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.
But now, you people of Israel, listen to Yahweh, the one who established your nation. The one who caused you to become a nation [DOU] says this: “Do not be afraid, because I previously rescued you. I enabled you to have a personal relationship with me [MTY], and you belong to me.
2 Lapho udabula phakathi kwamanzi ngizakuba lawe; lalapho udabula emifuleni, kayiyikukukhukhula. Lapho uhamba phakathi komlilo, kawuyikutsha; amalangabi kawayikukubhebhisa.
When you [experience dangerous situations], and [you feel like] [MET] you are crossing deep rivers, I will be with you. When you have very big troubles/difficulties, you will [LIT] be able to endure them. When [people try to kill you like they tried to kill Daniel’s three friends by] throwing them in a fire, you will not [die, just like Daniel’s three friends were not] burned up,
3 Ngoba mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, uMsindisi wakho. Ngizanikela iGibhithe njengenhlawulo yakho, iKhushi leSebha ime esikhundleni sakho.
because I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, the one who rescues you. I will enable [the army of the emperor of Persia] to conquer Egypt instead of conquering you; similarly I will enable them to conquer Ethiopia, and Seba [in Arabia], in order that you can be saved.
4 Njengoba wena uligugu njalo udumile ebusweni bami, futhi ngenxa yokuthi ngiyakuthanda, ngizanikela abantu esikhundleni sakho, labantu esikhundleni sempilo yakho.
I will cause other countries to be conquered, instead of your country; I will trade them for you, in order that you will not be killed, because you are very precious [DOU] to me and because I love you.
5 Ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ngizakulethela inzalo yakho ivela empumalanga ngikubuthe kusukela entshonalanga.
Do not be afraid, because I am with you. [Some day] I will gather your descendants from the east and from the west.
6 Ngizakutsho kuyo inyakatho ngithi, ‘Bakhulule!’ Ngitsho kuyo iningizimu ngithi, ‘Ungabagodli.’ Buyisani amadodana ami akude lamadodakazi ami asemikhawulweni yomhlaba,
I will command the [rulers of the nations to] the north and to the south, ‘Allow all the people of Israel to return [to their country], from the most distant places on the earth.
7 wonke umuntu obizwa ngebizo lami, engamdalela udumo lwami, engambumbayo, ngamenza.”
Allow all those who belong to me [MTY] to return, because I have caused them to become a nation in order that they would honor me; I am the one who has done that [DOU].’
8 Phumani lalabo abayiziphofu amehlo belawo, abayizacuthe indlebe belazo.
Summon the people who have eyes but [it is as though] they are blind; summon those who have ears but [because they do not listen to me, it is as though] they are deaf.
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.”
Gather people of all nations together, ones from all people-groups, [and ask them this]: ‘Has any of their idols foretold the things that are happening now? And can any of them predict what will happen in the future?’ Then bring people who will testify and say ‘I heard them predict things, and what they predicted was what happened,’ [but they will be lying].”
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.
But Yahweh says, “You people of Israel (are my witnesses/know what I have done), and you are the ones who serve me. I chose you in order that you would know me, believe in me, and understand that I am the only one who is [truly] God. There is no other [true] God. There was no other [true] God previously, and there will never be another [true] God.
11 Mina, mina uqobo, nginguThixo, ngaphandle kwami kakho omunye umsindisi.
I, [only] I, am Yahweh, and there is no other one who can save you.
12 Ngivezile ngasindisa, ngamemezela, mina ngokwami, hatshi unkulunkulu wezizweni ophakathi kwenu. Lingofakazi bami, ngokuthi mina yimi uNkulunkulu” kutsho uThixo.
I said that I would rescue [your ancestors], and then I rescued them, and I proclaimed [that I had done it]. No foreign god among you did that! And you are witnesses that only I, Yahweh, am God.
13 “Ye, kusukela ensukwini zasendulo nginguye. Kakho ongakhulula esandleni sami. Lapho ngisenza, ngubani ongakuguqula na?”
I am God, the one who has existed forever and who will exist forever; no one can snatch people from my hand, and no one can alter/change what I have done.”
14 Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo, uMhlengi wenu, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, uthi, “Ngenxa yenu ngizathumela impi eBhabhiloni ilethe bonke abaseBhabhiloni, njengeziphepheli ngemikhumbi ababezigqaja ngayo.
Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, is the one who rescues you; and this is what he says: “For your sake, I will send [an army] to [attack] Babylon. They will force the people of that city to flee in ships which they have been proud of.
15 Mina nginguThixo, oNgcwele wenu, uMdali ka-Israyeli, iNkosi yenu.”
I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the one who caused Israel to become a nation, and the one who is really your king.
16 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo, yena owenza indlela olwandle lomkhondo emanzini alamandla,
I am Yahweh, the one who opened a path through the water, making a road through the [Red] Sea.
17 yena owakhupha izinqola zempi lamabhiza, ibutho, lamanye awokuliqinisa endawonye; njalo lalala lapho, kalaze lavuka futhi; licitshe, liqunywe njengentambo yesibane:
Then I summoned the great army [of Egypt] to come with all their chariots and horses. [But when they tried to pursue my people], I caused the waves to flow over them [and they drowned]; their lives ended [like the light of a candle ends when someone] [MET] snuffs out the wick.
18 “Khohlwani izinto zamandulo, linganakani ngosekwedlulayo.
But do not think [only] about what happened in the past, long ago [DOU].
19 Khangelani, ngenza okutsha! Khathesi kuyavela ngokuphangisa; kalikuboni na? Ngenza indlela enkangala lezifula ogwaduleni.
Instead, consider the new thing that I am going to do. I have already started to do it; can you see it? I am going to make a road through the desert. And I will cause there to be streams in the wasteland/desert.
20 Izinyamazana zeganga ziyangidumisa; amakhanka lezikhova, ngoba ngenza kube lamanzi enkangala lezifula ogwaduleni ukuze nginathise abantu abakhethiweyo,
The jackals/wolves and owls and other wild creatures will thank me for giving them water in the desert. I will cause streams to appear in the dry desert in order that my people, the ones whom I have chosen, will have water;
21 abantu engazenzela bona ukuba bangidumise.
I will do that for the people whom I have created [and chosen] to belong to me, and [some day] they will cause many others to praise me.
22 Kodwa kawukhalazanga kimi wena Jakhobe, kodwa ukhathele ngami wena Israyeli.
But now, you descendants of Jacob, you refuse to request my help. It seems that you people of Israel have become tired of worshiping me.
23 Kawungilethelanga izimvu zomnikelo wokutshiswa, kumbe wangidumisa ngemihlatshelo yakho. Angikuhluphanga ngeminikelo yamabele kumbe ngakudinisa ngokufuna impepha.
You have not brought to me sheep or goats for offerings that will be completely burned [on the altar]; you have not honored me by [bringing to me any] sacrifices, even though the offerings of grain and incense [that I asked you] to bring to me were not a burden to you.
24 Kawungithengelanga amakha ekhane anuka mnandi, kumbe wangisuthisa ngamahwahwa emihlatshelo yakho. Kodwa ungikhathazile ngezono zakho njalo wangidinisa ngezinengiso zakho.
You have bought for me fragrant reeds, and you have brought me the fat from your sacrifices. But these have not pleased me, because you have burdened me by all the sins that you have committed, and made me weary because of all (your iniquities/the wrong things that you have done).
25 Mina, mina uqobo, nginguye owesula iziphambeko zakho ngenxa yami, ngingabe ngisazikhumbula futhi izono zakho.
I am the one who is able to forgive you for all your sins; I am the only one who can do that, with the result that I will never think about them again.
26 Ngikhumbuza ngesikhathi esedlulayo, sibonisane ngaleyondaba ulandise ngoba msulwa kwakho.
Tell me what I have done that you do not like. Do you think that when you state your case, you will prove that you (are innocent/have done nothing wrong) [IRO]?
27 Ukhokho wakho wokuqala wona; labakhulumeli bakho bangihlamukela.
No, [what has happened is that] the first ancestor of you Israelis sinned [against me], and since then, all your leaders have rebelled against me.
28 Ngakho izikhulu zethempelini lakho ngizaziyangisa; nginikele uJakhobe ekubhujisweni lo-Israyeli ekweyisweni.”
That is why I have caused your priests to be disgraced; and I have allowed others to destroy you people of Israel and caused you to be despised.”
