Isaiah 41
1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let nations acquire new strength: let them approach, then let them speak, together let us come near to judgment.
Thulani phambi kwami, zihlenge, kakuthi abantu bavuselele amandla; kabasondele; babesebekhuluma; kasisondele kanyekanye kusahlulelo.
2 Who waked up from the east the man whom righteousness met in his steps? he giveth up nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; that his sword may render them as the dust, as driven stubble, his bow.
Ngubani owavusa olungileyo ngasempumalanga? Wambizela enyaweni lwakhe; wanikela izizwe phambi kwakhe, wamenza wabusa phezu kwamakhosi, wawanikela enkembeni yakhe njengothuli, edandilini lakhe njengezibi eziqhutshelwayo.
3 He pursueth them, passeth along in safety, by a path which his feet have not gone over before.
Waxotshana lawo, wedlula ephephile, ngendlela angayihambanga ngenyawo zakhe.
4 Who hath wrought and done it? he who called the generations from the beginning; I the Lord, [who am] the first, and with the latest I am the same.
Ngubani okusebenzileyo, wakwenza, ebiza izizukulwana kwasekuqaleni? Mina iNkosi ngingowokuqala, njalo ngilabokucina; nginguye.
5 The isles saw it, and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.
Izihlenge zakubona, zesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba yathuthumela; yasondela, yafika.
6 They help one another; and each one saith to his brother, Be strong!
Basiza, ngulowo lalowo umakhelwane wakhe, wonke wasesithi kumfowabo: Qina!
7 So the smith encouraged the melter, he that smootheth with the hammer him that striketh on the anvil; saying of the solder, It is good; and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
Umbazi waseqinisa umkhandi wegolide, lololonga ngesando lowo otshaya isikhandelo, esithi: Kulungele ukunuselwa; wakuqinisa ngezipikili ukuze kunganyikinyeki.
8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend;
Kodwa wena Israyeli, nceku yami, Jakobe engikukhethileyo, nzalo kaAbrahama isithandwa sami,
9 Thou, whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the midst of its chiefs, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
wena engakubambayo kwasemikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza ezikhulwini zawo, ngathi kuwe: Uyinceku yami, ngikukhethile, kangikulahlanga;
10 Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I strengthen thee, yea, I help thee, yea, I uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe, ungathalathalazi, ngoba mina nginguNkulunkulu wakho; ngizakuqinisa, yebo ngizakusiza, yebo ngizakusekela ngesandla sami sokunene esokulunga kwami.
11 Behold, ashamed and confounded shall be all that were incensed against thee; they shall be as naught and perish—the men that strive with thee.
Khangela bonke abakuthukuthelelayo bazayangeka badaniswe, bazakuba njengento engesilutho; labantu abalwa lawe bazabhubha.
12 Thou wilt seek them, and shalt not find them, the men that contend with thee; they shall be as naught and as nothing, the men that make war against thee.
Uzabadinga, ungabatholi; abantu abaphikisana lawe bazakuba njengento engesilutho, labantu abalwa lawe bazakuba njengeze.
13 For I the Lord thy God lay hold of thy right hand; [I am he] who saith unto thee, Fear not, I help thee.
Ngoba mina Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, ngibamba isandla sakho sokunene, ngisithi kuwe: Ungesabi, mina ngizakusiza.
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, ye few men of Israel: I myself help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Ungesabi, mpethu enguJakobe, bantu bakoIsrayeli; mina ngizakusiza, kutsho iNkosi, lomhlengi wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
15 Behold, I have rendered thee a threshing instrument, sharp, new, having many teeth: thou shalt thresh mountains, and beat them small, and shalt render the hills as chaff.
