U-Isaya 45
1 Itsho njalo iNkosi kogcotshiweyo wayo, kuKoresi, osandla sakhe sokunene ngisibambile ukuze ngehlisele phansi izizwe phambi kwakhe; ngithukulule izinkalo zamakhosi, ukuvula phambi kwakhe amasango alezivalo ezimbili, lamasango angavalwa.
This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, the one he has anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to direct him to defeat nations and to make kings weak, to open doors before him and gates that will not be shut.
2 Mina ngizahamba phambi kwakho, ngenze indawo ezigobileyo ziqonde, ngiphahlaze izivalo zethusi, ngiqume phakathi imigoqo yensimbi.
I will go ahead of you and level the mountains. I will break down bronze gates and cut through iron bars.
3 Ngizakunika okuligugu kobumnyama, lenotho ethukuziweyo yezindawo ezisithekileyo, ukuze wazi ukuthi mina Nkosi, engikubiza ngebizo lakho, nginguNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
I will give you hidden treasure, treasure concealed in secret places, so that you can know for sure that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.
4 Ngenxa yenceku yami uJakobe, loIsrayeli umkhethwa wami, ngikubizile ngitsho ngebizo lakho, ngakunika isibongo, lanxa ungangazanga.
I call you by name and I have given you a title of honor, for the sake of Jacob my servant, and Israel the one I chose, even though you don't know me.
5 NgiyiNkosi, njalo kakho omunye, ngaphandle kwami kakulaNkulunkulu; ngikubhincisile lanxa ungangazanga.
I am the Lord, there is no God apart from me. Apart from me there is no God. I will make you strong, even though you don't know me,
6 Ukuze bazi kusukela lapho eliphuma khona ilanga, njalo kusukela entshonalanga, ukuthi kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami; ngiyiNkosi, njalo kakho omunye.
so that everyone, from the east to the west, will know that there is no God apart from me, that I am the Lord, and there is none apart from me.
7 Ngibumba ukukhanya, ngidale umnyama; ngenza ukuthula, ngidale ububi; mina Nkosi ngenza zonke lezizinto.
I create light, and I make darkness, I bring peace and I bring about disaster. I am the Lord and I do all this.
8 Thontisani, mazulu, kuvela phezulu, lamayezi athulule ukulunga; umhlaba kawuvuleke, njalo kuthele usindiso, njalo kakuthi ukulunga kumile kanyekanye; mina Nkosi ngikudalile.
Let the rain fall from the sky above, let goodness fall from the clouds, let the earth open up to receive goodness and salvation so they can grow together. I, the Lord, created them.
9 Maye kuye ophikisana loMbumbi wakhe, udengezi lezindengezi zomhlabathi! Ibumba lizakutsho yini kolibumbayo ukuthi: Wenzani? kumbe: Umsebenzi wakho, kawulazandla yini?
What trouble people face when they fight with their Creator—they're just pots among all the other pots on earth! Does the clay tell the potter who is shaping it, “What are you doing?” or “What you're making is so bad it's like you have no hands!”
10 Maye kuye othi kuyise: Uzalani? kumbe kowesifazana: Ubeletheni?
How bad it would be if you said to your father, “Why did you have me?” or to your mother, “Why was I ever born?”!
11 Itsho njalo iNkosi, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, loMbumbi wakhe: Buzani kimi ngezinto ezizayo, ngamadodana ami, langomsebenzi wezandla zami liyangilaya.
This is what the Lord says, the Holy One of Israel, your Creator: You can ask me about things to come. But are you going to lecture me about my children and what I do?
12 Mina ngiwenzile umhlaba, ngadala umuntu phezu kwawo; mina, izandla zami zendlale amazulu, ngalawula amabutho awo wonke.
I'm the one who made the earth, and I created human beings to live there. It was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordered all the stars to come into being.
13 Mina ngimvusile ngokulunga, njalo ngizaqondisa zonke izindlela zakhe; yena uzakwakha umuzi wami, akhulule abathunjiweyo bami, hatshi ngentengo njalo hatshi ngesivalamlomo, kutsho iNkosi yamabandla.
Because I do what's right, I will encourage him and smooth out all the roads he takes. He will rebuild my city and will set my exiles free without being paid or bribed to do so, says the Lord Almighty.
