Isaiah 40
1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Duduzani, liduduze abantu bami, utsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
2 Speak ye [comfort] to the heart of Jerusalem, and call out unto her, that her time of sorrow is accomplished, that her iniquity is atoned for; for she hath received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins.
Khulumani kunhliziyo yeJerusalema, limemeze kuyo ukuthi imfazo yayo iphelelisiwe, ukuthi ububi bayo buthethelelwe, ngoba yemukele esandleni seNkosi okuphindwe kabili ngazo zonke izono zayo.
3 A voice calleth out, In the wilderness make ye clear the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for God.
Ilizwi lomemezayo ehlanelithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo omkhulu oqondileyo enkangala.
4 Every valley shall be raised, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made a straight path, and the rough places a plain:
Sonke isigodi sizaphakanyiswa, layo yonke intaba loqaqa kuzakwehliswa; lokugobileyo kuzakwenziwa kuqonde, lendawo ezimaxhakaxhaka zibe ligceke.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed; and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Inkazimulo yeNkosi izabonakaliswa, layo yonke inyama iyibone kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo weNkosi ukhulumile.
6 A voice saith, Proclaim; and he saith, What shall I proclaim? all flesh is grass, and all its goodliness is as the flower of the field:
Ilizwi lathi: Memeza! Wasesithi: Ngizamemeza ngithini? Yonke inyama ibutshani, labo bonke ubuhle bayo bunjengeluba leganga.
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; because the breath of the Lord hath blown upon it; surely the people is grass.
Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka, ngoba uMoya weNkosi uphephetha kukho; isibili abantu babutshani.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God will stand firm for ever.
Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka; kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kube nini lanini.
9 Upon a high mountain get thee up, thou that bringest good tidings to Zion; lift up with strength thy voice, thou who bringest good tidings to Jerusalem; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, [here is] your God!
Wena Ziyoni, oletha izindaba ezinhle, khwela entabeni ende; wena Jerusalema, oletha izindaba ezinhle, phakamisa ilizwi lakho ngamandla, liphakamise ungesabi; tshono emizini yakoJuda uthi: Khangelani, uNkulunkulu wenu.
10 Behold, the Lord Eternal will come with might, and his arm ruleth for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
Khangela, iNkosi uJehova izakuza ngamandla, lengalo yayo izayibusela; khangela, umvuzo wayo ilawo, lenkokhelo yayo iphambi kwayo.
11 Like a shepherd will he feed his flock: with his arm will he gather the lambs, and in his bosom will he carry them, will he lead gently those that suckle their young.
Izakwelusa umhlambi wayo njengomelusi, izabutha amawundlu ngengalo yayo, iwathwale esifubeni sayo, ikhokhele kuhle ezimunyisayo.
12 Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters, and meted out the heavens with the span, and comprised in a measure the dust of the earth, and weighed in the scale-beam the mountains, and the hills in balances?
Ngubani olinganise amanzi entendeni yesandla sakhe, walinganisa amazulu ngeminwe eyeluliweyo, wahlanganisa uthuli lomhlaba esilinganisweni, walinganisa izintaba ngesikali, lamaqaqa ngesilinganiso?
13 Who hath meted out the Spirit of the Lord? and [who was] his counsellor that he could have given him information?
Ngubani oqondise uMoya weNkosi, kumbe wamfundisa engumeluleki wakhe?
14 With whom took he counsel, that he gave him understanding, and taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and caused him to know the way of understanding?
Yelulekane lobani, owayenza yaqedisisa, wayifundisa endleleni yesahlulelo, wayifundisa ulwazi, wayazisa indlela yokuqedisisa?
15 Behold, nations are as a drop out of a bucket, and as the small dust of the balance are they accounted: behold, isles are like the flying dust.
Khangela, izizwe zinjengethonsi lenkonxa, zibalwa njengothuli lwesikali. Khangela, uphakamisa izihlenge njengento encinyane kakhulu.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient for burning, and its beasts do not suffice for burnt-offering.
