U-Isaya 42
1 “Nansi inceku yami engiyisekelayo, okhethiweyo wami, engithokoza ngaye. Ngizabeka umoya wami phezu kwakhe, uzaletha ukulunga ezizweni.
Behold my servant, I will uphold him, my elect, with him my soul is well-pleased. I have sent my Spirit upon him. He will offer judgment to the nations.
2 Kayikumemeza kumbe aklabalale, loba aphakamise ilizwi lakhe emigwaqweni.
He will not cry out, and he will not show favoritism to anyone; neither will his voice be heard abroad.
3 Umhlanga ohluzukileyo akayikuwuquma, lentambo yesibane etsha kancane akayikuyicima. Ngokwethembeka uzaletha ukulunga;
The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoldering wick he will not extinguish. He will lead forth judgment unto truth.
4 akayikudinwa kumbe ephulwe inhliziyo aze alethe ukulunga emhlabeni. Izihlenge zizakwethemba umthetho wakhe.”
He will not be saddened or troubled, until he establishes judgment on earth. And the islands will await his law.
5 Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguNkulunkulu uThixo, yena owadala amazulu wawelula, yena owendlala umhlaba lakho konke okuphuma kuwo, yena onika abantu abakuwo ukuphefumula, kuthi abahamba kuwo abanike ukuphila:
Thus says the Lord God, who created the heavens and expanded it, who formed the earth and all that springs from it, who gives breath to the people in it, and spirit to those walking on it.
6 “Mina, uThixo ngikubizile ngokulunga; ngizabamba isandla sakho. Ngizakulondoloza ngikwenze ube yisivumelwano sabantu lokukhanya kwabeZizwe;
I, the Lord, have called you in justice, and I have taken your hand and preserved you. And I have presented you as a covenant of the people, as a light to the Gentiles,
7 uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukhuphe abathunjiweyo entolongweni, ubakhulule emigodini yezibotshwa labo abahlala emnyameni.
so that you may open the eyes of the blind, and lead out the prisoner from confinement and those sitting in darkness from the house of incarceration.
8 Mina nginguThixo, lelo yilo ibizo lami! Ubukhosi bami angiyikubunika omunye loba nginike izithombe udumo lwami.
I am the Lord; this is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things.
9 Khangela, izinto zakuqala sezenzakele, njalo ngimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakaveli ukuba zibe khona ngiyakutshela ngazo.”
The things that were first, behold, they have arrived. And I also announce what is new. Before these things arise, I will cause you to hear about them.
10 Hlabelelani uThixo ingoma entsha, udumo lwakhe kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba, lina eliya phansi olwandle, lakho konke okukulo, lina zihlenge, labo bonke abahlala kini.
Sing to the Lord a new canticle, sing his praise from the ends of the earth, you who descend into the sea and all its fullness, the islands and their inhabitants.
11 Inkangala lamadolobho ayo kakuphakamise amazwi akho; imizi uKhedari ahlala kuyo kayijabule. Abantu baseSela kabahlabele ngentokozo; kabaklabalale besezinqongweni zezintaba.
Let the desert and its cities be lifted up. Kedar will dwell in houses. O inhabitants of the rock, give praise! They will cry out from the top of the mountains.
12 Kabamdumise uThixo, amemezele udumo lwakhe ezihlengeni.
They will give glory to the Lord, and they will announce his praise to the islands.
13 UThixo uzaphuma njengendoda elamandla, njengebutho uzavuthela ukutshiseka kwakhe; ngokuklabalala uzakhuza isaga sempi azinqobe izitha zakhe.
The Lord will go forth like a strong man; like a man of battle, he will stir up zeal. He will shout and cry out. He will prevail against his enemies.
14 “Bengithule okwesikhathi eside kakhulu, bengithule ngizithiba. Kodwa khathesi, njengowesifazane ebeletha, ngiyakhala, ngiyakhefuzela ngiphefuzela.
I have always been quiet; I have been silent; I have been patient. I will speak like a woman giving birth. I will destroy and consume, all at once.
15 Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa; ngilomise lonke uhlaza lwabo; ngizaphendula imifula ibe yizihlenge ngomise lamachibi.
I will desolate the mountains and the hills, and I will wither all their grass. And I will turn rivers into islands, and I will dry up the pools of water.
16 Ngizakhokhela iziphofu ngezindlela ezingazaziyo, ngizihole ngezindledlana ezingajwayelekanga. Ngizaphendula umnyama ube yikukhanya phambi kwazo; ngenze izindawo ezimakhilikithi zibe butshelezi. Lezi yizo izinto engizazenza; angiyikuziyekela.
And I will lead the blind along a way which they do not know. And I will cause them to walk along paths with which they were unfamiliar. I will turn darkness into light before them, and crooked into straight. These things I have done for them. For I have not abandoned them.
17 Kodwa labo abathemba izithombe, abathi kuzifanekiso, ‘Lingonkulunkulu bethu,’ bazabuyiselwa emuva beyangeke impela.”
They have been converted again. Let those who trust in graven idols be greatly confounded, for they say to a molten thing, “You are our god.”
18 “Zwanini, lina zacuthe; khangelani, lina ziphofu, libone!
You who are deaf, hear! You who are blind, turn your gaze and see!
19 Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, loyisacuthe njengesithunywa engisithumayo na? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengalowo ozinikele kimi, oyisiphofu njengenceku kaThixo na?
Who is blind, except my servant? Who is deaf, except the one to whom I have sent my messengers? Who is blind, except the one who has been sold? And who is blind, except the servant of the Lord?
20 Selabona izinto ezinengi, kodwa kalinakanga; indlebe zenu zivulekile, kodwa kalizwa lutho.”
You who see many things, will you not keep them? You who have open ears, will you not listen?
21 Kwamthokozisa uThixo ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe ukuba akhulise umthetho wakhe ube mkhulu njalo ulodumo.
And the Lord was willing to sanctify him, and to magnify the law, and to exalt him.
22 Kodwa laba ngabantu abaphangiweyo bathunjwa; bonke bavalelwe emiwolweni, loba bafihlwa ezintolongweni. Sebenziwe baba yimpahla yokuthunjwa, kungela ozabasindisa; sebephendulwe baba yinto yokuthunjwa kungekho othi, “Babuyiseleni emuva.”
But this same people has robbed and laid waste. All their youth are a snare, and they have been hidden in houses of confinement. They have become victims; there is no one who may rescue them. They have been plundered; there is no one who may say, “Restore.”
23 Ngubani wenu olalela lokhu, kumbe asinake isikhathi esizayo na?
Who is there among you who will hear this, who will listen closely and heed this in the future?
24 Ngubani owanikela uJakhobe ukuba abe yinto yokuthunjwa wanikela lo-Israyeli kubaphangi na? Kwakungasuye uThixo, esamonelayo thina na? Njengoba babengeke balandele izindlela zakhe; kabalalelanga umthetho wakhe.
Who has handed over Jacob into plunder, and Israel into devastation? Is it not the Lord himself, against whom we have sinned? And they were not willing to walk in his ways, and they have not listened to his law.
25 Ngakho wathela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo phezu kwabo, ukutshisa kwempi. Wabamboza ngamalangabi, kodwa kabezwisisanga. Wabaqothula, kodwa kabakhathalanga.
And so, he poured out over him the indignation of his fury and a strong battle. And he burned him all around, and he did not realize it. And he set him on fire, and he did not understand it.
