< U-Isaya 65 >
1 Ngadingwa yilabo abangangicelanga; ngatholwa yilabo abangangidinganga. Ngathi: Ngikhangelani, ngikhangelani, esizweni esingabizwa ngebizo lami.
“I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek. I said, 'Here I am! Here I am!' to a nation that did not call on my name.
2 Ngelule izandla zami usuku lonke ebantwini abavukelayo, abahamba ngendlela engalunganga, belandela imicabango yabo;
I have spread out my hands all day to a stubborn people, who walk in a way that is not good, who have walked after their own thoughts and plans!
3 abantu abangithukuthelisayo njalonjalo ebusweni bami, abenza imihlatshelo ezivandeni, betshisa impepha phezu kwezitina;
They are a people who continually offend me, offering sacrifices in gardens, and burning incense on brick tiles.
4 abahlala emangcwabeni, balale endaweni ezisithekileyo, abadla inyama yengulube, lomhluzi wezinto ezinengekayo emiganwini yabo.
They sit among the graves and keep watch all night, and eat pork with the broth of foul meat in their dishes.
5 Abathi: Xeka wena, ungasondeli kimi; ngoba ngingcwele kulawe. Laba bayintuthu emakhaleni ami, umlilo otshisayo usuku lonke.
They say, 'Stand away, do not come near to me, for I am holier than you.' These things are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day long.
6 Khangela, kubhaliwe phambi kwami: Kangiyikuthula, kodwa ngizaphindisela, yebo ngiphindisele esifubeni sabo,
Look, it is written before me: I will not keep quiet, for I will pay them back; I will repay them into their laps,
7 iziphambeko zenu, leziphambeko zaboyihlo kanyekanye, itsho iNkosi, abatshise impepha phezu kwezintaba, bangithuka phezu kwamaqaqa; ngakho ngizalinganisa imisebenzi yabo yakuqala esifubeni sabo.
for their sins and the sins of their fathers together,” says Yahweh. “I will repay them for burning incense on the mountains and for mocking me on the hills. I will therefore measure out their past deeds into their laps.”
8 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Njengewayini elitsha litholwa ehlukuzweni, lomunye athi: Ungalibhubhisi, ngoba isibusiso sikulo; ngizakwenza njalo ngenxa yenceku zami, ukuze ngingazibhubhisi zonke.
This is what Yahweh says, “As when juice is found in a cluster of grapes, when one says, 'Do not ruin it, for there is good in it,' this is what I will do for my servants' sake: I will not ruin them all.
9 Njalo ngizaveza inzalo ivela kuJakobe, lakoJuda kuvele indlalifa yezintaba zami; labakhethiweyo bami bazakudla ilifa lazo, lenceku zami zihlale khona.
I will bring descendants from Jacob, and from Judah ones who will possess my mountains. My chosen ones will possess the land, and my servants will live there.
10 Njalo iSharoni izakuba yisibaya semihlambi, lesihotsha seAkori sibe yindawo yokulala yenkomo, eyabantu bami abangidingayo.
Sharon will become a pasture for the flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me.
11 Kodwa lina elidela iNkosi, elikhohlwa intaba yami engcwele, elihlelele leloviyo itafula, njalo eligcwalisele lelonani umnikelo wokunathwayo.
But you who abandon Yahweh, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Fortune, and fill wine glasses of mixed wine for Destiny.
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 appoint you for the sword, and you will all bow down to the slaughter, because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen. But you did what was evil in my sight and and chose to do what displeases 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;
This is what the Lord Yahweh says, “Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry; look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty; look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
14 khangela, inceku zami zizahlabela ngentokozo yenhliziyo, kodwa lina lizakhala ngenxa yokudabuka kwenhliziyo, liqhinqe isililo ngenxa yokudabuka komoya.
Look, my servants will shout with joy because of gladness of heart, but you will cry because of the pain of the heart, and will wail because of the crushing of the spirit.
15 Njalo lizatshiya ibizo lenu libe yisiqalekiso kwabakhethiweyo bami, ngoba iNkosi uJehova izalibulala; kodwa izabiza inceku zayo ngelinye ibizo;
You will leave behind your name as a curse for my chosen ones to speak; I, the Lord Yahweh, will kill you; I will call my 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.
Whoever pronounces a blessing on the earth will be blessed by me, the God of truth. Whoever takes an oath on the earth will swear by me, the God of truth, because the former troubles will be forgotten, for they will be hidden from my eyes.
17 Ngoba khangela, ngidala amazulu amatsha lomhlaba omutsha; okwakuqala kakusayikukhunjulwa, kumbe kuvele enhliziyweni.
For see, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or be brought to mind.
18 Kodwa jabulani, lithokoze kuze kube laphakade ngengikudalayo, ngoba khangela, ngidala iJerusalema ibe yintokozo, labantu bayo babe yinjabulo.
But you will be glad and rejoice forever in what I am about to create. See, I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and her people as a delight.
19 Ngizathokoza-ke ngeJerusalema, ngijabule ngabantu bami; njalo kalisayikuzwakala kuyo ilizwi lokulila lelizwi lokukhala.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem and be glad over my people; weeping and cries of distress will no longer be heard in her.
20 Kusukela lapho kakusayikuba khona usane lwezinsuku, kumbe ixhegu elingagcwalisi insuku zalo; ngoba omutsha uzakufa eleminyaka elikhulu, kodwa isoni esileminyaka elikhulu sizaqalekiswa.
Never again will an infant live there only a few days; nor will an old man die before his time. One who dies at one hundred years old will be considered a young person. Anyone who fails to reach the age of one hundred years old will be considered cursed.
21 Njalo bazakwakha izindlu, bahlale kuzo; bahlanyele izivini, badle izithelo zazo.
They will build houses and inhabit them, and they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 Kabayikwakha, kuhlale-ke omunye; kabayikuhlanyela, kudle-ke omunye; ngoba insuku zabantu bami zizakuba njengensuku zesihlahla, labakhethwa bami bazakholisa umsebenzi wezandla zabo okwesikhathi eside.
No longer will they build a house and another live in it; they will not plant, and another eat; for as the days of trees will be the days of my people. My chosen will fully outlive the work of their hands.
23 Kabayikutshikatshikela ize, loba bazalele uhlupho; ngoba bayinzalo yababusisiweyo beNkosi, lembewu yabo kanye labo.
They will not labor in vain, nor give birth to dismay. For they are the children of those blessed by Yahweh, and their descendants with them.
24 Kuzakuthi-ke bengakabizi, mina ngiphendule; lapho besakhuluma, mina-ke ngizwe.
Before they call, I will answer; and 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 graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; but dust will be the serpent's food. They will no longer hurt nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says Yahweh.