U-Isaya 43
1 Kodwa khathesi itsho njalo iNkosi eyakudalayo, wena Jakobe, leyakubumbayo, wena Israyeli: Ungesabi, ngoba ngikuhlengile, ngakubiza ngebizo lakho; ungowami.
And now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel: Do not be afraid. For I have redeemed you, and I have called you by your name. You are mine.
2 Lapho udabula emanzini ngizakuba lawe, lemifuleni, kayiyikukukhukhula; lapho uhamba udabula emlilweni, kawuyikutsha, lelangabi kaliyikukulumathisa.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not cover you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not scorch you.
3 Ngoba ngiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, uMsindisi wakho. Nginikele iGibhithe libe lihlawulo lokuthula lakho, iEthiyophiya leSeba esikhundleni sakho.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have presented Egypt as your atonement, Ethiopia and Seba on your behalf.
4 Njengoba wawuligugu emehlweni ami, wawudumile, njalo mina ngikuthandile. Ngakho ngizanika abantu esikhundleni sakho, lezizwe endaweni yempilo yakho.
Since then, you have become honorable in my eyes, and glorious. I have loved you, and I will present men on behalf of you, and people on behalf of your life.
5 Ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ngizaletha inzalo yakho ivela empumalanga, ngikubuthe uvela entshonalanga;
Fear not, for I am with you. I will lead your offspring from the East, and I will gather you from the West.
6 ngizakutsho kuyo inyakatho: Phana; lakuningizimu: Ungagodli; lethani amadodana ami akhatshana, lamadodakazi ami asemkhawulweni womhlaba,
I will say to the North, “Release him,” and to the South, “Do not turn him away.” Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
7 wonke obizwa ngebizo lami; ngoba ngimdalele udumo lwami, ngimbumbile, yebo ngimenzile.
And each one who calls upon my name, I have created for my glory. I have formed him, and I have made him.
8 Khuphani abantu abayiziphofu abalamehlo, lezacuthe ezilendlebe.
Lead forth the people who are blind and have eyes, who are deaf and have ears.
9 Izizwe zonke kazibuthane ndawonye, labantu bahlangane. Ngubani phakathi kwabo ongamemezela lokhu, asenze sizwe izinto zamandulo? Kabalethe abafakazi babo, ukuze balungisiswe, kumbe bezwe bathi: Kuliqiniso.
All the nations have been assembled together, and the tribes have been collected. Who among you will announce this, and who will cause us to listen to the things that are first? Let them present their witnesses. Let them act justly, and listen, and say: “It is true.”
10 Lingabafakazi bami, kutsho iNkosi, lenceku yami engiyikhethileyo; ukuze lazi, lingikholwe, liqedisise ukuthi nginguye; ngaphambi kwami kakubunjwanga unkulunkulu, langemva kwami kayikuba khona.
You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and you are my servant, whom I have chosen, so that you may know, and may believe in me, and so that you may understand that I am the same. Before me, there was no god formed, and after me there will be none.
11 Mina, mina ngiyiNkosi; langaphandle kwami kakulamsindisi.
I am. I am the Lord. And there is no savior apart from me.
12 Ngimemezele, ngasindisa, ngazwakalisa, kungakabikho unkulunkulu wezizwe phakathi kwenu; ngakho lingabafakazi bami, kutsho iNkosi, ukuthi nginguNkulunkulu.
I have announced, and I have saved. I have caused it to be heard. And there was no stranger among you. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God.
13 Yebo, kungakabi khona usuku, mina nginguye; njalo kakho ongakhulula esandleni sami; ngizasebenza, njalo ngubani ongakubuyisela emuva?
And from the beginning, I am the same. And there is no one who can rescue from my hand. I act, and who can turn it aside?
14 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi wenu, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli: Ngenxa yenu ngithumele eBhabhiloni, ngehlisele phansi bonke ababalekayo babo, lamaKhaladiya okukhala kwawo kusemikhunjini.
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake, I sent to Babylon, and tore down all their bars, with the Chaldeans who glory in their ships.
15 NgiyiNkosi, oNgcwele wenu, uMdali kaIsrayeli, inkosi yenu.
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Itsho njalo iNkosi, eyenza indlela olwandle, lomkhondo emanzini alamandla,
Thus says the Lord, who gave you a way through the sea and a path through the torrent of waters,
17 ekhupha inqola lebhiza, ibutho lamandla; kuzalala ndawonye, kakuyikuvuka; kuzaphela du, kucitshe njengentambo yesibane.
who led out the chariot and the horse, the column of robust troops. They went to sleep together, and they will not arise. They have been crushed like flax, and they have been extinguished.
18 Lingakhumbuli izinto zakuqala, linganakani ngezinto zendulo.
You need not call to mind the past, nor consider the things of antiquity.
19 Khangelani, ngizakwenza into entsha; khathesi izahluma, kaliyikuyazi yini? Yebo, ngizakwenza indlela enkangala, imifula ogwaduleni.
Behold, I am accomplishing new things. And presently, they will spring forth. With certainty, you will know them. I will make a way in the desert, and rivers in an impassible place.
20 Inyamazana zeganga zizangidumisa, imigobho lamadodakazi ezintshe; ngoba nginika amanzi enkangala, imifula ogwaduleni, ukunathisa abantu bami, abakhethiweyo bami.
The wild beasts of the field will glorify me, with the serpents and the ostriches. For I have brought waters to the desert, rivers to inaccessible places, in order to give drink to my people, to my elect.
21 Lababantu ngizibumbele bona; bazalandisa udumo lwami.
This is the people whom I have formed for myself. They will speak my praise.
22 Kanti kawungibizanga, Jakobe, kodwa udiniwe ngami, Israyeli.
But you have not called upon me, O Jacob, nor have you struggled for me, O Israel.
23 Kawulethanga kimi izimvu zomnikelo wakho wokutshiswa, kawungihloniphanga ngemihlatshelo yakho. Kangikwenzanga wakhonza ngomnikelo, kangikudinisanga ngempepha.
You have not offered me the ram of your holocaust, and you have not glorified me with your victims. I have not burdened you with oblations, nor have I wearied you with incense.
24 Kawungithengelanga umhlanga olephunga elimnandi ngemali, njalo kawungisuthisanga ngamahwahwa emihlatshelo yakho; kodwa ungenze ngasebenza ngezono zakho, wangidinisa ngeziphambeko zakho.
You have bought me no sweet cane with money, and you have not inebriated me with the fat of your victims. Yet truly, you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 Mina, mina nginguye owesula iziphambeko zakho ngenxa yami, kangiyikuzikhumbula izono zakho.
I am. I am the very One who wipes away your iniquities for my own sake. And I will not remember your sins.
26 Ngikhumbuza; kasehlulelane; landisa wena, ukuze ulungisiswe.
Call me to mind, and let us go to judgment together. If you have anything to justify yourself, explain it.
27 Uyihlo wokuqala wona, labachasisi bakho baphambukile bemelene lami.
Your first father sinned, and your interpreters have betrayed me.
28 Ngakho ngingcolise iziphathamandla zendlu engcwele, nganikela uJakobe ekutshabalalisweni, loIsrayeli ekuthukweni.
And so, I have defiled the holy leaders. I have handed over Jacob to slaughter, and Israel to calumny.
