U-Isaya 40
1 Duduzani, liduduze abantu bami, utsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, says your God.
2 Khulumani kunhliziyo yeJerusalema, limemeze kuyo ukuthi imfazo yayo iphelelisiwe, ukuthi ububi bayo buthethelelwe, ngoba yemukele esandleni seNkosi okuphindwe kabili ngazo zonke izono zayo.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her warfare has been completed, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
3 Ilizwi lomemezayo ehlanelithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo omkhulu oqondileyo enkangala.
The voice of a man crying out in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Sonke isigodi sizaphakanyiswa, layo yonke intaba loqaqa kuzakwehliswa; lokugobileyo kuzakwenziwa kuqonde, lendawo ezimaxhakaxhaka zibe ligceke.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. And the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places smooth.
5 Inkazimulo yeNkosi izabonakaliswa, layo yonke inyama iyibone kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo weNkosi ukhulumile.
And the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of Jehovah has spoken it.
6 Ilizwi lathi: Memeza! Wasesithi: Ngizamemeza ngithini? Yonke inyama ibutshani, labo bonke ubuhle bayo bunjengeluba leganga.
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness of it is as the flower of the field.
7 Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka, ngoba uMoya weNkosi uphephetha kukho; isibili abantu babutshani.
The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of Jehovah blows upon it. Surely the people is grass.
8 Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka; kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kube nini lanini.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
9 Wena Ziyoni, oletha izindaba ezinhle, khwela entabeni ende; wena Jerusalema, oletha izindaba ezinhle, phakamisa ilizwi lakho ngamandla, liphakamise ungesabi; tshono emizini yakoJuda uthi: Khangelani, uNkulunkulu wenu.
O thou who tell good news to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain. O thou who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up, be not afraid, say to the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!
10 Khangela, iNkosi uJehova izakuza ngamandla, lengalo yayo izayibusela; khangela, umvuzo wayo ilawo, lenkokhelo yayo iphambi kwayo.
Behold, the lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
11 Izakwelusa umhlambi wayo njengomelusi, izabutha amawundlu ngengalo yayo, iwathwale esifubeni sayo, ikhokhele kuhle ezimunyisayo.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those who have their young.
12 Ngubani olinganise amanzi entendeni yesandla sakhe, walinganisa amazulu ngeminwe eyeluliweyo, wahlanganisa uthuli lomhlaba esilinganisweni, walinganisa izintaba ngesikali, lamaqaqa ngesilinganiso?
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13 Ngubani oqondise uMoya weNkosi, kumbe wamfundisa engumeluleki wakhe?
Who has known the mind of Jehovah, or being his counselor has taught him?
14 Yelulekane lobani, owayenza yaqedisisa, wayifundisa endleleni yesahlulelo, wayifundisa ulwazi, wayazisa indlela yokuqedisisa?
With whom did he take counsel. And who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice. And taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
15 Khangela, izizwe zinjengethonsi lenkonxa, zibalwa njengothuli lwesikali. Khangela, uphakamisa izihlenge njengento encinyane kakhulu.
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance. Behold, he takes up the isles as a very little thing.
16 LeLebhanoni kayeneli ukutsha, lenyamazana zayo kazeneli umnikelo wokutshiswa.
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts of it sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 Zonke izizwe zinjengezingasilutho phambi kwayo, zibalwa kuyo zincinyane kulokungelutho lokuyize.
All the nations are as nothing before him. They are accounted by him as less than nothing, and vanity.
18 Pho, lizamfananisa lobani uNkulunkulu, loba mfanekiso bani elizamlinganisa lawo?
To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare to him?
19 Ingcitshi incibilikisa isithombe esibaziweyo, lomkhandi wegolide uyasinameka ngegolide, abumbe ngokuncibilikisa amaketane esiliva.
The image, a workman has cast it, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains.
20 Lowo ongumyanga ongelamnikelo ukhetha isihlahla esingaboliyo, azidingele umbazi oyingcitshi ukuze alungise isithombe esingayikunyikinywa.
He who is too impoverished for such an oblation chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks for him a skilful workman to set up a graven image that shall not be moved.
21 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga yini? Kalitshelwanga yini kwasekuqaleni? Kaliqedisisanga yini kwasekusekelweni komhlaba?
Have ye not known? Have yet not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 Kunguye ohlala phezu kwesigombolozi somhlaba, labahlali bawo banjengentethe; owendlala amazulu njengekhetheni, awelule njengethente lokuhlala;
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in,
23 owenza iziphathamandla zingabi yilutho, enze abehluleli bomhlaba babe njengeze.
who brings rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 Yebo, kabayikugxunyekwa; yebo, kabayikuhlanyelwa; yebo, isiqu sabo kasiyikugxila emhlabathini; laye uzaphephetha phezu kwabo, babune; lesivunguzane sibasuse njengamabibi.
Yea, they have not been planted. Yea, they have not been sown. Yea, their stock has not taken root in the earth. Moreover he blows upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble.
25 Pho, lizangifananisa lobani, engizafanana laye? kutsho oNgcwele.
To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to him? says the Holy One.
26 Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, libone odale lezizinto; okhipha ibutho lazo ngenani; azibize zonke ngamabizo ngobukhulu bamandla akhe, ngoba eqinile emandleni; kayikho leyodwa esilelayo.
Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these, who brings out their host by number. He calls them all by name, by the greatness of his might. And because he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
27 Utsholoni, wena Jakobe, ukhulume, wena Israyeli ukuthi: Indlela yami isithekile eNkosini lesahlulelo sami sedlulisiwe nguNkulunkulu wami?
Why do thou say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah. And the justice due to me is passed away from my God?
28 Kawazi yini, kawukezwa yini? UNkulunkulu olaphakade, iNkosi, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba kapheli amandla njalo kadinwa? Kakuphenyeki ukuqedisisa kwakhe.
Have thou not known? Have thou not heard? The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, nor is weary. There is no searching of his understanding.
29 Inika abadangeleyo amandla, lakwabangaqinanga yandisa amandla.
He gives power to the faint. And to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Labatsha bazaphelelwa ngamandla, badinwe, lamajaha azakuwa lokuwa;
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.
31 kodwa abalindela iNkosi bazavuselela amandla; bazaqonga ngempiko njengenkozi, bagijime bangadinwa, bahambe bangapheli amandla.
But those who wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run, and not be weary. They shall walk, and not faint.
