U-Isaya 42
1 “Nansi inceku yami engiyisekelayo, okhethiweyo wami, engithokoza ngaye. Ngizabeka umoya wami phezu kwakhe, uzaletha ukulunga ezizweni.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him; He shall cause law to go forth to the nations.
2 Kayikumemeza kumbe aklabalale, loba aphakamise ilizwi lakhe emigwaqweni.
He shall not cry aloud, nor lift up his voice, Nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 Umhlanga ohluzukileyo akayikuwuquma, lentambo yesibane etsha kancane akayikuyicima. Ngokwethembeka uzaletha ukulunga;
The bruised reed shall he not break, And the glimmering flax shall he not quench; He shall send forth law according to truth.
4 akayikudinwa kumbe ephulwe inhliziyo aze alethe ukulunga emhlabeni. Izihlenge zizakwethemba umthetho wakhe.”
He shall not fail, nor become weary, Until he shall have established justice in the earth. And distant nations shall wait for 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 saith God Jehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth, and that which springeth forth from it, Who gave breath to the people upon it, And spirit to them that walk thereon:
6 “Mina, uThixo ngikubizile ngokulunga; ngizabamba isandla sakho. Ngizakulondoloza ngikwenze ube yisivumelwano sabantu lokukhanya kwabeZizwe;
I, Jehovah, have called thee for salvation; I will hold thee by the hand; I will defend thee, and make thee a covenant to the people, A light to the nations;
7 uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukhuphe abathunjiweyo entolongweni, ubakhulule emigodini yezibotshwa labo abahlala emnyameni.
To open the blind eyes, To bring out the prisoners from the prison, And them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
8 Mina nginguThixo, lelo yilo ibizo lami! Ubukhosi bami angiyikubunika omunye loba nginike izithombe udumo lwami.
I am Jehovah, that is my name; And my glory will I not give to another, Nor my praise to graven images.
9 Khangela, izinto zakuqala sezenzakele, njalo ngimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakaveli ukuba zibe khona ngiyakutshela ngazo.”
The former things, behold! they are come to pass, And new things do I now declare; Before they spring forth, I make them known to you.
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 Jehovah a new song; His praise to the ends of the earth; Ye that go down upon the sea, and all that fill it; Ye distant coasts, and ye that dwell therein!
11 Inkangala lamadolobho ayo kakuphakamise amazwi akho; imizi uKhedari ahlala kuyo kayijabule. Abantu baseSela kabahlabele ngentokozo; kabaklabalale besezinqongweni zezintaba.
Let the desert cry aloud, and the cities thereof; The villages, that Kedar inhabiteth; Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 Kabamdumise uThixo, amemezele udumo lwakhe ezihlengeni.
Let them give glory to Jehovah, And proclaim his praise in distant lands!
13 UThixo uzaphuma njengendoda elamandla, njengebutho uzavuthela ukutshiseka kwakhe; ngokuklabalala uzakhuza isaga sempi azinqobe izitha zakhe.
Jehovah shall march forth like a hero; Like a mighty warrior shall he rouse his indignation, He shall cry aloud; he shall shout the war-cry, And show himself mighty against his enemies.
14 “Bengithule okwesikhathi eside kakhulu, bengithule ngizithiba. Kodwa khathesi, njengowesifazane ebeletha, ngiyakhala, ngiyakhefuzela ngiphefuzela.
“I have long held my peace; I have been still and refrained myself; But now will I cry like a woman in travail; I will destroy and swallow up at once.
15 Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa; ngilomise lonke uhlaza lwabo; ngizaphendula imifula ibe yizihlenge ngomise lamachibi.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, And dry up all their herbs. I will make the river solid land, And 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.
Then will I lead the blind in a way which they know not, And in unknown paths will I guide them; I will make darkness light before them, And crooked paths straight; These things will I do for them, and not forsake them.”
17 Kodwa labo abathemba izithombe, abathi kuzifanekiso, ‘Lingonkulunkulu bethu,’ bazabuyiselwa emuva beyangeke impela.”
Then shall they be turned back, and be put to shame, Who trust in graven images; Who say to molten images, “Ye are our gods!”
18 “Zwanini, lina zacuthe; khangelani, lina ziphofu, libone!
Hear, O ye deaf! And look, ye blind, and see!
19 Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, loyisacuthe njengesithunywa engisithumayo na? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengalowo ozinikele kimi, oyisiphofu njengenceku kaThixo na?
Who is blind, if not my servant? And who so deaf as my messenger, whom I send? Who so blind as the friend of God, So blind as the servant of Jehovah?
20 Selabona izinto ezinengi, kodwa kalinakanga; indlebe zenu zivulekile, kodwa kalizwa lutho.”
Thou seest many things, but regardest them not; Thou hast thine ears open, but hearest not!
21 Kwamthokozisa uThixo ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe ukuba akhulise umthetho wakhe ube mkhulu njalo ulodumo.
It pleased Jehovah for his goodness' sake To give him a law, great and glorious;
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.”
And yet it is a robbed and plundered people; They are all of them bound in prisons, And hid in dungeons; They have become a spoil, and none delivereth; A prey, and none saith, “Restore!”
23 Ngubani wenu olalela lokhu, kumbe asinake isikhathi esizayo na?
Who is there among you that will give ear to this, That will listen and attend for the time to come?
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 gave Jacob to be a spoil, And Israel to plunderers? Was it not Jehovah, against whom we sinned, In whose ways we would not walk, And whose laws we would not obey?
25 Ngakho wathela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo phezu kwabo, ukutshisa kwempi. Wabamboza ngamalangabi, kodwa kabezwisisanga. Wabaqothula, kodwa kabakhathalanga.
Therefore hath he poured out upon Israel the fury of his wrath, and the violence of war; It kindled a flame around about him, yet he did not regard it; It set him on fire, yet he laid it not to heart.
