< U-Isaya 65 >

1 “Ngaziveza kulabo abangangicelanga; ngafunyanwa yilabo abangangidinganga. Isizwe esingakhulekanga kimi ngathi kuso, ‘Ngilapha, ngilapha.’
“I am inquired of by those who did not ask. I am found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘See me, see me,’ to a nation that was not called by my name.
2 Ilanga lonke ngelula izandla zami ebantwini abayiziqholo, abahamba ngezindlela ezingalunganga belandela iminakano yabo,
I have spread out my hands all day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;
3 abantu abahlezi bengicunula bengikhangele, benikela imihlatshelo emasimini, betshisa impepha phezu kwezitina;
a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense on bricks;
4 abahlala emangcwabeni balale besenza imilindelo eyimfihlo ebusuku; abadla inyama yengulube, abambiza zabo zigcina umhluzi wenyama engcolileyo;
who sit among the graves, and spend nights in secret places; who eat pig’s meat, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5 abathi, ‘Hlala khatshana, ungasondeli phansi kwami, ngoba ngingcwele kulawe!’ Abantu abanjalo banjengentuthu emakhaleni ami, umlilo ovuthayo ilanga lonke.
who say, ‘Stay by yourself, do not come near to me, for I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day.
6 Khangela, kulotshiwe phambi kwami ukuthi: Angiyikuthula, kodwa ngizaphindisela ngokugcweleyo; ngizaphindisela ngokupheleleyo,
“Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will repay, yes, I will repay into their bosom
7 kokubili izono zenu lezono zabokhokho benu,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngoba batshisa imihlatshelo phezu kwezintaba bangihlambaza phezu kwamaqaqa. Ngizaphindisela kubo ngokugcweleyo ngenxa yezenzo zabo abazenza ngaphambili.”
your own iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together”, says the LORD, “who have burned incense on the mountains, and blasphemed me on the hills. Therefore I will first measure their work into their bosom.”
8 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo: “Njengalapho umhluzi usatholakala ehlukuzweni lamavini labantu besithi, ungalibhidlizi, kusekhona okuhle kulo, ngizazenzela okunjalo izinceku zami; angiyikuzibhubhisa zonke.
The LORD says, “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, ‘Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it:’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all.
9 Ngizaletha isizukulwane esivela kuJakhobe, lakoJuda kuvele abazakuba ngabanikazi bezintaba zami; zizakuba yilifa labakhethiweyo bami, izinceku zami zizahlala khona.
I will bring offspring out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains. My chosen will inherit it, and my servants will dwell there.
10 ISharoni izakuba ngamadlelo emihlambi lesiGodi sase-Akhori sibe yindawo yokuphumulela imihlambi, yabantu bami abangidingayo.
Sharon will be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people who have sought me.
11 Kodwa lina elilahla uThixo likhohlwe intaba yami engcwele; liphakele unkulunkulu uNhlanhla ukudla libuye ligcwalisele unkulunkulu uSimiselo iwayini elixutshiweyo,
“But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Fortune, and who fill up mixed wine to Destiny;
12 ngizalimisela inkemba, njalo lonke lizakhothamela ukubulawa, ngoba ngamemeza kodwa kalisabelanga, ngakhuluma kodwa lina kalilalelanga. Lenza okubi phambi kwami lakhetha okungicunulayo.”
I will destine you to the sword, and you will all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen; but you did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight.”
13 Ngakho-ke uThixo Wobukhosi uthi: “Izinceku zami zizakudla, kodwa lina lizalamba; izinceku zami zizanatha, kodwa lina lizakoma; izinceku zami zizathokoza, kodwa lina lizayangiswa.
Therefore the Lord GOD says, “Behold, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry; behold, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, my servants will rejoice, but you will be disappointed.
14 Izinceku zami zizahlabelela ngentokozo yezinhliziyo zazo, kodwa lina lizakhala ngobuhlungu bezinhliziyo njalo lilile ngokudabuka komoya.
Behold, my servants will sing for joy of heart, but you will cry for sorrow of heart, and will wail for anguish of spirit.
15 Lizatshiya ibizo lenu njengesithuko kwabakhethiweyo bami; uThixo Wobukhosi uzalibulala, kodwa izinceku zakhe uzazinika elinye ibizo.
You will leave your name for a curse to my chosen, and the Lord GOD will kill you. He will call his servants by another name,
16 Lowo okhulekela isibusiso elizweni uzakwenza lokho ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso; lalowo owenza isifungo elizweni, uzafunga ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ngoba inhlupheko ezedlulayo zizakhohlakala zifihlakale emehlweni ami.”
so that he who blesses himself in the earth will bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from my eyes.
17 “Khangelani, ngizadala izulu elitsha lomhlaba omutsha. Izinto zakuqala aziyikukhunjulwa, kumbe zifike engqondweni.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 Kodwa thabani lijabule kokuphela ngalokho engizakudala, ngoba ngizadala iJerusalema libe yintokozo labantu balo babe yinjabulo.
But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem to be a delight, and her people a joy.
19 Ngizathokoza ngeJerusalema njalo ngijabule ngabantu bami; ukulila lokukhala akusayikuzwakala kulo futhi.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; and the voice of weeping and the voice of crying will be heard in her no more.
20 Kulo akusayikuba khona futhi usane oluphila insuku ezilutshwane kumbe umuntu omdala ongaphelelisi iminyaka yakhe; lowo ofa elekhulu leminyaka uzakhangelwa njengomntwana nje; lowo ongafikiyo ekhulwini uzakhangelwa njengoqalekisiweyo.
“No more will there be an infant who only lives a few days, nor an old man who has not filled his days; for the child will die one hundred years old, and the sinner being one hundred years old will be accursed.
21 Bazakwakha izindlu bahlale kuzo; bazahlanyela izivini badle izithelo zazo.
They will build houses and inhabit them. They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 Kabasayikwakha izindlu zihlalwe ngabanye kumbe bahlanyele, kudle abanye. Ngoba njengezinsuku zesihlahla, zizakuba njalo insuku zabantu bami; abakhethiweyo bami bazakholisa umsebenzi wezandla zabo okwesikhathi eside.
They will not build and another inhabit. They will not plant and another eat; for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 Kabayikusebenzela ize, kumbe abantwababo bazalelwe ukuhlupheka, ngoba bazakuba ngabantu ababusisiweyo nguThixo, bona kanye lezizukulwane zabo.
They will not labor in vain nor give birth for calamity; for they are the offspring of the LORD’s blessed and their descendants with them.
24 Ngizabaphendula bengakakhuleki; ngibezwe besakhuluma.
It will happen that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25 Impisi lewundlu kuzakudla ndawonye, lesilwane sizakudla utshani njengenkomo, kodwa inyoka izakudla uthuli. Kaziyikulimaza kumbe zibhubhise kuyo yonke intaba yami engcwele,” kutsho uThixo.
The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. Dust will be the serpent’s food. They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.

< U-Isaya 65 >