U-Isaya 40
1 Duduzani, libaduduze abantu bami, kutsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
“Comfort, comfort 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 to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, That her warfare has been completed, That her punishment has been accepted, That she has received from the hand of YHWH Double for all her sins.
3 Ilizwi lomemezayo lithi: “Enkangala lungiselani uThixo indlela, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo oqondileyo enkangala.
A voice is crying in a wilderness: “Prepare the way of YHWH, Make straight in a desert a highway for our God.
4 Zonke izigodi zizaphakanyiswa, izintaba zonke lamaqaqa kuzakwehliselwa phansi. Umhlabathi ongamakhilikithi uzakwendlaleka, izindawo ezimadundulu zizakuba yisigcawu.
Every valley is raised up, And every mountain and hill become low, And the crooked place has become a plain, And the entangled places a valley.
5 Inkazimulo kaThixo izabonakaliswa, abantu bonke bazambona kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo kaThixo usukhulumile.”
And the glory of YHWH has been revealed, And all flesh have seen [it] together, For the mouth of YHWH has spoken.”
6 Ilizwi lithi, “Memeza!” Mina ngathi, “Ngimemeze ngisithini na?” “Abantu bonke banjengotshani njalo ubuhle babo bunjengamaluba eganga.
A voice is saying, “Call,” And he said, “What do I call?” All flesh [is] grass, and all its goodness [Is] as a flower of the field:
7 Utshani buyabuna amaluba ayakhithika, ngoba umoya kaThixo uyakuphephetha. Ngempela abantu babutshani.
Grass has withered, the flower faded, For the Spirit of YHWH blew on it, Surely the people [is] grass;
8 Utshani buyabuna, amaluba ayakhithika, kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu limi kuze kube nininini.”
Grass has withered, the flower faded, But a word of our God rises 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!”
Get up on a high mountain, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, Lift up your voice with power, O Jerusalem, proclaiming tidings, Lift up, do not fear, say to cities of Judah, “Behold, your God.”
10 Khangelani, uThixo Wobukhosi uza elamandla, isandla sakhe sizabusa. Khangelani, umvuzo wakhe ulawo, lenhlawulo yakhe uhamba elayo.
Behold, Lord YHWH comes with strength, And His arm is ruling for Him, Behold, His hire [is] with Him, and His wage before Him.
11 Welusa umhlambi wakhe njengomelusi: ubuthelela amawundlu ezingalweni zakhe awathwale eseduzane lenhliziyo yakhe; awakhokhele kuhle lawo alamazinyane.
He feeds His flock as a shepherd, He gathers lambs with His arm, And He carries [them] in His bosom: He leads suckling ones.
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 has meted out the heavens by a span, And comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, And has weighed the mountains in scales, And the hills in a balance?
13 Ngubani osewazwisisa imicabango kaThixo, kumbe wamfundisa njengomeluleki wakhe na?
Who has meted out the Spirit of YHWH, And [being] His counselor, teaches 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 consult, That he causes Him to understand? And teaches Him in the path of judgment, And teaches Him knowledge? And causes Him to know the way of understanding?
15 Ngeqiniso izizwe zinjengethonsi emgqonyeni; zibalwa njengothuli ezilinganisweni; uThixo ulinganisa izihlenge angathi ziluthuli olucolekileyo.
Behold, nations [are] as a drop from a bucket, And have been reckoned as small dust of the balance, Behold, He takes up islands as a small thing.
16 ILebhanoni kalaneli imililo ye-alithare, lezinyamazana zalo kazaneli iminikelo yokutshiswa.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts 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, Less than nothing and emptiness, They have been reckoned to Him.
18 Pho ngubani elingamfanisa loNkulunkulu na? Yisifanekiso bani elingasilinganisa laye na?
And to whom do you liken God, And what likeness do you compare to Him?
19 Isithombe sibunjwa yingcwethi, umkhandi wegolide asinameke ngegolide asenzele imigaxo yesiliva.
An artisan has poured out the carved image, And a refiner spreads it over with gold, And he is refining chains of silver.
20 Umuntu ongumyanga onganelisiyo ukunikela ngomnikelo onjalo ukhetha isigodo esingaboliyo. Udinga ingcitshi elolwazi ukuba imise isithombe esingayikubhidlika.
He who is poor [by] raised-offerings, Chooses a tree [that is] not rotten, He seeks a skillful artisan for it, To establish a carved image—not moved.
21 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga na? Kalikutshelwanga kwasekuqaleni na? Kalizwisisanga na selokhu umhlaba wadalwayo?
Do you not know—do you not hear? Has it not been declared from the first to you? Have you 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.
He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants [are] as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out the heavens as a thin thing, And spreads them as a tent to dwell in.
23 Udiliza amakhosana, enze ababusi bomhlaba lo babe yize.
He who is making princes become nothing, Has made judges of earth formless;
24 Banele ukugxunyekwa nje, banele ukuhlanyelwa nje, banele ukugxila impande emhlabathini abe ephephetha phezu kwabo, babune, isavunguzane sibakhukhulele khatshana njengamakhoba.
Indeed, they have not been planted, Indeed, they have not been sown, Indeed, their stock is not taking root in the earth, And He has also blown on them, and they wither, And a whirlwind takes them away as stubble.
25 “Ngubani elizangilinganisa laye na? Loba ngubani olingana lami na?” kutsho yena oNgcwele.
And to whom do you liken Me, And [to whom] I 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.
Lift up your eyes on high, And see—who has created these? He who is bringing out their host by number, He calls to all of them by name, By the abundance of His strength And mighty 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 say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way has been hid from YHWH, And from my God my judgment passes over?”
28 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga na? UThixo unguNkulunkulu waphakade, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba. Kayikudinwa kumbe akhathale, ukuqedisisa kwakhe kakho ongakulinganisa.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God of the age—YHWH, Preparer of the ends of the earth, Is not wearied nor fatigued, There is no searching of His understanding.
29 Abakhatheleyo uyabanika amandla, andise amandla ababuthakathaka.
He is giving power to the weary, And to those not strong He increases might.
30 Labatsha baphelelwa ngamandla bakhathale, lamajaha ayakhubeka awe,
Even youths are wearied and fatigued, And young men utterly stumble,
31 kodwa labo abathemba uThixo bazavuselelwa amandla abo. Bazaqonga ngempiko njengezinkozi, bazagijima kodwa bangadinwa, bazahamba kodwa bangapheli amandla.
But those expecting YHWH pass [to] power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!
