U-Izaya 44:1-28

“Manje yizwa Jakobe, nceku yami, Israyeli engimkhethileyo. Usho kanje uSimakade owakudalayo, wakubumba kwasesibelethweni, oyakukusiza, uthi: Ungesabi, Jakobe, nceku yami, wena Jeshuruni engikukhethileyo. Ngokuba ngiyakuthela amanzi phezu kokomileyo, nezikhukhula phezu kokomileyo, ngiyakuthulula uMoya wami phezu kwabantwana bakho, nesibusiso sami phezu kwezizukulwane zakho; bayakuhluma phakathi kotshani, njengeminyezane ngasemifudlaneni yamanzi. Omunye uyakuthi: ‘NgingokaSimakade;’ omunye uyakuzibiza ngegama likaJakobe, omunye alobe esandleni sakhe, ngingokaSimakade, azibize ngegama lika-Israyeli.” “Usho kanje uSimakade, iNkosi ka-Israyeli, noMhlengi wakhe, uSimakade Wamabandla, uthi: ngingowokuqala, futhi ngingowokugcina, ngaphandle kwami akekho uNkulunkulu. Ngubani onjengami na? Makakumemezele, makakumemezele, akubeke phambi kwami. Ngubani owabikezela emandulo ngezinto ezisazokwenzeka na? Mabasitshele okusazokwenzeka. Ningabi naluvalo, ningesabi; angimemezelanga yini kusukela emandulo, nganazisa na? Nina ningofakazi bami. Ukhona yini uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami na? Qha, alikho iDwala; angilazi.” Bonke abenza izithombe ezibunjiweyo bayize, nezinto abazithokozelayo azinanzuzo kubo, ofakazi babo ababoni, futhi kabazi, bayothelwa ngehlazo. Ngubani owenza unkulunkulu, abumbe umfanekiso ongenakukwenza okuhle na? Bonke abasikhonzayo bayothelwa ngehlazo, nabakhandi bangabantu nje, mabahlangane bonke, mabasukume bonke, bangenwe yingebhe; bonke bayakuthelwa ngehlazo kanyekanye. Umkhandinsimbi wenza ithuluzi, uyalisebenza emalahleni, alicangcathe ngezando, alisebenze ngamandla ezingalo zakhe. Uyalamba, angabi namandla, uma engawaphuzi amanzi, uyakhathala. Umbazi welula intambo yokukala, adwebe umuthi ngokubomvu, awugwede ngezingwedo, awuklame ngensimbi yokudweba isiyingi, awenze ngomfanekiso womuntu, ube nobuhle bomuntu; ukuba uhlale endlini. Uyazigawulela imisedari, athathe imikhoba nemi-okhi, akuvikele phakathi kwemithi yehlathi; utshala umsedari, imvula iwenze ukhule. Bese kuba ngokomuntu ukuba abase ngakho; uthatha okunye kukho, othe; abase umlilo, abhake isinkwa; wenza futhi unkulunkulu, amkhothamele; wenza isithombe esibaziweyo, asikhulekele. Ushisa ingxenye yawo emlilweni; phezu kwenye ingxenye, ose izoso, adle inyama, asuthe; yebo, uyotha athi: “Halala! Sengifudumele, ngothe umlilo.” Ngokuseleyo wenza ngakho unkulunkulu nesithombe sakhe; akukhothamele, akhuleke kukho, athandaze kukho, athi: “Ngisindise; ungunkulunkulu wami.” Kabazi, kabaqondi, ngokuba amehlo abo uwasilekile ukuze bangaboni, nezinhliziyo zabo ukuze bangaqondi. Akekho okhumbulayo, nokwazi ukuqonda bese, ethi: “Ingani ingxenye yawo ngiyishise ngomlilo, ngapheka isinkwa phezu kwamalahle awo, ngosa inyama, ngayidla; ngokuseleyo kuwo, ngenza okuyisinengiso; ngakhothama phambi kwesiqu somuthi.” Udla umlotha, inhliziyo ekhohlisiweyo imdukisile; akanakuwusindisa umphefumulo wakhe, nokuba athi: “Akukho yini amanga kwesokunene sami na?” “Khumbula lezi zinto, Jakobe, wena Israyeli, ngokuba uyinceku yami; ngikudalile, uyinceku yami; Israyeli, angiyukukukhohlwa. Iziphambeko zakho ngizesule njengefu, nezono zakho njengomlaza; buyela kimi, ngokuba ngikuhlengile.” Thokozani, mazulu, ngokuba uSimakade usukumile, nijabule nina zindawo eziphansi zomhlaba, nihlabelele kakhulu nina zintaba, nawe hlathi nayo yonke imithi ekuwe, ngokuba uSimakade umhlengile uJakobe, ngokuhlabelela, wazidumisa ngo-Israyeli. Usho kanje uSimakade uMhlengi wakho, nowakubumba kwasesiswini, uthi: “NginguSimakade owenza konke, oweneka izulu yedwa, wendlala umhlaba ngokwakhe, oshafisa izibonakaliso zabaphrofethi bamanga, enze ababhuli ukuba bahlanye; obuyisela emuva abahlakaniphileyo, enze ukwazi kwabo kube ngubuwula; yiMina ofeza izwi lezinceku zakhe, enze konke okubikezelwa yizithunywa zakhe, akhulume ngeJerusalema, athi: ‘Liyohlalwa,’ nangemizi yakwaJuda, athi ngayo: ‘Izokwakhiwa,’ nencithakalo, athi ngayo: ‘Ngiyoyivusa.’ Oshoyo kuwo umsinga, athi: ‘Yisha, ngiyayomisa imifula yakho;’ othi ngoKhoresi: ‘Ungumelusi wami, uyakufeza konke okwentando yami, athi ngeJerusalema: liyakwakhiwa, nakulo ithempeli: Isisekelo sakho siyakubekwa.’ ”