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 saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, and called thee by thy name: thou art mine.
2 Lapho udabula phakathi kwamanzi ngizakuba lawe; lalapho udabula emifuleni, kayiyikukukhukhula. Lapho uhamba phakathi komlilo, kawuyikutsha; amalangabi kawayikukubhebhisa.
When thou shalt pass through the waters, I will be with thee, and the rivers shall not cover thee: when thou shalt walk in the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, and the flames shall not burn in thee:
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 thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I have given Egypt for thy atonement, Ethiopia and Saba for thee.
4 Njengoba wena uligugu njalo udumile ebusweni bami, futhi ngenxa yokuthi ngiyakuthanda, ngizanikela abantu esikhundleni sakho, labantu esikhundleni sempilo yakho.
Since thou becamest honourable in my eyes, thou art glorious: I have loved thee, and I will give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ngizakulethela inzalo yakho ivela empumalanga ngikubuthe kusukela entshonalanga.
Fear not, for I am with thee: I will. bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee 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: Give up: and to the south: Keep not back: bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
7 wonke umuntu obizwa ngebizo lami, engamdalela udumo lwami, engambumbayo, ngamenza.”
And every one that calleth upon my name, I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, and made him.
8 Phumani lalabo abayiziphofu amehlo belawo, abayizacuthe indlebe belazo.
Bring forth the people that are blind, and have eyes: that 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 are assembled together, and the tribes are gathered: who among you can declare this, and shall make us hear the former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, let them be justified, and hear, and say: It is truth.
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, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know, and believe me, and understand that I myself am. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there shall be none.
11 Mina, mina uqobo, nginguThixo, ngaphandle kwami kakho omunye umsindisi.
I am, I am the Lord: and there is no saviour besides me.
12 Ngivezile ngasindisa, ngamemezela, mina ngokwami, hatshi unkulunkulu wezizweni ophakathi kwenu. Lingofakazi bami, ngokuthi mina yimi uNkulunkulu” kutsho uThixo.
I have declared, and have saved. I have made it heard, and there was no strange one among you. You are my witnesses, saith 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 none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall turn it away?
14 Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo, uMhlengi wenu, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, uthi, “Ngenxa yenu ngizathumela impi eBhabhiloni ilethe bonke abaseBhabhiloni, njengeziphepheli ngemikhumbi ababezigqaja ngayo.
Thus saith the Lord your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their bars, and the Chaldeans glorying 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 saith the Lord, who made a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.
17 yena owakhupha izinqola zempi lamabhiza, ibutho, lamanye awokuliqinisa endawonye; njalo lalala lapho, kalaze lavuka futhi; licitshe, liqunywe njengentambo yesibane:
Who brought forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the strong: they lay down to sleep together, and they shall not rise again: they are broken as flax, and are extinct.
18 “Khohlwani izinto zamandulo, linganakani ngosekwedlulayo.
Remember not former things, and look not on things of old.
19 Khangelani, ngenza okutsha! Khathesi kuyavela ngokuphangisa; kalikuboni na? Ngenza indlela enkangala lezifula ogwaduleni.
Behold I do new things, and now they shall spring forth, verily you shall know them: I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 Izinyamazana zeganga ziyangidumisa; amakhanka lezikhova, ngoba ngenza kube lamanzi enkangala lezifula ogwaduleni ukuze nginathise abantu abakhethiweyo,
The beast of the field shall glorify me, the dragons and the ostriches: because I have given waters in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, to my chosen.
21 abantu engazenzela bona ukuba bangidumise.
This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise.
22 Kodwa kawukhalazanga kimi wena Jakhobe, kodwa ukhathele ngami wena Israyeli.
But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, neither hast thou laboured about me, O Israel.
23 Kawungilethelanga izimvu zomnikelo wokutshiswa, kumbe wangidumisa ngemihlatshelo yakho. Angikuhluphanga ngeminikelo yamabele kumbe ngakudinisa ngokufuna impepha.
Thou hast not offered me the ram of thy holocaust, nor hast thou glorified me with thy victims: I have not caused thee to serve with oblations, nor wearied thee with incense.
24 Kawungithengelanga amakha ekhane anuka mnandi, kumbe wangisuthisa ngamahwahwa emihlatshelo yakho. Kodwa ungikhathazile ngezono zakho njalo wangidinisa ngezinengiso zakho.
Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy victims. But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities.
25 Mina, mina uqobo, nginguye owesula iziphambeko zakho ngenxa yami, ngingabe ngisazikhumbula futhi izono zakho.
I am, I am he that blot out thy iniquities for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins.
26 Ngikhumbuza ngesikhathi esedlulayo, sibonisane ngaleyondaba ulandise ngoba msulwa kwakho.
Put me in remembrance, and let us plead together: tell if thou hast any thing to justify thyself.
27 Ukhokho wakho wokuqala wona; labakhulumeli bakho bangihlamukela.
Thy brat father sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Ngakho izikhulu zethempelini lakho ngizaziyangisa; nginikele uJakhobe ekubhujisweni lo-Israyeli ekweyisweni.”
And I have profaned the holy princes, I have given Jacob to slaughter, and Israel to reproach.
