U-Isaya 41

1 “Thulani lithi zwi phambi kwami lina zihlenge! Izizwe kazivuselele amandla azo! Kazisondele phambili zikhulume; kasihlanganeni sonke endaweni yokwahlulela.

2 Ngubani osevuse lowo ovela empumalanga, embizela emsebenzini wakhe ngokulunga na? Unikela izizwe kuye, anqobe amakhosi phambi kwakhe. Ngenkemba yakhe uwenza abe luthuli, ngedandili lakhe awenze abe ngamakhoba aphetshulwa ngumoya.

3 Uyawaxotsha yena adlule engathintwanga lutho, endleleni angakaze ahambe ngayo.

4 Ngubani owenze lokhu wakuphumelelisa, ebiza izizukulwane kusukela ekuqaleni na? Mina uThixo, kusukela kwesokuqala sazo kanye lesokucina, nginguye.”

5 Izihlenge zikubonile njalo ziyesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba iyathuthumela, iyasondela ize ngaphambili;

6 yilowo lalowo usiza omunye athi kumfowabo, “Woba lesibindi!”

7 Umbazi ukhuthaza umkhandi wegolide, lalowo ololonga ngesando utshotshozela otshaya ihandila. Mayelana lokunusela uthi, “Kulungile.” Ubethelela isithombe phansi ngezipikili ukuze singawi.

8 “Kodwa wena we Israyeli, nceku yami, Jakhobe, wena engikukhethileyo, wena nzalo ka-Abhrahama, umngane wami,

9 ngakuthatha emikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza usemakhoneni akhatshana kakhulu. Ngathi, ‘Wena uyinceku yami’; ngikukhethile njalo angikulahlanga.

10 Ngakho ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ungakhathazeki, ngoba nginguNkulunkulu wakho. Ngizakuqinisa, ngikusize; ngizakusekela ngesandla sami sokudla esiqotho.

11 Bonke abakuthukutheleleyo, ngoqotho bazayangeka babe lenhloni; labo abakuphikisayo bazakuba njengeze, babhubhe.

12 Lanxa izitha zakho uzidinga, awuyikuzithola. Labo abalwa impi lawe bazakuba yize.

13 Ngoba mina nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, okubamba ngesandla sakho sokudla athi kuwe: Ungesabi; ngizakusiza.

14 Ungesabi, wena mpethu enguJakhobe, wena Israyeli omncinyazana, ungesabi, ngoba mina ngokwami ngizakusiza,” kutsho uThixo, uMhlengi wakho, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.

15 “Khangela, ngizakwenza ube yisileyi sokubhula esitsha njalo esibukhali esilenhlendla ezinengi. Uzabhula izintaba uzibhidlize. Wenze amaqaqa abe ngamakhoba.

16 Uzawahlungula, umoya uwathathe, isavunguzane siwaphephulele khatshana. Kodwa wena uzathokoza kuThixo njalo uzibule koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.

17 Abayanga labaswelayo badinga amanzi, kodwa kawakho; inlimi zabo sezitshile ngokoma. Kodwa mina Thixo ngizabaphendula; mina, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, angiyikubalahla.

18 Ngizakwenza amanzi ageleze emiqolweni engelalutho lemithombo phakathi kwezigodi. Ngizaguqula inkangala ibe yiziziba zamanzi, lomhlabathi owomileyo ube yimithombo yamanzi.

19 Enkangala ngizamilisa khona imisedari lemi-akhakhiya, amamithili kanye lama-oliva. Ogwaduleni ngizamisa izihlahla zamaphayini, ndawonye lemifiri kanye lemisiphresi,

20 ukuze abantu babone njalo bazi, bacabange bazwisise ukuthi isandla sikaThixo yiso esenza lokhu, lokuthi oNgcwele ka-Israyeli ukudalile.

21 Bikani indaba yenu,” kutsho uThixo. “Bekani izizatho zenu,” kutsho iNkosi kaJakhobe.

22 “Lethani izithombe zenu zisitshele okuzakwenzakala. Sitsheleni izinto zendulo ukuthi zaziyini ukuze sizihlole, sazi isiphetho sazo. Loba sitsheleni izinto ezizayo,

23 lisazise okuqukethwe yizinsuku ezizayo, ukuze sazi ukuthi lingonkulunkulu. Yenzani okuthile, okuhle kumbe okubi, ukuze sithuthumele, sibe lokwesaba.

24 Kodwa lina liyize, lemisebenzi yenu kayisilutho, okhetha lina uyisinengiso.

25 Sengithukuthelise omunye enyakatho, njalo uyeza omunye ovela empumalanga obiza ibizo lami. Lowo unyathela phezu kwababusi kube sengathi baludaka, kube angathi ngumbumbi evoxa ibumba.

26 Ngubani owabika lokhu kwasekuqaleni, ukuze sazi, kumbe ngaphambilini ukuze sithi, ‘Wayeqinisile na’? Kakho owabika ngalokhu, kakho owakutsho ngaphambilini, kakho owake wezwa amazwi aphuma kuwe.

27 Mina yimi engaba ngowokuqala ukutshela iZiyoni ukuthi, ‘Khangela, nampa lapha!’ Nganika iJerusalema isithunywa sezindaba ezinhle.

28 Ngiyakhangela kodwa akulamuntu, kakho phakathi kwabo onganika iseluleko, kakho ongaphendula lapho ngibabuza.

29 Khangela, bonke bayize! Izenzo zabo kazisilutho; izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya lensambatheka.”