< U-Isaya 51 >
1 Lalelani kimi, lina elidingisisa ukulunga, lina elidinga iNkosi; khangelani edwaleni elacezulwa kulo, lemlindini wegodi elagejwa kuwo.
Hearken to me, ye that pursue righteousness. Ye that seek Jehovah! Look to the rock whence ye were hewn, To the pit-quarry whence ye were digged!
2 Khangelani kuAbrahama uyihlo, lakuSara owalizalayo; ngoba ngambiza eyedwa, ngambusisa, ngamandisa.
Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah that bore you! For I called him when only one, And blessed him, and multiplied him.
3 Ngoba iNkosi izayiduduza iZiyoni, iduduze wonke amanxiwa ayo, njalo izakwenza inkangala yayo ifanane leEdeni, logwadule lwayo lufanane lensimu yeNkosi; injabulo lentokozo kuzatholakala kuyo, ukubonga lelizwi lokuhlabelela.
Thus will Jehovah have pity upon Zion; He will have pity upon all her desolations. He will make her wilderness like Eden, Her desert like the garden of Jehovah. Joy and gladness shall be found therein; Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
4 Lalelani kimi, bantu bami, libeke indlebe kimi, sizwe sami; ngoba umlayo uzaphuma kimi, njalo ngizakwenza ukwahlulela kwami kuphumule kube yikukhanya kwabantu.
Hearken to me, O my people! And give ear to me, O my nation! For a law shall proceed from me, And I will establish my statutes for the light of the nations.
5 Ukulunga kwami kuseduze, usindiso lwami luphumile, lengalo zami zizakwehlulela abantu; izihlenge zingilindele, zithembele engalweni yami.
My help is near; my salvation goeth forth; My arm shall judge the nations; Distant lands shall wait for me, And in my arm shall they trust.
6 Phakamiselani amehlo enu emazulwini, likhangele emhlabeni phansi; ngoba amazulu azanyamalala njengentuthu, lomhlaba uguge njengesembatho, labahlezi kuwo bafe ngokunjalo; kodwa usindiso lwami luzakuba phakade, lokulunga kwami kakuyikuchithwa.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look down upon the earth beneath! For the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, And the earth shall decay like a garment, And its inhabitants shall perish like flies. But my salvation shall endure forever, And my goodness shall not decay.
7 Lalelani kimi, lina elazi ukulunga, abantu abamlayo wami usenhliziyweni yabo; lingesabi ukusola kwabantu, kumbe lethuswe yizithuko zabo.
Hearken to me, ye that know righteousness, The people in whose heart is my law! Fear ye not the reproach of men, Nor be disheartened by their revilings!
8 Ngoba inundu izabadla njengesembatho, lempethu ibadle njengoboya bezimvu, kodwa ukulunga kwami kuzakuba laphakade, losindiso lwami esizukulwaneni lezizukulwana.
For the moth shall consume them like a garment, And the worm shall eat them like wool. But my goodness shall endure forever, And my salvation from generation to generation.
9 Vuka, vuka, uzembathise amandla, wena ngalo yeNkosi; vuka njengensukwini zendulo, ezizukulwaneni zaphakade. Kawusuwe yini lowo owaquma iRahabi, wagwaza umgobho?
Awake! awake! clothe thyself with strength, O arm of Jehovah! Awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old!
10 Kawusuwe yini lowo owomisa ulwandle, amanzi enziki enkulu, owenza ukujula kolwandle kwaba yindlela yokuchapha kwabahlengiweyo?
Art thou not the same that smote Rahab, And wounded the dragon? Art thou not the same that dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep, —That made the depths of the sea a path for the redeemed to pass through?
11 Ngakho abahlengiweyo beNkosi bazaphenduka, beze eZiyoni ngokuhlabelela; lentokozo elaphakade izakuba phezu kwekhanda labo; bazazuza intokozo lenjabulo, usizi lokububula kuzabaleka.
Thus shall the ransomed of Jehovah return; They shall come to Zion with singing; Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; They shall obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
12 Mina, mina nginguye oliduduzayo; ungubani wena ozakwesaba umuntu ozakufa, lendodana yomuntu ezakwenziwa ibe njengotshani?
