U-Isaya 26
1 Ngalolosuku ingoma le izahlatshelwa elizweni lakoJuda: Siledolobho eliqinileyo; uNkulunkulu wenza ukusindisa kube yimiduli yalo lezivikelo.
Some day, [people in] Judah will sing this song: Our city [of Jerusalem] is strong! Yahweh protects our city; He is like [MET] a wall that surrounds it.
2 Vulani amasango ukuze isizwe esilungileyo singene, isizwe esigcina ukuthembeka.
Open the gates of the city for people who are righteous; allow people who faithfully [obey Yahweh] to enter the city.
3 Lizamemeza abe lokuthula okupheleleyo lowo olengqondo ebambelelayo, ngoba wethemba kuwe.
Yahweh, those who trust in you, those who firmly resolve to never doubt you, you will enable them to feel perfectly peaceful.
4 Thembani uThixo kokuphela, ngoba uThixo, uThixo ngokwakhe, uliDwala laphakade.
[So] always trust in Yahweh, because Yahweh, [our God], is forever [like] [MET] a huge rock [under which we are sheltered/protected/safe].
5 Ubehlisela phansi abahlala engqongeni; ulehlisela phansi idolobho eliphakemeyo, ulidilizela emhlabathini, aliphosele phansi othulini.
He humbles proud people and destroys cities whose people are arrogant. He causes those cities to collapse into the dust/dirt.
6 Inyawo zilinyathelela phansi, inyawo zabancindezelweyo, amanyathelo abayanga.
[When that happens], poor and oppressed people will trample on the ruins.
7 Indlela yabalungileyo iqondile; awu wena oQotho, wenza indlela yabalungileyo ibe butshelezi.
[But as for] righteous people, Yahweh, you do what is right; [it is as though] you cause the paths where they walk to be level and smooth.
8 Yebo, Thixo, sihamba endleleni yemithetho yakho, siyakulindela; ibizo lakho lodumo lwakho kulangathelelwa zinhliziyo zethu.
Yahweh, by obeying your laws we show that we trust you to help us; and what we desire is that you will be honored/praised/exalted.
9 Umphefumulo wami uyakulangazelela ebusuku, ekuseni umoya wami uyakukhumbula. Lapho ukwahlulela kwakho kufika emhlabeni, abantu basemhlabeni bayakufunda ukulunga.
[All] through the night I [SYN] desire to know you better, and each morning I still want to be with you. [Only] when you come to judge [and punish] people who live on the earth will they learn to do what is right.
10 Lanxa ababi betshengiswa umusa, kabakufundi ukulunga; laselizweni lokulunga baqhubeka besenza okubi, bengabunaki ubukhosi bukaThixo.
[But] your acting kindly toward wicked people does not cause them to do what is good. [Even] in places where people do what is right, the wicked people continue to do what is evil, and they do not realize that you, Yahweh, are great.
11 Oh Thixo, isandla sakho siphakanyiselwe phezulu, kodwa kabasiboni. Babonise ukutshisekela kwakho abantu bakho bayangiswe; umlilo olungiselwe izitha zakho kawubaqede.
Yahweh, [it is as though] your fist is raised up [ready to strike them], but they do not realize that. Show them that you are very eager to help your people. If your enemies would realize that, they would be ashamed; allow your fire to burn them up [because they are] your enemies.
12 Thixo, usilethela ukuthula; konke esesikufezile sikwenzelwe nguwe.
Yahweh, [we desire that] you will allow things to go well for us; everything that we have done is what you have enabled us to do.
13 Oh Thixo, Nkulunkulu wethu, amanye amakhosi ngaphandle kwakho ake asibusa, kodwa ibizo lakho yilo lodwa esilidumisayo.
Yahweh, our God, others have ruled over us, but you [MTY] are the only one whom we honor.
14 Khathesi asafa, kawasaphili; imimoya leyana eyahambayo kayivuki. Wawajezisa, wawatshabalalisa; wesula konke ukukhunjulwa kwawo.
Those who ruled us are [now] gone; they are dead; their spirits have left this earth, and they will not become alive [again]. You punished those rulers and got rid of them, and people do not even remember them any more.
15 Usandisile isizwe, Oh Thixo; usandisile isizwe. Uzilethele udumo; uyiqhelisile yonke imikhawulo yelizwe.
Yahweh, you have enabled our nation to become great; we are more in [now], and we have more land, [so we] thank/praise you.
16 Thixo, beza kuwe ekuhluphekeni kwabo; kwathi lapho usubajezisile banelisa ukunyenyeza umkhuleko.
Yahweh, when we were distressed, we asked you [to help us]; when you disciplined/punished us, we were able only to whisper when we prayed to you.
17 Njengowesifazane okhulelweyo lapho esezabeletha uyabhinqika ekhaliswa yibuhlungu, lathi sabanjalo phambi kwakho, Oh Thixo.
Like pregnant women writhe and cry out when they are giving birth, we suffered very much, too.
18 Sasikhulelwe, sabhinqika ebuhlungwini, kodwa sazala umoya. Kasilethanga nsindiso emhlabeni; kasibazalelanga lutho abantu basemhlabeni.
We had severe pain, but nothing good resulted [MET] from it. We have not rescued our people [from being conquered by our enemies], and we have not given birth to children [who will rule the world correctly] (OR, not defeated the armies [that have attacked other nations].
19 Kodwa abafileyo bakho bazaphila Thixo, imizimba yabo izavuka. Lina elihlala othulini, vukani lihlabelele ngentokozo. Amazolo enu afana lamazolo ekuseni; umhlaba uzabaveza abafileyo bawo.
But Yahweh’s people who have died will become alive [again], their corpses will become alive! Those whose bodies lie in graves will rise and shout joyfully! His light will be [like] dew that falls on his people who have died, who are [now] in the place where the dead people are, [and will cause them to become alive again].
20 Hambani bantu bami, ngenani ezindlini zenu, lizivalele phakathi; lizifihle okwesikhatshana ulaka lwakhe luze luphele.
But now, my people/fellow-citizens, go home and lock your doors! Hide for a short time, until [Yahweh] is no longer angry.
21 Khangelani, uThixo uyaphuma lapho ahlala khona ukuba ajezise abantu basemhlabeni ngenxa yezono zabo. Umhlaba uzaveza igazi elachithwa kuwo; kawusayikubafihla ababulawayo bawo.
Listen to this: Yahweh will come from heaven to punish [all] the people on the earth for the sins that they have committed. People will be able to see [PRS] the (blood of those/the people) who have been murdered; their murderers will no longer be able to hide.
