< U-Isaya 45 >
1 “Nanku akutshoyo uThixo kogcotshiweyo wakhe, uKhurosi, engibamba isandla sakhe sokudla ukuba nginqobe izizwe eziphambi kwakhe, ngithathele amakhosi izihlangu zawo, ngivule iminyango phambi kwakhe ukuze amasango angavaleki:
Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
2 Ngizahamba phambi kwakho ngenze izintaba zendlaleke. Ngizadiliza amasango ethusi, ngifohle emigoqweni yensimbi.
I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;
3 Ngizakupha inotho yobumnyama, lenotho egcinwe ezindaweni ezifihlakeleyo ukuze wazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, okubiza ngebizo.
and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.
4 Ngenxa kaJakhobe inceku yami, lo-Israyeli okhethiweyo wami, ngikubiza ngebizo ngikunike ibizo lokuhlonipha, lanxa wena unganginakanga.
For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 Mina nginguThixo, njalo kakho omunye; ngaphandle kwami akulaNkulunkulu. Ngizakuqinisa, lanxa wena unganginakanga,
I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me;
6 ukuze kuthi kusukela empumalanga kusiya entshonalanga, abantu bakwazi ukuthi kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami. Mina nginguThixo, njalo kakho omunye.
that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is none else.
7 Ngenza ukukhanya njalo ngidale umnyama, ngiletha ukuphumelela njalo ngidale incithakalo; mina Thixo ngiyazenza zonke lezizinto.
I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.
8 Lina mazulu angaphezulu, nisani ukulunga; amayezi kawakuthululele phansi. Umhlaba kawuvuleke kabanzi kuhlume ukusindiswa, ukulunga akukhule lakho; mina, uThixo, ngikudalile.
Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up together; I, Jehovah, have created it.
9 Maye kulowo ophikisa uMdali wakhe, kulowo oludengezi nje phakathi kwendengezi emhlabathini. Ibumba liyatsho na kumbumbi lithi, ‘Kuyini okubumbayo?’ Umsebenzi wakho uyatsho na uthi, ‘Kalazandla?’
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
10 Maye kulowo othi kuyise, ‘Kuyini owakuzalayo?’ loba athi kunina, ‘Kuyini owakubelethayo?’
Woe unto him that saith unto a father, What begettest thou? or to a woman, With what travailest thou?
11 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, loMdali wakhe uthi: Mayelana lezinto ezizayo, uyangibuza ngabatwabami na, loba uyangilawula emsebenzini engiwenzayo na?
Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are to come; concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me.
12 Yimi engadala umhlaba, ngenza labantu abahlala kuwo. Ezami izandla yizo ezananabula amazulu; ngahlela amaxuku ezinkanyezi zawo.
I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I commanded.
13 Ngizamvusa uKhurosi ngokulunga kwami, ngenze izindlela zakhe zonke ziqonde. Uzalakha futhi idolobho lami, akhulule abami abaxotshwayo elizweni, kodwa kungekho nhlawulo kumbe umvuzo, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.”
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.
14 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo: “Izithelo zaseGibhithe lempahla ethengiswayo yaseKhushi lamaSebhina lawana amade, bazakuza kuwe babengabakho, bazakhasabula ngemva kwakho, beze kuwe bebotshwe ngamaketane. Bazakukhothamela bakuncenge besithi, ‘Ngempela uNkulunkulu ulawe, kakho omunye, kakho omunye uNkulunkulu.’”
Thus saith Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall go after thee, in chains they shall come over; and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, [saying], Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Ngeqiniso unguNkulunkulu ozifihlayo, Nkulunkulu loMsindisi ka-Israyeli.
Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 Bonke ababaza izithombe bazayangiswa badumazeke; bonke bazahamba beyangekile.
They shall be put to shame, yea, confounded, all of them; they shall go into confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 Kodwa u-Israyeli uzasindiswa nguThixo ngensindiso engapheliyo; kaliyikuyangiswa kumbe libe lehlazo kuze kube nininini.
[But] Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be put to shame nor confounded world without end.
18 Ngoba nanku okutshiwo nguThixo yena owadala amazulu, unguNkulunkulu, yena owabumba umhlaba wawenza, wawusekela; kawudalanga ukuba ungabi lalutho, kodwa wawenza ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo, uthi: “Mina nginguThixo, kakho omunye.
For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.
19 Angikhulumanga ensitha kwenye indawo elizweni lomnyama; angizange ngithi kuzizukulwane zikaJakhobe, ‘Ngidingani lingangitholi.’ Mina Thixo ngikhuluma iqiniso; ngitsho okuqotho.
I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I, Jehovah, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
20 Qoqanani ndawonye lize kimi; buthanani lina elabaleka ezizweni. Labo abahamba bethwele izithombe zezigodo kabazi lutho; labo abakhuleka kubonkulunkulu abangeke babasize.”
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Memezelani okufanele kube yikho, likubike, kabemukele izeluleko ndawonye. Ngubani owabika lokhu endulo, ngubani owamemezela ngakho kudala le? Kwakungayisimi mina Thixo na? Njalo kakho uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami, uNkulunkulu olungileyo onguMsindisi; kakho omunye, yimi kuphela.
Declare ye, and bring [it] forth; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath showed this from ancient time? who hath declared it of old? have not I, Jehovah? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides me.
22 “Phendukelani kimi lisindiswe, lonke lina mikhawulo yomhlaba; ngoba mina nginguNkulunkulu, njalo kakho omunye.
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.
23 Ngifunge ngami, ngobuqotho bonke umlomo wami ukhulume ilizwi elingayikwesulwa. Amadolo wonke azaguqa phambi kwami; izindimi zonke zizafunga ngami.
By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth [in] righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
24 Zizakutsho ngami zithi, ‘Ukulunga lamandla kuThixo kuphela.’” Bonke abamthukuthelelayo bazakuza kuye bayangiswe.
Only in Jehovah, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all they that were incensed against him shall be put to shame.
25 Kodwa Thixo yonke inzalo ka-Israyeli izafunyanwa ilungile, ithokoze iziqhenya ngaye.
In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.