U-Isaya 40
1 Duduzani, liduduze abantu bami, utsho uNkulunkulu wenu.
Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith 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.
Bid Jerusalem take heart, and proclaim unto her, that her time of service is accomplished, that her guilt is paid off; that she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
3 Ilizwi lomemezayo ehlanelithi: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, lenzele uNkulunkulu wethu umgwaqo omkhulu oqondileyo enkangala.
Hark! one calleth: 'Clear ye in the wilderness the way of the LORD, make plain 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 lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the rugged shall be made level, and the rough places a plain;
5 Inkazimulo yeNkosi izabonakaliswa, layo yonke inyama iyibone kanyekanye, ngoba umlomo weNkosi ukhulumile.
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.'
6 Ilizwi lathi: Memeza! Wasesithi: Ngizamemeza ngithini? Yonke inyama ibutshani, labo bonke ubuhle bayo bunjengeluba leganga.
Hark! one saith: 'Proclaim!' And he saith: 'What shall I proclaim?' 'All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field;
7 Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka, ngoba uMoya weNkosi uphephetha kukho; isibili abantu babutshani.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; because the breath of the LORD bloweth upon it — surely the people is grass.
8 Utshani buyabuna, iluba liyawohloka; kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kube nini lanini.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever.'
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 that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto 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 GOD 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.
Even as a shepherd that feedeth his flock, that gathereth the lambs in his arm, and carrieth them in his bosom, and gently leadeth those that give suck.
12 Ngubani olinganise amanzi entendeni yesandla sakhe, walinganisa amazulu ngeminwe eyeluliweyo, wahlanganisa uthuli lomhlaba esilinganisweni, walinganisa izintaba ngesikali, lamaqaqa ngesilinganiso?
Who hath 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 hath meted out the spirit of the LORD? Or who was His counsellor that he might instruct Him?
14 Yelulekane lobani, owayenza yaqedisisa, wayifundisa endleleni yesahlulelo, wayifundisa ulwazi, wayazisa indlela yokuqedisisa?
With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of right, and taught Him knowledge, and made Him to know the way of discernment?
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 counted as the small dust of the balance; behold the isles are as a mote in weight.
16 LeLebhanoni kayeneli ukutsha, lenyamazana zayo kazeneli umnikelo wokutshiswa.
And Lebanon is not sufficient fuel, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for burnt-offerings.
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 things of nought, 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 unto Him?
19 Ingcitshi incibilikisa isithombe esibaziweyo, lomkhandi wegolide uyasinameka ngegolide, abumbe ngokuncibilikisa amaketane esiliva.
The image perchance, which the craftsman hath melted, and the goldsmith spread over with gold, the silversmith casting silver chains?
20 Lowo ongumyanga ongelamnikelo ukhetha isihlahla esingaboliyo, azidingele umbazi oyingcitshi ukuze alungise isithombe esingayikunyikinywa.
A holm-oak is set apart, he chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning craftsman to set up an image, that shall not be moved.
21 Kalazi yini? Kalizwanga yini? Kalitshelwanga yini kwasekuqaleni? Kaliqedisisanga yini kwasekusekelweni komhlaba?
Know ye not? hear ye not? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood the foundations of the earth?
22 Kunguye ohlala phezu kwesigombolozi somhlaba, labahlali bawo banjengentethe; owendlala amazulu njengekhetheni, awelule njengethente lokuhlala;
It is He that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
23 owenza iziphathamandla zingabi yilutho, enze abehluleli bomhlaba babe njengeze.
That bringeth princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as a thing of nought.
24 Yebo, kabayikugxunyekwa; yebo, kabayikuhlanyelwa; yebo, isiqu sabo kasiyikugxila emhlabathini; laye uzaphephetha phezu kwabo, babune; lesivunguzane sibasuse njengamabibi.
Scarce are they planted, scarce are they sown, scarce hath their stock taken root in the earth; when He bloweth upon them, they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
25 Pho, lizangifananisa lobani, engizafanana laye? kutsho oNgcwele.
To whom then will ye liken Me, that I should be equal? saith 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 hath created these? He that bringeth out their host by number, He calleth them all by name; by the greatness of His might, and for that He is strong in power, not one faileth.
27 Utsholoni, wena Jakobe, ukhulume, wena Israyeli ukuthi: Indlela yami isithekile eNkosini lesahlulelo sami sedlulisiwe nguNkulunkulu wami?
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel: 'My way is hid from the LORD, and my right is passed over from my God'?
28 Kawazi yini, kawukezwa yini? UNkulunkulu olaphakade, iNkosi, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba kapheli amandla njalo kadinwa? Kakuphenyeki ukuqedisisa kwakhe.
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? His discernment is past searching out.
29 Inika abadangeleyo amandla, lakwabangaqinanga yandisa amandla.
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might He increaseth 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 they that wait for the LORD 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.