I, even I, am he that hath pity upon you; Who art thou, that thou art afraid of man, that shall die, Of the son of man, that shall perish like grass,
13 Ubusukhohlwa iNkosi, umenzi wakho, eyendlala amazulu, yabeka izisekelo zomhlaba, uqhubeka usesaba usuku lonke ngenxa yentukuthelo yomcindezeli, kungathi uzimisele ukuchitha? Ingaphi-ke intukuthelo yomcindezeli?
And forgettest Jehovah thy maker, That stretched out the heavens, And founded the earth, And fearest continually every day, On account of the fury of the oppressor, As if he were taking aim to destroy thee? Where now is the fury of the oppressor?
14 Isibotshwa esithunjiweyo siyaphangisa ukuze sikhululwe; singafeli emgodini, lokudla kwaso kungasweleki.
Soon shall the enchained be loosed; He shall not die in the pit, Nor shall his bread fail.
15 Ngoba ngiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyavusa ulwandle ukuze amagagasi alo ahlokome; iNkosi yamabandla libizo layo.
For I am Jehovah thy God, That rebuketh the sea when his waves roar; Jehovah of hosts is his name.
16 Njalo ngifakile amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho, ngakusibekela emthunzini wesandla sami, ukuze ngihlanyele amazulu, ngibeke izisekelo zomhlaba, ngithi kuyo iZiyoni: Wena uyisizwe sami.
I have put my words into thy mouth, And have covered thee with the shadow of my hand, To establish the heavens, and to found the earth. And to say to Zion, “Thou art my people!”
17 Vuka, vuka, usukume, Jerusalema, wena onathe esandleni seNkosi inkezo yolaka lwayo, wanatha inzece zenkezo yokudengezela, wazikhoca.
Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem! Thou that hast drunk from the hand of Jehovah the cup of his fury, Thou that hast drunk to the dregs the cup of giddiness!
18 Kakho ongayikhokhela kuwo wonke amadodana ewazeleyo; njalo kakho ongayibamba ngesandla kuwo wonke amadodana ewakhulisileyo.
There is not one to lead her, of all the sons which she hath brought forth, Nor is there one to take her by the hand, of all the sons which she hath nurtured.
19 Lokhu kokubili kukwehlele, ngubani ozakuzwela usizi? Incithakalo, lokubhujiswa, lendlala, lenkemba; ngizakududuza ngobani?
These two things have come upon thee, And who bemoaneth thee? Desolation and destruction, and famine and the sword; How shall I comfort thee?
20 Amadodana akho aphelelwe ngamandla, alele esihlokweni sezitalada zonke, njengenkunzi yendle embuleni; agcwele ulaka lweNkosi, ukukhuza kukaNkulunkulu wakho.
Thy sons have fainted; they lie at the head of all the streets, Like a deer in the net; They are full of the wrath of Jehovah, Of the rebuke of thy God.
21 Ngakho khathesi zwana lokhu, wena ohluphekayo lodakiweyo, kodwa hatshi ngewayini.
Therefore, hear this, thou afflicted, Thou drunken, and not with wine!
22 Itsho njalo iNkosi yakho, uJehova loNkulunkulu wakho olabhelela udaba lwabantu bakhe: Khangela, ngisusile esandleni sakho inkezo yokudengezela, inzece zenkezo yolaka lwami, kawusayikuyinatha futhi.
Thus saith thy Lord, Jehovah, And thy God, that defendeth the cause of his people. Behold, I will take from thy hand the cup of giddiness, The cup of my wrath; Thou shalt drink no more of it.
23 Kodwa ngizayibeka esandleni salabo abakuhluphayo, abathe emphefumulweni wakho: Khothama, ukuze sedlule phezulu; usubeke umhlana wakho njengomhlabathi, lanjengesitalada kwabadlula phezulu.
And I will put it into the hand of them that have afflicted thee; That have said to thee, “Bow down, that we may pass over!” And thou madest thy body as the ground, And as the street, to them that passed over.