< Isaiah 65 >
1 “I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek. I said, 'Here I am! Here I am!' to a nation that did not call on my name.
“Ngaziveza kulabo abangangicelanga; ngafunyanwa yilabo abangangidinganga. Isizwe esingakhulekanga kimi ngathi kuso, ‘Ngilapha, ngilapha.’
2 I have spread out my hands all day to a stubborn people, who walk in a way that is not good, who have walked after their own thoughts and plans!
Ilanga lonke ngelula izandla zami ebantwini abayiziqholo, abahamba ngezindlela ezingalunganga belandela iminakano yabo,
3 They are a people who continually offend me, offering sacrifices in gardens, and burning incense on brick tiles.
abantu abahlezi bengicunula bengikhangele, benikela imihlatshelo emasimini, betshisa impepha phezu kwezitina;
4 They sit among the graves and keep watch all night, and eat pork with the broth of foul meat in their dishes.
abahlala emangcwabeni balale besenza imilindelo eyimfihlo ebusuku; abadla inyama yengulube, abambiza zabo zigcina umhluzi wenyama engcolileyo;
5 They say, 'Stand away, do not come near to me, for I am holier than you.' These things are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day long.
abathi, ‘Hlala khatshana, ungasondeli phansi kwami, ngoba ngingcwele kulawe!’ Abantu abanjalo banjengentuthu emakhaleni ami, umlilo ovuthayo ilanga lonke.
6 Look, it is written before me: I will not keep quiet, for I will pay them back; I will repay them into their laps,
Khangela, kulotshiwe phambi kwami ukuthi: Angiyikuthula, kodwa ngizaphindisela ngokugcweleyo; ngizaphindisela ngokupheleleyo,
7 for their sins and the sins of their fathers together,” says Yahweh. “I will repay them for burning incense on the mountains and for mocking me on the hills. I will therefore measure out their past deeds into their laps.”
kokubili izono zenu lezono zabokhokho benu,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngoba batshisa imihlatshelo phezu kwezintaba bangihlambaza phezu kwamaqaqa. Ngizaphindisela kubo ngokugcweleyo ngenxa yezenzo zabo abazenza ngaphambili.”
8 This is what Yahweh says, “As when juice is found in a cluster of grapes, when one says, 'Do not ruin it, for there is good in it,' this is what I will do for my servants' sake: I will not ruin them all.
Nanku akutshoyo uThixo: “Njengalapho umhluzi usatholakala ehlukuzweni lamavini labantu besithi, ungalibhidlizi, kusekhona okuhle kulo, ngizazenzela okunjalo izinceku zami; angiyikuzibhubhisa zonke.
9 I will bring descendants from Jacob, and from Judah ones who will possess my mountains. My chosen ones will possess the land, and my servants will live there.
Ngizaletha isizukulwane esivela kuJakhobe, lakoJuda kuvele abazakuba ngabanikazi bezintaba zami; zizakuba yilifa labakhethiweyo bami, izinceku zami zizahlala khona.
10 Sharon will become a pasture for the flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me.
ISharoni izakuba ngamadlelo emihlambi lesiGodi sase-Akhori sibe yindawo yokuphumulela imihlambi, yabantu bami abangidingayo.
11 But you who abandon Yahweh, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Fortune, and fill wine glasses of mixed wine for Destiny.
Kodwa lina elilahla uThixo likhohlwe intaba yami engcwele; liphakele unkulunkulu uNhlanhla ukudla libuye ligcwalisele unkulunkulu uSimiselo iwayini elixutshiweyo,
12 I will appoint you for the sword, and you will all bow down to the slaughter, because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen. But you did what was evil in my sight and and chose to do what displeases me.”
ngizalimisela inkemba, njalo lonke lizakhothamela ukubulawa, ngoba ngamemeza kodwa kalisabelanga, ngakhuluma kodwa lina kalilalelanga. Lenza okubi phambi kwami lakhetha okungicunulayo.”
