< U-Isaya 65 >

1 Ngadingwa yilabo abangangicelanga; ngatholwa yilabo abangangidinganga. Ngathi: Ngikhangelani, ngikhangelani, esizweni esingabizwa ngebizo lami.
Those who before were not asking for me have sought me. Those who have not sought me have found me. I said, “Behold, it is I! Behold, it is I!” to a nation which was not invoking my name.
2 Ngelule izandla zami usuku lonke ebantwini abavukelayo, abahamba ngendlela engalunganga, belandela imicabango yabo;
I have extended my hands all day long to an unbelieving people, who advance along a way that is not good, following their own thoughts,
3 abantu abangithukuthelisayo njalonjalo ebusweni bami, abenza imihlatshelo ezivandeni, betshisa impepha phezu kwezitina;
to a people who provoke me to anger before my face continually, who immolate in the gardens, and who sacrifice upon the bricks.
4 abahlala emangcwabeni, balale endaweni ezisithekileyo, abadla inyama yengulube, lomhluzi wezinto ezinengekayo emiganwini yabo.
They live in sepulchers, and they sleep in the shrines of idols. They eat the flesh of swine, and a profane elixir is in their vessels.
5 Abathi: Xeka wena, ungasondeli kimi; ngoba ngingcwele kulawe. Laba bayintuthu emakhaleni ami, umlilo otshisayo usuku lonke.
They say: “Depart from me! Do not approach me, for you are unclean!” Such as these will be the smoke in my fury, a fire burning all day long.
6 Khangela, kubhaliwe phambi kwami: Kangiyikuthula, kodwa ngizaphindisela, yebo ngiphindisele esifubeni sabo,
Behold, it has been written in my sight; I will not be silent. Instead, I will render retribution into their sinews.
7 iziphambeko zenu, leziphambeko zaboyihlo kanyekanye, itsho iNkosi, abatshise impepha phezu kwezintaba, bangithuka phezu kwamaqaqa; ngakho ngizalinganisa imisebenzi yabo yakuqala esifubeni sabo.
Your iniquities are joined with the iniquities of your fathers, says the Lord. For they have sacrificed upon the mountains, and they have offended me upon the hills. And so, I will measure back to them, from their first work, into their sinews.
8 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Njengewayini elitsha litholwa ehlukuzweni, lomunye athi: Ungalibhubhisi, ngoba isibusiso sikulo; ngizakwenza njalo ngenxa yenceku zami, ukuze ngingazibhubhisi zonke.
Thus says the Lord: In the same way as it is said about a grain found in a cluster, “Do not destroy it, because it is a blessing,” so will I act for the sake of my servants, so that I may not destroy the whole.
9 Njalo ngizaveza inzalo ivela kuJakobe, lakoJuda kuvele indlalifa yezintaba zami; labakhethiweyo bami bazakudla ilifa lazo, lenceku zami zihlale khona.
And I will lead forth an offspring from Jacob, and a possessor of my mountains from Judah. And my elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall live there.
10 Njalo iSharoni izakuba yisibaya semihlambi, lesihotsha seAkori sibe yindawo yokulala yenkomo, eyabantu bami abangidingayo.
And the open plains will become sheepfolds for the flocks, and the valley of Achor will become a domicile for the herds, for my people who have sought me.
11 Kodwa lina elidela iNkosi, elikhohlwa intaba yami engcwele, elihlelele leloviyo itafula, njalo eligcwalisele lelonani umnikelo wokunathwayo.
And you who have forsaken the Lord, who have forgotten my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune, and who offer libations concerning her:
12 Ngakho ngizalimisela inkemba, njalo lonke lizakhothamela ukuhlatshwa; ngoba ngalibiza, kodwa kaliphendulanga, ngakhuluma, kodwa kalizwanga, kodwa lenza okubi emehlweni ami, lakhetha lokho engingathokozanga ngakho.
I will number you with the sword, and you will all fall by slaughter. For I called and you did not respond; I spoke, and you did not listen. And you did what is evil in my eyes; and what I did not will, you have chosen.
