Isaiah 40
1 Duduzani, nibaduduze abantu bami, kusho uNkulunkulu wenu.
2 Liqungeni isibindi iJerusalema, nimemezele kulo ukuthi ukulwa kwalo sekuphelile, nobubi balo buhlanguliwe, ngokuba lamukele kuSimakade isijeziso ngokuphindiwe ngenxa yazo zonke izono zalo.
3 Izwi liyamemeza, lithi: “Lungisani indlela kaSimakade ehlane, nihlelembe umgwaqo kaNkulunkulu wethu ongcwele.
4 Zonke izigodi ziyophakanyiswa, zonke izintaba namagquma kuyokwehliswa; amagebhugebhu ayakuhlelenjwa, nemigoxigoxi iyakuba yithafa.
5 Inkazimulo kaSimakade iyobonakaliswa, bonke abantu bayakuyibona kanyekanye ngokuba umlomo kaSimakade ukhulumile.”
6 Izwi lithi: “Memeza!” Ngathi: “Ngiyakumemeza ngithini na?” Bonke abantu bangutshani, nabo bonke ubuhle babo bunjengembali yasendle.
7 Utshani buyabuna, imbali iyavuthuluka, ngokuba uMoya kaSimakade uyakuphephetha. Impela abantu bangutshani.
8 Utshani buyabuna, imbali ivuthuluke, kodwa izwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kube phakade.
9 Khuphukela entabeni ephakemeyo, wena Ziyoni, ophethe izindaba ezinhle. Phakamisa izwi lakho ngamandla, Jerusalema ophethe izindaba ezinhle; liphakamise ungesabi, yisho emizini yakwaJuda, uthi: “Bhekani, nangu uNkulunkulu wenu.”
10 Bhekani, iNkosi uSimakade iyeza ngamandla; izobusa ngengalo yayo; bhekani, umvuzo wayo uza nayo, nenkokhelo yayo iphambi kwayo.
11 Iyokwelusa umhlambi wayo njengomelusi, iqoqe izimvana ngezingalo zayo, izigone esifubeni sayo, ihole ngesinono izindlezane.
12 Ngubani olinganise amanzi ngentende yesandla sakhe, walinganisa izulu ngeminwe eyeluliweyo, wahlanganisa uthuli esilinganisweni, walinganisa izintaba ngesikalo namagquma ngezisindo, na?
13 Ngubani oqondise uMoya kaSimakade, wamfundisa, waba ngumeluleki wakhe na?
14 Welulekana nobani waze wamnika ukuqonda, wamfundisa indlela yobulungiswa, wamnika indlela yokwazi, wamazisa indlela yokuqonda na?
15 Impela, izizwe zinjengethonsi esitsheni, zifana nothuli esikalini; uyakuphakamisa iziqhingi njengothuli olucolisekileyo.
16 ILebhanoni alanele ukushisa, nezilwane ezikulo azanele ukuba zibe ngumnikelo wokushiswa.
17 Zonke izizwe ziyinto engelutho phambi kwakhe, uzithatha njengento engelutho neyize.
18 Ningamfanisa nobani uNkulunkulu na? Ningamqhathanisa namuphi umfanekiso na?
19 Isithombe esibunjwe ngumbumbi, umkhandi wasinameka ngegolide, wasincibilikisela amaketanga esiliva na?
20 Ompofu ukhetha ukhuni olungaboliyo anikele ngalo, bese efuna ingcweti yombazi ukuba imenzele isithombe esibaziweyo, esingenyakaziswe.
21 Anazi yini? Anizwa yini? Anitshelwanga yini kwasekuqaleni, aniqondanga yini kwasekusekelweni komhlaba na?
22 NguYena ohleli esiyingelezini somhlaba, abakhileyo kuwo banjengezintethe; nguyena oweneka izulu njengekhethini, alendlale njengethende ukuba kuhlalwe kulo;
23 nguyena owenza izikhulu zibe yinto engelutho, abehluleli babe yize.
24 Bathi besanda kutshalwa nje, beqeda nje ukuhlwanyelwa, nesiqu sabo singakagxiliswa izimpande emhlabathini, wabaphephetha, babuna, isivunguvungu sabasusa njengamabibi.
25 “Ngubani eningamfanisa nami neningangilinganisa naye na?” kusho oNgcwele.
26 Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, nibone. Ngubani odale lezo zinto na? Nguye okhipha amaviyo azo, awabale; azibize zonke ngamagama. Ngokuba unamandla amakhulu nezikhwepha zakhe zinkulu, yingakho kungasilele neyodwa.
27 Ukhulumelani wena Jakobe, usholoni wena Israyeli, ukuthi: “Indlela yami isithekile kuSimakade, nelungelo lami akalinaki uNkulunkulu wami na?”
28 Awuzange wazi yini? Awuzwanga yini na? USimakade unguNkulunkulu ongunaphakade, uMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba, akapheli amandla, akakhathali; nokuqonda kwakhe akunakuphenywa.
29 Nguye opha oyethileyo amandla, andise izikhwepha kongenamandla.
30 Izinsizwa ziyaphela amandla, zikhathale, nabasha bawa nokuwa,
31 kepha abamethembayo uSimakade bayakuthola amandla amasha, bayakukhuphuka ngamaphiko njengezinkozi, bagijime bengakhathali, bahambe bengapheli amandla.