Isaiah 41
1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew [their] strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
“Thulani lithi zwi phambi kwami lina zihlenge! Izizwe kazivuselele amandla azo! Kazisondele phambili zikhulume; kasihlanganeni sonke endaweni yokwahlulela.
2 Who raised up the righteous [man] from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made [him] rule over kings? he gave [them] as the dust to his sword, [and] as driven stubble to his bow.
Ngubani osevuse lowo ovela empumalanga, embizela emsebenzini wakhe ngokulunga na? Unikela izizwe kuye, anqobe amakhosi phambi kwakhe. Ngenkemba yakhe uwenza abe luthuli, ngedandili lakhe awenze abe ngamakhoba aphetshulwa ngumoya.
3 He pursued them, [and] passed safely; [even] by the way [that] he had not gone with his feet.
Uyawaxotsha yena adlule engathintwanga lutho, endleleni angakaze ahambe ngayo.
4 Who hath wrought and done [it], calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I [am] he.
Ngubani owenze lokhu wakuphumelelisa, ebiza izizukulwane kusukela ekuqaleni na? Mina uThixo, kusukela kwesokuqala sazo kanye lesokucina, nginguye.”
5 The isles saw [it], and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
Izihlenge zikubonile njalo ziyesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba iyathuthumela, iyasondela ize ngaphambili;
6 They helped every one his neighbour; and [every one] said to his brother, Be of good courage.
yilowo lalowo usiza omunye athi kumfowabo, “Woba lesibindi!”
7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, [and] he that smootheth [with] the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It [is] ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, [that] it should not be moved.
Umbazi ukhuthaza umkhandi wegolide, lalowo ololonga ngesando utshotshozela otshaya ihandila. Mayelana lokunusela uthi, “Kulungile.” Ubethelela isithombe phansi ngezipikili ukuze singawi.
8 But thou, Israel, [art] my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
“Kodwa wena we Israyeli, nceku yami, Jakhobe, wena engikukhethileyo, wena nzalo ka-Abhrahama, umngane wami,
9 [Thou] whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou [art] my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
ngakuthatha emikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza usemakhoneni akhatshana kakhulu. Ngathi, ‘Wena uyinceku yami’; ngikukhethile njalo angikulahlanga.
10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Ngakho ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ungakhathazeki, ngoba nginguNkulunkulu wakho. Ngizakuqinisa, ngikusize; ngizakusekela ngesandla sami sokudla esiqotho.
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Bonke abakuthukutheleleyo, ngoqotho bazayangeka babe lenhloni; labo abakuphikisayo bazakuba njengeze, babhubhe.
12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Lanxa izitha zakho uzidinga, awuyikuzithola. Labo abalwa impi lawe bazakuba yize.
13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Ngoba mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, okubamba ngesandla sakho sokudla athi kuwe: Ungesabi; ngizakusiza.
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, [and] ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Ungesabi, wena mpethu enguJakhobe, wena Israyeli omncinyazana, ungesabi, ngoba mina ngokwami ngizakusiza,” kutsho uThixo, uMhlengi wakho, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat [them] small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
“Khangela, ngizakwenza ube yisileyi sokubhula esitsha njalo esibukhali esilenhlendla ezinengi. Uzabhula izintaba uzibhidlize. Wenze amaqaqa abe ngamakhoba.
16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, [and] shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Uzawahlungula, umoya uwathathe, isavunguzane siwaphephulele khatshana. Kodwa wena uzathokoza kuThixo njalo uzibule koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
17 [When] the poor and needy seek water, and [there is] none, [and] their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
Abayanga labaswelayo badinga amanzi, kodwa kawakho; inlimi zabo sezitshile ngokoma. Kodwa mina Thixo ngizabaphendula; mina, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, angiyikubalahla.
18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Ngizakwenza amanzi ageleze emiqolweni engelalutho lemithombo phakathi kwezigodi. Ngizaguqula inkangala ibe yiziziba zamanzi, lomhlabathi owomileyo ube yimithombo yamanzi.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, [and] the pine, and the box tree together:
Enkangala ngizamilisa khona imisedari lemi-akhakhiya, amamithili kanye lama-oliva. Ogwaduleni ngizamisa izihlahla zamaphayini, ndawonye lemifiri kanye lemisiphresi,
20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
ukuze abantu babone njalo bazi, bacabange bazwisise ukuthi isandla sikaThixo yiso esenza lokhu, lokuthi oNgcwele ka-Israyeli ukudalile.
21 Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong [reasons], saith the King of Jacob.
Bikani indaba yenu,” kutsho uThixo. “Bekani izizatho zenu,” kutsho iNkosi kaJakhobe.
22 Let them bring [them] forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they [be], that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
“Lethani izithombe zenu zisitshele okuzakwenzakala. Sitsheleni izinto zendulo ukuthi zaziyini ukuze sizihlole, sazi isiphetho sazo. Loba sitsheleni izinto ezizayo,
23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye [are] gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold [it] together.
lisazise okuqukethwe yizinsuku ezizayo, ukuze sazi ukuthi lingonkulunkulu. Yenzani okuthile, okuhle kumbe okubi, ukuze sithuthumele, sibe lokwesaba.
24 Behold, ye [are] of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination [is he that] chooseth you.
Kodwa lina liyize, lemisebenzi yenu kayisilutho, okhetha lina uyisinengiso.
25 I have raised up [one] from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as [upon] morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
Sengithukuthelise omunye enyakatho, njalo uyeza omunye ovela empumalanga obiza ibizo lami. Lowo unyathela phezu kwababusi kube sengathi baludaka, kube angathi ngumbumbi evoxa ibumba.
26 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, [He is] righteous? yea, [there is] none that sheweth, yea, [there is] none that declareth, yea, [there is] none that heareth your words.
Ngubani owabika lokhu kwasekuqaleni, ukuze sazi, kumbe ngaphambilini ukuze sithi, ‘Wayeqinisile na’? Kakho owabika ngalokhu, kakho owakutsho ngaphambilini, kakho owake wezwa amazwi aphuma kuwe.
27 The first [shall say] to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
Mina yimi engaba ngowokuqala ukutshela iZiyoni ukuthi, ‘Khangela, nampa lapha!’ Nganika iJerusalema isithunywa sezindaba ezinhle.
28 For I beheld, and [there was] no man; even among them, and [there was] no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
Ngiyakhangela kodwa akulamuntu, kakho phakathi kwabo onganika iseluleko, kakho ongaphendula lapho ngibabuza.
29 Behold, they [are] all vanity; their works [are] nothing: their molten images [are] wind and confusion.
Khangela, bonke bayize! Izenzo zabo kazisilutho; izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya lensambatheka.”
