Isaiah 7
1 Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.
Kwasekusithi ensukwini zikaAhazi indodana kaJothamu, indodana kaUziya inkosi yakoJuda, uRezini inkosi yeSiriya kanye loPheka indodana kaRemaliya inkosi yakoIsrayeli wenyukela eJerusalema ukuya empini emelene layo, kodwa kabangalakho ukulwa layo ngokuphumelelayo.
2 When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.
Kwasekubikwa endlini kaDavida ukuthi iSiriya ihlangene loEfrayimi; inhliziyo yakhe lenhliziyo yabantu bakhe zasezinyikinyeka njengezihlahla zegusu zinyikinywa ngumoya.
3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,
INkosi yasisithi kuIsaya: Ake uphume uyehlangabeza uAhazi, wena loSheyari-Yashubi indodana yakho, ekucineni komfolo wechibi elingaphezulu, emgwaqweni omkhulu wensimu yomwatshi,
4 and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.
uthi kuye: Nanzelela, uthule, ungesabi, lenhliziyo yakho ingabi buthakathaka ngenxa yemisila emibili yalezizikhuni ezithunqayo, ngenxa yokuvutha kolaka lukaRezini leSiriya, lendodana kaRemaliya.
5 For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying:
Ngenxa yokuthi iSiriya, uEfrayimi, lendodana kaRemaliya, bacebise okubi ngawe, besithi:
6 ‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’
Asenyukele koJuda, simesabise, sizifohlelele kuye, sibeke inkosi phakathi kwakhe, indodana kaTabeyeli.
7 But this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘It will not arise; it will not happen.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kakuyikuma, njalo kakuyikwenzeka.
8 For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered as a people.
Ngoba inhloko yeSiriya yiDamaseko, lenhloko yeDamaseko nguRezini; laphakathi kuseleminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha lanhlanu uEfrayimi uzakwephulwa, angabi yisizwe.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.’”
Njalo inhloko kaEfrayimi yiSamariya, lenhloko yeSamariya yindodana kaRemaliya. Uba lingakholwa, isibili kaliyikuqiniswa.
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
INkosi yasiqhubeka ikhuluma kuAhazi isithi:
11 “Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.” (Sheol h7585)
Zicelele isibonakaliso eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho; cela ekujuleni loba ekuphakameni phezulu. (Sheol h7585)
12 But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”
Kodwa uAhazi wathi: Kangiyikucela, kangiyikulinga iNkosi.
13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well?
Wasesithi: Zwana-ke, ndlu kaDavida; kuyinto encinyane kakhulu kuwe yini ukuthi udinise abantu, ukuthi udinise loNkulunkulu wami?
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
Ngakho iNkosi uqobo izalinika isibonakaliso: Khangela, intombi emsulwa izathatha isisu, ibelethe indodana, ibize ibizo layo ngokuthi nguEmanuweli.
15 By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey.
Uzakudla amasi loluju, aze azi ukwala okubi lokukhetha okuhle.
16 For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
Ngoba umntwana engakakwazi ukwala okubi lokukhetha okuhle, ilizwe onengwa yilo lizatshiywa ngamakhosi alo amabili.
17 The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.”
INkosi izaletha phezu kwakho laphezu kwabantu bakho laphezu kwendlu kayihlo insuku ezingezanga kusukela osukwini uEfrayimi asuka ngalo koJuda; yinkosi yeAsiriya.
18 On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria.
Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku iNkosi itshaye ikhwelo empukaneni esephethelweni lwemifula yeGibhithe, lenyosini eselizweni leAsiriya.
19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes and watering holes.
Zizakuza-ke, ziphumule zonke ezigodini zamawa, lezingoxweni zamadwala, lezihlahleni zonke zameva, lemadlelweni wonke.
20 On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates —the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well.
Ngalolosuku iNkosi izaphuca ngensingo eyebolekwe, phetsheya komfula, ngenkosi yeAsiriya, ikhanda loboya bezinyawo, futhi ihluthune lendevu.
21 On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep,
Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku umuntu uzagcina kuphila ithokazi lezimvu ezimbili;
22 and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.
kuzakuthi-ke ngenxa yobunengi bochago ezilwehlisayo adle amasi; yebo, wonke oseleyo phakathi kwelizwe uzakudla amasi loluju.
23 And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briers and thorns will be found.
Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku, yonke indawo lapho okwakukhona amavini ayinkulungwane ngenhlamvu zesiliva eziyinkulungwane, kube ngokwameva lokhula oluhlabayo.
24 Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.
Bazakuya khona ngemitshoko langedandili, ngoba ilizwe lonke lizakuba ngameva lokhula oluhlabayo.
25 For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.
Lazo zonke izintaba ezazilinywa ngekhuba kabayikuya kuzo ngokwesaba ameva lokhula oluhlabayo; kodwa kuzakuba ngokokungenisa inkabi lokokunyathelwa yizimvu.
