Isaiah 55
1 “All you [people who are in exile], listen to me! [It is as though] [MET] you are thirsty, so come and get water from me! [It is as though] you have no money, but you can come and get things from me [that are like] wine and milk! You can get [what you need from me], [and] you will not need to give me any money for them!
“Wozani, lonke lina abomileyo, wozani emanzini, lani lina elingelamali, wozani, lithenge, lidle! Wozani, thengani iwayini lochago ingekho imali lendleko.
2 [What you really need is to have a close relationship with me], so (why do you spend money to buy things that do not supply what you really need?/you should not spend money to buy things that do not supply what you really need.) [RHQ] (Why do you work hard to get money to buy things that do not (satisfy your [inner beings]/cause you to be happy)?) [RHQ] Pay attention to what I say and acquire what is really good [MET]! If you do that, then you will truly be happy [MET].
Lichithelani imali kokungasikho kudla, lokusebenza kwenu kulokho okungasuthisiyo na? Lalelani, lalelani kimi, lidle okuhle, umoya wenu uzathokoziswa yizibiliboco.
3 Listen to me and come to me; pay attention to me, and if you do that, you will have new life in your souls. I will make an agreement with you that will last forever to faithfully love you like I loved [King] David.
Lalelani, lize kimi; lingilalele ukuze umphefumulo wenu uphile. Ngizakwenza isivumelwano esingapheliyo lani, uthando lwami oluqotho olwathenjiswa uDavida.
4 By what he did, I showed [my power to many] people-groups; I caused him to be a leader and commander [DOU] over [the people of many nations].
Khangelani, ngimenze waba ngufakazi ebantwini, umkhokheli lomlawuli wabantu.
5 And similarly, you will summon people of other nations to come to you, nations that previously you have not heard about, and they had not heard about you; and they will come to you quickly because [they will have heard that I], Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, have honored you.
Ngeqiniso lizabiza izizwe elingazaziyo, lezizwe ezingalaziyo zizagijimela kini, ngenxa kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, ngoba uselinike inkazimulo.”
6 Seek [to know] me while it is still possible for you to do that; call to me while I am near!
Mdingeni uThixo esatholakala, mbizeni eseseduzane.
7 Wicked [people] should abandon their wicked behavior, and evil people should stop thinking what is evil. They should turn to me, and if they do that, I will act mercifully toward them; they should turn to me, their God, because I will fully pardon them [for all the wicked things that they have done].
Omubi kayekele indlela yakhe loxhwalileyo alahle imicabango yakhe. Kaphendukele kuThixo, uzakuba lesihawu kuye, lakuNkulunkulu wethu ngoba uzamthethelela ngesihle.
8 I, Yahweh, declare that what I think is not the same as what you think, and what I do is very different from what you do.
“Ngoba imicabango yami kayisiyo eyenu, lezindlela zenu kayisizo ezami,” kutsho uThixo.
9 Just as the sky is far above the earth, what I do is far greater than what you do, and what I think is much greater than what you think.
“Njengomkhathi uphakeme kulomhlaba, ngokunjalo izindlela zami ziphakeme kulezindlela zenu, lemicabango yami iphakeme kulemicabango yenu.
10 Rain and snow come down from the sky, and they cause the ground to be moist before the moisture returns [to the sky and produces more clouds]. When the ground becomes moist, it causes plants to sprout and grow, with the result that the soil produces seed for the farmer [to plant] and [grain to produce flour to make] bread for people to eat.
Njengoba izulu longqwaqwane kusehla kuvela phezulu, kungaphindi kubuyele khonale kungathambisanga umhlaba kuwenze ununkule ube lamahlumela, ukuze unike umhlanyeli inhlanyelo, lodlayo umnike ukudla,
11 And similarly the things that I promise to do, I will [always] cause to happen; my promises will [always] be fulfilled [LIT]. They will accomplish the things that I gave them to accomplish [DOU].
linjalo lelizwi lami eliphuma emlonyeni wami: kaliyikubuya kimi lize, kodwa lizafeza engikufunayo liphumelelise lokho engilithume khona.
12 You will leave [Babylon] joyfully, you will have peace as I lead you out. [It will be as though] the hills and mountains will sing joyfully, and the trees in the fields will clap their hands.
Lina lizaphuma ngokuthokoza likhokhelwe ngokuthula; izintaba lamaqaqa kuzasusa ingoma phambi kwenu, njalo zonke izihlahla zeganga zizaqakeza izandla zazo.
13 Instead of thornbushes and briers, pine/cypress [trees] and myrtle [trees] will grow [in your land]. As a result of that, people will honor me much more; and what I do will remind everyone that [I do what I have promised].”
Endaweni yesihlahla sameva kuzamila iphayini, lendaweni yokhula kuzamila isihlahla somithili. Lokhu kuzakwenza uThixo adunyiswe, kube yisibonakaliso esingapheliyo, esingayikudilizwa.”
