< U-Isaya 43 >
1 Kodwa khathesi itsho njalo iNkosi eyakudalayo, wena Jakobe, leyakubumbayo, wena Israyeli: Ungesabi, ngoba ngikuhlengile, ngakubiza ngebizo lakho; ungowami.
But now thus saith Jehovah, that created thee, O Jacob, That formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by name; thou art mine!
2 Lapho udabula emanzini ngizakuba lawe, lemifuleni, kayiyikukukhukhula; lapho uhamba udabula emlilweni, kawuyikutsha, lelangabi kaliyikukulumathisa.
When thou passest through waters, I will be with thee; And through rivers, they shall not overflow thee; When thou walkest through fire, thou shalt not be burned, And the flame shall not consume thee.
3 Ngoba ngiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, uMsindisi wakho. Nginikele iGibhithe libe lihlawulo lokuthula lakho, iEthiyophiya leSeba esikhundleni sakho.
For I am Jehovah, thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy saviour. I will give Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee;
4 Njengoba wawuligugu emehlweni ami, wawudumile, njalo mina ngikuthandile. Ngakho ngizanika abantu esikhundleni sakho, lezizwe endaweni yempilo yakho.
Because thou art precious in my sight, Because thou art honored, and I love thee, Therefore will I give men for thee, And nations for thy life.
5 Ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ngizaletha inzalo yakho ivela empumalanga, ngikubuthe uvela entshonalanga;
Fear not, for I am with thee! I will bring thy children from the East, And gather thee from the West.
6 ngizakutsho kuyo inyakatho: Phana; lakuningizimu: Ungagodli; lethani amadodana ami akhatshana, lamadodakazi ami asemkhawulweni womhlaba,
I will say to the North, “Give them up!” And to the South, “Withhold them not! Bring my sons from afar, And my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 wonke obizwa ngebizo lami; ngoba ngimdalele udumo lwami, ngimbumbile, yebo ngimenzile.
Every one that is called by my name, That I have created for my glory, That I have formed and made!”
8 Khuphani abantu abayiziphofu abalamehlo, lezacuthe ezilendlebe.
Bring forth the blind people, having eyes, And the deaf, having 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.
Let all the nations be gathered together, And the kingdoms be assembled! Who among them hath declared this, And can show us former predictions? Let them produce their witnesses that they are right; That men may hear, 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.
Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, And my servant whom I have chosen, That ye may know and believe me, And understand that I am He. Before me was no god formed, And after me there shall be none.
11 Mina, mina ngiyiNkosi; langaphandle kwami kakulamsindisi.
I, I am Jehovah, And besides me there is no saviour.
12 Ngimemezele, ngasindisa, ngazwakalisa, kungakabikho unkulunkulu wezizwe phakathi kwenu; ngakho lingabafakazi bami, kutsho iNkosi, ukuthi nginguNkulunkulu.
I have declared and have saved; I made it known, when there was no strange god among you; Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, That I am God.
13 Yebo, kungakabi khona usuku, mina nginguye; njalo kakho ongakhulula esandleni sami; ngizasebenza, njalo ngubani ongakubuyisela emuva?
Even from the beginning of time I have been He, And none can rescue from my hand; I undertake, and who can hinder?
14 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi wenu, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli: Ngenxa yenu ngithumele eBhabhiloni, ngehlisele phansi bonke ababalekayo babo, lamaKhaladiya okukhala kwawo kusemikhunjini.
Thus saith Jehovah, Your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sakes have I sent to Babylon, And caused all her fugitives, And the Chaldeans, to descend to the ships of their delight.
15 NgiyiNkosi, oNgcwele wenu, uMdali kaIsrayeli, inkosi yenu.
I, Jehovah, am your Holy One, The creator of Israel, your king.
16 Itsho njalo iNkosi, eyenza indlela olwandle, lomkhondo emanzini alamandla,
Thus saith Jehovah, —He that made a way in the sea, And a path in the mighty waters,
17 ekhupha inqola lebhiza, ibutho lamandla; kuzalala ndawonye, kakuyikuvuka; kuzaphela du, kucitshe njengentambo yesibane.
That caused the chariot and the horse, the army and the forces, to march forth; There they lay down together; they rose no more; They were extinguished; they were quenched like a torch; —
18 Lingakhumbuli izinto zakuqala, linganakani ngezinto zendulo.
Remember not the former things; The things of old regard no more!
19 Khangelani, ngizakwenza into entsha; khathesi izahluma, kaliyikuyazi yini? Yebo, ngizakwenza indlela enkangala, imifula ogwaduleni.
Behold, I do a new thing; Now shall it spring forth; yea, ye shall see it. Behold, I make a way in the wilderness, And streams in the desert;
20 Inyamazana zeganga zizangidumisa, imigobho lamadodakazi ezintshe; ngoba nginika amanzi enkangala, imifula ogwaduleni, ukunathisa abantu bami, abakhethiweyo bami.
The beasts of the forest shall honor me, The jackals and the ostriches; For I make rivers in the wilderness And streams in the desert, To give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 Lababantu ngizibumbele bona; bazalandisa udumo lwami.
This people, which I have formed for myself Shall make known my praise.
22 Kanti kawungibizanga, Jakobe, kodwa udiniwe ngami, Israyeli.
Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, So as to have wearied thyself for me, O Israel!
23 Kawulethanga kimi izimvu zomnikelo wakho wokutshiswa, kawungihloniphanga ngemihlatshelo yakho. Kangikwenzanga wakhonza ngomnikelo, kangikudinisanga ngempepha.
Thou hast not brought me thy lambs for a burnt-offering, Nor honored me with thy sacrifices; I have not burdened thee with oblations, Nor wearied thee with incense;
24 Kawungithengelanga umhlanga olephunga elimnandi ngemali, njalo kawungisuthisanga ngamahwahwa emihlatshelo yakho; kodwa ungenze ngasebenza ngezono zakho, wangidinisa ngeziphambeko zakho.
Thou hast bought me no sweet-smelling reed with silver, Neither hast thou satisfied me with the fat of thy sacrifices; With thy sins hast thou burdened me, And wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 Mina, mina nginguye owesula iziphambeko zakho ngenxa yami, kangiyikuzikhumbula izono zakho.
I, I myself, blot out thy transgressions for my own sake, And will not remember thy sins.
26 Ngikhumbuza; kasehlulelane; landisa wena, ukuze ulungisiswe.
Put me in remembrance; let us plead together; Speak that thou mayst justify thyself.
27 Uyihlo wokuqala wona, labachasisi bakho baphambukile bemelene lami.
Thy forefathers sinned, And thy teachers were rebellious against me;
28 Ngakho ngingcolise iziphathamandla zendlu engcwele, nganikela uJakobe ekutshabalalisweni, loIsrayeli ekuthukweni.
Therefore have I profaned the princes of the sanctuary, And given up Jacob to a curse, And Israel to reproach.