, and on my arm shall they trust.
Ukulunga kwami kuseduze, usindiso lwami luphumile, lengalo zami zizakwehlulela abantu; izihlenge zingilindele, zithembele engalweni yami.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
Phakamiselani amehlo enu emazulwini, likhangele emhlabeni phansi; ngoba amazulu azanyamalala njengentuthu, lomhlaba uguge njengesembatho, labahlezi kuwo bafe ngokunjalo; kodwa usindiso lwami luzakuba phakade, lokulunga kwami kakuyikuchithwa.
7 Listen to me, you that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear you not the reproach of men, neither be you afraid of their revilings.
Lalelani kimi, lina elazi ukulunga, abantu abamlayo wami usenhliziyweni yabo; lingesabi ukusola kwabantu, kumbe lethuswe yizithuko zabo.
8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
Ngoba inundu izabadla njengesembatho, lempethu ibadle njengoboya bezimvu, kodwa ukulunga kwami kuzakuba laphakade, losindiso lwami esizukulwaneni lezizukulwana.
9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Are you not it that has cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
Vuka, vuka, uzembathise amandla, wena ngalo yeNkosi; vuka njengensukwini zendulo, ezizukulwaneni zaphakade. Kawusuwe yini lowo owaquma iRahabi, wagwaza umgobho?
10 Are you not it which has dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that has made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?
Kawusuwe yini lowo owomisa ulwandle, amanzi enziki enkulu, owenza ukujula kolwandle kwaba yindlela yokuchapha kwabahlengiweyo?
11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Ngakho abahlengiweyo beNkosi bazaphenduka, beze eZiyoni ngokuhlabelela; lentokozo elaphakade izakuba phezu kwekhanda labo; bazazuza intokozo lenjabulo, usizi lokububula kuzabaleka.
12 I, even I, am he that comforts you: who are you, that you should be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
Mina, mina nginguye oliduduzayo; ungubani wena ozakwesaba umuntu ozakufa, lendodana yomuntu ezakwenziwa ibe njengotshani?
13 And forget the LORD your maker, that has stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and have feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
Ubusukhohlwa iNkosi, umenzi wakho, eyendlala amazulu, yabeka izisekelo zomhlaba, uqhubeka usesaba usuku lonke ngenxa yentukuthelo yomcindezeli, kungathi uzimisele ukuchitha? Ingaphi-ke intukuthelo yomcindezeli?
14 The captive exile hastens that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.
Isibotshwa esithunjiweyo siyaphangisa ukuze sikhululwe; singafeli emgodini, lokudla kwaso kungasweleki.
15 But I am the LORD your God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.
Ngoba ngiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyavusa ulwandle ukuze amagagasi alo ahlokome; iNkosi yamabandla libizo layo.
16 And I have put my words in your mouth, and I have covered you in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, You are my people.
Njalo ngifakile amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho, ngakusibekela emthunzini wesandla sami, ukuze ngihlanyele amazulu, ngibeke izisekelo zomhlaba, ngithi kuyo iZiyoni: Wena uyisizwe sami.
17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which have drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; you have drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.
Vuka, vuka, usukume, Jerusalema, wena onathe esandleni seNkosi inkezo yolaka lwayo, wanatha inzece zenkezo yokudengezela, wazikhoca.
18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she has brought forth; neither is there any that takes her by the hand of all the sons that she has brought up.
Kakho ongayikhokhela kuwo wonke amadodana ewazeleyo; njalo kakho ongayibamba ngesandla kuwo wonke amadodana ewakhulisileyo.
19 These two things are come to you; who shall be sorry for you? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort you?
Lokhu kokubili kukwehlele, ngubani ozakuzwela usizi? Incithakalo, lokubhujiswa, lendlala, lenkemba; ngizakududuza ngobani?
20 Your sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of your God.
Amadodana akho aphelelwe ngamandla, alele esihlokweni sezitalada zonke, njengenkunzi yendle embuleni; agcwele ulaka lweNkosi, ukukhuza kukaNkulunkulu wakho.
21 Therefore hear now this, you afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:
Ngakho khathesi zwana lokhu, wena ohluphekayo lodakiweyo, kodwa hatshi ngewayini.
22 Thus says your Lord the LORD, and your God that pleads the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; you shall no more drink it again:
Itsho njalo iNkosi yakho, uJehova loNkulunkulu wakho olabhelela udaba lwabantu bakhe: Khangela, ngisusile esandleni sakho inkezo yokudengezela, inzece zenkezo yolaka lwami, kawusayikuyinatha futhi.
23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict you; which have said to your soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and you have laid your body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.
Kodwa ngizayibeka esandleni salabo abakuhluphayo, abathe emphefumulweni wakho: Khothama, ukuze sedlule phezulu; usubeke umhlana wakho njengomhlabathi, lanjengesitalada kwabadlula phezulu.