U-Isaya 43
1 Kodwa khathesi, nanku akutshoyo uThixo uthi, yena owakudalayo, wena Jakhobe, yena owakubumbayo, wena Israyeli: “Ungesabi, ngoba ngikuhlengile; ngikubize ngebizo lakho; ungowami.
And now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel: Do not be afraid. For I have redeemed you, and I have called you by your name. You are mine.
2 Lapho udabula phakathi kwamanzi ngizakuba lawe; lalapho udabula emifuleni, kayiyikukukhukhula. Lapho uhamba phakathi komlilo, kawuyikutsha; amalangabi kawayikukubhebhisa.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not cover you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not scorch you.
3 Ngoba mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, uMsindisi wakho. Ngizanikela iGibhithe njengenhlawulo yakho, iKhushi leSebha ime esikhundleni sakho.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have presented Egypt as your atonement, Ethiopia and Seba on your behalf.
4 Njengoba wena uligugu njalo udumile ebusweni bami, futhi ngenxa yokuthi ngiyakuthanda, ngizanikela abantu esikhundleni sakho, labantu esikhundleni sempilo yakho.
Since then, you have become honorable in my eyes, and glorious. I have loved you, and I will present men on behalf of you, and people on behalf of your life.
5 Ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ngizakulethela inzalo yakho ivela empumalanga ngikubuthe kusukela entshonalanga.
Fear not, for I am with you. I will lead your offspring from the East, and I will gather you from the West.
6 Ngizakutsho kuyo inyakatho ngithi, ‘Bakhulule!’ Ngitsho kuyo iningizimu ngithi, ‘Ungabagodli.’ Buyisani amadodana ami akude lamadodakazi ami asemikhawulweni yomhlaba,
I will say to the North, “Release him,” and to the South, “Do not turn him away.” Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
7 wonke umuntu obizwa ngebizo lami, engamdalela udumo lwami, engambumbayo, ngamenza.”
And each one who calls upon my name, I have created for my glory. I have formed him, and I have made him.
8 Phumani lalabo abayiziphofu amehlo belawo, abayizacuthe indlebe belazo.
Lead forth the people who are blind and have eyes, who are deaf and have ears.
9 Izizwe zonke kaziqoqane ndawonye labantu babuthane. Nguphi wabo owaphrofitha lokhu wamemezela kithi ngezinto zendulo? Kabalethe ofakazi babo babonakalise ukuthi baqinisile, ukuze abanye bezwe, batsho bathi, “Kuqotho.”
All the nations have been assembled together, and the tribes have been collected. Who among you will announce this, and who will cause us to listen to the things that are first? Let them present their witnesses. Let them act justly, and listen, and say: “It is true.”
10 UThixo uthi, “Lina lingofakazi bami, lenceku zami engizikhethileyo, ukuze lazi, likholwe kimi, njalo lizwisise ukuthi mina nginguye. Ngaphambi kwami kakho unkulunkulu owake wabakhona, njalo kakho ozakuba khona emva kwami.
You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and you are my servant, whom I have chosen, so that you may know, and may believe in me, and so that you may understand that I am the same. Before me, there was no god formed, and after me there will be none.
11 Mina, mina uqobo, nginguThixo, ngaphandle kwami kakho omunye umsindisi.
I am. I am the Lord. And there is no savior apart from me.
12 Ngivezile ngasindisa, ngamemezela, mina ngokwami, hatshi unkulunkulu wezizweni ophakathi kwenu. Lingofakazi bami, ngokuthi mina yimi uNkulunkulu” kutsho uThixo.
I have announced, and I have saved. I have caused it to be heard. And there was no stranger among you. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God.
13 “Ye, kusukela ensukwini zasendulo nginguye. Kakho ongakhulula esandleni sami. Lapho ngisenza, ngubani ongakuguqula na?”
And from the beginning, I am the same. And there is no one who can rescue from my hand. I act, and who can turn it aside?
14 Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo, uMhlengi wenu, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, uthi, “Ngenxa yenu ngizathumela impi eBhabhiloni ilethe bonke abaseBhabhiloni, njengeziphepheli ngemikhumbi ababezigqaja ngayo.
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake, I sent to Babylon, and tore down all their bars, with the Chaldeans who glory in their ships.
15 Mina nginguThixo, oNgcwele wenu, uMdali ka-Israyeli, iNkosi yenu.”
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo, yena owenza indlela olwandle lomkhondo emanzini alamandla,
Thus says the Lord, who gave you a way through the sea and a path through the torrent of waters,
17 yena owakhupha izinqola zempi lamabhiza, ibutho, lamanye awokuliqinisa endawonye; njalo lalala lapho, kalaze lavuka futhi; licitshe, liqunywe njengentambo yesibane:
who led out the chariot and the horse, the column of robust troops. They went to sleep together, and they will not arise. They have been crushed like flax, and they have been extinguished.
18 “Khohlwani izinto zamandulo, linganakani ngosekwedlulayo.
You need not call to mind the past, nor consider the things of antiquity.
19 Khangelani, ngenza okutsha! Khathesi kuyavela ngokuphangisa; kalikuboni na? Ngenza indlela enkangala lezifula ogwaduleni.
Behold, I am accomplishing new things. And presently, they will spring forth. With certainty, you will know them. I will make a way in the desert, and rivers in an impassible place.
20 Izinyamazana zeganga ziyangidumisa; amakhanka lezikhova, ngoba ngenza kube lamanzi enkangala lezifula ogwaduleni ukuze nginathise abantu abakhethiweyo,
The wild beasts of the field will glorify me, with the serpents and the ostriches. For I have brought waters to the desert, rivers to inaccessible places, in order to give drink to my people, to my elect.
21 abantu engazenzela bona ukuba bangidumise.
This is the people whom I have formed for myself. They will speak my praise.
22 Kodwa kawukhalazanga kimi wena Jakhobe, kodwa ukhathele ngami wena Israyeli.
But you have not called upon me, O Jacob, nor have you struggled for me, O Israel.
23 Kawungilethelanga izimvu zomnikelo wokutshiswa, kumbe wangidumisa ngemihlatshelo yakho. Angikuhluphanga ngeminikelo yamabele kumbe ngakudinisa ngokufuna impepha.
You have not offered me the ram of your holocaust, and you have not glorified me with your victims. I have not burdened you with oblations, nor have I wearied you with incense.
24 Kawungithengelanga amakha ekhane anuka mnandi, kumbe wangisuthisa ngamahwahwa emihlatshelo yakho. Kodwa ungikhathazile ngezono zakho njalo wangidinisa ngezinengiso zakho.
You have bought me no sweet cane with money, and you have not inebriated me with the fat of your victims. Yet truly, you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 Mina, mina uqobo, nginguye owesula iziphambeko zakho ngenxa yami, ngingabe ngisazikhumbula futhi izono zakho.
I am. I am the very One who wipes away your iniquities for my own sake. And I will not remember your sins.
26 Ngikhumbuza ngesikhathi esedlulayo, sibonisane ngaleyondaba ulandise ngoba msulwa kwakho.
Call me to mind, and let us go to judgment together. If you have anything to justify yourself, explain it.
27 Ukhokho wakho wokuqala wona; labakhulumeli bakho bangihlamukela.
Your first father sinned, and your interpreters have betrayed me.
28 Ngakho izikhulu zethempelini lakho ngizaziyangisa; nginikele uJakhobe ekubhujisweni lo-Israyeli ekweyisweni.”
And so, I have defiled the holy leaders. I have handed over Jacob to slaughter, and Israel to calumny.
