Isaiah 24
1 Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth and leaves it in ruins. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants—
Khangela, iNkosi yenza umhlaba ube yize, iwenze ube yincithakalo, yone ubuso bawo, ihlakaze abahlali bawo.
2 people and priest alike, servant and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.
Kuzakuthi njengabantu kube njalo umpristi; njengesisebenzi kube njalo inkosi yaso; njengencekukazi kube njalo inkosikazi yayo; njengomthengi kube njalo umthengisi; njengombolekisi kube njalo obolekayo; njengomniki wesikwelede kube njalo okweledayo.
3 The earth will be utterly laid waste and thoroughly plundered.
Umhlaba uzachitheka lokuchitheka, uphangwe lokuphangwa; ngoba iNkosi ilikhulumile lelilizwi.
4 The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away.
Umhlaba uyalila, ubune, ilizwe liyadangala, libune; abantu bomhlaba abaphakemeyo bayadangala.
5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant.
Umhlaba lawo ungcolisiwe ngaphansi kwabahlali bawo; ngoba beqile imilayo, baguqula isimiso, bephula isivumelwano esilaphakade.
6 Therefore a curse has consumed the earth, and its inhabitants must bear the guilt; the earth’s dwellers have been burned, and only a few survive.
Ngenxa yalokho isiqalekiso siwuqedile umhlaba, labahlala kuwo bayachitheka; ngakho-ke abahlali bomhlaba batshisiwe, njalo kusale abantu abalutshwana.
7 The new wine dries up, the vine withers. All the merrymakers now groan.
Iwayini elitsha liyalila, ivini lidangale, bonke abanhliziyo ethokozayo bayabubula.
8 The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent.
Injabulo yezigubhu iphelile, umsindo wabajabulayo uphelile, intokozo yechacho iphelile.
9 They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.
Kabayikunatha iwayini ngengoma; okunathwayo okulamandla kuzababa kwabakunathayo.
10 The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry.
Umuzi wencithakalo ubhidlikile, yonke indlu ivaliwe ukuze kungangenwa.
11 In the streets they cry out for wine. All joy turns to gloom; rejoicing is exiled from the land.
Kukhalelwa iwayini ezitaladeni; intokozo yonke ifiphele, injabulo yomhlaba inyamalele.
12 The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.
Emzini kusele incithakalo, lesango litshayiwe lachithwa.
13 So will it be on the earth and among the nations, like a harvested olive tree, like a gleaning after a grape harvest.
Ngoba kuzakuba njalo phakathi kwelizwe, phakathi kwabantu, njengokunyikinywa kwesihlahla somhlwathi, njengokukhothoza sesiphelile isivuno sezithelo zevini.
14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.
Bona bazaphakamisa ilizwi labo, bazahlabelela ubukhosi beNkosi, bamemeze beselwandle.
15 Therefore glorify the LORD in the east. Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel in the islands of the sea.
Ngenxa yalokhu dumisani iNkosi emililweni, ibizo leNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ezihlengeni zolwandle.
16 From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away! Woe is me.” The treacherous betray; the treacherous deal in treachery.
Sizwile amahubo avela emkhawulweni womhlaba, udumo kolungileyo. Kodwa ngathi: Ukucaka kwami, ukucaka kwami! Maye kimi! Abenzi benkohliso benze ngokukhohlisa; yebo abenzi benkohliso benze ngokukhohlisa okukhulu.
17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.
Ukwesaba lomgodi lomjibila kuphezu kwakho, wena mhlali womhlaba.
18 Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.
Kuzakuthi-ke obalekela umsindo wokwesaba awele emgodini; lowenyuka phakathi komgodi abanjwe ngumjibila; ngoba amawindi aphezulu avulekile, lezisekelo zomhlaba ziyaqhaqhazela.
19 The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently.
Umhlaba wephukile lokwephuka, umhlaba udatshudatshuliwe, umhlaba uyanyikinyeka kakhulu.
20 The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.
Umhlaba uzadiyazela lokudiyazela njengesidakwa, uzunguzeke njengedumba; lesiphambeko sawo sizakuba nzima phezu kwawo; uzakuwa, ungabe usavuka futhi.
21 In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.
Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku iNkosi ijezise ibutho labaphakemeyo abaphezulu, lamakhosi omhlaba phezu komhlaba.
22 They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days.
Bazabuthelwa ndawonye njengezibotshwa zibuthelwa emgodini, bavalelwe entolongweni, langemva kwensuku ezinengi bethekelelwe.
23 The moon will be confounded and the sun will be ashamed; for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders with great glory.
Khona inyanga izayangeka, lelanga libe lenhloni, ngoba iNkosi yamabandla iyabusa entabeni iZiyoni laseJerusalema, laphambi kwabadala kuzakuba khona inkazimulo.
