Isaiah 42
1 Behold, My servant, I take hold on Him, My Chosen One—My soul has accepted, I have put My Spirit on Him, He brings forth judgment to nations.
“Nansi inceku yami engiyisekelayo, okhethiweyo wami, engithokoza ngaye. Ngizabeka umoya wami phezu kwakhe, uzaletha ukulunga ezizweni.
2 He does not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
Kayikumemeza kumbe aklabalale, loba aphakamise ilizwi lakhe emigwaqweni.
3 A bruised reed He does not break, And faded flax He does not quench, He brings forth judgment to truth.
Umhlanga ohluzukileyo akayikuwuquma, lentambo yesibane etsha kancane akayikuyicima. Ngokwethembeka uzaletha ukulunga;
4 He does not become weak nor bruised, Until He sets judgment in the earth, And islands wait with hope for His law.
akayikudinwa kumbe ephulwe inhliziyo aze alethe ukulunga emhlabeni. Izihlenge zizakwethemba umthetho wakhe.”
5 Thus said God, YHWH, Creating the heavens, and stretching them out, Spreading out the earth and its productions, Giving breath to the people on it, And spirit to those walking in it.
Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguNkulunkulu uThixo, yena owadala amazulu wawelula, yena owendlala umhlaba lakho konke okuphuma kuwo, yena onika abantu abakuwo ukuphefumula, kuthi abahamba kuwo abanike ukuphila:
6 I, YHWH, called you in righteousness, And I lay hold on your hand, and keep you, And I give you for a covenant of a people, And a light of nations.
“Mina, uThixo ngikubizile ngokulunga; ngizabamba isandla sakho. Ngizakulondoloza ngikwenze ube yisivumelwano sabantu lokukhanya kwabeZizwe;
7 To open the eyes of the blind, To bring forth the bound one from prison, Those sitting in darkness from the house of restraint.
uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukhuphe abathunjiweyo entolongweni, ubakhulule emigodini yezibotshwa labo abahlala emnyameni.
8 I [am] YHWH, this [is] My Name, And I do not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
Mina nginguThixo, lelo yilo ibizo lami! Ubukhosi bami angiyikubunika omunye loba nginike izithombe udumo lwami.
9 The former things, behold, have come, And I am declaring new things, Before they spring up I cause you to hear.
Khangela, izinto zakuqala sezenzakele, njalo ngimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakaveli ukuba zibe khona ngiyakutshela ngazo.”
10 Sing a new song to YHWH, His praise from the end of the earth, You who are going down to the sea, and its fullness, Islands, and their inhabitants.
Hlabelelani uThixo ingoma entsha, udumo lwakhe kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba, lina eliya phansi olwandle, lakho konke okukulo, lina zihlenge, labo bonke abahlala kini.
11 The wilderness and its cities lift up [their voice], Kedar inhabits the villages, The inhabitants of Sela sing, They cry from the top of mountains.
Inkangala lamadolobho ayo kakuphakamise amazwi akho; imizi uKhedari ahlala kuyo kayijabule. Abantu baseSela kabahlabele ngentokozo; kabaklabalale besezinqongweni zezintaba.
12 They ascribe to YHWH glory, And they declare His praise in the islands.
Kabamdumise uThixo, amemezele udumo lwakhe ezihlengeni.
13 YHWH goes forth as a mighty one. He stirs up zeal as a man of war, He cries, indeed, He shrieks, He shows Himself mighty against His enemies.
UThixo uzaphuma njengendoda elamandla, njengebutho uzavuthela ukutshiseka kwakhe; ngokuklabalala uzakhuza isaga sempi azinqobe izitha zakhe.
14 I have kept silent from of old, I keep silent, I refrain Myself, I cry out as a travailing woman, I desolate and swallow up together.
“Bengithule okwesikhathi eside kakhulu, bengithule ngizithiba. Kodwa khathesi, njengowesifazane ebeletha, ngiyakhala, ngiyakhefuzela ngiphefuzela.
15 I make desolate mountains and hills, And I dry up all their herbs, And I have made rivers become islands, And I dry up ponds.
Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa; ngilomise lonke uhlaza lwabo; ngizaphendula imifula ibe yizihlenge ngomise lamachibi.
16 And I have caused the blind to go, In a way they have not known, I cause them to tread in paths they have not known, I make a dark place become light before them, And unleveled places become a plain, These [are] the things I have done to them, And I have not forsaken them.
Ngizakhokhela iziphofu ngezindlela ezingazaziyo, ngizihole ngezindledlana ezingajwayelekanga. Ngizaphendula umnyama ube yikukhanya phambi kwazo; ngenze izindawo ezimakhilikithi zibe butshelezi. Lezi yizo izinto engizazenza; angiyikuziyekela.
17 Removed backward—utterly ashamed, Are those trusting in a carved image, Those saying to a molten image, “You [are] our gods.”
Kodwa labo abathemba izithombe, abathi kuzifanekiso, ‘Lingonkulunkulu bethu,’ bazabuyiselwa emuva beyangeke impela.”
18 You deaf, hear; and you blind, look to see.
“Zwanini, lina zacuthe; khangelani, lina ziphofu, libone!
19 Who [is] blind but My servant? And deaf as My messenger I send? Who [is] blind as he who is at peace, Indeed, blind, as the servant of YHWH?
Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, loyisacuthe njengesithunywa engisithumayo na? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengalowo ozinikele kimi, oyisiphofu njengenceku kaThixo na?
20 Seeing many things, and you do not observe, Opening ears, and he does not hear.
Selabona izinto ezinengi, kodwa kalinakanga; indlebe zenu zivulekile, kodwa kalizwa lutho.”
21 YHWH has delight for the sake of His righteousness, He magnifies law, and makes honorable.
Kwamthokozisa uThixo ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe ukuba akhulise umthetho wakhe ube mkhulu njalo ulodumo.
22 And this [is] a people seized and spoiled, Snared in holes—all of them, And they were hidden in houses of restraint, They have been for a prey, And there is no deliverer, A spoil, and none is saying, “Restore.”
Kodwa laba ngabantu abaphangiweyo bathunjwa; bonke bavalelwe emiwolweni, loba bafihlwa ezintolongweni. Sebenziwe baba yimpahla yokuthunjwa, kungela ozabasindisa; sebephendulwe baba yinto yokuthunjwa kungekho othi, “Babuyiseleni emuva.”
23 Who among you gives ear [to] this? Attends, and hears afterward?
Ngubani wenu olalela lokhu, kumbe asinake isikhathi esizayo na?
24 Who has given Jacob for a spoil, And Israel to the spoilers? Is it not YHWH—He against whom we sinned? Indeed, they have not been willing to walk in His ways, Nor have they listened to His law.
Ngubani owanikela uJakhobe ukuba abe yinto yokuthunjwa wanikela lo-Israyeli kubaphangi na? Kwakungasuye uThixo, esamonelayo thina na? Njengoba babengeke balandele izindlela zakhe; kabalalelanga umthetho wakhe.
25 And He pours fury on him, His anger, and the strength of battle, And it sets him on fire all around, And he has not known, And it burns against him, and he does not lay it to heart!
Ngakho wathela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo phezu kwabo, ukutshisa kwempi. Wabamboza ngamalangabi, kodwa kabezwisisanga. Wabaqothula, kodwa kabakhathalanga.
