U-Isaya 54
1 Hlabelela, nyumba, wena ongazalanga; qhamuka ngokuhlabelela, umemeze, wena ongazange uhelelwe! Ngoba banengi abantwana botshiyiweyo kulabantwana bowendileyo, itsho iNkosi.
Give praise, you who are barren and unable to conceive. Sing praise and make a joyful noise, you who have not given birth. For many are the children of the desolate, more so than of her who has a husband, says the Lord.
2 Qhelisa indawo yethente lakho, kabatshombulule amakhetheni endawo yakho yokuhlala; ungagodli, yelula izintambo zakho, uqinise izikhonkwane zakho.
Enlarge the place of your tent and extend the skins of your tabernacles, unsparingly. Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
3 Ngoba uzaqhamuka ngakwesokudla langakwesokunene, lenzalo yakho izafuya abezizwe, yenze imizi echithekileyo ihlalwe.
For you shall extend to the right and to the left. And your offspring shall inherit the nations, and you shall inhabit the desolate cities.
4 Ungesabi, ngoba kawuyikuyangeka; njalo ungabi lenhloni, ngoba kawuyikuyangiswa; ngoba uzakhohlwa ihlazo lobutsha bakho, ungabe usakhumbula ukuyangeka kobufelokazi bakho.
Do not be afraid! For you will not be confounded, and you will not blush. And you will not be put to shame, because you shall forget the confusion of your youth, and you shall no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
5 Ngoba uMenzi wakho ungumyeni wakho, iNkosi yamabandla libizo lakhe; loMhlengi wakho ungoNgcwele kaIsrayeli, uzabizwa ngokuthi nguNkulunkulu womhlaba wonke.
For the One who made you will rule over you. The Lord of hosts is his name. And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, will be called the God of all the earth.
6 Ngoba iNkosi ikubizile njengomfazi olahliweyo lodabukileyo emoyeni, lomfazi wobutsha, lapho waliwe, kutsho uNkulunkulu wakho.
For the Lord has called you, like a woman forsaken and mourning in spirit, and like a wife rejected in her youth, said your God.
7 Okomzuzwana omncinyane ngakutshiya, kodwa ngezihawu ezinkulu ngizakubutha.
For a brief moment, I have forsaken you, and with great pities, I will gather you.
8 Ngolaka oluncinyane ngakufihlela ubuso bami okomzuzwana, kodwa ngothandolomusa waphakade ngizakuhawukela, itsho iNkosi, uMhlengi wakho.
In a moment of indignation, I have hidden my face from you, for a little while. But with everlasting mercy, I have taken pity on you, said your Redeemer, the Lord.
9 Ngoba lokhu kunjengamanzi kaNowa kimi, lapho ngafunga ukuthi amanzi kaNowa kawaseyikwedlula emhlabeni; ngokunjalo ngifungile ukuthi kangiyikukuthukuthelela, ngikusole.
For me, it is just as in the days of Noah, to whom I swore that I would no longer bring in the waters of Noah over the earth. Thus have I sworn not to be angry with you, and not to rebuke you.
10 Ngoba izintaba zizasuka, lamaqaqa azamazame, kodwa umusa wami kawuyikusuka kuwe, lesivumelwano sami sokuthula kasiyikuzamazama, itsho iNkosi elesihawu kuwe.
For the mountains will be moved, and the hills will tremble. But my mercy will not depart from you, and the covenant of my peace will not be shaken, said the Lord, who has compassion on you.
11 Wena ohluphekileyo, ophoswe yisiphepho, ongaduduzwanga, khangela, ngizabeka amatshe akho abe mahle, ngibeke isisekelo sakho ngamasafire.
O poor little ones, convulsed by the tempest, away from any consolation! Behold, I will set your stones in order, and I will lay your foundation with sapphires,
12 Ngizakwenza imiphotshongo yakho nge-agate, lamasango akho ngama-emeraldi, lawo wonke umngcele wakho ngamatshe entokozo.
and I will make your ramparts out of jasper, and your gates out of sculpted stones, and all your borders out of desirable stones.
13 Labantwana bakho bonke bazafundiswa yiNkosi, njalo kube kukhulu ukuthula kwabantwana bakho.
All your children will be taught by the Lord. And great will be the peace of your children.
14 Uzaqiniswa ekulungeni; ube khatshana locindezelo, ngoba kawuyikwesaba; levalweni, ngoba kakuyikusondela kuwe.
And you will be founded in justice. Depart far from oppression, for you will not be afraid. And depart from terror, for it will not approach you.
15 Khangela bazabuthana sibili, kodwa hatshi ngami; loba ngubani ozabuthana emelene lawe uzakuwa ngenxa yakho.
Behold, a settler will arrive, who was not with me, a certain new arrival will be joined to you.
16 Khangela mina ngidale umkhandi wensimbi ovuthela amalahle emlilweni, lovezela umsebenzi wakhe isikhali; njalo mina ngidale umchithi ukuthi achithe.
Behold, I created the smith who fans the coals of the fire and produces an object by his work, and I have created the slayer who destroys.
17 Kakulasikhali esibunjelwe ukumelana lawe esizaphumelela; lalo lonke ulimi olukuvukelayo ekwehluleleni uzalulahla. Lokhu kuyilifa lezinceku zeNkosi, lokulunga kwazo kuvela kimi, itsho iNkosi.
No object which has been formed to use against you will succeed. And every tongue that resists you in judgment, you shall judge. This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and this is their justice with me, says the Lord.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
