< U-Isaya 65 >
1 “Ngaziveza kulabo abangangicelanga; ngafunyanwa yilabo abangangidinganga. Isizwe esingakhulekanga kimi ngathi kuso, ‘Ngilapha, ngilapha.’
2 Ilanga lonke ngelula izandla zami ebantwini abayiziqholo, abahamba ngezindlela ezingalunganga belandela iminakano yabo,
3 abantu abahlezi bengicunula bengikhangele, benikela imihlatshelo emasimini, betshisa impepha phezu kwezitina;
4 abahlala emangcwabeni balale besenza imilindelo eyimfihlo ebusuku; abadla inyama yengulube, abambiza zabo zigcina umhluzi wenyama engcolileyo;
5 abathi, ‘Hlala khatshana, ungasondeli phansi kwami, ngoba ngingcwele kulawe!’ Abantu abanjalo banjengentuthu emakhaleni ami, umlilo ovuthayo ilanga lonke.
6 Khangela, kulotshiwe phambi kwami ukuthi: Angiyikuthula, kodwa ngizaphindisela ngokugcweleyo; ngizaphindisela ngokupheleleyo,
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.”
8 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo: “Njengalapho umhluzi usatholakala ehlukuzweni lamavini labantu besithi, ungalibhidlizi, kusekhona okuhle kulo, ngizazenzela okunjalo izinceku zami; angiyikuzibhubhisa zonke.
9 Ngizaletha isizukulwane esivela kuJakhobe, lakoJuda kuvele abazakuba ngabanikazi bezintaba zami; zizakuba yilifa labakhethiweyo bami, izinceku zami zizahlala khona.
10 ISharoni izakuba ngamadlelo emihlambi lesiGodi sase-Akhori sibe yindawo yokuphumulela imihlambi, yabantu bami abangidingayo.
11 Kodwa lina elilahla uThixo likhohlwe intaba yami engcwele; liphakele unkulunkulu uNhlanhla ukudla libuye ligcwalisele unkulunkulu uSimiselo iwayini elixutshiweyo,
12 ngizalimisela inkemba, njalo lonke lizakhothamela ukubulawa, ngoba ngamemeza kodwa kalisabelanga, ngakhuluma kodwa lina kalilalelanga. Lenza okubi phambi kwami lakhetha okungicunulayo.”
13 Ngakho-ke uThixo Wobukhosi uthi: “Izinceku zami zizakudla, kodwa lina lizalamba; izinceku zami zizanatha, kodwa lina lizakoma; izinceku zami zizathokoza, kodwa lina lizayangiswa.
14 Izinceku zami zizahlabelela ngentokozo yezinhliziyo zazo, kodwa lina lizakhala ngobuhlungu bezinhliziyo njalo lilile ngokudabuka komoya.
15 Lizatshiya ibizo lenu njengesithuko kwabakhethiweyo bami; uThixo Wobukhosi uzalibulala, kodwa izinceku zakhe uzazinika elinye ibizo.
16 Lowo okhulekela isibusiso elizweni uzakwenza lokho ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso; lalowo owenza isifungo elizweni, uzafunga ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ngoba inhlupheko ezedlulayo zizakhohlakala zifihlakale emehlweni ami.”
17 “Khangelani, ngizadala izulu elitsha lomhlaba omutsha. Izinto zakuqala aziyikukhunjulwa, kumbe zifike engqondweni.
18 Kodwa thabani lijabule kokuphela ngalokho engizakudala, ngoba ngizadala iJerusalema libe yintokozo labantu balo babe yinjabulo.
19 Ngizathokoza ngeJerusalema njalo ngijabule ngabantu bami; ukulila lokukhala akusayikuzwakala kulo futhi.
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.
21 Bazakwakha izindlu bahlale kuzo; bazahlanyela izivini badle izithelo zazo.
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.
23 Kabayikusebenzela ize, kumbe abantwababo bazalelwe ukuhlupheka, ngoba bazakuba ngabantu ababusisiweyo nguThixo, bona kanye lezizukulwane zabo.
24 Ngizabaphendula bengakakhuleki; ngibezwe besakhuluma.
25 Impisi lewundlu kuzakudla ndawonye, lesilwane sizakudla utshani njengenkomo, kodwa inyoka izakudla uthuli. Kaziyikulimaza kumbe zibhubhise kuyo yonke intaba yami engcwele,” kutsho uThixo.