14 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Umsebenzi weGibhithe, lokuthengiswayo kweEthiyophiya lokwamaShebha, amadoda amade, kuzadlulela kuwe, kuzakuba ngokwakho; bazakulandela, bedlule besemaketaneni, bakhothame kuwe, balabhele kuwe besithi: Isibili uNkulunkulu ukuwe, njalo kakho omunye, kakho omunye uNkulunkulu.
This is what the Lord says: “The productive Egyptians and the Ethiopian traders, as well as the tall Sabean people, will come over to you and will belong to you. They will walk behind you in chains and bow down to you, pleading with you, saying, ‘God is certainly with you, and there is no other God besides him.’”
15 Isibili unguNkulunkulu ozifihlayo, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli, uMsindisi.
Yet you are a God who hides himself, God of Israel, Savior.
16 Bazayangeka, ngitsho babe lenhloni, bonke; bazahamba belehlazo kanyekanye ababazi bezithombe.
Everyone who makes idols are ashamed and humiliated, all of them are disgraced.
17 Kodwa uIsrayeli uzasindiswa eNkosini ngosindiso olulaphakade; kaliyikuyangeka, kaliyikuba lenhloni, kuze kube nini lanini.
But Israel will be saved by the Lord with a salvation that lasts forever. You will never be ashamed or disgraced for all eternity.
18 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi eyadala amazulu, yona enguNkulunkulu, eyabumba umhlaba yawenza; yona yawumisa, ingawudalelanga ize, yawubumbela ukuze kuhlalwe kuwo: NgiyiNkosi, njalo kakho omunye.
For this is what the Lord says, the God who created the heavens, who formed and made the earth, he founded it. He didn't make it to be left empty, but formed it to be inhabited. He is the one who says, I am the Lord, and there is no God apart from me.
19 Kangikhulumelanga ekusithekeni, endaweni emnyama yomhlaba; kangitshongo kuyo inzalo kaJakobe ukuthi: Ngidingani ngeze. Mina Nkosi ngikhuluma iqiniso, ngimemezela izinto eziqotho.
I haven't been talking in secret in an obscure place. I didn't tell the descendants of Jacob: Look for me in a place where no one can be found. I, the Lord, tell the truth—I say what's right.
20 Buthanani libuye; sondelani kanyekanye, lina elaphunyuka ezizweni; abathwala izigodo zezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo kabazi, abakhuleka kunkulunkulu ongelakusindisa.
Gather yourselves together, and come, come close, you refugees of the nations. Aren't they stupid, these people who carry around their wooden idols, and who pray to a god that can't save them?
21 Tshelani, libasondeze; yebo kabacebisane kanyekanye: Ngubani owazwakalisa lokhu kwasendulo? Owakukhulumayo kusukela kulesosikhathi na? Kakusimi iNkosi yini? Njalo kakho omunye uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami, uNkulunkulu olungileyo loMsindisi; kakho ngaphandle kwami.
Discuss this together, and then speak up, present your case. Who predicted this long ago? Who said what would happen in the future back in the past? Wasn't that me, the Lord? There is no other God except me, no other God who does what is right, and who saves. There is no God apart from me.
22 Khangelani kimi, lisindiswe, lina lonke mikhawulo yomhlaba; ngoba nginguNkulunkulu, njalo kakho omunye.
Everyone on earth, come to me and be saved, for I am God and there is no God apart from me.
23 Ngizifungile mina, ilizwi liphumile emlonyeni wami ngokulunga, njalo kaliyikuphenduka, elithi: Kimi lonke idolo lizaguqa, lonke ulimi luzafunga.
I have sworn by my own self, I have spoken what is right, and I won't ever go back on it. Everyone shall bow before me; everyone shall acknowledge me.
24 Ngeqiniso, omunye uzakuthi: ENkosini ngilokulunga lamandla; kuyo bazakuza; kodwa bonke abayithukuthelelayo bazayangeka.
They will say about me, “Salvation and strength can only be found in the Lord.” Everyone who has fought against him will come to him and will be ashamed.
25 ENkosini yonke inzalo yakoIsrayeli izalungisiswa, izincome.
But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be made right, and they will glory in him.
