Isaiah 49
1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Ngilalelani, zihlenge; lizwe, lina bantu abakhatshana: INkosi ingibizile ngisesiswini; ngisemibilini kamama yaqamba ibizo lami.
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Yasisenza umlomo wami waba njengenkemba ebukhali, yangifihla ngaphansi komthunzi wesandla sayo; yangenza ngibe ngumtshoko ololiweyo, yangifihla esambeni sayo semitshoko.
3 And said unto me, Thou [art] my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Yathi kimi: Uyinceku yami, Israyeli, engizazidumisa ngayo.
4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: [yet] surely my judgment [is] with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Ngasengisithi mina: Ngitshikatshikele ize, amandla ami ngiwachithele okungelutho lokuyize; qiniso, isahlulelo sami siseNkosini, lomvuzo wami ukuNkulunkulu wami.
5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb [to be] his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
Khathesi-ke itsho iNkosi, eyangibumba kwasesiswini ukuba yinceku yayo yokubuyisela uJakobe kuyo; lanxa uIsrayeli engabuthwanga, kube kanti ngizadunyiswa emehlweni eNkosi; njalo uNkulunkulu wami uzakuba ngamandla ami.
6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Yasisithi: Kuyinto encane ukuthi ube yinceku yami yokuvusa izizwe zikaJakobe, lokubuyisela abalondoloziweyo bakoIsrayeli; ngizakupha futhi ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe, ukuze ube lusindiso lwami kuze kube semkhawulweni womhlaba.
7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, [and] his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, [and] the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi kaIsrayeli, oNgcwele wakhe, kumphefumulo odelelwayo, kuye onengwa yisizwe, kunceku yababusi: Amakhosi azabona asukume, iziphathamandla lazo zizakhonza, ngenxa yeNkosi ethembekileyo, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, ekukhethileyo.
8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard 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 establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngesikhathi esemukelekayo ngikuphendulile, langosuku losindiso ngikusizile; njalo ngizakulondoloza, ngikunike ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ukuvuselela umhlaba, ukubenza badle amafa achithekileyo,
9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that [are] in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures [shall be] in all high places.
ukuze uthi kuzibotshwa: Phumani; kwabasemnyameni: Zivezeni. Bazakudla ezindleleni, ledlelo labo libe semadundulwini wonke.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
Kabayikulamba, kumbe bome, njalo ukutshisa kumbe ilanga kakuyikubatshaya, ngoba yena olesihawu kibo uzabakhokhela, lemithonjeni yamanzi uzabaqondisa.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
Njalo ngizakwenza zonke intaba zami zibe yindlela, lemigwaqo yami iphakame.
12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Khangela laba bazavela khatshana, njalo khangela laba ngasenyakatho langasentshonalanga, lalaba elizweni leSinimi.
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
Hlabelelani, mazulu, uthokoze, lawe mhlaba, lihlokome ngokuhlabela, lani zintaba, ngoba iNkosi ibaduduzile abantu bayo, izakuba lesihawu kwabahluphekileyo bayo.
14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Kodwa iZiyoni yathi: UJehova ungidelile, njalo iNkosi yami ingikhohliwe.
15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Owesifazana angamkhohlwa yini umntanakhe omunyayo, ukuba angabi lasihawu kuyo indodana yesisu sakhe? Yebo, bona bangakhohlwa, kodwa mina kangiyikukukhohlwa.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of [my] hands; thy walls [are] continually before me.
Khangela, ngikubhale ngokugubha ezintendeni zezandla; imiduli yakho ihlezi iphambi kwami.
17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
Abantwana bakho bazaphangisa; abachithi bakho labakumotshayo bazaphuma 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 bind them [on thee], as a bride [doeth].
Phakamisa amehlo akho inhlangothi zonke, ukhangele; bonke laba bayabuthana, beze kuwe. Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, isibili, uzazigqokisa ngabo bonke njengesiceciso, uzibhince ngabo njengomakoti.
19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
Ngoba indawo zakho ezichithekileyo lamanxiwa akho, lelizwe lencithakalo yakho, isibili khathesi lizaminyana kakhulu ngenxa yabahlali; lalabo abakuginyayo bazakuba khatshana.
20 The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place [is] too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
Abantwana bokufelwa kwakho bazakuthi futhi endlebeni zakho: Lindawo iminyene kakhulu kimi; ngivulela indawo ukuze ngihlale!
21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where [had] they [been]?
Khona uzakuthi enhliziyweni yakho: Ngubani ongizalele laba, njengoba ngafelwa ngabantwana, ngaba njengenyumba, ngingumthunjwa, ngisiwa le lale? Njalo ngubani okhulise laba? Khangela mina ngangisele ngedwa; laba babengaphi?
22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in [their] arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon [their] shoulders.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizaphakamisela izizwe isandla sami, ngimise uphawu lwami ebantwini; njalo bazaletha amadodana akho esifubeni, lamadodakazi akho bewetshete.
23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with [their] face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
Lamakhosi azakuba ngabondli bakho, lezindlovukazi zawo zibe ngabalizane bakho. Bazakukhothamela ngobuso emhlabathini, bakhothe uthuli lwezinyawo zakho. Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina ngiyiNkosi, ngoba abangithembayo kabayikuyangeka.
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
Impango izathathwa yini kolamandla, kumbe umthunjwa ngokomthetho akhululwe?
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: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
Kodwa itsho njalo iNkosi: Yebo, abathunjiweyo beqhawe bazathathwa, lempango yabesabekayo izakophulwa; ngoba mina ngizalwisana laye olwisana lawe, mina-ke ngisindise abantwana bakho.
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.
Njalo ngizadlisa abacindezeli bakho eyabo inyama, badakwe ngelabo igazi kungathi ngewayini elimnandi. Njalo yonke inyama izakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi nginguMsindisi wakho, loMhlengi wakho, oLamandla kaJakobe.
