Isaiah 41
1 “Listen before me in silence, you coastlands; let the nations renew their strength; let them come near and speak; let us come near together to argue a dispute.
Thulani phambi kwami, zihlenge, kakuthi abantu bavuselele amandla; kabasondele; babesebekhuluma; kasisondele kanyekanye kusahlulelo.
2 Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and helps him subdue kings. He turns them to dust with his sword, like windblown stubble with his bow.
Ngubani owavusa olungileyo ngasempumalanga? Wambizela enyaweni lwakhe; wanikela izizwe phambi kwakhe, wamenza wabusa phezu kwamakhosi, wawanikela enkembeni yakhe njengothuli, edandilini lakhe njengezibi eziqhutshelwayo.
3 He pursues them and passes by safely, by a swift path that his feet scarcely touch.
Waxotshana lawo, wedlula ephephile, ngendlela angayihambanga ngenyawo zakhe.
4 Who has performed and accomplished these deeds? Who has summoned the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last ones, I am he.
Ngubani okusebenzileyo, wakwenza, ebiza izizukulwana kwasekuqaleni? Mina iNkosi ngingowokuqala, njalo ngilabokucina; nginguye.
5 The isles have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they approach and come.
Izihlenge zakubona, zesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba yathuthumela; yasondela, yafika.
6 Everyone helps his neighbor, and every one says to one another, 'Be encouraged.'
Basiza, ngulowo lalowo umakhelwane wakhe, wonke wasesithi kumfowabo: Qina!
7 So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and he who works with the hammer encourages him who works with an anvil, saying of the welding, 'It is good.' They fasten it with nails so it will not topple over.
Umbazi waseqinisa umkhandi wegolide, lololonga ngesando lowo otshaya isikhandelo, esithi: Kulungele ukunuselwa; wakuqinisa ngezipikili ukuze kunganyikinyeki.
8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,
Kodwa wena Israyeli, nceku yami, Jakobe engikukhethileyo, nzalo kaAbrahama isithandwa sami,
9 you whom I am bringing back from the ends of the earth, and whom I called from the far away places, and to whom I said, 'You are my servant;' I have chosen you and not rejected you.
wena engakubambayo kwasemikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza ezikhulwini zawo, ngathi kuwe: Uyinceku yami, ngikukhethile, kangikulahlanga;
10 Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and I will help you, and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe, ungathalathalazi, ngoba mina nginguNkulunkulu wakho; ngizakuqinisa, yebo ngizakusiza, yebo ngizakusekela ngesandla sami sokunene esokulunga kwami.
11 See, they will be ashamed and disgraced, all who have been angry with you; they will be as nothing and will perish, those who oppose you.
Khangela bonke abakuthukuthelelayo bazayangeka badaniswe, bazakuba njengento engesilutho; labantu abalwa lawe bazabhubha.
12 You will seek and will not find those who contended with you; those who warred against you will be like nothing, absolutely nothing.
Uzabadinga, ungabatholi; abantu abaphikisana lawe bazakuba njengento engesilutho, labantu abalwa lawe bazakuba njengeze.
13 For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Do not fear; I am helping you.'
Ngoba mina Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, ngibamba isandla sakho sokunene, ngisithi kuwe: Ungesabi, mina ngizakusiza.
14 Do not fear, Jacob you worm, and you men of Israel; I will help you—this is Yahweh's declaration, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Ungesabi, mpethu enguJakobe, bantu bakoIsrayeli; mina ngizakusiza, kutsho iNkosi, lomhlengi wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
15 Look, I am making you like a sharp threshing sledge, new and two-edged; you will thresh the mountains and crush them; you will make the hills like chaff.
