Isaiah 28
1 Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of those who are overcome with wine!
Maye kumqhele wokuzigqaja wezidakwa zakoEfrayimi, obuhle benkazimulo yazo buliluba elibunayo, eliphezu kwekhanda lezihotsha ezivundileyo zalabo abatshaywe liwayini.
2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one. As a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast down to the earth with the hand.
Khangela, iNkosi ilaye olamandla loqinileyo, ozaphosela emhlabeni ngesandla, njengezulu lesiphepho elilesiqhotho, isiphepho esichithayo, njengempophoma yamanzi alamandla akhukhulayo.
3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot.
Umqhele wokuzigqaja wezidakwa zakoEfrayimi uzanyathelelwa phansi ngezinyawo.
4 And the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer, which, when he who looks upon it sees, while it is yet in his hand, he eats it up.
Lobuhle benkazimulo yakhe, obuphezu kwekhanda lesihotsha esivunde kakhulu, buzakuba liluba elibunayo, njengesithelo esivuthwe masinyane kungakafiki ihlobo; okuthi osibonileyo asibone, sisesesandleni sakhe asiginye.
5 In that day Jehovah of hosts will become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the residue of his people,
Ngalolosuku iNkosi yamabandla izakuba ngumqhele wenkazimulo, lesidlodlo sobuhle kunsali yabantu bayo,
6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
lomoya wesahlulelo kulowo ohlalela isahlulelo, lamandla kulabo ababuyisela impi esangweni.
7 And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up of wine. They stagger with strong drink; they err in vision; they stumble in judgment.
Lalaba baduhile ngenxa yewayini, langenxa yokunathwayo okulamandla baphambukile; umpristi lomprofethi baduhile ngenxa yokunathwayo okulamandla, baginywe liwayini, baphambukile ngenxa yokunathwayo okulamandla; bayaduha embonweni, bakhubeke kusahlulelo.
8 For all tables are full of vomit, filthiness, no place clean.
Ngoba wonke amatafula agcwele amahlanzo lokungcola, kakulandawo engangcolanga.
9 Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?
Izafundisa bani ulwazi, njalo izakwenza bani aqedisise umbiko? Abalunyuliweyo echagweni, abakhunyuliweyo emabeleni.
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.
Ngoba umthetho phezu komthetho, umthetho phezu komthetho; umzila phezu komzila, umzila phezu komzila; lapha okuncinyane, laphayana okuncinyane.
11 No, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue he will speak to this people,
Ngoba ngendebe eziklolodayo langolunye ulimi izakhuluma kulababantu,
12 to whom he said, This is the rest. Give ye rest to him who is weary. And this is the refreshing. Yet they would not hear.
eyathi kubo: Lokhu yikuphumula, phumuzani abadiniweyo; lalokhu yikuvuselela; kodwa kabathandanga ukuzwa.
13 Therefore the word of Jehovah shall be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Kodwa ilizwi leNkosi lizakuba kibo ngumthetho phezu komthetho, umthetho phezu komthetho; umzila phezu komzila, umzila phezu komzila; lapha okuncinyane, laphayana okuncinyane; ukuze bahambe, bawe nyovane, bephuke, bathiywe, bathunjwe.
14 Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, who rule this people that is in Jerusalem.
Ngakho zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, bantu abaklolodayo, elibusa lababantu abaseJerusalema.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and we are at agreement with Sheol. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hid ourselves under falsehood. (Sheol h7585)
Ngoba lithe: Sivumelane isivumelwano lokufa, njalo senze isivumelwano lesihogo; lapho isiswepu esiphuphumayo sisedlula, kasiyikufika kithi; ngoba senze amanga aba yisiphephelo sethu, sacatsha ngaphansi kwenkohliso. (Sheol h7585)
16 Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation. He who believes in him shall, no, not be shamed.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngibeka eZiyoni ilitshe lesisekelo, ilitshe elihloliweyo, ilitshe lengonsi eliligugu, isisekelo esisekelweyo; okholwayo kayikuphangisa.
17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet. And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.
Isahlulelo laso ngizasibeka entanjeni, lokulunga entanjeni yokuqondisa; lesiqhotho sizakhukhula isiphephelo samanga; lamanzi agabhele indawo yokucatsha.
18 And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Sheol h7585)
Lesivumelwano senu lokufa sizaphela, lokuvumelana kwenu lesihogo kakuyikuma; lapho isiswepu esikhukhulayo sisedlula, khona lizanyathelelwa phansi yikho. (Sheol h7585)
19 As often as it passes though, it shall take you. For morning by morning it shall pass through, by day and by night. And it shall be nothing but terror to understand the report.
Kusukela esikhathini sokwedlula kwaso, sizalithatha; ngoba ukusa ngokusa sizakwedlula, emini lebusuku; njalo kuzakuba ngokwesabisayo kuphela ukuqedisisa umbiko.
20 For the bed is shorter than what a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower than what he can wrap himself in it.
Ngoba umbheda mfitshane kakhulu ukuthi umuntu azelule kuwo, lengubo yincinyane kakhulu ukuthi umuntu azigoqele ngayo.
21 For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
Ngoba iNkosi izavuka njengentabeni yePerazimi, ithukuthele njengesigodini seGibeyoni, ukuze yenze umsebenzi wayo, umsebenzi wayo ongejwayelekanga, yenze isenzo sayo, isenzo sayo esingejwayelekanga.
22 Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong. For I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.
Ngakho-ke lingahleki usulu, hlezi izibopho zenu ziqiniswe; ngoba ngizwile eNkosini uJehova wamabandla ngokuqedwa okuqunywe phezu komhlaba wonke.
23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech.
Bekani indlebe, lizwe ilizwi lami; lalelani lizwe inkulumo yami.
24 Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?
Umlimi ulimela ukuhlanyela lonke usuku yini? Uyavula abhuqe umhlabathi wakhe yini?
25 When he has leveled the face of it, does he not cast abroad the chick-peas, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border of it?
Kakunjalo yini, esewuhlelembile ubuso bawo, ukuthi aphose amafitshizi, ahlakaze ikhumini, afake phezu kwakho ingqoloyi enhle kakhulu, lebhali emisiweyo, lespelite emngceleni wakho?
26 For his God instructs him aright, and teaches him.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu wakhe uyamazisa ngendlela, amfundise.
27 For the chick-peas are not threshed with a sharp instrument, nor is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin, but the chick-peas are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
Ngoba amafitshizi kawabhulwa ngobhulo, levili lenqola kaliphendulwa phezu kwekhumini; kodwa amafitshizi atshaywa ngoswazi, lekhumini ngentonga.
28 Bread grain is ground, for he will not be always threshing it. And though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he does not grind it.
Amabele esinkwa ayachotshozwa; ngoba kayikuhlala ewabhula kokuphela, loba ewachoboza ngevili lenqola yakhe, njalo kawachobozi ngamabhiza akhe.
29 This also comes forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
Lalokhu kuvela eNkosini yamabandla; iyamangalisa ekwelulekeni, yinkulu ekusebenzeni.