13 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, izinceku zami zizakudla, kodwa lina lizalamba; khangela, inceku zami zizanatha, kodwa lina lizakoma; khangela, inceku zami zizathokoza, kodwa lina lizayangeka;
Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Behold, my servants will eat, and you will be hungry. Behold, my servants will drink, and you will be thirsty.
14 khangela, inceku zami zizahlabela ngentokozo yenhliziyo, kodwa lina lizakhala ngenxa yokudabuka kwenhliziyo, liqhinqe isililo ngenxa yokudabuka komoya.
Behold, my servants will rejoice, and you will be confounded. Behold, my servants will give praise in exultation of heart, and you will cry out in sorrow of heart, and you will wail in contrition of spirit.
15 Njalo lizatshiya ibizo lenu libe yisiqalekiso kwabakhethiweyo bami, ngoba iNkosi uJehova izalibulala; kodwa izabiza inceku zayo ngelinye ibizo;
And you will leave behind your name to my elect as a curse. And the Lord God will put you to death, and he will call his servants by another name.
16 ukuthi lowo ozibusisa emhlabeni uzazibusisa kuNkulunkulu weqiniso, lalowo ofunga emhlabeni uzafunga ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso; ngoba inhlupheko zakuqala sezikhohlakele, njalo ngoba zisithekile emehlweni ami.
By that name, whoever is blessed on earth, will be blessed in God. Amen! And whoever swears on earth, will swear by God. Amen! For the past anguishes have been delivered into oblivion, and they have been hidden from my eyes.
17 Ngoba khangela, ngidala amazulu amatsha lomhlaba omutsha; okwakuqala kakusayikukhunjulwa, kumbe kuvele enhliziyweni.
For behold, I create the new heavens and the new earth. And the former things will not be in memory and will not enter into the heart.
18 Kodwa jabulani, lithokoze kuze kube laphakade ngengikudalayo, ngoba khangela, ngidala iJerusalema ibe yintokozo, labantu bayo babe yinjabulo.
But you will be glad and exult, even forever, in these things that I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem as an exultation, and its people as a joy.
19 Ngizathokoza-ke ngeJerusalema, ngijabule ngabantu bami; njalo kalisayikuzwakala kuyo ilizwi lokulila lelizwi lokukhala.
And I will exult in Jerusalem, and I will rejoice in my people. And neither a voice of weeping, nor a voice of outcry, will be heard in her anymore.
20 Kusukela lapho kakusayikuba khona usane lwezinsuku, kumbe ixhegu elingagcwalisi insuku zalo; ngoba omutsha uzakufa eleminyaka elikhulu, kodwa isoni esileminyaka elikhulu sizaqalekiswa.
There will no longer be an infant of only a few days there, nor an elder who does not complete his days. For a mere child dies at a hundred years of age, and a sinner of a hundred years will be accursed.
21 Njalo bazakwakha izindlu, bahlale kuzo; bahlanyele izivini, badle izithelo zazo.
And they will build houses, and will inhabit them. And they will plant vineyards, and will eat their fruits.
22 Kabayikwakha, kuhlale-ke omunye; kabayikuhlanyela, kudle-ke omunye; ngoba insuku zabantu bami zizakuba njengensuku zesihlahla, labakhethwa bami bazakholisa umsebenzi wezandla zabo okwesikhathi eside.
They will not build, so that another may inhabit. They will not plant, so that another may eat. For according to the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people. And the works of their hands will be long-standing.
23 Kabayikutshikatshikela ize, loba bazalele uhlupho; ngoba bayinzalo yababusisiweyo beNkosi, lembewu yabo kanye labo.
My elect will not labor in vain, and they will not bring forth in disorder. For they are the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their posterity are with them.
24 Kuzakuthi-ke bengakabizi, mina ngiphendule; lapho besakhuluma, mina-ke ngizwe.
And this shall be: before they call out, I will perceive; while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25 Impisi lewundlu kuzakudla ndawonye, lesilwane sidle amahlanga njengenkomo, lothuli lube yikudla kwenyoka. Kaziyikulimaza kumbe zibhubhise kuyo yonke intaba yami engcwele, itsho iNkosi.
The wolf and the lamb will pasture together. The lion and the ox will eat hay. And dust will be the food of the serpent. They will not harm, and they will not kill, on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

< U-Isaya 65 >