< Isaiah 51 >
1 "Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock you were cut from, and to the hold of the pit you were dug from.
Lalelani kimi, lina elidingisisa ukulunga, lina elidinga iNkosi; khangelani edwaleni elacezulwa kulo, lemlindini wegodi elagejwa kuwo.
2 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed him, and made him many.
Khangelani kuAbrahama uyihlo, lakuSara owalizalayo; ngoba ngambiza eyedwa, ngambusisa, ngamandisa.
3 For the LORD has comforted Zion; he has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Ngoba iNkosi izayiduduza iZiyoni, iduduze wonke amanxiwa ayo, njalo izakwenza inkangala yayo ifanane leEdeni, logwadule lwayo lufanane lensimu yeNkosi; injabulo lentokozo kuzatholakala kuyo, ukubonga lelizwi lokuhlabelela.
4 "Attend to me, my people; and give ear to me, my nation: for a law shall go forth from me, and I will establish my justice for a light of the peoples.
Lalelani kimi, bantu bami, libeke indlebe kimi, sizwe sami; ngoba umlayo uzaphuma kimi, njalo ngizakwenza ukwahlulela kwami kuphumule kube yikukhanya kwabantu.
5 My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth, and my arms shall judge the peoples; the islands shall wait for me, and on my arm shall they trust.
Ukulunga kwami kuseduze, usindiso lwami luphumile, lengalo zami zizakwehlulela abantu; izihlenge zingilindele, zithembele engalweni yami.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and those who dwell in it shall die in the same way: but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
Phakamiselani amehlo enu emazulwini, likhangele emhlabeni phansi; ngoba amazulu azanyamalala njengentuthu, lomhlaba uguge njengesembatho, labahlezi kuwo bafe ngokunjalo; kodwa usindiso lwami luzakuba phakade, lokulunga kwami kakuyikuchithwa.
7 "Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; do not fear the reproach of men, neither be dismayed at their insults.
Lalelani kimi, lina elazi ukulunga, abantu abamlayo wami usenhliziyweni yabo; lingesabi ukusola kwabantu, kumbe lethuswe yizithuko zabo.
8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation to all generations."
Ngoba inundu izabadla njengesembatho, lempethu ibadle njengoboya bezimvu, kodwa ukulunga kwami kuzakuba laphakade, losindiso lwami esizukulwaneni lezizukulwana.
9 Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of the LORD; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isn't it you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the monster?
Vuka, vuka, uzembathise amandla, wena ngalo yeNkosi; vuka njengensukwini zendulo, ezizukulwaneni zaphakade. Kawusuwe yini lowo owaquma iRahabi, wagwaza umgobho?
10 Isn't it you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?
Kawusuwe yini lowo owomisa ulwandle, amanzi enziki enkulu, owenza ukujula kolwandle kwaba yindlela yokuchapha kwabahlengiweyo?
11 The ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Ngakho abahlengiweyo beNkosi bazaphenduka, beze eZiyoni ngokuhlabelela; lentokozo elaphakade izakuba phezu kwekhanda labo; bazazuza intokozo lenjabulo, usizi lokububula kuzabaleka.
12 "I, even I, am he who comforts you: who are you, that you are afraid of man who shall die, and of the son of man who shall be made as grass;
Mina, mina nginguye oliduduzayo; ungubani wena ozakwesaba umuntu ozakufa, lendodana yomuntu ezakwenziwa ibe njengotshani?
13 and have forgotten the LORD your Maker, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and fear continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he makes ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
Ubusukhohlwa iNkosi, umenzi wakho, eyendlala amazulu, yabeka izisekelo zomhlaba, uqhubeka usesaba usuku lonke ngenxa yentukuthelo yomcindezeli, kungathi uzimisele ukuchitha? Ingaphi-ke intukuthelo yomcindezeli?
14 The captive exile shall speedily be freed; and he shall not die and go down into the pit, neither shall his bread fail.
Isibotshwa esithunjiweyo siyaphangisa ukuze sikhululwe; singafeli emgodini, lokudla kwaso kungasweleki.
15 For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar: the LORD of hosts is his name.
Ngoba ngiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyavusa ulwandle ukuze amagagasi alo ahlokome; iNkosi yamabandla libizo layo.
16 I have put my words in your mouth, and have covered you in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and tell Zion, 'You are my people.'"
Njalo ngifakile amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho, ngakusibekela emthunzini wesandla sami, ukuze ngihlanyele amazulu, ngibeke izisekelo zomhlaba, ngithi kuyo iZiyoni: Wena uyisizwe sami.
17 Awake, awake, stand up, Jerusalem, that have drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath; you have drunk from the bowl, of the cup of staggering, and drained it.
Vuka, vuka, usukume, Jerusalema, wena onathe esandleni seNkosi inkezo yolaka lwayo, wanatha inzece zenkezo yokudengezela, wazikhoca.
18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she has brought forth; neither is there any who takes her by the hand among all the sons who she has brought up.
Kakho ongayikhokhela kuwo wonke amadodana ewazeleyo; njalo kakho ongayibamba ngesandla kuwo wonke amadodana ewakhulisileyo.
19 These two things have happened to you. Who will grieve for you? Desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword. Who will console you?
Lokhu kokubili kukwehlele, ngubani ozakuzwela usizi? Incithakalo, lokubhujiswa, lendlala, lenkemba; ngizakududuza ngobani?
20 Your sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God.
Amadodana akho aphelelwe ngamandla, alele esihlokweni sezitalada zonke, njengenkunzi yendle embuleni; agcwele ulaka lweNkosi, ukukhuza kukaNkulunkulu wakho.
21 Therefore hear now this, you afflicted, and drunk, but not with wine:
Ngakho khathesi zwana lokhu, wena ohluphekayo lodakiweyo, kodwa hatshi ngewayini.
22 Thus says your Lord, the LORD, your God who pleads the cause of his people, "Look, I have taken out of your hand the cup of staggering, even the bowl of the cup of my wrath; you shall no more drink it again:
Itsho njalo iNkosi yakho, uJehova loNkulunkulu wakho olabhelela udaba lwabantu bakhe: Khangela, ngisusile esandleni sakho inkezo yokudengezela, inzece zenkezo yolaka lwami, kawusayikuyinatha futhi.
23 and I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to your soul, 'Bow down, that we may walk over you;' and you have laid your back as the ground, and as the street, to those who walk over."
Kodwa ngizayibeka esandleni salabo abakuhluphayo, abathe emphefumulweni wakho: Khothama, ukuze sedlule phezulu; usubeke umhlana wakho njengomhlabathi, lanjengesitalada kwabadlula phezulu.