Khangela, ngizakwenza ube lubhulo olubukhali olutsha, olubukhali nhlangothi zombili; uzabhula izintaba uzichoboze, wenze amaqaqa abe njengamakhoba;
16 Thou shalt scatter them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the storm shall disperse them; but thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, in the Holy One of Israel shalt thou glorify thyself.
uzawela, lomoya uzawasusa, lesivunguzane siwachithachithe; njalo wena uthokoze ngeNkosi, uzidumise ngoNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
17 The poor and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue is dried up with thirst: I the Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
Abayanga labaswelayo badinga amanzi, kodwa engekho; ulimi lwabo lome ngokoma; mina Nkosi ngizabaphendula; mina Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kangiyikubadela.
18 I will open on naked mountain-peaks rivers, and in the midst of valleys fountains; I will change the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water.
Ngizavula imifula emadundulwini, lemithombo phakathi kwezigodi; ngizakwenza inkangala ibe yisiziba samanzi, lomhlabathi owomileyo ube yiziphethu zamanzi.
19 I will place in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine and the box-tree together;
Ngizamisa enkangala umsedari, isihlahla sesinga, lemiteli, lesihlahla samafutha; ngibeke egwaduleni isihlahla sefiri, umangwe, lomsayiphuresi ndawonye;
20 In order that they may see, and know and take [it to heart], and comprehend together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
ukuze babone, bazi, baqaphelise, baqedisise kanyekanye, ukuthi isandla seNkosi sikwenzile lokhu, loNgcwele kaIsrayeli ukudalile.
21 Produce your cause, saith the Lord: bring forward your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
Sondezani indaba yenu, itsho iNkosi, lisondeze izizatho zenu eziqinileyo, itsho iNkosi kaJakobe.
22 Let them bring them forward and tell us what shall happen: the former things—what are they?—tell us, that we may take it to heart, and know the result of them; or let us hear the things that are to come.
Kabasondeze, basitshele okuzakwenzakala; kabakhulume izinto zamandulo, ukuthi ziyini, ukuze sizibeke enhliziyweni yethu, sazi isiphetho sazo; loba yenza ukuthi sizwe izinto ezizayo.
23 Tell the events that are to happen hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be astonished, and see it together.
Tshonini izinto ezizakuza ngasemuva, ukuze sazi ukuthi lingonkulunkulu; yebo, yenzani okuhle kumbe lenze okubi, ukuze simangale, sikhangele kanyekanye.
24 Behold, ye are less than nothing, and your work less than a breath: [he that is] an abomination [alone] chooseth you.
Khangelani, livela kokungekho, lomsebenzi wenu uvela emayeni; uyisinengiso olikhethayo.
25 I have waked up one from the north, and he cometh; from the rising of the sun one who will call on my name: and he shall [over-]come princes as mortar, and as the potter treadeth down the clay.
Ngimvusileovela enyakatho, njalo uzafika, evela lapho eliphuma khona ilanga uzabiza ibizo lami; njalo uzakwehlela phezu kweziphathamandla njengodaka, lanjengombumbi evoxa ibumba.
26 Who hath told it from the beginning, that we may know it? and aforetimes, that we may say, “it is right?” but indeed there is none that telleth, indeed there is none that letteth us hear, indeed there is none that heareth your words.
Ngubani owabikayo kwasekuqaleni, ukuze sazi, langaphambili ukuze sitsho ukuthi: Ulungile? Yebo, kakho obikayo, yebo, kakho ozwakalisayo, yebo, kakho owezwayo amazwi enu.
27 The first [was I to say] to Zion, Behold, there they are; and to Jerusalem will I give one that bringeth good tidings.
Owokuqala uzakuthi eZiyoni: Khangela, ubakhangele; njalo ngizanika iJerusalema oletha izindaba ezinhle.
28 And I ever look, and there is no man; and among these there is no counsellor, that they could answer a word.
Ngoba ngakhangela, njalo kwakungelamuntu, laphakathi kwabo kungekho umeluleki, ukuthi, lapho ngibabuza, baphendule ilizwi.
29 Behold, they all are naught; their works are nothing: wind and vanity are their molten images.
Khangela, bonke bayize; imisebenzi yabo kayisilutho; izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya lokusanganiseka.
