U-Isaya 42
1 Khangela inceku yami, engiyisekelayo, umkhethwa wami, othokoza ngaye umphefumulo wami; ngibekile uMoya wami phezu kwakhe; uzavezela izizwe isahlulelo.
Jacob is my servant, I will help him: Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 Kayikumemeza, kayikuphakamisa ilizwi, kayikwenza ilizwi lakhe lizwakale esitaladeni.
He shall not cry, nor lift up [his voice], nor shall his voice be heard without.
3 Umhlanga ofecekileyo kayikuwephula, lentambo yesibane ethunqayo kayikuyicitsha; uzaveza isahlulelo ngeqiniso.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench; but he shall bring forth judgment to truth.
4 Kayikudinwa, kayikwephulwa, aze amise isahlulelo emhlabeni; lezihlenge zizalindela umlayo wakhe.
He shall shine out, and shall not be discouraged, until he have set judgment on the earth: and in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
5 Utsho njalo uNkulunkulu iNkosi, owadala amazulu, wawelula, owendlala umhlaba lalokho okuphuma kuwo, onika abantu abakuwo ukuphefumula, lomoya kulabo abahamba kuwo.
Thus says the Lord God, who made the heaven, and established it; who settled the earth, and the things in it, and gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to them that tread on it:
6 Mina Nkosi ngikubizile ngokulunga, ngizabamba isandla sakho, ngikulondoloze, ngikunike ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe.
I the Lord God have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will strengthen you: and I have given you for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles:
7 Ukuthi uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukuthi ukhuphe izibotshwa entolongweni, labahlezi emnyameni endlini yezibotshwa.
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring the bound and them that sit in darkness out of bonds and the prison-house.
8 NgiyiNkosi, lelo libizo lami; lodumo lwami kangiyikulunika omunye, kumbe indumiso yami ezithombeni ezibaziweyo.
I am the Lord God: that is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praises to graven images.
9 Khangela, izinto zamandulo sezifikile; sengimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakahlumi ngilitshela ngazo.
Behold, the ancient things have come to pass, and [so will] the new things which I tell you: yes, before I tell [them] they are made known to you.
10 Hlabelelani iNkosi ingoma entsha, indumiso zayo kusukela emkhawulweni womhlaba; lina elehlela elwandle, lokugcwala kwalo, zihlenge, labahlali bazo.
Sing a new hymn to the Lord: you [who are] his dominion, glorify his name from the end of the earth: you that go down to the sea, and sail upon it; the islands, and they that dwell in them.
11 Kakuthi inkangala lemizi yayo kuphakamise ilizwi, lemizi uKedari ahlala kuyo; kakuthi abahlali bedwala bahlabelele, bamemeze besengqongeni yezintaba.
Rejoice, you wilderness, and the villages thereof, the hamlets, and the dwellers in Kedar: the inhabitants of the rock shall rejoice, they shall shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Kabayinike udumo iNkosi, bamemezele indumiso yayo ezihlengeni.
They shall give glory to God, [and] shall proclaim his praises in the islands.
13 INkosi izaphuma njengeqhawe, ivuselele ukutshiseka njengendoda yempi; izamemeza, yebo iklabalale, izinqobe izitha zayo.
The Lord God of hosts shall go forth, and crush the war: he shall stir up jealousy, and shall shout mightily against his enemies.
14 Kwasendulo ngithule, ngathi zwi, ngazibamba; ngizakhala njengowesifazana obelethayo; ngiphefuzele, ngikhefuzele kanyekanye.
I have been silent: shall I also always be silent and forbear: I have endured like a travailing [woman]: I will [now] amaze and wither at once.
15 Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa, ngomise konke okuluhlaza kwazo, ngenze imifula ibe yizihlenge, ngomise amachibi.
I will make desolate mountains and hills, and will dry up all their grass; and I will make the rivers 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.
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, and I will cause them to tread paths which they have not known: I will turn darkness into light for them, and crooked things into straight. These things will I do, and will not forsake them.
17 Bazabuyiselwa emuva, bayangeke ngenhloni abathembela ezithombeni ezibaziweyo, abathi ezithombeni ezibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa: Lingonkulunkulu bethu.
But they are turned back: be you utterly ashamed that trust in graven [images], who say to the molten [images], You are our gods.
18 Zwanini lina zacuthe, lani ziphofu likhangele, ukuze libone.
Hear, you deaf, and look up, you blind, to see.
19 Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, kumbe oyisacuthe njengesithunywa sami engisithumayo? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengopheleleyo, loyisiphofu njengenceku yeNkosi?
And who is blind, but my servants? and deaf, but they that rule over them? yes, the servants of God have been made blind.
20 Wena ubona izinto ezinengi, kodwa ungaziqaphelisi; yena uvula izindlebe, kodwa kezwa.
You have often seen, and have not taken heed; [your] ears have been opened, and you have not heard.
21 INkosi iyathokoza ngenxa yokulunga kwayo; ikhulise umlayo, iwenze ube lodumo.
The Lord God has taken counsel that he might be justified, and might magnify [his] praise.
22 Kodwa laba ngabantu abantshontshelwayo baphangwa, bonke bathiyiwe emigodini, bafihlwa ezintolongweni; bangabokuphangwa, njalo kungekho okhululayo; bayimpango, njalo kungabikho othi: Buyisela.
And I saw, and the people were spoiled and plundered: for [there is] a snare in the secret chambers everywhere, and in the houses also, where they have hidden them: they became a spoil, and there was no one that delivered the prey, and there was none who said, Restore.
23 Ngubani phakathi kwenu ozabeka indlebe kulokhu, ozalalela azwe esikhathini esizayo?
Who [is there] among you that will give ear to these things? listen you to the things which are coming to pass.
24 Ngubani owanikela uJakobe ekuphangweni, loIsrayeli kubaphangi? Kwakungeyisiyo yini iNkosi esone kuyo? Ngoba bengavumanga ukuhamba endleleni zayo, njalo bengalalelanga umlayo wayo.
For what did he give to Jacob up to spoil, and Israel to them that plundered him? Did not God [do it] against whom they sinned? [and] they would not walk in his ways, nor listen to 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 brought upon them the fury of his wrath; and the war, and those that burnt round about them, prevailed against them; yet no one of them knew [it], neither did they lay [it] to heart.
