U-Isaya 54
1 Hlabelela, nyumba, wena ongazalanga; qhamuka ngokuhlabelela, umemeze, wena ongazange uhelelwe! Ngoba banengi abantwana botshiyiweyo kulabantwana bowendileyo, itsho iNkosi.
Sing for joy, childless woman, you who have had a baby! Shout aloud, and sing happily, Jerusalem, you who have never given birth! For the abandoned woman now has more children than the married woman, says the Lord.
2 Qhelisa indawo yethente lakho, kabatshombulule amakhetheni endawo yakho yokuhlala; ungagodli, yelula izintambo zakho, uqinise izikhonkwane zakho.
Make the tent where you live bigger; stretch the fabric to enlarge your home. Don't try and save space—extend your tent cords and make your tent pegs stronger.
3 Ngoba uzaqhamuka ngakwesokudla langakwesokunene, lenzalo yakho izafuya abezizwe, yenze imizi echithekileyo ihlalwe.
You're going to be spreading out right and left; your descendants will take over the land of other nations and live in towns that were once abandoned.
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 won't be humiliated; don't be upset, for you won't be disgraced. You will forget about the shame of your youth, and you won't remember the embarrassment of your widowhood any longer.
5 Ngoba uMenzi wakho ungumyeni wakho, iNkosi yamabandla libizo lakhe; loMhlengi wakho ungoNgcwele kaIsrayeli, uzabizwa ngokuthi nguNkulunkulu womhlaba wonke.
For your Maker is your husband, the Lord Almighty is his name the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, he is called the God of the whole earth.
6 Ngoba iNkosi ikubizile njengomfazi olahliweyo lodabukileyo emoyeni, lomfazi wobutsha, lapho waliwe, kutsho uNkulunkulu wakho.
The Lord has called you to come back, like a wife who's been abandoned and deeply hurt, a wife who was married when she was young, only to be rejected, says your God.
7 Okomzuzwana omncinyane ngakutshiya, kodwa ngezihawu ezinkulu ngizakubutha.
I deserted you for just a little while, but I will bring you back, showing you a great deal of kindness.
8 Ngolaka oluncinyane ngakufihlela ubuso bami okomzuzwana, kodwa ngothandolomusa waphakade ngizakuhawukela, itsho iNkosi, uMhlengi wakho.
In a moment of anger I turned my face away from you, but now with trustworthy love I will always be kind to you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 Ngoba lokhu kunjengamanzi kaNowa kimi, lapho ngafunga ukuthi amanzi kaNowa kawaseyikwedlula emhlabeni; ngokunjalo ngifungile ukuthi kangiyikukuthukuthelela, ngikusole.
To me this is just like Noah's time, when I promised on oath that a flood would never cover the earth again. In the same way I promise on oath that I won't be angry with you or tell you off.
10 Ngoba izintaba zizasuka, lamaqaqa azamazame, kodwa umusa wami kawuyikusuka kuwe, lesivumelwano sami sokuthula kasiyikuzamazama, itsho iNkosi elesihawu kuwe.
Though the mountains cease to exist and the hills disappear, yet my trustworthy love for you won't cease to exist and my agreement of peace won't disappear, says the Lord, who shows you kindness.
11 Wena ohluphekileyo, ophoswe yisiphepho, ongaduduzwanga, khangela, ngizabeka amatshe akho abe mahle, ngibeke isisekelo sakho ngamasafire.
My poor storm-damaged city that can't be comforted! Look, I'm going to reset your stones in cement made of antimony, I will use sapphires to lay your foundations.
12 Ngizakwenza imiphotshongo yakho nge-agate, lamasango akho ngama-emeraldi, lawo wonke umngcele wakho ngamatshe entokozo.
I will make your fortifications out of rubies; I will make your gates out of sparkling beryl. All your walls will be made of precious stones,
13 Labantwana bakho bonke bazafundiswa yiNkosi, njalo kube kukhulu ukuthula kwabantwana bakho.
and all your children will be students of the Lord, and they will live in complete peace.
14 Uzaqiniswa ekulungeni; ube khatshana locindezelo, ngoba kawuyikwesaba; levalweni, ngoba kakuyikusondela kuwe.
Your society will operate from principles of goodness and right; nobody will be there to oppress you. You won't be afraid; you won't have to face any kind of terror.
15 Khangela bazabuthana sibili, kodwa hatshi ngami; loba ngubani ozabuthana emelene lawe uzakuwa ngenxa yakho.
If any invader comes to attack you, I didn't send them; you will defeat anyone who attacks you.
16 Khangela mina ngidale umkhandi wensimbi ovuthela amalahle emlilweni, lovezela umsebenzi wakhe isikhali; njalo mina ngidale umchithi ukuthi achithe.
Look—I have created a blacksmith who blows the coals into a hot flame and forges a suitable weapon; and I have created the destroyer who brings destruction.
17 Kakulasikhali esibunjelwe ukumelana lawe esizaphumelela; lalo lonke ulimi olukuvukelayo ekwehluleleni uzalulahla. Lokhu kuyilifa lezinceku zeNkosi, lokulunga kwazo kuvela kimi, itsho iNkosi.
None of the weapons forged against you will succeed, and you will condemn anyone who accuses you. This is how the servants of the Lord are blessed, and I am the one who vindicates them, declares the Lord.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
