U-Isaya 49
1 Ngilalelani, zihlenge; lizwe, lina bantu abakhatshana: INkosi ingibizile ngisesiswini; ngisemibilini kamama yaqamba ibizo lami.
Listen, O islands, to Me, And attend, O peoples, from afar, YHWH has called Me from the womb, From the bowels of My mother He has made mention of My Name.
2 Yasisenza umlomo wami waba njengenkemba ebukhali, yangifihla ngaphansi komthunzi wesandla sayo; yangenza ngibe ngumtshoko ololiweyo, yangifihla esambeni sayo semitshoko.
And He makes My mouth as a sharp sword, He has hid Me in the shadow of His hand, And He makes Me for a clear arrow, He has hid Me in His quiver.
3 Yathi kimi: Uyinceku yami, Israyeli, engizazidumisa ngayo.
And He says to me, “You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I beautify Myself.”
4 Ngasengisithi mina: Ngitshikatshikele ize, amandla ami ngiwachithele okungelutho lokuyize; qiniso, isahlulelo sami siseNkosini, lomvuzo wami ukuNkulunkulu wami.
And I said, “I labored in vain, I consumed my power for emptiness and vanity, But my judgment [is] with YHWH, And my wage with my God.”
5 Khathesi-ke itsho iNkosi, eyangibumba kwasesiswini ukuba yinceku yayo yokubuyisela uJakobe kuyo; lanxa uIsrayeli engabuthwanga, kube kanti ngizadunyiswa emehlweni eNkosi; njalo uNkulunkulu wami uzakuba ngamandla ami.
“And now,” said YHWH, who is forming Me from the belly—His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him (Though Israel is not gathered, Yet I am honored in the eyes of YHWH, And My God has been My strength).
6 Yasisithi: Kuyinto encane ukuthi ube yinceku yami yokuvusa izizwe zikaJakobe, lokubuyisela abalondoloziweyo bakoIsrayeli; ngizakupha futhi ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe, ukuze ube lusindiso lwami kuze kube semkhawulweni womhlaba.
And He says, “It has been a light thing That You are My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to bring back the preserved of Israel, And I have given You for a light to the nations, To be My salvation to the end of the earth.”
7 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi kaIsrayeli, oNgcwele wakhe, kumphefumulo odelelwayo, kuye onengwa yisizwe, kunceku yababusi: Amakhosi azabona asukume, iziphathamandla lazo zizakhonza, ngenxa yeNkosi ethembekileyo, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, ekukhethileyo.
Thus said YHWH, Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, To the despised in soul, To the detested of a nation, To the Servant of rulers: “Kings see, and have risen, princes, and worship, For the sake of YHWH, who is faithful, The Holy of Israel, and He chooses You.”
8 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngesikhathi esemukelekayo ngikuphendulile, langosuku losindiso ngikusizile; njalo ngizakulondoloza, ngikunike ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ukuvuselela umhlaba, ukubenza badle amafa achithekileyo,
Thus said YHWH: “In a time of good pleasure I answered You, And in a day of salvation I helped You, And I keep You, and give You, For a covenant of the people, To establish the earth, To cause to inherit desolate inheritances.
9 ukuze uthi kuzibotshwa: Phumani; kwabasemnyameni: Zivezeni. Bazakudla ezindleleni, ledlelo labo libe semadundulwini wonke.
To say to the bound, Go out, To those in darkness, Be uncovered. They feed on the ways, And their pasture is in all high places.
10 Kabayikulamba, kumbe bome, njalo ukutshisa kumbe ilanga kakuyikubatshaya, ngoba yena olesihawu kibo uzabakhokhela, lemithonjeni yamanzi uzabaqondisa.
They do not hunger, nor thirst, Nor do mirage and sun strike them, For He who is pitying them leads them, And tends them by fountains of waters.
11 Njalo ngizakwenza zonke intaba zami zibe yindlela, lemigwaqo yami iphakame.
And I have made all My mountains for a way, And My highways are lifted up.
12 Khangela laba bazavela khatshana, njalo khangela laba ngasenyakatho langasentshonalanga, lalaba elizweni leSinimi.
Behold, these come in from afar, And behold, these from the north, and from the sea, And these from the land of Sinim.”
13 Hlabelelani, mazulu, uthokoze, lawe mhlaba, lihlokome ngokuhlabela, lani zintaba, ngoba iNkosi ibaduduzile abantu bayo, izakuba lesihawu kwabahluphekileyo bayo.
Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, And break forth, O mountains, with singing, For YHWH has comforted His people, And He pities His afflicted ones.
14 Kodwa iZiyoni yathi: UJehova ungidelile, njalo iNkosi yami ingikhohliwe.
And Zion says, “YHWH has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 Owesifazana angamkhohlwa yini umntanakhe omunyayo, ukuba angabi lasihawu kuyo indodana yesisu sakhe? Yebo, bona bangakhohlwa, kodwa mina kangiyikukukhohlwa.
“Does a woman forget her suckling, The loved one—the son of her womb? Indeed, these forget—but I do not forget you.
16 Khangela, ngikubhale ngokugubha ezintendeni zezandla; imiduli yakho ihlezi iphambi kwami.
Behold, I have carved you on the palms of the hand, Your walls [are] continually before Me.
17 Abantwana bakho bazaphangisa; abachithi bakho labakumotshayo bazaphuma kuwe.
Those building you have hurried, Those destroying you, and laying you waste, go out from you.
18 Phakamisa amehlo akho inhlangothi zonke, ukhangele; bonke laba bayabuthana, beze kuwe. Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, isibili, uzazigqokisa ngabo bonke njengesiceciso, uzibhince ngabo njengomakoti.
Lift up your eyes, [look] around and see, All of them have been gathered, They have come to you. [As] I live,” a declaration of YHWH! “Surely you put on all of them as an ornament, And you bind them on like a bride.
19 Ngoba indawo zakho ezichithekileyo lamanxiwa akho, lelizwe lencithakalo yakho, isibili khathesi lizaminyana kakhulu ngenxa yabahlali; lalabo abakuginyayo bazakuba khatshana.
Because your ruins, and your desolate places, And the land of your ruins, Are now surely restricted because of inhabitants, And those consuming you have been far off.
20 Abantwana bokufelwa kwakho bazakuthi futhi endlebeni zakho: Lindawo iminyene kakhulu kimi; ngivulela indawo ukuze ngihlale!
Again the sons of your bereavement say in your ears: The place is too narrow for me, Come near to me—and I dwell.
21 Khona uzakuthi enhliziyweni yakho: Ngubani ongizalele laba, njengoba ngafelwa ngabantwana, ngaba njengenyumba, ngingumthunjwa, ngisiwa le lale? Njalo ngubani okhulise laba? Khangela mina ngangisele ngedwa; laba babengaphi?
And you have said in your heart: Who has begotten these for me? And I [am] bereaved and barren, A captive, and turned aside, And who has nourished these? Behold, I was left by myself, these—where [are] they from?”
22 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizaphakamisela izizwe isandla sami, ngimise uphawu lwami ebantwini; njalo bazaletha amadodana akho esifubeni, lamadodakazi akho bewetshete.
Thus said Lord YHWH: “Behold, I lift up My hand to nations, And I raise up My ensign to peoples, And they have brought your sons in the bosom, And your daughters are carried on the shoulder.
23 Lamakhosi azakuba ngabondli bakho, lezindlovukazi zawo zibe ngabalizane bakho. Bazakukhothamela ngobuso emhlabathini, bakhothe uthuli lwezinyawo zakho. Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina ngiyiNkosi, ngoba abangithembayo kabayikuyangeka.
And kings have been your nursing fathers, And their princesses—your nursing mothers; Face to the earth—they bow down to you, And they lick up the dust of your feet, And you have known that I [am] YHWH, That those expecting Me are not ashamed.”
24 Impango izathathwa yini kolamandla, kumbe umthunjwa ngokomthetho akhululwe?
Is prey taken from the mighty? And the captive of the righteous delivered?
25 Kodwa itsho njalo iNkosi: Yebo, abathunjiweyo beqhawe bazathathwa, lempango yabesabekayo izakophulwa; ngoba mina ngizalwisana laye olwisana lawe, mina-ke ngisindise abantwana bakho.
For thus said YHWH: “Even the captive of the mighty is taken, And the prey of the terrible is delivered, And I strive with your striver, and I save your sons.
26 Njalo ngizadlisa abacindezeli bakho eyabo inyama, badakwe ngelabo igazi kungathi ngewayini elimnandi. Njalo yonke inyama izakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi nginguMsindisi wakho, loMhlengi wakho, oLamandla kaJakobe.
And I have caused your oppressors to eat their own flesh, And they drink their own blood as new wine, And all flesh has known that I, YHWH, Your Savior, and your Redeemer, [Am] the Mighty One of Jacob!”
