U-Isaya 41
1 Thulani phambi kwami, zihlenge, kakuthi abantu bavuselele amandla; kabasondele; babesebekhuluma; kasisondele kanyekanye kusahlulelo.
Keep silence before mee, O ylands, and let the people renue their strength: let the come neere, and let them speake: let vs come together into iudgement.
2 Ngubani owavusa olungileyo ngasempumalanga? Wambizela enyaweni lwakhe; wanikela izizwe phambi kwakhe, wamenza wabusa phezu kwamakhosi, wawanikela enkembeni yakhe njengothuli, edandilini lakhe njengezibi eziqhutshelwayo.
Who raised vp iustice from the East, and called him to his foote? and gaue the nations before him, and subdued the Kings? he gaue them as dust to his sword, and as scattered stubble vnto his bowe.
3 Waxotshana lawo, wedlula ephephile, ngendlela angayihambanga ngenyawo zakhe.
He pursued them, and passed safely by the way that he had not gone with his feete.
4 Ngubani okusebenzileyo, wakwenza, ebiza izizukulwana kwasekuqaleni? Mina iNkosi ngingowokuqala, njalo ngilabokucina; nginguye.
Who hath wrought and done it? he that calleth the generations from the beginning. I the Lord am the first, and with the last I am ye same.
5 Izihlenge zakubona, zesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba yathuthumela; yasondela, yafika.
The yles sawe it, and did feare, and the ends of the earth were abashed, drew neere, and came.
6 Basiza, ngulowo lalowo umakhelwane wakhe, wonke wasesithi kumfowabo: Qina!
Euery man helped his neighbour, and saide to his brother, Be strong.
7 Umbazi waseqinisa umkhandi wegolide, lololonga ngesando lowo otshaya isikhandelo, esithi: Kulungele ukunuselwa; wakuqinisa ngezipikili ukuze kunganyikinyeki.
So the workeman comforted the founder, and he that smote with ye hammer, him that smote by course, saying, It is ready for the sodering, and he fastened it with nayles that it shoulde not be mooued.
8 Kodwa wena Israyeli, nceku yami, Jakobe engikukhethileyo, nzalo kaAbrahama isithandwa sami,
But thou, Israel, art my seruant, and thou Iaakob, whom I haue chosen, the seede of Abraham my friend.
9 wena engakubambayo kwasemikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza ezikhulwini zawo, ngathi kuwe: Uyinceku yami, ngikukhethile, kangikulahlanga;
For I haue taken thee from the endes of the earth, and called thee before the chiefe thereof, and saide vnto thee, Thou art my seruant: I haue chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
10 ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe, ungathalathalazi, ngoba mina nginguNkulunkulu wakho; ngizakuqinisa, yebo ngizakusiza, yebo ngizakusekela ngesandla sami sokunene esokulunga kwami.
Feare thou not, for I am with thee: be not afraide, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, and helpe thee, and will susteine thee with the right hand of my iustice.
11 Khangela bonke abakuthukuthelelayo bazayangeka badaniswe, bazakuba njengento engesilutho; labantu abalwa lawe bazabhubha.
Beholde, all they that prouoke thee, shalbe ashamed, and confounded: they shalbe as nothing, and they that striue with thee, shall perish.
12 Uzabadinga, ungabatholi; abantu abaphikisana lawe bazakuba njengento engesilutho, labantu abalwa lawe bazakuba njengeze.
Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them: to wit, the men of thy strife, for they shall be as nothing, and the men that warre against thee, as a thing of nought.
13 Ngoba mina Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, ngibamba isandla sakho sokunene, ngisithi kuwe: Ungesabi, mina ngizakusiza.
For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying vnto thee, Feare not, I wil helpe thee.
14 Ungesabi, mpethu enguJakobe, bantu bakoIsrayeli; mina ngizakusiza, kutsho iNkosi, lomhlengi wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
Feare not, thou worme, Iaakob, and ye men of Israel: I wil helpe thee, sayth the Lord and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel.
15 Khangela, ngizakwenza ube lubhulo olubukhali olutsha, olubukhali nhlangothi zombili; uzabhula izintaba uzichoboze, wenze amaqaqa abe njengamakhoba;
Behold, I wil make thee a roller, and a newe threshing instrument hauing teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountaines, and bring them to pouder, and shalt make the hilles as chaffe.
