U-Isaya 54
1 “Hlabela wena mfazi oyinyumba, wena ongazange uzale umntwana; susa ingoma, umemeze ngentokozo, wena ongakaze uhelelwe ngoba abantwana bomfazi olahliweyo banengi kulabalowo olendoda,” kutsho uThixo.
Shout in triumph, O barren one, Who hadst not borne, —Break forth into shouts of triumph—and trill thy voice, Who hadst not travailed in birth, For, more, are the children of the Desolate Than the children of Her who had the husband, Saith Yahweh.
2 Qhelisa indawo yethente lakho, yelula amakhetheni ethente lakho abe banzi, ungathikazi, yelula izintambo zakho, uqinise izikhonkwane zakho.
Enlarge the space of thy tent And the curtains of thy habitations, let them spread forth do not spare, —Lengthen thy cords, And thy tent-pins, make thou fast;
3 Ngoba uzaqhela usiya kwesokudla lesenxele; inzalo yakho izazixotsha izizwe yakhe emadolobheni azo adilikayo.
For, on the right hand and on the left, shalt thou break forth, —And thy seed, shall of the nations, take possession, And forsaken cities, shall they cause to be inhabited.
4 “Ungesabi, ngoba awuyikwehlelwa lihlazo. Ungesabi ukuyangeka, ngoba awuyikudumazeka. Uzalikhohlwa ihlazo lasebutsheni bakho, ungakhumbuli lesithuko sobufelokazi bakho.
Do not fear for thou shalt not turn pale, Neither feel disgraced for thou shalt not be put to the blush, —For, the shame of thy youth, shalt thou forget, And the reproach of thy widowhood, shalt thou remember no more;
5 Ngoba uMenzi wakho engumyeni wakho, uThixo uSomandla libizo lakhe oNgcwele ka-Israyeli unguMhlengi wakho; ubizwa ngokuthi nguNkulunkulu womhlaba wonke.
For, thy husband, is, thy Maker, Yahweh of hosts, is his Name, —And, thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, The God of all the earth, shall he be called.
6 UThixo uzakubiza njengowesifazane olahliweyo, odabukileyo emoyeni, owesifazane owenda esesemncane, waphanga waliwa,” kutsho uNkulunkulu wakho.
For, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, hath Yahweh called thee, —Even the wife of youthful days, in that thou wast rejected saith thy God.
7 “Ngakutshiya okomzuzwana omncane, kodwa ngesihawu esikhulu ngizakubuyisa.
For a small moment, I forsook thee, —But, with abounding compassions, do I embrace thee:
8 Ngomfutho wokuthukuthela, ngakufihlela ubuso bami okomzuzwana, kodwa ngothando olungapheliyo, ngizakuba lesihawu kuwe,” kutsho uThixo uMhlengi wakho.
In an overflow of vexation, I hid my face for a moment, from thee, But, with lovingkindness age-abiding, have I had compassion on thee, —saith thy Redeemer Yahweh.
9 “Kimi lokhu kunjengasezinsukwini zikaNowa, lapho engafunga khona ngathi amanzi kaNowa kawayikugcwala umhlaba futhi. Ngakho khathesi sengifungile ngathi angiyikukuthukuthelela futhi; angiyikukusola njalo.
For, the waters of Noah, is this unto me, —As to which I sware that the waters of Noah should not again pass over the earth, So have I sworn Not to be vexed with thee Nor to rebuke thee.
10 Lanxa izintaba zinganyikinyiswa, lamaqaqa asuswe, kodwa uthando lwami olungapheliyo kuwe kaluyikunyikinyiswa, kumbe isivumelwano sami sokuthula sisuswe,” kutsho uThixo olesihawu kuwe.
For, the mountains, may move away, And the hills, may be shaken, —But, my lovingkindness, from thee, shall not move away, And, my covenant of peace, shall not be shaken, saith he who hath compassion upon thee—Yahweh.
11 Wena dolobho elihluphekileyo, elitshaywa yiziphepho alaze laduduzwa, ngizakwakha ngamatshe amahle, izisekelo zakho ngizakhe ngamasafire.
O thou humbled one storm-tossed, uncomforted, —Lo! I, am about to set in antimony, thy stones, And will found thee in sapphires;
12 Izakhiwo zakho zokuvikela ngizazenza ngamarubhi, amasango akho ngiwenze ngamatshe akhazimulayo, yonke imithangala yakho ngiyenze ngamatshe aligugu.
And make rubies, thy battlements, And thy gates, sparkling stones, —And, all thy boundaries, stones of delight;
13 Wonke amadodana akho azafundiswa nguThixo, njalo kuzakuba kukhulu ukuthula kwabantwana bakho.
And, all thy children, shall be the instructed of Yahweh, —And, great, shall be the prosperity of thy children.
14 Uzaqiniswa ngokulunga: uchuku luzakuba khatshana lawe, awuyikwesaba lutho. Ukwesaba kuzasuselwa khatshana, akuyikusondela phansi kwakho.
In righteousness, shalt thou be established, —Be thou far from oppression—But indeed thou shalt not fear, And from crushing calamity—But indeed it shall not come nigh unto thee.
15 Nxa ekhona ozakuhlasela, kobe kungayisimi; loba ngubani okuhlaselayo uzazinikela kuwe.
Lo! they would, quarrel, with thee—not at all from me, —Whoso hath quarrelled with thee, over thee, shall fall.
16 “Khangela, yimi engadala umkhandi wensimbi ovuthela amalahle abe lilangabi, akhande isikhali esilungele umsebenzi waso. Njalo yimi engadala umchithi ukuba enze umonakalo;
Lo! I, have created the smith, who bloweth up a fire of coals, And who bringeth forth an instrument for his work, —And, I, have created the waster to destroy:
17 akulasikhali esikhandelwe wena esizaphumelela, njalo bonke abakumangalelayo uzabehlula. Leli yilifa lezinceku zikaThixo, lokhu yikho ukwenaniswa kwazo yimi,” kutsho uThixo.
No instrument formed against thee, shall prosper, And every tongue that riseth against thee in judgment, shalt thou prove to be lawless, —This is the inheritance of the servants of Yahweh. And, their righteousness, is from me, Declareth Yahweh.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
