U-Isaya 65
1 Ngadingwa yilabo abangangicelanga; ngatholwa yilabo abangangidinganga. Ngathi: Ngikhangelani, ngikhangelani, esizweni esingabizwa ngebizo lami.
[This is what Yahweh said]: “I was ready to reply [to my people], but no one requested me [to help them]. I was ready to help [even] those who did not call out to me. I continued to say, ‘I am here [to help you]!’
2 Ngelule izandla zami usuku lonke ebantwini abavukelayo, abahamba ngendlela engalunganga, belandela imicabango yabo;
[It is as though] I have continually held out my arms [to show that I am ready to help] my people who rebel [against me], and who [continually] do the evil things that they want to do.
3 abantu abangithukuthelisayo njalonjalo ebusweni bami, abenza imihlatshelo ezivandeni, betshisa impepha phezu kwezitina;
They boldly continue to do things that cause me to be angry: They offer sacrifices [to their idols] in their gardens, and they burn incense [to them] on [altars made of] bricks.
4 abahlala emangcwabeni, balale endaweni ezisithekileyo, abadla inyama yengulube, lomhluzi wezinto ezinengekayo emiganwini yabo.
They secretly remain awake at night in burial caves, [talking with the spirits of] ([dead people/their ancestors]). They eat the meat of pigs, and their pots are full of [other] meat that is [also] unacceptable to me.
5 Abathi: Xeka wena, ungasondeli kimi; ngoba ngingcwele kulawe. Laba bayintuthu emakhaleni ami, umlilo otshisayo usuku lonke.
[Then] they say [to others], ‘Stay away from me; do not come near me, because I am very holy, [with the result that you should not touch me].’ People like that are [like] [MET] smoke in my nose [from] a fire that burns continually.
6 Khangela, kubhaliwe phambi kwami: Kangiyikuthula, kodwa ngizaphindisela, yebo ngiphindisele esifubeni sabo,
I have written [a record of all the evil things that they have done]. And I will not do nothing about all those things; I will certainly punish them
7 iziphambeko zenu, leziphambeko zaboyihlo kanyekanye, itsho iNkosi, abatshise impepha phezu kwezintaba, bangithuka phezu kwamaqaqa; ngakho ngizalinganisa imisebenzi yabo yakuqala esifubeni sabo.
for the sins that they and their ancestors have committed. They have mocked/insulted me by burning incense [to their idols] on the hilltops. So I will punish them like they deserve for doing those things.”
8 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Njengewayini elitsha litholwa ehlukuzweni, lomunye athi: Ungalibhubhisi, ngoba isibusiso sikulo; ngizakwenza njalo ngenxa yenceku zami, ukuze ngingazibhubhisi zonke.
This is [also] what Yahweh said: “When there is a cluster of nice grapes on a vine, people do not throw them away, because they know that there is good juice in those grapes. Similarly, because there are some people [in Judah] who faithfully serve/worship me, I will not get rid of all of them.
9 Njalo ngizaveza inzalo ivela kuJakobe, lakoJuda kuvele indlalifa yezintaba zami; labakhethiweyo bami bazakudla ilifa lazo, lenceku zami zihlale khona.
I will spare some of the descendants of Jacob who are living on the hills of Judah. I have chosen them, and they will possess that land; they will worship/serve me, and they will live there.
10 Njalo iSharoni izakuba yisibaya semihlambi, lesihotsha seAkori sibe yindawo yokulala yenkomo, eyabantu bami abangidingayo.
[Then all the land from the] Sharon [Plain near the Mediterranean Sea] and [as far east as] Achor Valley [near Jericho] will become pastureland where their cattle and sheep will rest.
11 Kodwa lina elidela iNkosi, elikhohlwa intaba yami engcwele, elihlelele leloviyo itafula, njalo eligcwalisele lelonani umnikelo wokunathwayo.
But [it will be different] for you who have abandoned me, you who do not worship me on [Zion], my sacred hill, you who worship Gad and Meni, [the gods who you think will bring you] good luck and good fortune.
12 Ngakho ngizalimisela inkemba, njalo lonke lizakhothamela ukuhlatshwa; ngoba ngalibiza, kodwa kaliphendulanga, ngakhuluma, kodwa kalizwanga, kodwa lenza okubi emehlweni ami, lakhetha lokho engingathokozanga ngakho.
[It is I, not Meni, who will decide/say what will happen to you]; you will all [be slaughtered by] swords. [That will happen] because you did not answer when I called out to you. I spoke to you, but you did not pay attention. Instead, you did things that I said are evil; you chose to do things that do not please me.