16 uzawela, lomoya uzawasusa, lesivunguzane siwachithachithe; njalo wena uthokoze ngeNkosi, uzidumise ngoNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
Thou shalt fanne them, and the winde shall carie them away, and the whirlewinde shall scatter them: and thou shalt reioyce in the Lord, and shalt glory in the holy one of Israel.
17 Abayanga labaswelayo badinga amanzi, kodwa engekho; ulimi lwabo lome ngokoma; mina Nkosi ngizabaphendula; mina Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kangiyikubadela.
When the poore and the needy seeke water, and there is none (their tongue faileth for thirst: I the Lord will heare them: I the God of Israel will not forsake them)
18 Ngizavula imifula emadundulwini, lemithombo phakathi kwezigodi; ngizakwenza inkangala ibe yisiziba samanzi, lomhlabathi owomileyo ube yiziphethu zamanzi.
I will open riuers in the toppes of the hils, and fountaines in the middes of the valleis: I will make the wildernesse as a poole of water, and the waste land as springs of water.
19 Ngizamisa enkangala umsedari, isihlahla sesinga, lemiteli, lesihlahla samafutha; ngibeke egwaduleni isihlahla sefiri, umangwe, lomsayiphuresi ndawonye;
I will set in the wildernesse the cedar, the shittah tree, and the mirre tree, and the pine tree, and I will set in the wildernesse the firre tree, the elme and the boxe tree together.
20 ukuze babone, bazi, baqaphelise, baqedisise kanyekanye, ukuthi isandla seNkosi sikwenzile lokhu, loNgcwele kaIsrayeli ukudalile.
Therefore let them see and knowe, and let them consider and vnderstande together that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the holy one of Israel hath created it.
21 Sondezani indaba yenu, itsho iNkosi, lisondeze izizatho zenu eziqinileyo, itsho iNkosi kaJakobe.
Stand to your cause, saith the Lord: bring forth your strong reasons, saith ye King of Iaakob.
22 Kabasondeze, basitshele okuzakwenzakala; kabakhulume izinto zamandulo, ukuthi ziyini, ukuze sizibeke enhliziyweni yethu, sazi isiphetho sazo; loba yenza ukuthi sizwe izinto ezizayo.
Let them bring foorth, and let them tell vs what shall come: let them shew the former things what they be, that wee may consider them, and knowe the latter ende of them: either declare vs things for to come.
23 Tshonini izinto ezizakuza ngasemuva, ukuze sazi ukuthi lingonkulunkulu; yebo, yenzani okuhle kumbe lenze okubi, ukuze simangale, sikhangele kanyekanye.
Shewe the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods: yea, doe good or doe euill, that we may declare it, and beholde it together.
24 Khangelani, livela kokungekho, lomsebenzi wenu uvela emayeni; uyisinengiso olikhethayo.
Beholde, ye are of no value, and your making is of naught: man hath chosen an abomination by them.
25 Ngimvusileovela enyakatho, njalo uzafika, evela lapho eliphuma khona ilanga uzabiza ibizo lami; njalo uzakwehlela phezu kweziphathamandla njengodaka, lanjengombumbi evoxa ibumba.
I haue raised vp from the North, and he shall come: from the East sunne shall he cal vpon my Name, and shall come vpon princes as vpon clay, and as the potter treadeth myre vnder the foote.
26 Ngubani owabikayo kwasekuqaleni, ukuze sazi, langaphambili ukuze sitsho ukuthi: Ulungile? Yebo, kakho obikayo, yebo, kakho ozwakalisayo, yebo, kakho owezwayo amazwi enu.
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may knowe? or before time, that we may say, He is righteous? Surely there is none that sheweth: surely there is none that declareth: surely there is none that heareth your wordes.
27 Owokuqala uzakuthi eZiyoni: Khangela, ubakhangele; njalo ngizanika iJerusalema oletha izindaba ezinhle.
I am the first, that saieth to Zion, Beholde, beholde them: and I will giue to Ierusalem one that shall bring good tidings.
28 Ngoba ngakhangela, njalo kwakungelamuntu, laphakathi kwabo kungekho umeluleki, ukuthi, lapho ngibabuza, baphendule ilizwi.
But when I behelde, there was none, and when I inquired of them, there was no counsellor, and when I demaunded of them, they answered not a woorde.
29 Khangela, bonke bayize; imisebenzi yabo kayisilutho; izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya lokusanganiseka.
Beholde, they are all vanitie: their worke is of nothing, their images are wind and confusion.
