Isaiah 40
1 Our God says, “Encourage my people! Encourage them!
Duduzani, liduduze abantu bami, utsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
2 Speak kindly to [the people of] Jerusalem; tell them that their suffering is ended, and that I have forgiven them for the sins that they have committed; I [SYN] have fully punished them for their 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 I hear someone who is shouting, “Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh to come [to you]; make a smooth road for our God (OR, Prepare yourselves to receive Yahweh when he comes, like people make a straight road for an important official [MET]).
Ilizwi lomemezayo ehlanelithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo omkhulu oqondileyo enkangala.
4 Fill in the valleys; flatten every hill and every mountain. Make the uneven ground smooth, and make the rough places smooth.
Sonke isigodi sizaphakanyiswa, layo yonke intaba loqaqa kuzakwehliswa; lokugobileyo kuzakwenziwa kuqonde, lendawo ezimaxhakaxhaka zibe ligceke.
5 [If you do that], it will become known that Yahweh is glorious/great, and all people will realize it at the same time. [Those things will surely happen] because it is Yahweh who has said [MTY] it.”
Inkazimulo yeNkosi izabonakaliswa, layo yonke inyama iyibone kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo weNkosi ukhulumile.
6 Someone said to me, “Shout!” I replied, “What should I shout?” [He replied], “[Shout that] people are like [SIM] grass; their influence fades as quickly as flowers in the field.
Ilizwi lathi: Memeza! Wasesithi: Ngizamemeza ngithini? Yonke inyama ibutshani, labo bonke ubuhle bayo bunjengeluba leganga.
7 Grass withers and flowers dry up when Yahweh causes a hot wind from the desert to blow on them. And people are [MET] like that.
Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka, ngoba uMoya weNkosi uphephetha kukho; isibili abantu babutshani.
8 The grass withers and the flowers dry up, but what our God promises will last forever.”
Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka; kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kube nini lanini.
9 You [people of] Jerusalem, you have good news to tell to people, so, shout it from the top of a high mountain! Shout it loudly, and do not be afraid! Tell the people in the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming here!”
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 Yahweh your God will be coming with power; he will rule powerfully [MTY]. And when he comes, he will bring with him the people whom he has freed [MET] [from being slaves in Babylonia].
Khangela, iNkosi uJehova izakuza ngamandla, lengalo yayo izayibusela; khangela, umvuzo wayo ilawo, lenkokhelo yayo iphambi kwayo.
11 He will take care of his people like [SIM] a shepherd takes care of his sheep, and carries the young lambs in his arms. He carries them close to his chest and he gently leads the female sheep that are nursing their young lambs.
Izakwelusa umhlambi wayo njengomelusi, izabutha amawundlu ngengalo yayo, iwathwale esifubeni sayo, ikhokhele kuhle ezimunyisayo.
12 [There is no one like Yahweh]! (Who else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand?/No one else has measured the water in the oceans in the palm of his hand!) [RHQ] (Who else has measured the sky with his fingers?/No one else has measured the sky with his fingers!) [RHQ] (Who else knows how much the earth weighs?/No one else knows how much the earth weighs!) [RHQ] (Who else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales?/No one else has weighed the mountains and hills on scales!) [RHQ]
Ngubani olinganise amanzi entendeni yesandla sakhe, walinganisa amazulu ngeminwe eyeluliweyo, wahlanganisa uthuli lomhlaba esilinganisweni, walinganisa izintaba ngesikali, lamaqaqa ngesilinganiso?
13 And (who else can advise Yahweh’s Spirit?/No one else can advise Yahweh’s Spirit!) [RHQ] (Who can teach him or advise/tell him what he should do?/No one can teach him or advise/tell him what he should do!) [RHQ]
Ngubani oqondise uMoya weNkosi, kumbe wamfundisa engumeluleki wakhe?
14 (Has Yahweh consulted anyone else to get advice?/Yahweh has certainly not consulted anyone else to get advice!) [RHQ] (Does he need someone to tell him what is right to do and how to act justly?/He certainly does not need someone to tell him what is right to do and how to act justly!) [RHQ]
Yelulekane lobani, owayenza yaqedisisa, wayifundisa endleleni yesahlulelo, wayifundisa ulwazi, wayazisa indlela yokuqedisisa?
15 [Yahweh considers that] the nations are [as insignificant as] [MET] one drop from a bucket [full of water]. They are [as insignificant as] dust on scales. He is able to weigh islands [as though they weighed no more than] grains of sand.
Khangela, izizwe zinjengethonsi lenkonxa, zibalwa njengothuli lwesikali. Khangela, uphakamisa izihlenge njengento encinyane kakhulu.