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;
I, Yahweh the Lord, will give to those who worship and obey me things to eat and drink, and they will be happy; but [all] you evil people will be hungry and thirsty, and you will be [sad and] disgraced.
14 khangela, inceku zami zizahlabela ngentokozo yenhliziyo, kodwa lina lizakhala ngenxa yokudabuka kwenhliziyo, liqhinqe isililo ngenxa yokudabuka komoya.
Those who worship and obey me will sing joyfully, but you [evil people] will wail loudly because you will be suffering in your inner beings.
15 Njalo lizatshiya ibizo lenu libe yisiqalekiso kwabakhethiweyo bami, ngoba iNkosi uJehova izalibulala; kodwa izabiza inceku zayo ngelinye ibizo;
Those whom I have chosen will use your names when they curse people; [I], Yahweh the Lord, will get rid of you. But I will give to those who worship and obey me a new name [that they will use when they bless people].
16 ukuthi lowo ozibusisa emhlabeni uzazibusisa kuNkulunkulu weqiniso, lalowo ofunga emhlabeni uzafunga ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso; ngoba inhlupheko zakuqala sezikhohlakele, njalo ngoba zisithekile emehlweni ami.
The people in this land have had many troubles, but I will cause those troubles to occur no more. Therefore those who ask me to bless them and those who solemnly promise to do something should never forget that I am God, who faithfully [do what I promise to do].”
17 Ngoba khangela, ngidala amazulu amatsha lomhlaba omutsha; okwakuqala kakusayikukhunjulwa, kumbe kuvele enhliziyweni.
“Note this: [Some day] I will create a new heaven and a new earth. [They will be very wonderful, with the result that] you will no longer think about all [the troubles] you had previously.
18 Kodwa jabulani, lithokoze kuze kube laphakade ngengikudalayo, ngoba khangela, ngidala iJerusalema ibe yintokozo, labantu bayo babe yinjabulo.
Be glad and always rejoice because of what I will do: Jerusalem will be a place where [people] rejoice; the people who live there will always be happy.
19 Ngizathokoza-ke ngeJerusalema, ngijabule ngabantu bami; njalo kalisayikuzwakala kuyo ilizwi lokulila lelizwi lokukhala.
I will rejoice about Jerusalem, and I will be delighted with my people. [People] will no longer weep or cry because of being distressed.
20 Kusukela lapho kakusayikuba khona usane lwezinsuku, kumbe ixhegu elingagcwalisi insuku zalo; ngoba omutsha uzakufa eleminyaka elikhulu, kodwa isoni esileminyaka elikhulu sizaqalekiswa.
No child will die when it is still an infant; all people will live until they are very old. [People will consider that] anyone who is 100 years old is still young; [they will consider that] anyone who dies who is younger than that has been cursed.
21 Njalo bazakwakha izindlu, bahlale kuzo; bahlanyele izivini, badle izithelo zazo.
My people will build houses and [then] live in them. They will plant vineyards and then eat grapes from those vineyards.
22 Kabayikwakha, kuhlale-ke omunye; kabayikuhlanyela, kudle-ke omunye; ngoba insuku zabantu bami zizakuba njengensuku zesihlahla, labakhethwa bami bazakholisa umsebenzi wezandla zabo okwesikhathi eside.
As for the houses that they build, no one will [take those houses away from them and] live in them. No one will take a vineyard away from its owner. My chosen people will live a long time, like trees do, and they will enjoy what they have accomplished— [the houses that they have built and the crops that they have planted].
23 Kabayikutshikatshikela ize, loba bazalele uhlupho; ngoba bayinzalo yababusisiweyo beNkosi, lembewu yabo kanye labo.
They will not work hard in vain, and their children will not die from some (calamity/terrible thing happening to them). I will [certainly] bless their children and their grandchildren.
24 Kuzakuthi-ke bengakabizi, mina ngiphendule; lapho besakhuluma, mina-ke ngizwe.
Before they call to me [to help them], I will answer; I will answer their prayers while they are still praying [for me to do something for them].
25 Impisi lewundlu kuzakudla ndawonye, lesilwane sidle amahlanga njengenkomo, lothuli lube yikudla kwenyoka. Kaziyikulimaza kumbe zibhubhise kuyo yonke intaba yami engcwele, itsho iNkosi.
No one will be harmed or injured anywhere on [Zion], my sacred hill: Wolves and lambs will eat grass together [peacefully]; lions will eat hay like oxen do, [and they will not attack people]. Snakes will [not hurt anyone; they will lie on the ground and] eat [only] dirt. [That is surely what it will be like because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