13 This is what the Lord Yahweh says, “Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry; look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty; look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
Ngakho-ke uThixo Wobukhosi uthi: “Izinceku zami zizakudla, kodwa lina lizalamba; izinceku zami zizanatha, kodwa lina lizakoma; izinceku zami zizathokoza, kodwa lina lizayangiswa.
14 Look, my servants will shout with joy because of gladness of heart, but you will cry because of the pain of the heart, and will wail because of the crushing of the spirit.
Izinceku zami zizahlabelela ngentokozo yezinhliziyo zazo, kodwa lina lizakhala ngobuhlungu bezinhliziyo njalo lilile ngokudabuka komoya.
15 You will leave behind your name as a curse for my chosen ones to speak; I, the Lord Yahweh, will kill you; I will call my servants by another name.
Lizatshiya ibizo lenu njengesithuko kwabakhethiweyo bami; uThixo Wobukhosi uzalibulala, kodwa izinceku zakhe uzazinika elinye ibizo.
16 Whoever pronounces a blessing on the earth will be blessed by me, the God of truth. Whoever takes an oath on the earth will swear by me, the God of truth, because the former troubles will be forgotten, for they will be hidden from my eyes.
Lowo okhulekela isibusiso elizweni uzakwenza lokho ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso; lalowo owenza isifungo elizweni, uzafunga ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ngoba inhlupheko ezedlulayo zizakhohlakala zifihlakale emehlweni ami.”
17 For see, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or be brought to mind.
“Khangelani, ngizadala izulu elitsha lomhlaba omutsha. Izinto zakuqala aziyikukhunjulwa, kumbe zifike engqondweni.
18 But you will be glad and rejoice forever in what I am about to create. See, I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and her people as a delight.
Kodwa thabani lijabule kokuphela ngalokho engizakudala, ngoba ngizadala iJerusalema libe yintokozo labantu balo babe yinjabulo.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and be glad over my people; weeping and cries of distress will no longer be heard in her.
Ngizathokoza ngeJerusalema njalo ngijabule ngabantu bami; ukulila lokukhala akusayikuzwakala kulo futhi.
20 Never again will an infant live there only a few days; nor will an old man die before his time. One who dies at one hundred years old will be considered a young person. Anyone who fails to reach the age of one hundred years old will be considered cursed.
Kulo akusayikuba khona futhi usane oluphila insuku ezilutshwane kumbe umuntu omdala ongaphelelisi iminyaka yakhe; lowo ofa elekhulu leminyaka uzakhangelwa njengomntwana nje; lowo ongafikiyo ekhulwini uzakhangelwa njengoqalekisiweyo.
21 They will build houses and inhabit them, and they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Bazakwakha izindlu bahlale kuzo; bazahlanyela izivini badle izithelo zazo.
22 No longer will they build a house and another live in it; they will not plant, and another eat; for as the days of trees will be the days of my people. My chosen will fully outlive the work of their hands.
Kabasayikwakha izindlu zihlalwe ngabanye kumbe bahlanyele, kudle abanye. Ngoba njengezinsuku zesihlahla, zizakuba njalo insuku zabantu bami; abakhethiweyo bami bazakholisa umsebenzi wezandla zabo okwesikhathi eside.
23 They will not labor in vain, nor give birth to dismay. For they are the children of those blessed by Yahweh, and their descendants with them.
Kabayikusebenzela ize, kumbe abantwababo bazalelwe ukuhlupheka, ngoba bazakuba ngabantu ababusisiweyo nguThixo, bona kanye lezizukulwane zabo.
24 Before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
Ngizabaphendula bengakakhuleki; ngibezwe besakhuluma.
25 The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; but dust will be the serpent's food. They will no longer hurt nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says Yahweh.
Impisi lewundlu kuzakudla ndawonye, lesilwane sizakudla utshani njengenkomo, kodwa inyoka izakudla uthuli. Kaziyikulimaza kumbe zibhubhise kuyo yonke intaba yami engcwele,” kutsho uThixo.