U-Isaya 44
1 Kodwa khathesi zwana, Jakobe nceku yami, lawe Israyeli engikukhethileyo.
Now, then—hear, O Jacob, my Servant, —and Israel whom I have chosen:
2 Itsho njalo INkosi umenzi wakho lombumbi wakho kusukela esiswini, ezakusiza: Ungesabi, Jakobe, nceku yami, lawe Jeshuruni engikukhethileyo.
Thus, saith Yahweh—Who made thee and formed thee from birth, Who helpeth thee: Do not fear O my Servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen;
3 Ngoba ngizathela amanzi phezu kwakhe owomileyo, lezikhukhula emhlabathini owomileyo; ngizathela umoya wami phezu kwenzalo yakho, lesibusiso sami phezu kwembewu yakho.
For I will pour, Water upon the thirsty soil, and Floods upon the dry ground, —I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring;
4 Bazahluma phakathi kotshani, njengeminyezane ngasezifuleni zamanzi.
So will they spring up among the grass, As willows by the water-courses:
5 Omunye uzakuthi: Mina ngingoweNkosi; lomunye azibize ngebizo likaJakobe, lomunye abhale esandleni sakhe ukuthi: NgingoweNkosi; azibonge ngebizo likaIsrayeli.
This one, will say Yahweh’s, am I, and That one, will call himself by the name of Jacob, and Yonder one will write on his hand—Yahweh’s, And after the name of Israel, will one entitle himself.
6 Utsho njalo uJehova, inkosi yakoIsrayeli, loMhlengi wakhe, iNkosi yamabandla: Ngingowokuqala njalo ngingowokucina; njalo ngaphandle kwami kakho uNkulunkulu.
Thus saith Yahweh—King of Israel, Even his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts, —I, am, First, and, I, Last, And besides me, there is no God.
7 Njalo ngubani ongabiza njengami, akumemezele, angihlelele khona, kusukela ngimisa abantu bendulo? Lezinto ezizayo, lezizakuza, kabazimemezele kubo.
Who then, like me, can call, and declare it, and order it, for me, Seeing that I appointed an age-abiding people, —Or things yet to be, and that shall come to pass, Let them declare on their part.
8 Lingatshaywa luvalo, lingesabi; kangikuzwisanga yini kusukela ngalesosikhathi, ngakumemezela? Njalo lina lingabafakazi bami. Kukhona yini uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami? Yebo, kalikho elinye iDwala; kangilazi.
Do not ye dread, nor yet be alarmed, Have I not from olden time, told thee and declared? So that, ye, are my witnesses, —Whether there is a GOD besides me? Or is no Rock—I knew of none!
9 Bonke ababumba izithombe ezibaziweyo bayize, lezinto zabo ezithandekayo kazisizi lutho; labo bangabafakazi babo, kababoni, kabazi; ukuze bayangeke.
The fashioners of an image—all of them, are emptiness, And, the things they delight in, cannot profit, —And, their, witnesses, they, neither see nor know, That they may be ashamed.
10 Ngubani obumbe unkulunkulu, loba wabumba ngokuncibilikisa isithombe esibaziweyo esingasizi lutho?
Who hath fashioned a GOD, Oran image, hath molten? It cannot profit!
11 Khangela, bonke abangane bakhe bazayangeka; lababazi bangababantu; kababuthane bonke, basukume; bazakwesaba, bayangeke kanyekanye.
Lo! all his partners, turn pale, Even, the artificers themselves, are of the sons of earth, —Let them gather themselves together—all of them. Let them take their stand, Let them dread, and turn pale, together!
12 Umkhandi wensimbiukhanda ihloka, asebenze emalahleni, alibumbe ngezando, alisebenze ngamandla engalo yakhe; yebo, alambe, aze aphele amandla; kanathi manzi, aze adinwe.
As for the smith, [with his] cutting-tool, —When he hath wrought in the live coals, And, with hammers, hath fashioned it, —And hath wrought it with his strong arm, Anon he is hungry, and hath no strength, He hath drunk no water and so hath become faint!
13 Umbazi welula intambo yokulinganisa, adwebe ngosungulo, asenze ngezancele, asidwebe ngekhampasi, asenze ngomfanekiso womuntu, ngokobuhle bomuntu, ukuze sihlale endlini.
As for the carpenter, —He hath stretched out a line hath drawn it with a pencil, Hath made it with carving tools, With compasses, hath rounded it, —And so hath made it after the figure of a great man, After the beauty of a son of earth, that it may remain in a house!
14 Uzigamulela imisedari, athathe umsayiphuresi lesihlahla se-okhi, aziqinisela zona phakathi kwezihlahla zegusu, ahlanyele ifiri, lezulu liyikhulise.
When one was cutting him down cedars, Then took he a holm-tree and an oak, And secured them for himself, among the trees of the forest, —He planted a fir-tree and the pouring rain made it grow;
15 Kuzakuba-ke ngokomuntu ukuthi akubase, njalo uzathatha kukho, othe; yebo akubase, abhake isinkwa; yebo enze unkulunkulu, amkhonze, enze isithombe esibaziweyo, akhothame kuso.