Khangela, ngizakwenza ube lubhulo olubukhali olutsha, olubukhali nhlangothi zombili; uzabhula izintaba uzichoboze, wenze amaqaqa abe njengamakhoba;
16 You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away; the wind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh, you will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
uzawela, lomoya uzawasusa, lesivunguzane siwachithachithe; njalo wena uthokoze ngeNkosi, uzidumise ngoNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
17 The oppressed and needy look for water, but there is none, and their tongues are parched for thirst; I, Yahweh, will respond to their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
Abayanga labaswelayo badinga amanzi, kodwa engekho; ulimi lwabo lome ngokoma; mina Nkosi ngizabaphendula; mina Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kangiyikubadela.
18 I will make streams to flow down the slopes, and springs in the middle of the valleys; I will make the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water.
Ngizavula imifula emadundulwini, lemithombo phakathi kwezigodi; ngizakwenza inkangala ibe yisiziba samanzi, lomhlabathi owomileyo ube yiziphethu zamanzi.
19 In the wilderness I will set the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree. I will set the cypress in the desert plain, with the pines and the cypress box trees.
Ngizamisa enkangala umsedari, isihlahla sesinga, lemiteli, lesihlahla samafutha; ngibeke egwaduleni isihlahla sefiri, umangwe, lomsayiphuresi ndawonye;
20 I will do this so that the people may see, recognize, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
ukuze babone, bazi, baqaphelise, baqedisise kanyekanye, ukuthi isandla seNkosi sikwenzile lokhu, loNgcwele kaIsrayeli ukudalile.
21 “Present your case,” says Yahweh, “present your best arguments for your idols,” says the King of Jacob.
Sondezani indaba yenu, itsho iNkosi, lisondeze izizatho zenu eziqinileyo, itsho iNkosi kaJakobe.
22 Let them bring us their own arguments; have them come forward and declare to us what will happen, so we may know these things well. Have them tell us of earlier predictive declarations, so we can reflect on them and know how they were fulfilled.
Kabasondeze, basitshele okuzakwenzakala; kabakhulume izinto zamandulo, ukuthi ziyini, ukuze sizibeke enhliziyweni yethu, sazi isiphetho sazo; loba yenza ukuthi sizwe izinto ezizayo.
23 Tell things about the future, that we may know if you are gods; do something good or evil, that we may be frightened and impressed.
Tshonini izinto ezizakuza ngasemuva, ukuze sazi ukuthi lingonkulunkulu; yebo, yenzani okuhle kumbe lenze okubi, ukuze simangale, sikhangele kanyekanye.
24 See, you idols are nothing and your deeds are nothing; the one who chooses you is detestable.
Khangelani, livela kokungekho, lomsebenzi wenu uvela emayeni; uyisinengiso olikhethayo.
25 I have raised up one from the north, and he comes; from the sun's rising I summon him who calls on my name, and he will trample the rulers like mud, like a potter who is treading on the clay.
Ngimvusileovela enyakatho, njalo uzafika, evela lapho eliphuma khona ilanga uzabiza ibizo lami; njalo uzakwehlela phezu kweziphathamandla njengodaka, lanjengombumbi evoxa ibumba.
26 Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know? Before this time, that we may say, “He is right”? Indeed none of them decreed it, yes, none heard you say anything.
Ngubani owabikayo kwasekuqaleni, ukuze sazi, langaphambili ukuze sitsho ukuthi: Ulungile? Yebo, kakho obikayo, yebo, kakho ozwakalisayo, yebo, kakho owezwayo amazwi enu.
27 I first said to Zion, “Look here they are;” I sent a herald to Jerusalem.
Owokuqala uzakuthi eZiyoni: Khangela, ubakhangele; njalo ngizanika iJerusalema oletha izindaba ezinhle.
28 When I look, there is no one, not one among them who can give good advice, who, when I ask, can answer a word.
Ngoba ngakhangela, njalo kwakungelamuntu, laphakathi kwabo kungekho umeluleki, ukuthi, lapho ngibabuza, baphendule ilizwi.
29 Look, all of them are nothing, and their deeds are nothing; their cast metal figures are wind and emptiness.
Khangela, bonke bayize; imisebenzi yabo kayisilutho; izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya lokusanganiseka.
