U-Isaya 44
1 “Kodwa khathesi lalela, wena Jakhobe, nceku yami, Israyeli, engikukhethileyo.
But now hear, Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo, yena owakwenzayo, owakubumba esiswini, njalo yena ozakusiza, uthi: Ungesabi, wena Jakhobe, nceku yami, Jeshuruni engikukhethileyo.
Thus saith the Lord God that made thee, and he that formed thee from the womb; Thou shalt yet be helped: fear not, my servant Jacob; and beloved Israel, whom I have chosen.
3 Ngoba ngizathela amanzi elizweni elomileyo, lezifula emhlabathini owomileyo. Ngizathela uMoya wami phezu kwenzalo yakho lezibusiso zami phezu kwezizukulwane zakho.
For I will give water to the thirsty that walk in a dry land: I will put my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessings upon thy children:
4 Zizahluma njengotshani emadlelweni, lanjengeminyezane ezifuleni ezigelezayo.
and they shall spring up as grass between brooks, and as willows on [the banks of] running water.
5 Omunye uzakuthi, ‘Mina ngingokaThixo’; lomunye azibize ngebizo likaJakhobe; omunye laye uzaloba esandleni sakhe ukuthi, ‘OkaThixo,’ azinike ibizo lika-Israyeli.”
One shall say, I am God's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall write with his hand, I am God's, and shall call himself by the name of Israel.
6 “Nanku akutshoyo uThixo, iNkosi loMhlengi ka-Israyeli, uThixo uSomandla: Mina ngingowokuqala njalo ngingowokucina; ngaphandle kwami kakho uNkulunkulu.
Thus saith God the King of Israel, and the God of hosts that delivered him; I am the first, and I am hereafter: beside me there is no God.
7 Pho ngubani onjengami? Kakumemezele lokho. Katsho, achaze phambi kwami okwenzakalayo kusukela ekubekeni kwami abantu bami bendulo; akutsho lokuzakwenzakala; yebo, kakuqambe okuzayo.
Who is like me? let him stand, and call, and declare, and prepare for me from the time that I made man for ever; and let them tell you the things that are coming before they arrive.
8 Lingaqhaqhazeli, lingesabi. Lokhu angikutshongo ngabika ngakho kudala na? Lina lingofakazi bami. Kulomunye uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami na? Hatshi, kalikho elinye iDwala; kalikho engilaziyo.”
Hide not yourselves, nor go astray: have ye not heard from the beginning, and [have not] I told you? ye are witnesses if there is a God beside me.
9 Bonke abenza izithombe kabasilutho, lezinto abaziqakathekisayo ziyize. Labo abangabakhulumela bayiziphofu, kabazi lutho, kulihlazo kubo.
But they that framed [false gods] did not then hearken; and they that graved [images] are all vain, performing their own desires, which shall not profit them, but they shall be ashamed
10 Ngubani obaza unkulunkulu abumbe isithombe, okungeke kumsize ngalutho?
that form a god, and all that grave worthless things:
11 Yena labanjengaye bazayangiswa; izingcitshi kazisilutho, ngabantu nje. Kaziqoqane zonke zime ndawonye; bazakuba lokwesaba kanye lehlazo.
and all by whom they were made are withered: yea, let all the deaf be gathered from [among] men, and let them stand together; and let them be ashamed and confounded together:
12 Umkhandi uthatha insimbi ayifake emalahleni; enze isithombe ngezando, asikhande ngengalo yakhe elamandla. Uyalamba aphelelwe ngamandla. Anganathi manzi, amandla aphele.
For the artificer sharpens the iron; he fashions [the idol] with an axe, and fixes it with an awl, and fashions it with the strength of his arm: and he will be hungry and weak, and will drink no water.
13 Umbazi welula intambo yokulinganisa asidwebe ngosungulo, asibaze ngetshizela, asidwebe ngensimbi ecijileyo, abaze umfanekiso womuntu, umuntu olobuhle bonke, ukuba sihlale endlini yokukhonzela.
The artificer having chosen a piece of wood, marks it out with a rule, and fits it with glue, and makes it as the form of a man, and as the beauty of a man, to set it up in the house.
14 Ugamula isihlahla somsedari, loba athathe umsayiphresi kumbe umʼOkhi. Uyasikhulisa phakathi kwezihlahla zegusu, kumbe ahlanyele iphayini, izulu lisikhulise.
He cuts wood out of the forest, which the Lord planted, [even] a pine tree, and the rain made it grow,
15 Lapho-ke siba zinkuni zomuntu zokubasa; okunye kwaso uyathatha othe, ubasa umlilo abhekhe izinkwa. Kodwa, njalo, wenza unkulunkulu amkhonze; abaze isithombe asikhothamele.
that it might be for men to burn: and having taken part of it he warms himself; yea, they burn part of it, and bake loaves thereon; and [of] the rest they make for themselves gods, and they worship them.
