U-Isaya 66
1 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Amazulu ayisihlalo sami sobukhosi, lomhlaba uyisenabelo senyawo zami. Ingaphi leyondlu elizangakhela yona? Njalo ingaphi indawo yami yokuphumula?
The Lord says, Heaven is the seat of my power, and earth is the resting-place for my feet: what sort of house will you make for me, and what place will be my resting-place?
2 Ngoba zonke lezizinto isandla sami sazenza, lazo zonke lezizinto zikhona, itsho iNkosi. Kodwa kulowo ngizakhangela, kulowo ongumyanga lolomoya odabukileyo, lothuthumela ngelizwi lami.
For all these things my hand has made, and they are mine, says the Lord; but to this man only will I give attention, to him who is poor and broken in spirit, fearing my word.
3 Ohlaba inkabi unjengobulala umuntu; onikela umhlatshelo ngewundlu unjengowephula intamo yenja; onikela umnikelo wokudla unjengonikela igazi lengulube; otshisa impepha yesikhumbuzo unjengobusisa isithombe. Yebo, bona bakhethile izindlela zabo, lomphefumulo wabo uthokoza ngezinengiso zabo.
He who puts an ox to death puts a man to death; he who makes an offering of a lamb puts a dog to death; he who makes a meal offering makes an offering of pig's blood; he who makes an offering of perfumes for a sign gives worship to an image: as they have gone after their desires, and their soul takes pleasure in their disgusting things;
4 Lami ngizakhetha izigcono zabo, ngibehlisele abakwesabayo; ngoba ngabiza, akwaphendula muntu; ngakhuluma, akwalalela muntu; kodwa benza okubi emehlweni ami, bakhetha lokho engingathokozanga ngakho.
So I will go after trouble for them, and will send on them what they are fearing: because no one made answer to my voice, or gave ear to my word; but they did what was evil in my eyes, going after that in which I took no pleasure.
5 Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina elithuthumela ngelizwi layo. Abafowenu abalizondayo, abalixotsha ngenxa yebizo lami, bathi: Kayidunyiswe iNkosi; khona sizabona intokozo yenu; bona-ke bazayangeka.
Give ear to the word of the Lord, you who are in fear at his word: your countrymen, hating you, and driving you out because of my name, have said, Let the Lord's glory be made clear, so that we may see your joy; but they will be put to shame.
6 Ilizwi lomsindo elivela emzini, ilizwi elivela ethempelini, ilizwi leNkosi elibuyisela izinzuzo ezitheni zayo.
There is a noise of war from the town, a sound from the Temple, the voice of the Lord giving punishment to his haters.
7 Ingakahelelwa, yazala; kungakafiki ubuhlungu bayo, yabeletha owesilisa.
Before her pains came, she gave birth; before her pains, she gave birth to a man-child.
8 Ngubani owake wezwa okunje? Ngubani owake wabona izinto ezinje? Umhlaba uzakwenziwa uzale yini ngosuku olulodwa? Kumbe isizwe singabelethwa yini ngesikhathi sinye? Ngoba iZiyoni ithe ihelelwa, yazala abantwana bayo.
When has such a story come to men's ears? who has seen such things? will a land come to birth in one day? will a nation be given birth in a minute? For when Zion's pains came on her, she gave birth to her children straight away.
9 Mina ngizasondeza ekuzalweni, ngingazalisi yini? itsho iNkosi. Ngizazalisa, besengivala yini? utsho uNkulunkulu wakho.
Will I by whom the birth was started, not make it complete? says the Lord. Will I who make children come to birth, let them be kept back? says your God.
10 Thokozani kanye leJerusalema, lijabule layo, lina lonke eliyithandayo; thokozani kanye layo ngentokozo, lina lonke eliyililelayo;
Have joy with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you her lovers: take part in her joy, all you who are sorrowing for her:
11 ukuze limunye, lisuthe ngamabele ezinduduzo zayo; ukuze limunyisise lizithokozise ngobunengi bodumo lwayo.
So that you may take of the comfort flowing from her breasts, and be delighted with the full measure of her glory.
12 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangelani, ngizaqhelisa ukuthula kuye njengomfula, lodumo lwezizwe njengesifula esikhukhulayo; khona lizamunya, lithwalwe enhlangothini, lidlaliswe emadolweni.
For the Lord says, See, I will make her peace like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream, and she will take her children in her arms, gently caring for them on her knees.
