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 delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
2 Kayikumemeza, kayikuphakamisa ilizwi, kayikwenza ilizwi lakhe lizwakale esitaladeni.
He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 Umhlanga ofecekileyo kayikuwephula, lentambo yesibane ethunqayo kayikuyicitsha; uzaveza isahlulelo ngeqiniso.
He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.
4 Kayikudinwa, kayikwephulwa, aze amise isahlulelo emhlabeni; lezihlenge zizalindela umlayo wakhe.
He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands 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.
God the LORD, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:
6 Mina Nkosi ngikubizile ngokulunga, ngizabamba isandla sakho, ngikulondoloze, ngikunike ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe.
“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations,
7 Ukuthi uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukuthi ukhuphe izibotshwa entolongweni, labahlezi emnyameni endlini yezibotshwa.
to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.
8 NgiyiNkosi, lelo libizo lami; lodumo lwami kangiyikulunika omunye, kumbe indumiso yami ezithombeni ezibaziweyo.
“I am the LORD. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.
9 Khangela, izinto zamandulo sezifikile; sengimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakahlumi ngilitshela ngazo.
Behold, the former things have happened and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”
10 Hlabelelani iNkosi ingoma entsha, indumiso zayo kusukela emkhawulweni womhlaba; lina elehlela elwandle, lokugcwala kwalo, zihlenge, labahlali bazo.
Sing to the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants.
11 Kakuthi inkangala lemizi yayo kuphakamise ilizwi, lemizi uKedari ahlala kuyo; kakuthi abahlali bedwala bahlabelele, bamemeze besengqongeni yezintaba.
Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 Kabayinike udumo iNkosi, bamemezele indumiso yayo ezihlengeni.
Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 INkosi izaphuma njengeqhawe, ivuselele ukutshiseka njengendoda yempi; izamemeza, yebo iklabalale, izinqobe izitha zayo.
The LORD will go out like a mighty man. He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over his enemies.
14 Kwasendulo ngithule, ngathi zwi, ngazibamba; ngizakhala njengowesifazana obelethayo; ngiphefuzele, ngikhefuzele kanyekanye.
“I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.
15 Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa, ngomise konke okuluhlaza kwazo, ngenze imifula ibe yizihlenge, ngomise amachibi.
I will destroy mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will 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 bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.
17 Bazabuyiselwa emuva, bayangeke ngenhloni abathembela ezithombeni ezibaziweyo, abathi ezithombeni ezibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa: Lingonkulunkulu bethu.
“Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.
18 Zwanini lina zacuthe, lani ziphofu likhangele, ukuze libone.
“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.
19 Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, kumbe oyisacuthe njengesithunywa sami engisithumayo? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengopheleleyo, loyisiphofu njengenceku yeNkosi?
Who is blind, but my servant? Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as the LORD’s servant?
20 Wena ubona izinto ezinengi, kodwa ungaziqaphelisi; yena uvula izindlebe, kodwa kezwa.
You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.
21 INkosi iyathokoza ngenxa yokulunga kwayo; ikhulise umlayo, iwenze ube lodumo.
It pleased the LORD, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law and make it honorable.
22 Kodwa laba ngabantu abantshontshelwayo baphangwa, bonke bathiyiwe emigodini, bafihlwa ezintolongweni; bangabokuphangwa, njalo kungekho okhululayo; bayimpango, njalo kungabikho othi: Buyisela.
But this is a robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become captives, and no one delivers, and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’
23 Ngubani phakathi kwenu ozabeka indlebe kulokhu, ozalalela azwe esikhathini esizayo?
Who is there among you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear 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 as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.
25 Ngakho yathululela phezu kwakhe ukuvutha kolaka lwayo, lamandla empi; njalo kwamthungela ngomlilo inhlangothi zonke, kodwa kakwazanga; kwamtshisa, kodwa kakubekanga enhliziyweni.
Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle. It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know. It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”