16 Ingxenye yezinkuni ubasa ngayo umlilo, apheke ngawo ukudla kwakhe. Ose inyama yakhe adle asuthe. Njalo uyotha umlilo athi, “Ha! Ngiyafudumala; ngiyawubona umlilo.”
Half thereof he burns in the fire, and with half of it he bakes loaves on the coals; and having roasted flesh on it he eats, and is satisfied, and having warmed himself he says, I am comfortable, for I have warmed myself, and have seen the fire.
17 Ngeziseleyo wenza unkulunkulu, isithombe sakhe; uyasikhothamela, asikhonze. Uyakhuleka kuso athi, “Ngisindisa, ungunkulunkulu wami.”
And the rest he makes a graven god, and worships, and prays, saying, Deliver me; for thou art my God.
18 Kabazi lutho, kabaqedisisi lutho; amehlo abo abhadiwe ukuze bangaboni lezingqondo zabo zivalekile ukuze bangaqedisisi.
They have no understanding to perceive; for they have been blinded so that they should not see with their eyes, nor perceive with their heart.
19 Kakho oke ame acabange, kakho olokwazi loba ukuzwisisa ukuba athi, “Ingxenye yazo ngabasa ngayo umlilo; ngaze ngabhekha izinkwa emalahleni awo, ngosa inyama ngayidla. Ngokuseleyo ngizakwenza into enengisayo na? Ngizasikhothamela na isigodo nje?”
And one has not considered in his mind, nor known in his understanding, that he has burnt up half of it in the fire, and baked loaves on the coals thereof and has roasted and eaten flesh, and of the rest of it he has made an abomination, and they worship it.
20 Udla umlotha, inhliziyo ekhohlisekileyo iyamlahla, angeke azihlenge, kumbe athi, “Into le esesandleni sami sokudla kayisimanga na?”
Know thou that their heart is ashes, and they err, and no one is able to deliver his soul: see, ye will not say, [There is a] lie in my right hand.
21 “Khumbula lezizinto, wena Jakhobe, ngoba uyinceku yami, wena Israyeli. Ngakubumba, uyinceku yami; wena Israyeli, angiyikukukhohlwa.
Remember these things, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant; I have formed thee [to be] my servant: and do thou, Israel, not forget me.
22 Ngesule iziphambeko zakho njengeyezi, ngesula izono zakho njengenkungu yekuseni. Buyela kimi, ngoba ngikuhlengile.”
For behold, I have blotted out as a cloud thy transgressions, and thy sin as darkness: turn to me, and I will redeem thee.
23 Hlabelelani ngentokozo, lina mazulu, ngoba uThixo usekwenzile lokhu; hlaba umkhosi, wena mhlaba ngaphansi. Tshayani ingoma lina zintaba, lina mahlathi lazozonke izihlahla zenu, ngoba uThixo usemhlengile uJakhobe, ubonakalisa udumo lwakhe ko-Israyeli.
Rejoice, ye heavens; for God has had mercy upon Israel: sound the trumpet, ye foundations of the earth: ye mountains, shout [with] joy, ye hills, and all the trees therein: for God has redeemed Jacob, and Israel shall be glorified.
24 “Nanku akutshoyo uThixo, uMhlengi wakho, owakubumbayo esiswini: Mina nginguThixo, owenza izinto zonke, owenza amazulu eyedwa, owendlala umhlaba eyedwa,
Thus saith the Lord that redeems thee, and who formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that performs all things: I stretched out the heaven alone, and established the earth.
25 ofubisa izibonakaliso zabaphrofethi bamanga, enze izanuse zibe yizithutha, ochitha ulwazi lwezihlakaniphi alwenze lube yibuthutha,
Who else will frustrate the tokens of those that have divining spirits, and prophecies from the heart of [man]? turning the wise back, and making their counsel foolishness;
26 ofeza amazwi ezinceku zakhe aphelelise amacebo ezithunywa zakhe. Athi kulo iJerusalema, ‘Kuzahlalwa kulo,’ ngamadolobho akoJuda athi, ‘Azakwakhiwa.’ Ngamanxiwa awo uthi, ‘Ngizawavusa,’
and confirming the word of his servant, and verifying the counsel of his messengers: who says to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Idumea, Ye shall be built, and her desert places shall spring forth.
27 athi enzikini yamanzi, ‘Cima, ngizakomisa izifula zakho,’
Who says to the deep, Thou shalt be dried up, and I will dry up the rivers.
28 athi ngoKhurosi, ‘Ungumelusi wami, uzafeza konke engikufunayo; uzakuthi ngeJerusalema, “Kalakhiwe futhi,” ngethempeli athi, “Izisekelo zalo kazakhiwe.”’”
Who bids Cyrus be wise, and he shall perform all my will: who says to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and I will lay the foundation of my holy house.