13 Njengalowo unina amduduzayo, ngokunjalo mina ngizaliduduza; njalo lizaduduzeka eJerusalema.
As to one who is comforted by his mother, so will I give you comfort: and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 Lapho libona lokhu, inhliziyo yenu izathokoza, lamathambo enu ahlume njengohlaza; lesandla seNkosi sizakwaziwa ngasezincekwini zayo, njalo izakuba lolaka ngasezitheni zayo.
And you will see it and your heart will be glad, and your bones will get new strength, like young grass: and the hand of the Lord will be seen at work for his servants, and his wrath against his haters.
15 Ngoba khangela, iNkosi izafika ngomlilo, lezinqola zayo njengesivunguzane, ukubuyisela intukuthelo yayo ngokufutheka, lokukhuza kwayo ngamalangabi omlilo.
For the Lord is coming with fire, and his war-carriages will be like the storm-wind; to give punishment in the heat of his wrath, and his passion is like flames of fire.
16 Ngoba ngomlilo langenkemba yayo iNkosi izangena ekwahluleleni layo yonke inyama, lababuleweyo beNkosi bazakuba banengi.
For with fire and sword will the Lord come, judging all the earth, and his sword will be on all flesh: and great numbers will be put to death by him.
17 Labo abazingcwelisayo, bazihlambulule ezivandeni ngemva kwesihlahla esisodwa esiphakathi, besidla inyama yezingulube, lesinengiso, legundwane, bazaqedwa kanyekanye, itsho iNkosi.
As for those who keep themselves separate, and make themselves clean in the gardens, going after one in the middle, taking pig's flesh for food, and other disgusting things, such as the mouse: their works and their thoughts will come to an end together, says the Lord.
18 Ngoba mina ngiyayazi imisebenzi yabo lemicabango yabo; kuzafika ukuthi ngibuthe zonke izizwe lezinlimi; njalo zizafika, zibone udumo lwami.
And I am coming to get together all nations and tongues: and they will come and will see my glory.
19 Ngizabeka-ke isibonakaliso phakathi kwazo, ngithume abaphunyukileyo babo baye ezizweni, eTarshishi, iPhuli, leLudi, abadonsa idandili, eThubhali, leJavani, izihlenge ezikhatshana ezingakezwa indumela yami, lezingakaboni udumo lwami; njalo zizamemezela udumo lwami phakathi kwezizwe.
And I will put a sign among them, and I will send those who are still living to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, Meshech and Rosh, Tubal and Javan, to the sea-lands far away, who have not had word of me, or seen my glory; and they will give the knowledge of my glory to the nations.
20 Bazaletha-ke bonke abafowenu babe ngumnikelo eNkosini bephuma kuzo zonke izizwe bephezu kwamabhiza, langezinqola, langamathala, laphezu kwezimbongolo, laphezu kwezinyamazana ezilejubane, entabeni yami engcwele eJerusalema, itsho iNkosi, njengabantwana bakoIsrayeli beletha umnikelo ngesitsha esihlambulukileyo endlini yeNkosi.
And they will take your countrymen out of all the nations for an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in carriages, and in carts, and on asses, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the children of Israel take their offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.
21 Ngizathatha-ke lakubo babe ngabapristi njalo babe ngamaLevi, itsho iNkosi.
And some of them will I take for priests and Levites, says the Lord.
22 Ngoba njengamazulu amatsha lomhlaba omutsha engizakwenza kuzakuma phambi kwami, itsho iNkosi, ngokunjalo inzalo yakho lebizo lakho kuzakuma.
For as the new heaven and the new earth which I will make will be for ever before me, says the Lord, so will your seed and your name be for ever.
23 Kuzakuthi-ke ekuthwaseni kwenye inyanga kusiya kwenye, njalo kusukela kwelinye isabatha kusiya kwelinye, yonke inyama izakuzakhonza phambi kwami, itsho iNkosi.
And it will be, that from new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh will come to give worship before me, says the Lord.
24 Bazaphuma-ke, babone izidumbu zabantu abaphambeke bemelene lami; ngoba impethu yabo kayiyikufa, lomlilo wabo kawuyikucitsha; njalo bazakuba yisinengiso kuyo yonke inyama.
And they will go out to see the dead bodies of the men who have done evil against me: for their worm will ever be living, and their fire will never be put out, and they will be a thing of fear to all flesh.
