U-Isaya 42
1 Khangela inceku yami, engiyisekelayo, umkhethwa wami, othokoza ngaye umphefumulo wami; ngibekile uMoya wami phezu kwakhe; uzavezela izizwe isahlulelo.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him; He shall cause law to go forth to the nations.
2 Kayikumemeza, kayikuphakamisa ilizwi, kayikwenza ilizwi lakhe lizwakale esitaladeni.
He shall not cry aloud, nor lift up his voice, Nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 Umhlanga ofecekileyo kayikuwephula, lentambo yesibane ethunqayo kayikuyicitsha; uzaveza isahlulelo ngeqiniso.
The bruised reed shall he not break, And the glimmering flax shall he not quench; He shall send forth law according to truth.
4 Kayikudinwa, kayikwephulwa, aze amise isahlulelo emhlabeni; lezihlenge zizalindela umlayo wakhe.
He shall not fail, nor become weary, Until he shall have established justice in the earth. And distant nations shall wait for his law.
5 Utsho njalo uNkulunkulu iNkosi, owadala amazulu, wawelula, owendlala umhlaba lalokho okuphuma kuwo, onika abantu abakuwo ukuphefumula, lomoya kulabo abahamba kuwo.
Thus saith God Jehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth, and that which springeth forth from it, Who gave breath to the people upon it, And spirit to them that walk thereon:
6 Mina Nkosi ngikubizile ngokulunga, ngizabamba isandla sakho, ngikulondoloze, ngikunike ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe.
I, Jehovah, have called thee for salvation; I will hold thee by the hand; I will defend thee, and make thee a covenant to the people, A light to the nations;
7 Ukuthi uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukuthi ukhuphe izibotshwa entolongweni, labahlezi emnyameni endlini yezibotshwa.
To open the blind eyes, To bring out the prisoners from the prison, And them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
8 NgiyiNkosi, lelo libizo lami; lodumo lwami kangiyikulunika omunye, kumbe indumiso yami ezithombeni ezibaziweyo.
I am Jehovah, that is my name; And my glory will I not give to another, Nor my praise to graven images.
9 Khangela, izinto zamandulo sezifikile; sengimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakahlumi ngilitshela ngazo.
The former things, behold! they are come to pass, And new things do I now declare; Before they spring forth, I make them known to you.
10 Hlabelelani iNkosi ingoma entsha, indumiso zayo kusukela emkhawulweni womhlaba; lina elehlela elwandle, lokugcwala kwalo, zihlenge, labahlali bazo.
Sing to Jehovah a new song; His praise to the ends of the earth; Ye that go down upon the sea, and all that fill it; Ye distant coasts, and ye that dwell therein!
11 Kakuthi inkangala lemizi yayo kuphakamise ilizwi, lemizi uKedari ahlala kuyo; kakuthi abahlali bedwala bahlabelele, bamemeze besengqongeni yezintaba.
Let the desert cry aloud, and the cities thereof; The villages, that Kedar inhabiteth; Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 Kabayinike udumo iNkosi, bamemezele indumiso yayo ezihlengeni.
Let them give glory to Jehovah, And proclaim his praise in distant lands!
13 INkosi izaphuma njengeqhawe, ivuselele ukutshiseka njengendoda yempi; izamemeza, yebo iklabalale, izinqobe izitha zayo.
Jehovah shall march forth like a hero; Like a mighty warrior shall he rouse his indignation, He shall cry aloud; he shall shout the war-cry, And show himself mighty against his enemies.
14 Kwasendulo ngithule, ngathi zwi, ngazibamba; ngizakhala njengowesifazana obelethayo; ngiphefuzele, ngikhefuzele kanyekanye.
“I have long held my peace; I have been still and refrained myself; But now will I cry like a woman in travail; I will destroy and swallow up at once.
15 Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa, ngomise konke okuluhlaza kwazo, ngenze imifula ibe yizihlenge, ngomise amachibi.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, And dry up all their herbs. I will make the river solid land, And dry up the pools of water.
16 Njalo ngizakwenza iziphofu zihambe ngendlela ezingayaziyo, ngizikhokhelele emikhondweni ezingayaziyo; ngizakwenza umnyama ube yikukhanya phambi kwazo, lezinto ezigobileyo ziqonde; lezizinto ngizazenza kuzo, ngingaziyekeli.
Then will I lead the blind in a way which they know not, And in unknown paths will I guide them; I will make darkness light before them, And crooked paths straight; These things will I do for them, and not forsake them.”
17 Bazabuyiselwa emuva, bayangeke ngenhloni abathembela ezithombeni ezibaziweyo, abathi ezithombeni ezibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa: Lingonkulunkulu bethu.
Then shall they be turned back, and be put to shame, Who trust in graven images; Who say to molten images, “Ye are our gods!”
18 Zwanini lina zacuthe, lani ziphofu likhangele, ukuze libone.
Hear, O ye deaf! And look, ye blind, and see!
19 Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, kumbe oyisacuthe njengesithunywa sami engisithumayo? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengopheleleyo, loyisiphofu njengenceku yeNkosi?
Who is blind, if not my servant? And who so deaf as my messenger, whom I send? Who so blind as the friend of God, So blind as the servant of Jehovah?
20 Wena ubona izinto ezinengi, kodwa ungaziqaphelisi; yena uvula izindlebe, kodwa kezwa.
Thou seest many things, but regardest them not; Thou hast thine ears open, but hearest not!
21 INkosi iyathokoza ngenxa yokulunga kwayo; ikhulise umlayo, iwenze ube lodumo.
It pleased Jehovah for his goodness' sake To give him a law, great and glorious;
22 Kodwa laba ngabantu abantshontshelwayo baphangwa, bonke bathiyiwe emigodini, bafihlwa ezintolongweni; bangabokuphangwa, njalo kungekho okhululayo; bayimpango, njalo kungabikho othi: Buyisela.
And yet it is a robbed and plundered people; They are all of them bound in prisons, And hid in dungeons; They have become a spoil, and none delivereth; A prey, and none saith, “Restore!”
23 Ngubani phakathi kwenu ozabeka indlebe kulokhu, ozalalela azwe esikhathini esizayo?
Who is there among you that will give ear to this, That will listen and attend for the time to come?
24 Ngubani owanikela uJakobe ekuphangweni, loIsrayeli kubaphangi? Kwakungeyisiyo yini iNkosi esone kuyo? Ngoba bengavumanga ukuhamba endleleni zayo, njalo bengalalelanga umlayo wayo.
Who gave Jacob to be a spoil, And Israel to plunderers? Was it not Jehovah, against whom we sinned, In whose ways we would not walk, And whose laws we would not obey?
25 Ngakho yathululela phezu kwakhe ukuvutha kolaka lwayo, lamandla empi; njalo kwamthungela ngomlilo inhlangothi zonke, kodwa kakwazanga; kwamtshisa, kodwa kakubekanga enhliziyweni.
Therefore hath he poured out upon Israel the fury of his wrath, and the violence of war; It kindled a flame around about him, yet he did not regard it; It set him on fire, yet he laid it not to heart.
