Isaiah 49
1 Ngilaleleni nina ziqhingi, niqaphele nina bantu abakude; uSimakade ungibizile kwasesibelethweni, wangiqamba igama kwasesiswini sikamame.
2 Wawenza umlomo wami wanjengenkemba ebukhali, wangithukusa ethunzini lesandla sakhe, wangenza umcibisholo omenyezelayo, wangithukusa emgodleni wakhe.
3 Wathi kimi: “Wena uyinceku yami, Israyeli, engizoluveza ngayo udumo lwami.”
4 Kodwa ngase ngithi: “Ngikhandlekele ize, amandla ami ngiwachithele okuyize nokungelutho; nokho ubulungiswa obungifanele bukuSimakade, nomvuzo wami ukuNkulunkulu wami.”
5 Manje uthi uSimakade owangibumba kwasesibelethweni, ukuba ngibe yinceku yakhe yokubuyisela kuye uJakobe, nokuba kuqoqelwe kuye u-Israyeli, ngokuba ngihloniphekile emehlweni kaSimakade. UNkulunkulu wami waba ngamandla ami.
6 Yebo, uthi: “Kuyinto elula ukuba ube yinceku yami, ukuvusa izizwe zakwaJakobe, nokubuyisa abaseleyo bakwa-Israyeli; ngalokho ngiyakukwenza ube ngukukhanya kwabezizwe, ube yinsindiso yami kuze kube semkhawulweni womhlaba.”
7 Usho kanje uSimakade, uMhlengi ka-Israyeli noNgcwele wakhe, kodelelekile oyisinengiso esizweni, noyinceku yababusi, uthi: “Amakhosi ayakubona qede asukume; izikhulu zikubone, bese zikhothama ngenxa kaSimakade othembekileyo, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli; okukhethileyo.”
8 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Ngiyakukuphendula ngesikhathi somusa, ngikusize ngosuku lokusindiswa; ngiyakukulondoloza, ngikubeke ube yisivumelwano sabantu sokubuyisa izwe, nokubenza badle amafa achithekileyo.
9 Eziboshweni, uthi: ‘Phumani,’ kulabo abasebumnyameni, uthi: ‘Zibonakaliseni.’ “Bayoklaba ngasendleleni, amadlelo abo abe semagqumeni wonke.
10 Abayukulamba, abayukoma, abayukushaywa yisifudumezi selanga, ngokuba Yena onozwelo kubo uyakubahola abayise emithonjeni yamanzi.
11 Ngiyokwenza zonke izintaba zami zibe yimigwaqo, imendo yami iyakuphakanyiswa.
12 Bheka, laba bayakuvela kude; bheka, laba bayakuvela enyakatho nasentshonalanga; nalaba eSinimi.”
13 Jabulani mazulu, uthokoze nawe mhlaba, qhumukani zintaba, nihube, ngokuba uSimakade ubaduduzile abantu bakhe, unozwelo kwabahluphekileyo bakhe.
14 Kodwa iZiyoni lithi: “USimakade ungishiyile, iNkosi ingikhohliwe.”
15 “Owesifazane angakhohlwa yini ngumntwana wakhe oncelayo, angabi naluzwelo endodaneni ayizalayo na? Yebo, bona bangakhohlwa, kodwa Mina angiyukukukhohlwa wena.
16 Bheka, ngikulobe entendeni yezandla zami, izingange zakho ziphambi kwami njalo.
17 Abantwana bakho bayashesha; abakuchithayo nabakwenza ize bayophuma kuwe.
18 Phakamisa amehlo akho ubuke nxazonke, bonke bayaqoqana, beza kuwe; ngifunga ngiyagomela,” kusho uSimakade, “impela uyakubagqoka bonke njengemvunulo, ubabhince njengomakoti.
19 “Izindawo zakho ezichithekileyo neziyize, nezwe lakho eliqothuliweyo kuyakuminyana ngabakhileyo kukho, nabakugwinyileyo bayakuba kude.
20 Abantwana obazale ngesikhathi sakho sokuhlupheka bayothi ezindlebeni zakho: ‘Indawo engikuyo iminyene; sukani ukuze ngihlale.’
21 Uyothi enhliziyweni yakho: ‘Ngubani ongizalele laba bantwana, lokhu ngiphuciwe abantwana bami, angisenalutho, ngingumthunjwa nozulane na? Ngubani obakhulisile laba na? Bheka, ngasala ngedwa, babekuphi laba na?’ ”
22 Isho kanje iNkosi uSimakade, ithi: “Ngizakuphakamisela izizwe isandla sami, ngiphakamisele abantu ibhanela lami; bayakuletha amadodana akho bewagone esifubeni, namadodakazi akho bewathwele ehlombe.
23 Amakhosi ayakuba ngabazanyana bakho, nezindlovukazi zawo zibe ngabancelisi bakho; bayokukhothamela, ubuso bubheke phansi, bakhothe uthuli lwezinyawo zakho; uyokwazi ukuthi nginguSimakade, abethembela kimi abayukujabha.”
24 Amaqhawe angayephucwa yini impango, nolungileyo angaphunyuka ekuthunjweni na?
25 Noma kunjalo, uSimakade uthi: “Yebo, abathunjwa abangamaqhawe bayakuthathwa, nempango yabacindezeli yophulwe, kodwa Mina ngiyakulwa naye olwa nawe, ngibasindise abantwana bakho.
26 Ngiyakubadlisa abakucindezelayo, inyama yabo, badakwe yigazi labo kube ngathi bekuyiwayini elimnandi; abantu bonke bayokwazi ukuthi Mina Simakade nginguMsindisi wakho, uMhlengi wakho, uMninimandla kaJakobe.”