So it serveth for a man to burn, And he hath taken of the branches and warmed himself, Also he kindleth a fire, and baketh bread, —Also he maketh a GOD, and hath bowed himself down, Hath made of it a carved image, and adored it:
16 Atshise ingxenye yakho emlilweni; ngengxenye yakho adle inyama, ose amawoso asuthe; yebo, uyotha athi: Alala! ngiyakhudumala, ngiwubonile umlilo.
The half thereof, hath he burned in the fire, Over half thereof, he eateth flesh, He roasteth roast, that he may be satisfied, —Also he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen a blaze;
17 Njalo okuseleyo kwakho akwenze kube ngunkulunkulu, kube yisithombe sakhe esibaziweyo; akhothame kuso, akhonze, akhuleke kuso athi: Ngophula, ngoba ungunkulunkulu wami.
And the residue thereof, Into a GOD, he maketh, Into his carved image, —Adoreth it, and boweth down and prayeth unto it, And saith Deliver me, for, my GOD, thou art!
18 Kabazanga, kabaqedisisanga; ngoba ebhade amehlo abo ukuze bangaboni; lenhliziyo zabo ukuze bangaqedisisi.
They have not taken note, neither can they perceive, —He hath besmeared—past seeing—their eyes, Past understanding, their hearts;
19 Kakho ocabanga enhliziyweni yakhe, njalo kakulalwazi njalo kakulakuqedisisa kokuthi: Ngibasile ingxenye yakho emlilweni, yebo ngibhake isinkwa phezu kwamalahle akho, ngosa inyama, ngayidla; kambe ngizakwenza insali yakho isinengiso yini? Ngizakhothamela okwesihlahla yini?
And no one reflecteth—There is neither knowledge nor discernment—to say, Half thereof, have I burned up in the fire Moreover also I have baked, on the coals thereof, bread, I roasted flesh, and have been eating, —And of the remainder thereof, an abomination, shall I make? And, to a log of wood, shall I pay adoration?
20 Udla umlotha; inhliziyo ekhohlisiweyo imphambule, okokuthi angekhulule umphefumulo wakhe njalo kathi: Kakulamanga yini esandleni sami sokunene?
He is feeding on ashes, A deluded heart, hath turned him aside, —And he cannot deliver his own soul nor say, Is there not a falsehood in my right hand?
21 Khumbula lezizinto, Jakobe, lawe Israyeli, ngoba uyinceku yami; ngikubumbile, uyinceku yami. Wena Israyeli, kawuyikukhohlwa yimi.
Remember these things, O Jacob, And, Israel, —for, my Servant, thou art, —I have fashioned thee, a Servant of mine, thou art.
22 Ngesule iziphambeko zakho njengeyezi elinzima, lanjengeyezi izono zakho; buyela kimi, ngoba ngikuhlengile.
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me, I have wiped out, As with a thick cloud, thy transgressions, And as with a broad cloud, thy sins, —Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee.
23 Hlabelelani, lina mazulu, ngoba iNkosi ikwenzile; memezani, zindawo eziphansi zomhlaba; qhamukani lihlabele, zintaba, gusu, laso sonke isihlahla esiphakathi kwakho; ngoba iNkosi imhlengile uJakobe, yazidumisa koIsrayeli.
Shout in triumph ye heavens for Yahweh, hath effectually wrought. Shout, O ye underparts of the earth, Ring out, Ye mountains, into cries of triumph, Thou forest, and every tree therein, —For, Yahweh, hath redeemed, Jacob, And in Israel, will he get himself glory.
24 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi wakho, leyakubumba kwasesiswini: NgiyiNkosi eyenza zonke izinto; eyendlala amazulu, mina ngedwa; eyeneka umhlaba ngokwami;
Thus, saith Yahweh Who hath redeemed thee, Who hath fashioned thee from birth, —I—Yahweh, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens, alone, Spreading forth the earth, of myself;
25 efubisa izibonakaliso zabaqambimanga; yenze izanuse zihlanye; ebuyisela emuva abahlakaniphileyo; yenze ulwazi lwabo lube yibuthutha;
Frustrating the signs of praters, And, diviners, he confoundeth, —Turning wise men backwards, And their knowledge, he maketh folly;
26 eqinisa ilizwi lenceku yayo; ifeze amacebo ezithunywa zayo; ethi kuyo iJerusalema: Uzahlalwa; lemizini yakoJuda: Lizakwakhiwa; futhi ngizavusa amanxiwa ayo;
Establishing the word of his Servant, And the counsel of his Messengers, he maketh good, —Who saith of Jerusalem—She shall be inhabited! And of the cities of Judah—They shall be built! And the ruins thereof, will I set up!
27 etshoyo enzikini: Tshana; njalo ngizakomisa imifula yakho;
Who saith to the deep—Be dry and Thy rivers, will I drain!
28 etshoyo ngoKoresi: Ungumelusi wami, uzaphelelisa intokozo yami yonke; ithi lakuJerusalema: Kayakhiwe; lethempelini: Isisekelo sakho kasibekwe.
Who saith of Cyrus—My Shepherd! and All my pleasure, shall he make good Even saying of Jerusalem—She shall be built! And of the temple—Be her foundation laid!
