Isaiah 13
1 This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
Umthwalo weBhabhiloni awubonayo uIsaya indodana kaAmozi.
2 Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
Phakamisani uphawu entabeni eligceke, libaphakamisele ilizwi, liqhwebe ngesandla, ukuze bangene eminyango yeziphathamandla.
3 I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph.
Mina ngibalayile abangcwelisiweyo bami, ngibizile lamaqhawe ami kuntukuthelo yami, abathokozayo ngobukhosi bami.
4 Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war.
Ukuxokozela kwexuku ezintabeni, kungathi ngokwabantu abanengi, umsindo wokuxokozela kwemibuso, kwezizwe ezibutheneyo; iNkosi yamabandla ibutha ibutho lempi.
5 They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens— the LORD and the weapons of His wrath— to destroy the whole country.
Bavela elizweni elikhatshana, emkhawulweni wamazulu, iNkosi kanye lezikhali zentukuthelo yayo, ukuchitha ilizwe lonke.
6 Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
Qhinqani isililo, ngoba usuku lweNkosi lusondele; njengokuchitheka okuvela kuSomandla luzafika.
7 Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.
Ngenxa yalokhu izandla zonke zizaxega, lenhliziyo yonke yomuntu incibilike;
8 Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.
babesebetshaywa luvalo; imihelo lobuhlungu kubabambe; bafuthelwe njengowesifazana obelethayo; bamangale ngulowo ngomakhelwane wakhe; ubuso babo buyibuso bamalangabi.
9 Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming— cruel, with fury and burning anger— to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners within it.
Khangelani, usuku lweNkosi luyeza, lulesihluku lokufutheka lolaka oluvuthayo, ukubeka umhlaba ube yincithakalo; ibhubhise izoni zawo zisuke kuwo.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.
Ngoba inkanyezi zamazulu lemithala yazo kaziyikukhanyisa ukukhanya kwazo; ilanga lizakuba mnyama ekuphumeni kwalo, lenyanga kayiyikukhanyisa ukukhanya kwayo.
11 I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.
Ngoba ngizaphindisela ububi phezu komhlaba, laphezu kwabakhohlakeleyo izono zabo; ngiqede ukuzigqaja kwabazikhukhumezayo; ngithobise ukuzikhukhumeza kwabalesihluku.
12 I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.
Ngizakwenza ukuthi indoda ibe ligugu elikhulu kulegolide elicwengekileyo, lomuntu kulegolide leOfiri.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger.
Ngenxa yalokhu ngizazamazamisa amazulu, lomhlaba uzanyikinyeka usuke endaweni yawo, entukuthelweni yeNkosi yamabandla, losukwini lokuvutha kolaka lwayo.
14 Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land.
Njalo kuzakuba njengomziki oxotshwayo, lanjengezimvu okungelamuntu oziqoqayo; bazaphenduka ngulowo lalowo ebantwini bakibo, babalekele ngulowo lalowo elizweni lakhe.
15 Whoever is caught will be stabbed, and whoever is captured will die by the sword.
Wonke ozatholakala uzagwazwa, laye wonke ozabanjwa uzakuwa ngenkemba.
16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.
Labantwana babo bazachotshozwa phambi kwamehlo abo, izindlu zabo ziphangwe, labomkabo badlwengulwe.
17 Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold.
Khangela, ngizabavusela amaMede, angakhathaleli isiliva, legolide, angathokozi ngalo.
18 Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children.
Lamadandili awo azachoboza amajaha; njalo kawayikuba lesihawu ngesithelo sesizalo; ilihlo lawo kaliyikuhawukela abantwana.
19 And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
LeBhabhiloni, udumo lwemibuso, ubuhle bokuziqhenya kwamaKhaladiya, izakuba njengokugenqulwa nguNkulunkulu kweSodoma leGomora.
20 She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there.
Kakuyikuba lendawo yokuhlala kuze kube nininini, njalo kayiyikuhlalwa kusizukulwana lesizukulwana; lomArabhiya kayikumisa ithente khona, labelusi kabayikulalisa umhlambi khona.
21 But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.
Kodwa izilo zeganga zizalala khona, lezindlu zayo zizagcwala izilo ezikhonyayo; lamadodakazi ezintshe azahlala khona, lamagogo aqolotshe khona.
22 Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.
Lezimpisi zizaphendulana emanxiweni ayo, lemigobho ezigodlweni ezilentokozo. Lesikhathi sayo siseduze ukufika, lezinsuku zayo kaziyikuphuziswa.
