U-Isaya 40
1 Duduzani, libaduduze abantu bami, kutsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
Give comfort, give comfort, to 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.
Say kind words to the heart of Jerusalem, crying out to her that her time of trouble is ended, that her punishment is complete; that she has been rewarded by the Lord's hand twice over for all her sins.
3 Ilizwi lomemezayo lithi: “Enkangala lungiselani uThixo indlela, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo oqondileyo enkangala.
A voice of one crying, Make ready in the waste land the way of the Lord, make level in the lowland a highway for our God.
4 Zonke izigodi zizaphakanyiswa, izintaba zonke lamaqaqa kuzakwehliselwa phansi. Umhlabathi ongamakhilikithi uzakwendlaleka, izindawo ezimadundulu zizakuba yisigcawu.
Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, and let the rough places become level, and the hilltops become a valley,
5 Inkazimulo kaThixo izabonakaliswa, abantu bonke bazambona kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo kaThixo usukhulumile.”
And the glory of the Lord will be made clear, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has said it.
6 Ilizwi lithi, “Memeza!” Mina ngathi, “Ngimemeze ngisithini na?” “Abantu bonke banjengotshani njalo ubuhle babo bunjengamaluba eganga.
A voice of one saying, Give a cry! And I said, What is my cry to be? All flesh is grass, and all its strength like the flower of the field.
7 Utshani buyabuna amaluba ayakhithika, ngoba umoya kaThixo uyakuphephetha. Ngempela abantu babutshani.
The grass becomes dry, the flower is dead; because the breath of the Lord goes over it: truly the people is grass.
8 Utshani buyabuna, amaluba ayakhithika, kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu limi kuze kube nininini.”
The grass is dry, the flower is dead; but the word of our God is eternal.
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!”
You who give good news to Zion, get up into the high mountain; you who give good news to Jerusalem, let your voice be strong; let it be sounding without fear; say to the towns of Judah, See, your God!
10 Khangelani, uThixo Wobukhosi uza elamandla, isandla sakhe sizabusa. Khangelani, umvuzo wakhe ulawo, lenhlawulo yakhe uhamba elayo.
See, the Lord God will come as a strong one, ruling in power: see, those made free by him are with him, and those whom he has made safe go before him.
11 Welusa umhlambi wakhe njengomelusi: ubuthelela amawundlu ezingalweni zakhe awathwale eseduzane lenhliziyo yakhe; awakhokhele kuhle lawo alamazinyane.
He will give food to his flock like a keeper of sheep; with his arm he will get it together, and will take up the lambs on his breast, gently guiding those which are with 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?
In the hollow of whose hand have the waters been measured? and who is able to take the heavens in his stretched-out fingers? who has got together the dust of the earth in a measure? who has taken the weight of the mountains, or put the hills into the scales?
13 Ngubani osewazwisisa imicabango kaThixo, kumbe wamfundisa njengomeluleki wakhe na?
By whom has the spirit of the Lord been guided, or who has been his teacher?
14 Ngubani owake wacelwa nguThixo ukuba ameluleke, njalo ngubani owamfundisa indlela elungileyo na? Ngubani lowo owamfundisa ukwazi, loba owamtshengisa indlela yokuqedisisa na?
Who gave him suggestions, and made clear to him the right way? who gave him knowledge, guiding him in the way of wisdom?
15 Ngeqiniso izizwe zinjengethonsi emgqonyeni; zibalwa njengothuli ezilinganisweni; uThixo ulinganisa izihlenge angathi ziluthuli olucolekileyo.
See, the nations are to him like a drop hanging from a bucket, and like the small dust in the scales: he takes up the islands like small dust.
16 ILebhanoni kalaneli imililo ye-alithare, lezinyamazana zalo kazaneli iminikelo yokutshiswa.
And Lebanon is not enough to make a fire with, or all its cattle enough for a burned offering.
17 Phambi kwakhe zonke izizwe zinjengeze; yena uzikhangela njengento engasi yalutho njalo zingaphansi kweze.
All the nations are as nothing before him; even less than nothing, a thing of no value.
18 Pho ngubani elingamfanisa loNkulunkulu na? Yisifanekiso bani elingasilinganisa laye na?
Whom then is God like, in your opinion? or what will you put forward as a comparison with him?
19 Isithombe sibunjwa yingcwethi, umkhandi wegolide asinameke ngegolide asenzele imigaxo yesiliva.
The workman makes an image, and the gold-worker puts gold plates over it, and makes silver bands for it.
20 Umuntu ongumyanga onganelisiyo ukunikela ngomnikelo onjalo ukhetha isigodo esingaboliyo. Udinga ingcitshi elolwazi ukuba imise isithombe esingayikubhidlika.
The wise workman makes selection of the mulberry-tree of the offering, a wood which will not become soft; so that the image may be fixed to it and not be moved.
21 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga na? Kalikutshelwanga kwasekuqaleni na? Kalizwisisanga na selokhu umhlaba wadalwayo?
Have you no knowledge of it? has it not come to your ears? has not news of it been given to you from the first? has it not been clear to you from the time when the earth was placed on its base?
22 UThixo uhlezi ebukhosini ngaphezu kwendingiliza yomhlaba, njalo abantu bakhe banjengezintethe. Welula amazulu njengekhetheni, awendlale njengethente lokuhlala kulo.
It is he who is seated over the arch of the earth, and the people in it are as small as locusts; by him the heavens are stretched out like an arch, and made ready like a tent for a living-place.
23 Udiliza amakhosana, enze ababusi bomhlaba lo babe yize.
He makes rulers come to nothing; the judges of the earth are of no value.
24 Banele ukugxunyekwa nje, banele ukuhlanyelwa nje, banele ukugxila impande emhlabathini abe ephephetha phezu kwabo, babune, isavunguzane sibakhukhulele khatshana njengamakhoba.
They have only now been planted, and their seed put into the earth, and they have only now taken root, when he sends out his breath over them and they become dry, and the storm-wind takes them away like dry grass.
25 “Ngubani elizangilinganisa laye na? Loba ngubani olingana lami na?” kutsho yena oNgcwele.
Who then seems to you to be my equal? 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.
Let your eyes be lifted up on high, and see: who has made these? He who sends out their numbered army: who has knowledge of all their names: by whose great strength, because he is strong in power, all of them are in their places.
27 Kungani usithi, we Jakhobe, usole usithi, we Israyeli, “Indlela yami ifihlakele Thixo; ilungelo lami kalinanzwa nguNkulunkulu wami na?”
Why do you say, O Jacob, such words as these, O Israel, The Lord's eyes are not on my way, and my God gives no attention to my cause?
28 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga na? UThixo unguNkulunkulu waphakade, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba. Kayikudinwa kumbe akhathale, ukuqedisisa kwakhe kakho ongakulinganisa.
Have you no knowledge of it? has it not come to your ears? The eternal God, the Lord, the Maker of the ends of the earth, is never feeble or tired; there is no searching out of his wisdom.
29 Abakhatheleyo uyabanika amandla, andise amandla ababuthakathaka.
He gives power to the feeble, increasing the strength of him who has no force.
30 Labatsha baphelelwa ngamandla bakhathale, lamajaha ayakhubeka awe,
Even the young men will become feeble and tired, and the best of them will come to the end of his strength;
31 kodwa labo abathemba uThixo bazavuselelwa amandla abo. Bazaqonga ngempiko njengezinkozi, bazagijima kodwa bangadinwa, bazahamba kodwa bangapheli amandla.
But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.
