Isaiah 41
1 “Thulani phambi kwami, nina ziqhingi, izizwe mazithole amandla amasha, mazisondele bese zikhuluma, mazisondele zonke ukuba zehlulelwe ndawonye.
2 “Ngubani okuvusile ukulunga ukuba kuphume empumalanga, akubize ukuba kumlandele, anikele izizwe phambi kwakhe, anyathele amakhosi, awenze abe njengothuli ngenkemba yakhe, nanjengamabibi epheshulwa ngumnsalo wakhe na?
3 Uyabaxosha, adlule ngokuthula, kungathi kalubeki phansi endleleni unyawo lwakhe.
4 Ngubani okwenzileyo lokhu, wakudala, wabiza izizukulwane kwasekuqaleni na? Mina, Simakade ngingowokuqala, futhi ngingowokugcina.”
5 Iziqhingi zibonile, ziyesaba; imikhawulo yomhlaba iyathuthumela, iyasondela, futhi isifikile.
6 Yilowo nalowo usiza umakhelwane wakhe ethi esihlotsheni sakhe: “Yima isibindi.”
7 Umbazi uqunga umkhandi isibindi, nololonga ngesando uqunga oshaya isikhandelo isibindi, ethi konamathelisa ngomthofi: “Kuhle,” ekuqinisa ngezipikili, ukuze kunganyakaziswa.
8 “Kepha wena Israyeli, nceku yami, wena Jakobe engikukhethileyo, wozalo luka-Abhrahama umngani wami,
9 wena engikuthathe emikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngakubiza emajukujukwini awo, ngathi kuwe: ‘Wena uyinceku yami, ngikukhethile, angikulahlanga.’
10 Ungesabi, ngokuba Mina nginawe; ungabi naluvalo, ngokuba Mina nginguNkulunkulu wakho; ngiyakuqinisa, futhi ngiyakusiza, yebo, ngiyakusekela ngesandla sokunene sokulunga kwami.
11 “Bazoba namahloni, bajabhiswe bonke abakuthukuthelele, bayoba njengento engelutho, babhubhe bonke abamelana nawe.
12 Uyakubafuna, kodwa awuyukubafumana; labo bantu abaxabana nawe, abalwa nawe, bayakuba njengento engelutho, nanjengeze.
13 Mina nginguSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, okubamba ngesandla sakho sokunene, athi kuwe: ungesabi, ngiyakusiza.
14 Ungesabi wena mpethu, Jakobe, nani bantu bakwa-Israyeli; Mina ngiyokusiza,” kusho uSimakade uMhlengi wakho oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
15 “Ngizokwenza ube yisibhulo esisha, esibukhali esinamazinyo; uyobhula izintaba, uzicolise, wenze amagquma abe njengamakhoba.
16 Uyowahlakaza, umoya uwasuse, isivunguvungu siwachithe; uyothokoza ngoSimakade, uzibonge ngoNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
17 “Abampofu nabaswelayo bafuna amanzi, kodwa abawafumani, ulimi lwabo lugagadekile wukoma; Mina Simakade ngiyakubaphendula, Mina Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli angiyukubashiya.
18 Ngiyakuvula imifula emadulini angenalutho, nemithombo phakathi kwezigodi; ngiyalenza ihlane libe yichibi lamanzi, nomhlabathi owomileyo ube yiziphethu zamanzi.
19 Ngiyakutshala umsedari ehlane, umtholo, umbomvana, nomnqumo, ngibeke kwahlongasibi umsayiphuresi, umthidari nomkhoba kanyekanye,
20 ukuze babone futhi bazi, baqaphele, babe nokuqonda ukuthi yisandla sikaSimakade esenze lokho, nokuthi ngoNgcwele ka-Israyeli okudalile.
21 “Lethani udaba lwenu,” kusho uSimakade, “nisondeze izizathu zenu,” kusho iNkosi kaJakobe.
22 “Mabasondele, basitshele okuyakwenzeka, ukuthi zaziyini izinto zakuqala na? Mabasitshele zona ukuba sizibeke ezinhliziyweni zethu, sazi umphumela wazo, noma sazi izinto ezizayo.
23 Sitsheleni okuzayo ngesikhathi esizayo, sazi ukuthi ningonkulunkulu; yebo, yenzani okuhle noma okubi, ukuze sesabe, sikubone kanyekanye.
24 Bhekani, nivela ezeni, nemisebenzi yenu ayilutho; uyisinengiso onikhethayo.
25 “Ngimvusile enyakatho, futhi usefikile, kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga, uyakubiza iGama lami; uyakwehlela phezu kwababusi njengaphezu kodaka, nanjengombumbi exovaxova ibumba.
26 Ngubani owakushoyo kwasekuqaleni ukuze sazi, nangaphambili ukuba sisho sithi: ‘Uqinisile’ na? Qha, akekho okumemezelileyo, akekho nokuzwisileyo, akekho nowezwa amazwi enu.
27 Mina ngingowokuqala okumemezele eZiyoni, nganika iJerusalema isithunywa sezindaba ezinhle.
28 Kepha lapho ngibheka, akukho muntu; akekho phakathi kwabo umeluleki ongaphendula ngezwi, lapho ngibabuza.
29 Bheka, bonke bayize; imisebenzi yabo iyinto engelutho, nezithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingumoya nento engekho.”