LeLebhanoni kayeneli ukutsha, lenyamazana zayo kazeneli umnikelo wokutshiswa.
17 All the nations are as naught before him; less than nothing, and vanity are they accounted to him.
Zonke izizwe zinjengezingasilutho phambi kwayo, zibalwa kuyo zincinyane kulokungelutho lokuyize.
18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Pho, lizamfananisa lobani uNkulunkulu, loba mfanekiso bani elizamlinganisa lawo?
19 The graven image the artificer hath cast and the goldsmith hath overspread it with gold, and fabricated [on it] silver chains.
Ingcitshi incibilikisa isithombe esibaziweyo, lomkhandi wegolide uyasinameka ngegolide, abumbe ngokuncibilikisa amaketane esiliva.
20 He that is skilled in the choice chooseth a wood that will not rot; he seeketh unto himself a skilful workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
Lowo ongumyanga ongelamnikelo ukhetha isihlahla esingaboliyo, azidingele umbazi oyingcitshi ukuze alungise isithombe esingayikunyikinywa.
21 Know ye not? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not paid attention to the foundations of the earth?
Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga yini? Kalitshelwanga yini kwasekuqaleni? Kaliqedisisanga yini kwasekusekelweni komhlaba?
22 [It is he] that dwelleth above the circle of the earth, while its inhabitants are as grasshoppers; that stretched out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
Kunguye ohlala phezu kwesigombolozi somhlaba, labahlali bawo banjengentethe; owendlala amazulu njengekhetheni, awelule njengethente lokuhlala;
23 That bringeth princes to naught; rendering the judges of the earth as vanity.
owenza iziphathamandla zingabi yilutho, enze abehluleli bomhlaba babe njengeze.
24 Yes, they were not yet planted; yea, they were not yet sown; yea, their stem had not yet taken root in the earth: when he but breathed upon them, and they withered, and the storm-wind carrieth them away as stubble.
Yebo, kabayikugxunyekwa; yebo, kabayikuhlanyelwa; yebo, isiqu sabo kasiyikugxila emhlabathini; laye uzaphephetha phezu kwabo, babune; lesivunguzane sibasuse njengamabibi.
25 To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to? saith the Holy One.
Pho, lizangifananisa lobani, engizafanana laye? kutsho oNgcwele.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these? he that bringeth out their host by number; that calleth them all by name; from the Mighty One not one escapeth.
Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, libone odale lezizinto; okhipha ibutho lazo ngenani; azibize zonke ngamabizo ngobukhulu bamandla akhe, ngoba eqinile emandleni; kayikho leyodwa esilelayo.
27 Why wilt thou say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord, and my cause hath passed from the cognizance of my God?
Utsholoni, wena Jakobe, ukhulume, wena Israyeli ukuthi: Indlela yami isithekile eNkosini lesahlulelo sami sedlulisiwe nguNkulunkulu wami?
28 Dost thou not know? hast thou not heard? The God of everlasting is the Lord, is the Creator of the ends of the earth; he will not be faint and weary; unsearchable is his understanding.
Kawazi yini, kawukezwa yini? UNkulunkulu olaphakade, iNkosi, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba kapheli amandla njalo kadinwa? Kakuphenyeki ukuqedisisa kwakhe.
29 He giveth to the faint strength; and to the powerless he imparteth much might.
Inika abadangeleyo amandla, lakwabangaqinanga yandisa amandla.
30 Though youths should grow faint and be weary, and young men should utterly stumble:
Labatsha bazaphelelwa ngamandla, badinwe, lamajaha azakuwa lokuwa;
31 Yet they that wait upon the Lord shall acquire new strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk, and not become faint.
kodwa abalindela iNkosi bazavuselela amandla; bazaqonga ngempiko njengenkozi, bagijime bangadinwa, bahambe bangapheli amandla.
