U-Isaya 42
1 Khangela inceku yami, engiyisekelayo, umkhethwa wami, othokoza ngaye umphefumulo wami; ngibekile uMoya wami phezu kwakhe; uzavezela izizwe isahlulelo.
Look! Here is my servant, the one I support; my chosen one who pleases me. I have placed my Spirit on him, and he will show the nations what is right.
2 Kayikumemeza, kayikuphakamisa ilizwi, kayikwenza ilizwi lakhe lizwakale esitaladeni.
He won't shout or cry out; he won't raise his voice in the street.
3 Umhlanga ofecekileyo kayikuwephula, lentambo yesibane ethunqayo kayikuyicitsha; uzaveza isahlulelo ngeqiniso.
He won't break a damaged reed; he won't snuff out a smoldering wick. He will faithfully make sure everyone is treated fairly.
4 Kayikudinwa, kayikwephulwa, aze amise isahlulelo emhlabeni; lezihlenge zizalindela umlayo wakhe.
He won't give up or become discouraged until he has made sure that justice is upheld throughout the world. Even lands overseas will look forward to his teachings.
5 Utsho njalo uNkulunkulu iNkosi, owadala amazulu, wawelula, owendlala umhlaba lalokho okuphuma kuwo, onika abantu abakuwo ukuphefumula, lomoya kulabo abahamba kuwo.
This is what God the Lord says, the one who created the heavens and stretched them out, who made the earth and everything in it, who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who live there:
6 Mina Nkosi ngikubizile ngokulunga, ngizabamba isandla sakho, ngikulondoloze, ngikunike ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe.
“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate what's right, and I will hold your hand. I will take care of you, and give you as a sign of my agreement with the people and as a light to the nations.
7 Ukuthi uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukuthi ukhuphe izibotshwa entolongweni, labahlezi emnyameni endlini yezibotshwa.
You will make the blind see, set free those who are locked up, and lead those who sit in darkness out from prison.
8 NgiyiNkosi, lelo libizo lami; lodumo lwami kangiyikulunika omunye, kumbe indumiso yami ezithombeni ezibaziweyo.
I am the Lord—that is my name! I do not give my honor to anyone else; I do not give my praise to idols.
9 Khangela, izinto zamandulo sezifikile; sengimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakahlumi ngilitshela ngazo.
Notice that what I foretold has come true, as will the new things I'm saying to you now. I tell you what will happen before it does.”
10 Hlabelelani iNkosi ingoma entsha, indumiso zayo kusukela emkhawulweni womhlaba; lina elehlela elwandle, lokugcwala kwalo, zihlenge, labahlali bazo.
Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing praise from everywhere on earth, you who sail on the sea and everything in it, you islands and everyone who lives in them.
11 Kakuthi inkangala lemizi yayo kuphakamise ilizwi, lemizi uKedari ahlala kuyo; kakuthi abahlali bedwala bahlabelele, bamemeze besengqongeni yezintaba.
Let the people in the desert and its towns shout; let the people of the villages of Kedar cry out loud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.
12 Kabayinike udumo iNkosi, bamemezele indumiso yayo ezihlengeni.
Let them glorify the Lord and praise him in the islands.
13 INkosi izaphuma njengeqhawe, ivuselele ukutshiseka njengendoda yempi; izamemeza, yebo iklabalale, izinqobe izitha zayo.
Like a mighty warrior the Lord will march out, like a seasoned soldier he goes out with courage. He gives his war-cry, shouting as he battles and defeats his enemies.
14 Kwasendulo ngithule, ngathi zwi, ngazibamba; ngizakhala njengowesifazana obelethayo; ngiphefuzele, ngikhefuzele kanyekanye.
“I didn't say anything for a long time, I kept quiet and restrained myself. But now like a woman giving birth, I will moan and gasp and pant.
15 Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa, ngomise konke okuluhlaza kwazo, ngenze imifula ibe yizihlenge, ngomise amachibi.
I will dry up the mountains and the hills, and make all their greenery wither. I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
16 Njalo ngizakwenza iziphofu zihambe ngendlela ezingayaziyo, ngizikhokhelele emikhondweni ezingayaziyo; ngizakwenza umnyama ube yikukhanya phambi kwazo, lezinto ezigobileyo ziqonde; lezizinto ngizazenza kuzo, ngingaziyekeli.
I will lead the blind along a road they don't know; I will guide them along paths they don't know. I will turn darkness into light before them, and smooth out the rough places. This is what I'm going to do for them; I won't let them down.
17 Bazabuyiselwa emuva, bayangeke ngenhloni abathembela ezithombeni ezibaziweyo, abathi ezithombeni ezibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa: Lingonkulunkulu bethu.
But those who trust in idols and say to images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be rejected in humiliation and shame.
18 Zwanini lina zacuthe, lani ziphofu likhangele, ukuze libone.
Listen, you deaf people! Look and see, you blind people!
19 Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, kumbe oyisacuthe njengesithunywa sami engisithumayo? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengopheleleyo, loyisiphofu njengenceku yeNkosi?
Who is blind like my servant? Who is deaf like my messenger that I send? Who is as blind as the people of the agreement? Who is as blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 Wena ubona izinto ezinengi, kodwa ungaziqaphelisi; yena uvula izindlebe, kodwa kezwa.
You've looked at many things but have not really seen; you've heard but never really listened.”
21 INkosi iyathokoza ngenxa yokulunga kwayo; ikhulise umlayo, iwenze ube lodumo.
Because the Lord does what is right he wanted to show how important and wonderful his instructions were.
22 Kodwa laba ngabantu abantshontshelwayo baphangwa, bonke bathiyiwe emigodini, bafihlwa ezintolongweni; bangabokuphangwa, njalo kungekho okhululayo; bayimpango, njalo kungabikho othi: Buyisela.
But this people ended up robbed and raided, all of them trapped in holes or hidden in prisons. They have been stolen like loot, with no one to save them from being someone's prize, no one to say “Give them back!”
23 Ngubani phakathi kwenu ozabeka indlebe kulokhu, ozalalela azwe esikhathini esizayo?
Who of you is going to listen to this, or pay attention later on?
24 Ngubani owanikela uJakobe ekuphangweni, loIsrayeli kubaphangi? Kwakungeyisiyo yini iNkosi esone kuyo? Ngoba bengavumanga ukuhamba endleleni zayo, njalo bengalalelanga umlayo wayo.
Who let Jacob be taken as loot; who let Israel be taken by robbers? Wasn't it the Lord who we sinned against? The people weren't willing to follow his ways, and they refused to obey his law.
25 Ngakho yathululela phezu kwakhe ukuvutha kolaka lwayo, lamandla empi; njalo kwamthungela ngomlilo inhlangothi zonke, kodwa kakwazanga; kwamtshisa, kodwa kakubekanga enhliziyweni.
So he poured out his furious anger on them, and the violence of war. Even though they were surrounded by flames, but they still didn't understand. The fire burned them up, but they still did not take the situation seriously.
