Isaiah 54
1 “Sing, O barren, she [who] has not borne! Break forth with singing, and cry aloud, She [who] has not brought forth! For more [are] the sons of the desolate, Than the sons of the married one,” said YHWH.
Hlabelela, nyumba, wena ongazalanga; qhamuka ngokuhlabelela, umemeze, wena ongazange uhelelwe! Ngoba banengi abantwana botshiyiweyo kulabantwana bowendileyo, itsho iNkosi.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, And they stretch out the curtains of your dwelling places, Do not restrain—lengthen your cords, And make your pins strong.
Qhelisa indawo yethente lakho, kabatshombulule amakhetheni endawo yakho yokuhlala; ungagodli, yelula izintambo zakho, uqinise izikhonkwane zakho.
3 For you break forth right and left, And nations possess your seed,
Ngoba uzaqhamuka ngakwesokudla langakwesokunene, lenzalo yakho izafuya abezizwe, yenze imizi echithekileyo ihlalwe.
4 And they cause desolate cities to be inhabited. Do not fear, for you are not ashamed, Nor blush, for you are not confounded, For you forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood You do not remember anymore.
Ungesabi, ngoba kawuyikuyangeka; njalo ungabi lenhloni, ngoba kawuyikuyangiswa; ngoba uzakhohlwa ihlazo lobutsha bakho, ungabe usakhumbula ukuyangeka kobufelokazi bakho.
5 For your Maker [is] your husband, YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name, And your Redeemer [is] the Holy One of Israel, He is called God of all the earth.
Ngoba uMenzi wakho ungumyeni wakho, iNkosi yamabandla libizo lakhe; loMhlengi wakho ungoNgcwele kaIsrayeli, uzabizwa ngokuthi nguNkulunkulu womhlaba wonke.
6 For as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, YHWH has called you, Even a youthful wife when she is refused,” said your God.
Ngoba iNkosi ikubizile njengomfazi olahliweyo lodabukileyo emoyeni, lomfazi wobutsha, lapho waliwe, kutsho uNkulunkulu wakho.
7 “In a small moment I have forsaken you, And in great mercies I gather you,
Okomzuzwana omncinyane ngakutshiya, kodwa ngezihawu ezinkulu ngizakubutha.
8 In overflowing wrath I hid My face [for] a moment from you, And in perpetual kindness I have loved you, Said your Redeemer—YHWH!
Ngolaka oluncinyane ngakufihlela ubuso bami okomzuzwana, kodwa ngothandolomusa waphakade ngizakuhawukela, itsho iNkosi, uMhlengi wakho.
9 For this [is as] the days of Noah to Me, In that I have sworn that the waters of Noah Do not pass over the earth again—So I have sworn, Wrath is not on you, Nor rebuke against you.
Ngoba lokhu kunjengamanzi kaNowa kimi, lapho ngafunga ukuthi amanzi kaNowa kawaseyikwedlula emhlabeni; ngokunjalo ngifungile ukuthi kangiyikukuthukuthelela, ngikusole.
10 For the mountains depart, and the hills remove, And My kindness does not depart from you, And the covenant of My peace does not remove,” Says YHWH, your loving one.
Ngoba izintaba zizasuka, lamaqaqa azamazame, kodwa umusa wami kawuyikusuka kuwe, lesivumelwano sami sokuthula kasiyikuzamazama, itsho iNkosi elesihawu kuwe.
11 “O afflicted, storm-tossed, not comforted, Behold, I am laying your stones with cement, And have founded you with sapphires,
Wena ohluphekileyo, ophoswe yisiphepho, ongaduduzwanga, khangela, ngizabeka amatshe akho abe mahle, ngibeke isisekelo sakho ngamasafire.
12 And have made your pinnacles of agate, And your gates of carbuncle stones, And all your border of stones of delight,
Ngizakwenza imiphotshongo yakho nge-agate, lamasango akho ngama-emeraldi, lawo wonke umngcele wakho ngamatshe entokozo.
13 And all your sons are taught of YHWH, And the peace of your sons [is] abundant.
Labantwana bakho bonke bazafundiswa yiNkosi, njalo kube kukhulu ukuthula kwabantwana bakho.
14 You establish yourself in righteousness, Be far from oppression, for you do not fear, And from ruin, for it does not come near to you.
Uzaqiniswa ekulungeni; ube khatshana locindezelo, ngoba kawuyikwesaba; levalweni, ngoba kakuyikusondela kuwe.
15 Behold, he diligently assembles without My desire, Whoever has assembled near you falls by you!
Khangela bazabuthana sibili, kodwa hatshi ngami; loba ngubani ozabuthana emelene lawe uzakuwa ngenxa yakho.
16 Behold, I have created an artisan, Blowing on a fire of coals, And bringing out an instrument for his work, And I have created a destroyer to destroy.
Khangela mina ngidale umkhandi wensimbi ovuthela amalahle emlilweni, lovezela umsebenzi wakhe isikhali; njalo mina ngidale umchithi ukuthi achithe.
17 No weapon formed against you prospers, And every tongue rising against you, You condemn in judgment. This [is] the inheritance of the servants of YHWH, And their righteousness from Me,” a declaration of YHWH!
Kakulasikhali esibunjelwe ukumelana lawe esizaphumelela; lalo lonke ulimi olukuvukelayo ekwehluleleni uzalulahla. Lokhu kuyilifa lezinceku zeNkosi, lokulunga kwazo kuvela kimi, itsho iNkosi.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
