U-Isaya 51
1 “Lalelani kimi lina elilandela ukulunga lidinga loThixo: Khangelani edwaleni elacezulwa kulo lasegodini lamatshe elambiwa kulo;
Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek Jehovah: look unto the rock [whence] ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit [whence] ye were digged.
2 khangelani ku-Abhrahama, uyihlo, lakuSara owalizalayo. Ekumbizeni kwami wayemunye, ngambusisa ngamandisa.
Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bore you; for I called him when he was alone, and blessed him, and multiplied him.
3 Ngeqiniso uThixo uzaduduza iZiyoni abe lesihawu kuwo wonke amanxiwa alo; uzakwenza izinkangala zalo zibe njenge-Edeni, amazwe alo alugwadule afane lesivande sikaThixo. Ukuthaba lentokozo kuzafunyanwa kulo, kanye lokubonga lelizwi lokuhlabela.
For Jehovah shall comfort Zion, he shall comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah: gladness and joy shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of song.
4 Lalelani kimi, bantu bami; ungizwe lawe sizwe sami: Kuzaphuma umthetho uvela kimi; ukulunga kwami kuzakuba yikukhanya ezizweni.
Listen unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will establish my judgment for a light of the peoples.
5 Ukulunga kwami kusondela ngokuphangisa, insindiso yami iyeza, ingalo yami izaletha ukulunga ezizweni. Izihlenge zizakhangela kimi, zilinde zithembe amandla ami.
My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the peoples: the isles shall wait for me, and in mine arm shall they trust.
6 Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu emazulwini, likhangele lasemhlabeni phansi; amazulu azanyamalala njengentuthu; umhlaba uzaguga njengesigqoko abakhe kuwo bafe njengempukane. Kodwa insindiso yami izakuba khona kuze kube nininini, ukulunga kwami akuyikuphela.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall grow old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
7 Ngizwani lina elikwaziyo okulungileyo lina bantu abagcina umthetho wami ezinhliziyweni zenu: Lingakwesabi ukugconwa ngabantu, kumbe lethuswe yizithuko zabo.
Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of men, and be not afraid of their revilings.
8 Ngoba inondo izabadla njengesigqoko; impethu ibadle njengewulu. Kodwa ukulunga kwami kuzakuba khona kuze kube nininini; lensindiso yami ikhona kuzizukulwane zonke.”
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
9 Vuka, vuka, wena ngalo kaThixo; uzigqokise ngamandla akho! Vuka njengasezinsukwini zendulo, lanjengakuzizukulwane zakudala. Kayisuwe yini owaquma uRahabi waba yiziqa, wagwaza lesilo lesiyana na?
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, [as in] the generations of passed ages. Is it not thou that hath hewn Rahab in pieces, [and] pierced the monster?
10 Kawusuwe yini owomisa ulwandle, amanzi atshona kakhulu, wenza umgwaqo ezinzikini zolwandle ukuze abahlengiweyo bachaphe na?
Is it not thou that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?
11 Labahlengiweyo bakaThixo bazabuyela. Bazangena eZiyoni behlabelela, intokozo engapheliyo izakuba ngumqhele emakhanda abo. Bazakuba lokuthula lenjabulo, usizi lokububula kuzaphela.
So the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
12 “Mina, mina uqobo, nginguye oliduduzayo. Ungubani wena ukuba wesabe abantu abafayo, amadodana abantu, abutshani nje,
I, [even] I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou fearest a man that shall die, and the son of man that shall become as grass;
13 uze ukhohlwe uThixo, uMenzi wakho, owendlala amazulu wabeka lezisekelo zomhlaba, ukuthi uhlale ngokwesaba okungapheliyo nsuku zonke ngenxa yolaka lomncindezeli, ohlose ukuchitha na? Ngoba lungaphi na ulaka lomncindezeli?
and forgettest Jehovah thy Maker, who hath stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and thou art afraid continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he prepareth to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 Izibotshwa ezitshotshobeleyo zizakhululwa masinyazana, aziyikufela emajele azo, kumbe ziswele ukudla.
He that is bowed down shall speedily be loosed, and he shall not die in the pit, nor shall his bread fail.
15 Ngoba mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, ophehla ulwandle ukuze amagagasi alo ahlokome, ibizo lakhe nguThixo uSomandla.
And I am Jehovah thy God, who raiseth the sea, so that its waves roar: Jehovah of hosts is his name.
16 Ngifake amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho ngakwembesa ngomthunzi wesandla sami, mina engabeka amazulu endaweni yawo, ngabeka izisekelo zomhlaba, njalo othi kuZiyoni, ‘Lina lingabantu bami.’”
And I have put my words in thy mouth, and covered thee with the shadow of my hand, to plant the heavens, and to lay the foundations of the earth, and to say unto Zion, Thou art my people.
17 Vuka, vuka! Phakama wena Jerusalema, wena onathe enkezweni esandleni sikaThixo inkezo yolaka lwakhe, wena oyikhoce wafika enzeceni zayo; inkezo eyenza amadoda adiyazele.
Arouse thyself, arouse thyself, stand up, Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of Jehovah the cup of his fury. Thou hast drunk, hast drained out the goblet-cup of bewilderment:
18 Kuwo wonke amadodana eliwazeleyo, kayikho eyayingalikhokhela; kuwo wonke amadodana elawondlayo, kayikho eyayingalibamba ngesandla.
— there is none to guide her among all the children that she hath brought forth; neither is there any to take her by the hand of all the children that she hath brought up.
19 Lezizingozi ezimbili zikwehlele; ngubani ongakududuza na? Incithakalo lokubhujiswa, indlala lenkemba, ngubani ongakududuza na?
These two [things] are come unto thee; who will bemoan thee? — desolation and destruction, and famine and sword: how shall I comfort thee?
20 Amadodana akho asephele amandla, aselala ezihlokweni zemigwaqo yonke njengebhalabhala elibanjwe ngumambule. Agcwele ulaka lukaThixo lokukhuza kukaNkulunkulu wakho.
Thy children have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an oryx in a net: they are full of the fury of Jehovah, the rebuke of thy God.
21 Ngakho-ke zwana lokhu wena ohluphekayo, lodakisiweyo kodwa kungasingewayini.
Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:
22 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi bakho, uNkulunkulu wakho ovikela abantu bakhe: “Khangela, sengiyisusile esandleni sakho inkezo ekwenza udiyazele; leyonkezo engeyolaka lwami, awuyikunatha ngayo futhi.
thus saith thy Lord, Jehovah, and thy God, who pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I take out of thy hand the cup of bewilderment, the goblet-cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:
23 Ngizayibeka ezandleni zabakuhluphayo, abathi kuwe, ‘Cambalala ukuze sihambe phezu kwakho.’ Wena-ke wenza umhlane wakho waba njengenhlabathi, lanjengomgwaqo okungahanjwa kuwo.”
and I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street to them that went over.
