U-Isaya 42
1 “Nansi inceku yami engiyisekelayo, okhethiweyo wami, engithokoza ngaye. Ngizabeka umoya wami phezu kwakhe, uzaletha ukulunga ezizweni.
“Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
2 Kayikumemeza kumbe aklabalale, loba aphakamise ilizwi lakhe emigwaqweni.
He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 Umhlanga ohluzukileyo akayikuwuquma, lentambo yesibane etsha kancane akayikuyicima. Ngokwethembeka uzaletha ukulunga;
He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.
4 akayikudinwa kumbe ephulwe inhliziyo aze alethe ukulunga emhlabeni. Izihlenge zizakwethemba umthetho wakhe.”
He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands wait for his law.”
5 Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguNkulunkulu uThixo, yena owadala amazulu wawelula, yena owendlala umhlaba lakho konke okuphuma kuwo, yena onika abantu abakuwo ukuphefumula, kuthi abahamba kuwo abanike ukuphila:
God Yahweh, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:
6 “Mina, uThixo ngikubizile ngokulunga; ngizabamba isandla sakho. Ngizakulondoloza ngikwenze ube yisivumelwano sabantu lokukhanya kwabeZizwe;
“I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations,
7 uvule amehlo eziphofu, ukhuphe abathunjiweyo entolongweni, ubakhulule emigodini yezibotshwa labo abahlala emnyameni.
to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.
8 Mina nginguThixo, lelo yilo ibizo lami! Ubukhosi bami angiyikubunika omunye loba nginike izithombe udumo lwami.
“I am Yahweh. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.
9 Khangela, izinto zakuqala sezenzakele, njalo ngimemezela izinto ezintsha; zingakaveli ukuba zibe khona ngiyakutshela ngazo.”
Behold, the former things have happened and I declare new things. I tell you about them before they come up.”
10 Hlabelelani uThixo ingoma entsha, udumo lwakhe kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba, lina eliya phansi olwandle, lakho konke okukulo, lina zihlenge, labo bonke abahlala kini.
Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants.
11 Inkangala lamadolobho ayo kakuphakamise amazwi akho; imizi uKhedari ahlala kuyo kayijabule. Abantu baseSela kabahlabele ngentokozo; kabaklabalale besezinqongweni zezintaba.
Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains!
12 Kabamdumise uThixo, amemezele udumo lwakhe ezihlengeni.
Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 UThixo uzaphuma njengendoda elamandla, njengebutho uzavuthela ukutshiseka kwakhe; ngokuklabalala uzakhuza isaga sempi azinqobe izitha zakhe.
Yahweh will go out like a mighty man. He will stir up zeal like a man of war. He will raise a war cry. Yes, he will shout aloud. He will triumph over his enemies.
14 “Bengithule okwesikhathi eside kakhulu, bengithule ngizithiba. Kodwa khathesi, njengowesifazane ebeletha, ngiyakhala, ngiyakhefuzela ngiphefuzela.
“I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.
15 Ngizabhidliza izintaba lamaqaqa; ngilomise lonke uhlaza lwabo; ngizaphendula imifula ibe yizihlenge ngomise lamachibi.
I will destroy mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.
16 Ngizakhokhela iziphofu ngezindlela ezingazaziyo, ngizihole ngezindledlana ezingajwayelekanga. Ngizaphendula umnyama ube yikukhanya phambi kwazo; ngenze izindawo ezimakhilikithi zibe butshelezi. Lezi yizo izinto engizazenza; angiyikuziyekela.
I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.
17 Kodwa labo abathemba izithombe, abathi kuzifanekiso, ‘Lingonkulunkulu bethu,’ bazabuyiselwa emuva beyangeke impela.”
“Those who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.
18 “Zwanini, lina zacuthe; khangelani, lina ziphofu, libone!
“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.
19 Ngubani oyisiphofu ngaphandle kwenceku yami, loyisacuthe njengesithunywa engisithumayo na? Ngubani oyisiphofu njengalowo ozinikele kimi, oyisiphofu njengenceku kaThixo na?
Who is blind, but my servant? Or who is as deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he who is at peace, and as blind as Yahweh’s servant?
20 Selabona izinto ezinengi, kodwa kalinakanga; indlebe zenu zivulekile, kodwa kalizwa lutho.”
You see many things, but don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen.
21 Kwamthokozisa uThixo ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe ukuba akhulise umthetho wakhe ube mkhulu njalo ulodumo.
It pleased Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law and make it honorable.
22 Kodwa laba ngabantu abaphangiweyo bathunjwa; bonke bavalelwe emiwolweni, loba bafihlwa ezintolongweni. Sebenziwe baba yimpahla yokuthunjwa, kungela ozabasindisa; sebephendulwe baba yinto yokuthunjwa kungekho othi, “Babuyiseleni emuva.”
But this is a robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become captives, and no one delivers, and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’
23 Ngubani wenu olalela lokhu, kumbe asinake isikhathi esizayo na?
Who is there among you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
24 Ngubani owanikela uJakhobe ukuba abe yinto yokuthunjwa wanikela lo-Israyeli kubaphangi na? Kwakungasuye uThixo, esamonelayo thina na? Njengoba babengeke balandele izindlela zakhe; kabalalelanga umthetho wakhe.
Who gave Jacob as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t Yahweh, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.
25 Ngakho wathela ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo phezu kwabo, ukutshisa kwempi. Wabamboza ngamalangabi, kodwa kabezwisisanga. Wabaqothula, kodwa kabakhathalanga.
Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle. It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know. It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”