16 There would be [not] enough wood from all the trees in Lebanon to make a suitable fire for [sacrificing animals to] him, and there are not enough animals in Lebanon to offer as sacrifices to him.
LeLebhanoni kayeneli ukutsha, lenyamazana zayo kazeneli umnikelo wokutshiswa.
17 The nations of the world are completely insignificant/unimportant to him; he considers that they are worthless and less than nothing [HYP, DOU].
Zonke izizwe zinjengezingasilutho phambi kwayo, zibalwa kuyo zincinyane kulokungelutho lokuyize.
18 So, to whom can you compare God? What image resembles him?
Pho, lizamfananisa lobani uNkulunkulu, loba mfanekiso bani elizamlinganisa lawo?
19 Can you compare him to an idol that is made in a mold, and then is covered with [a thin sheet of] gold and decorated with silver chains?
Ingcitshi incibilikisa isithombe esibaziweyo, lomkhandi wegolide uyasinameka ngegolide, abumbe ngokuncibilikisa amaketane esiliva.
20 A man who is poor [cannot buy silver or gold for his idol]; [so] he selects a piece of wood that will not rot, and he gives it to a craftsman to carve an idol that will not fall down!
Lowo ongumyanga ongelamnikelo ukhetha isihlahla esingaboliyo, azidingele umbazi oyingcitshi ukuze alungise isithombe esingayikunyikinywa.
21 Have you(pl) not heard this? Do you not understand it? Are you unable to hear what God said long ago— [messages that he gave] before he created the earth?
Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga yini? Kalitshelwanga yini kwasekuqaleni? Kaliqedisisanga yini kwasekusekelweni komhlaba?
22 God sits [on his throne] above the earth, and the people [on the earth] below seem to be [as small] as [SIM] grasshoppers. He spreads out the sky like a curtain; it is like [SIM] a tent for him to live in.
Kunguye ohlala phezu kwesigombolozi somhlaba, labahlali bawo banjengentethe; owendlala amazulu njengekhetheni, awelule njengethente lokuhlala;
23 He causes kings to have no more power, and he causes the rulers to be worth nothing.
owenza iziphathamandla zingabi yilutho, enze abehluleli bomhlaba babe njengeze.
24 They start to rule, like small plants start to grow and form roots; but then [he gets rid of them] as though [MET] they withered when he blew on them, like [SIM] chaff that is blown away by the wind.
Yebo, kabayikugxunyekwa; yebo, kabayikuhlanyelwa; yebo, isiqu sabo kasiyikugxila emhlabathini; laye uzaphephetha phezu kwabo, babune; lesivunguzane sibasuse njengamabibi.
25 The Holy One asks, “To whom will you compare me? Is anyone equal to me?”
Pho, lizangifananisa lobani, engizafanana laye? kutsho oNgcwele.
26 Look up toward the sky: Consider who [RHQ] created all the stars. [Yahweh created them], and at night he causes them to appear; he calls each one by its name. Because he is extremely powerful [DOU], all of the stars are there [LIT] [when he calls out their names].
Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, libone odale lezizinto; okhipha ibutho lazo ngenani; azibize zonke ngamabizo ngobukhulu bamandla akhe, ngoba eqinile emandleni; kayikho leyodwa esilelayo.
27 You people of Israel [DOU], why do you complain that Yahweh does not see the [troubles that you are experiencing]? Why do you say that he does not act fairly toward you?
Utsholoni, wena Jakobe, ukhulume, wena Israyeli ukuthi: Indlela yami isithekile eNkosini lesahlulelo sami sedlulisiwe nguNkulunkulu wami?
28 Have you never heard and have you never understood that Yahweh is the everlasting God; he is the one who created the earth, [even the] most distant places on the earth. He never becomes weak or weary, and no one can find out how much he understands.
Kawazi yini, kawukezwa yini? UNkulunkulu olaphakade, iNkosi, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba kapheli amandla njalo kadinwa? Kakuphenyeki ukuqedisisa kwakhe.
29 He strengthens [DOU] those who feel weak and tired.
Inika abadangeleyo amandla, lakwabangaqinanga yandisa amandla.
30 Even youths become faint and weary, and young men will fall when they are exhausted.
Labatsha bazaphelelwa ngamandla, badinwe, lamajaha azakuwa lokuwa;
31 But those who trust in Yahweh will become strong again; [it will be as though] they will soar/fly high like [SIM] eagles do. They will run [for a long time] and not become weary; they will walk [long distances] and not faint.
kodwa abalindela iNkosi bazavuselela amandla; bazaqonga ngempiko njengenkozi, bagijime bangadinwa, bahambe bangapheli amandla.
