U-Isaya 41
1 Thulani phambi kwami, zihlenge, kakuthi abantu bavuselele amandla; kabasondele; babesebekhuluma; kasisondele kanyekanye kusahlulelo.
“Listen before me in silence, you coastlands; let the nations renew their strength; let them come near and speak; let us come near together to argue a dispute.
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 has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and helps him subdue kings. He turns them to dust with his sword, like windblown stubble with his bow.
3 Waxotshana lawo, wedlula ephephile, ngendlela angayihambanga ngenyawo zakhe.
He pursues them and passes by safely, by a swift path that his feet scarcely touch.
4 Ngubani okusebenzileyo, wakwenza, ebiza izizukulwana kwasekuqaleni? Mina iNkosi ngingowokuqala, njalo ngilabokucina; nginguye.
Who has performed and accomplished these deeds? Who has summoned the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last ones, I am he.
5 Izihlenge zakubona, zesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba yathuthumela; yasondela, yafika.
The isles have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they approach and come.
6 Basiza, ngulowo lalowo umakhelwane wakhe, wonke wasesithi kumfowabo: Qina!
Everyone helps his neighbor, and every one says to one another, 'Be encouraged.'
7 Umbazi waseqinisa umkhandi wegolide, lololonga ngesando lowo otshaya isikhandelo, esithi: Kulungele ukunuselwa; wakuqinisa ngezipikili ukuze kunganyikinyeki.
So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and he who works with the hammer encourages him who works with an anvil, saying of the welding, 'It is good.' They fasten it with nails so it will not topple over.
8 Kodwa wena Israyeli, nceku yami, Jakobe engikukhethileyo, nzalo kaAbrahama isithandwa sami,
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,
9 wena engakubambayo kwasemikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza ezikhulwini zawo, ngathi kuwe: Uyinceku yami, ngikukhethile, kangikulahlanga;
you whom I am bringing back from the ends of the earth, and whom I called from the far away places, and to whom I said, 'You are my servant;' I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe, ungathalathalazi, ngoba mina nginguNkulunkulu wakho; ngizakuqinisa, yebo ngizakusiza, yebo ngizakusekela ngesandla sami sokunene esokulunga kwami.
Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and I will help you, and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 Khangela bonke abakuthukuthelelayo bazayangeka badaniswe, bazakuba njengento engesilutho; labantu abalwa lawe bazabhubha.
See, they will be ashamed and disgraced, all who have been angry with you; they will be as nothing and will perish, those who oppose you.
12 Uzabadinga, ungabatholi; abantu abaphikisana lawe bazakuba njengento engesilutho, labantu abalwa lawe bazakuba njengeze.
You will seek and will not find those who contended with you; those who warred against you will be like nothing, absolutely nothing.
13 Ngoba mina Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, ngibamba isandla sakho sokunene, ngisithi kuwe: Ungesabi, mina ngizakusiza.
For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Do not fear; I am helping you.'
14 Ungesabi, mpethu enguJakobe, bantu bakoIsrayeli; mina ngizakusiza, kutsho iNkosi, lomhlengi wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
Do not fear, Jacob you worm, and you men of Israel; I will help you—this is Yahweh's declaration, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 Khangela, ngizakwenza ube lubhulo olubukhali olutsha, olubukhali nhlangothi zombili; uzabhula izintaba uzichoboze, wenze amaqaqa abe njengamakhoba;
Look, I am making you like a sharp threshing sledge, new and two-edged; you will thresh the mountains and crush them; you will make the hills like chaff.
16 uzawela, lomoya uzawasusa, lesivunguzane siwachithachithe; njalo wena uthokoze ngeNkosi, uzidumise ngoNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away; the wind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh, you will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
17 Abayanga labaswelayo badinga amanzi, kodwa engekho; ulimi lwabo lome ngokoma; mina Nkosi ngizabaphendula; mina Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kangiyikubadela.
The oppressed and needy look for water, but there is none, and their tongues are parched for thirst; I, Yahweh, will respond to their prayers; 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 make streams to flow down the slopes, and springs in the middle of the valleys; I will make the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into springs of water.
19 Ngizamisa enkangala umsedari, isihlahla sesinga, lemiteli, lesihlahla samafutha; ngibeke egwaduleni isihlahla sefiri, umangwe, lomsayiphuresi ndawonye;
In the wilderness I will set the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree. I will set the cypress in the desert plain, with the pines and the cypress box trees.
20 ukuze babone, bazi, baqaphelise, baqedisise kanyekanye, ukuthi isandla seNkosi sikwenzile lokhu, loNgcwele kaIsrayeli ukudalile.
I will do this so that the people may see, recognize, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21 Sondezani indaba yenu, itsho iNkosi, lisondeze izizatho zenu eziqinileyo, itsho iNkosi kaJakobe.
“Present your case,” says Yahweh, “present your best arguments for your idols,” says the King of Jacob.
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 us their own arguments; have them come forward and declare to us what will happen, so we may know these things well. Have them tell us of earlier predictive declarations, so we can reflect on them and know how they were fulfilled.
23 Tshonini izinto ezizakuza ngasemuva, ukuze sazi ukuthi lingonkulunkulu; yebo, yenzani okuhle kumbe lenze okubi, ukuze simangale, sikhangele kanyekanye.
Tell things about the future, that we may know if you are gods; do something good or evil, that we may be frightened and impressed.
24 Khangelani, livela kokungekho, lomsebenzi wenu uvela emayeni; uyisinengiso olikhethayo.
See, you idols are nothing and your deeds are nothing; the one who chooses you is detestable.
25 Ngimvusileovela enyakatho, njalo uzafika, evela lapho eliphuma khona ilanga uzabiza ibizo lami; njalo uzakwehlela phezu kweziphathamandla njengodaka, lanjengombumbi evoxa ibumba.
I have raised up one from the north, and he comes; from the sun's rising I summon him who calls on my name, and he will trample the rulers like mud, like a potter who is treading on the clay.
26 Ngubani owabikayo kwasekuqaleni, ukuze sazi, langaphambili ukuze sitsho ukuthi: Ulungile? Yebo, kakho obikayo, yebo, kakho ozwakalisayo, yebo, kakho owezwayo amazwi enu.
Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know? Before this time, that we may say, “He is right”? Indeed none of them decreed it, yes, none heard you say anything.
27 Owokuqala uzakuthi eZiyoni: Khangela, ubakhangele; njalo ngizanika iJerusalema oletha izindaba ezinhle.
I first said to Zion, “Look here they are;” I sent a herald to Jerusalem.
28 Ngoba ngakhangela, njalo kwakungelamuntu, laphakathi kwabo kungekho umeluleki, ukuthi, lapho ngibabuza, baphendule ilizwi.
When I look, there is no one, not one among them who can give good advice, who, when I ask, can answer a word.
29 Khangela, bonke bayize; imisebenzi yabo kayisilutho; izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya lokusanganiseka.
Look, all of them are nothing, and their deeds are nothing; their cast metal figures are wind and emptiness.
