U-Isaya 40
1 Duduzani, libaduduze abantu bami, kutsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, says your God.
2 Khulumani ngomusa kulo iJerusalema, limemezele kulo ukuthi ukusebenza kwalo nzima sekuphelile, ukuthi isono salo sihlawulwe, ukuthi selamukele okuvela esandleni sikaThixo kuphindwe kabili kuzozonke izono zalo.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her warfare has been completed, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
3 Ilizwi lomemezayo lithi: “Enkangala lungiselani uThixo indlela, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo oqondileyo enkangala.
The voice of a man crying out in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Zonke izigodi zizaphakanyiswa, izintaba zonke lamaqaqa kuzakwehliselwa phansi. Umhlabathi ongamakhilikithi uzakwendlaleka, izindawo ezimadundulu zizakuba yisigcawu.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. And the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places smooth.
5 Inkazimulo kaThixo izabonakaliswa, abantu bonke bazambona kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo kaThixo usukhulumile.”
And the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of Jehovah has spoken it.
6 Ilizwi lithi, “Memeza!” Mina ngathi, “Ngimemeze ngisithini na?” “Abantu bonke banjengotshani njalo ubuhle babo bunjengamaluba eganga.
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness of it is as the flower of the field.
7 Utshani buyabuna amaluba ayakhithika, ngoba umoya kaThixo uyakuphephetha. Ngempela abantu babutshani.
The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of Jehovah blows upon it. Surely the people is grass.
8 Utshani buyabuna, amaluba ayakhithika, kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu limi kuze kube nininini.”
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
9 Wena oletha izindaba ezinhle eZiyoni, khwela entabeni ende. Wena oletha izindaba ezinhle eJerusalema, phakamisa ilizwi lakho ngokumemeza; liphakamise, ungesabi, tshono emadolobheni akoJuda uthi: “Nangu uNkulunkulu wenu!”
O thou who tell good news to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain. O thou who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up, be not afraid, say to the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!
10 Khangelani, uThixo Wobukhosi uza elamandla, isandla sakhe sizabusa. Khangelani, umvuzo wakhe ulawo, lenhlawulo yakhe uhamba elayo.
Behold, the lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
11 Welusa umhlambi wakhe njengomelusi: ubuthelela amawundlu ezingalweni zakhe awathwale eseduzane lenhliziyo yakhe; awakhokhele kuhle lawo alamazinyane.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those who have their young.
12 Ngubani olinganise amanzi entendeni yesandla sakhe, loba walinganisa amazulu ngobubanzi besandla sakhe na? Ngubani owaphatha uthuli lomhlabathi ngesitsha loba walinganisa izintaba ezilinganisweni lamaqaqa esikalini na?
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13 Ngubani osewazwisisa imicabango kaThixo, kumbe wamfundisa njengomeluleki wakhe na?
Who has known the mind of Jehovah, or being his counselor has taught him?
14 Ngubani owake wacelwa nguThixo ukuba ameluleke, njalo ngubani owamfundisa indlela elungileyo na? Ngubani lowo owamfundisa ukwazi, loba owamtshengisa indlela yokuqedisisa na?
With whom did he take counsel. And who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice. And taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
15 Ngeqiniso izizwe zinjengethonsi emgqonyeni; zibalwa njengothuli ezilinganisweni; uThixo ulinganisa izihlenge angathi ziluthuli olucolekileyo.
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance. Behold, he takes up the isles as a very little thing.
16 ILebhanoni kalaneli imililo ye-alithare, lezinyamazana zalo kazaneli iminikelo yokutshiswa.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts of it sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 Phambi kwakhe zonke izizwe zinjengeze; yena uzikhangela njengento engasi yalutho njalo zingaphansi kweze.
All the nations are as nothing before him. They are accounted by him as less than nothing, and vanity.
18 Pho ngubani elingamfanisa loNkulunkulu na? Yisifanekiso bani elingasilinganisa laye na?
To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare to him?
19 Isithombe sibunjwa yingcwethi, umkhandi wegolide asinameke ngegolide asenzele imigaxo yesiliva.
The image, a workman has cast it, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains.
20 Umuntu ongumyanga onganelisiyo ukunikela ngomnikelo onjalo ukhetha isigodo esingaboliyo. Udinga ingcitshi elolwazi ukuba imise isithombe esingayikubhidlika.
He who is too impoverished for such an oblation chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks for him a skilful workman to set up a graven image that shall not be moved.
21 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga na? Kalikutshelwanga kwasekuqaleni na? Kalizwisisanga na selokhu umhlaba wadalwayo?
Have ye not known? Have yet not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 UThixo uhlezi ebukhosini ngaphezu kwendingiliza yomhlaba, njalo abantu bakhe banjengezintethe. Welula amazulu njengekhetheni, awendlale njengethente lokuhlala kulo.
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in,
23 Udiliza amakhosana, enze ababusi bomhlaba lo babe yize.
who brings rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 Banele ukugxunyekwa nje, banele ukuhlanyelwa nje, banele ukugxila impande emhlabathini abe ephephetha phezu kwabo, babune, isavunguzane sibakhukhulele khatshana njengamakhoba.
Yea, they have not been planted. Yea, they have not been sown. Yea, their stock has not taken root in the earth. Moreover he blows upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble.
25 “Ngubani elizangilinganisa laye na? Loba ngubani olingana lami na?” kutsho yena oNgcwele.
To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to him? says the Holy One.
26 Phakamisani amehlo enu likhangele phezulu: Ngubani owadala konke lokhu na? Yena okhupha amaxuku ezinkanyezi ngalinye ngalinye, awabize ngalinye ngamabizo awo. Ngenxa yamandla akhe amakhulu lokuqina okulamandla, akukho lalinye elingekho.
Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these, who brings out their host by number. He calls them all by name, by the greatness of his might. And because he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
27 Kungani usithi, we Jakhobe, usole usithi, we Israyeli, “Indlela yami ifihlakele Thixo; ilungelo lami kalinanzwa nguNkulunkulu wami na?”
Why do thou say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah. And the justice due to me is passed away from my God?
28 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga na? UThixo unguNkulunkulu waphakade, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba. Kayikudinwa kumbe akhathale, ukuqedisisa kwakhe kakho ongakulinganisa.
Have thou not known? Have thou not heard? The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, nor is weary. There is no searching of his understanding.
29 Abakhatheleyo uyabanika amandla, andise amandla ababuthakathaka.
He gives power to the faint. And to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Labatsha baphelelwa ngamandla bakhathale, lamajaha ayakhubeka awe,
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.
31 kodwa labo abathemba uThixo bazavuselelwa amandla abo. Bazaqonga ngempiko njengezinkozi, bazagijima kodwa bangadinwa, bazahamba kodwa bangapheli amandla.
But those who wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run, and not be weary. They shall walk, and not faint.
