< Amos 7 >
1 This is what the Lord God let me see: and I saw that, when the growth of the late grass was starting, he made locusts; it was the late growth after the king's cutting was done.
Nanku engakutshengiswa nguThixo Wobukhosi: Wayelungisa imitshitshi yezintethe emva kokuvunwa kwesabelo senkosi khonapho amabele esibili esakhula.
2 And it came about that after they had taken all the grass of the land, I said, O Lord God, have mercy: how will Jacob be able to keep his place? for he is small.
Kwathi lapho ilizwe seziliphundlile, ngamemeza ngathi, “Thixo Wobukhosi, thethelela! UJakhobe angaphepha kanjani? Mncinyane kakhulu!”
3 The Lord, changing his purpose about this, said, It will not be.
Ngakho uthixo waxola. “Akusoze kwenzakale” watsho uthixo.
4 This is what the Lord let me see: and I saw that the Lord God sent for a great fire to be the instrument of his punishment; and, after burning up the great deep, it was about to put an end to the Lord's heritage.
Nanku engakutshengiswa nguThixo Wobukhosi: uThixo Wobukhosi wayememezela ukwehlulela ngomlilo; womisa ulwandle waqothula lelizwe.
5 Then said I, O Lord God, let there be an end: how will Jacob be able to keep his place? for he is small.
Ngakho ngamemeza ngathi “Thixo Wobukhosi, ngiyakuncenga, ake ume! UJakhobe angaphepha kanjani na? Mncinyane kakhulu!”
6 The Lord, changing his purpose about this, said, And this will not be.
Ngakho uThixo waxola. “Lokhu lakho akuyikwenzakala,” kwatsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
7 This is what he let me see: and I saw the Lord stationed by a wall made straight by a weighted line, and he had a weighted line in his hand.
Nanku angitshengisa khona: uThixo wayemi phansi komduli owawakhiwe waqonda nta ephethe intambo yokuqondisa ngesandla sakhe
8 And the Lord said to me, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A weighted line. Then the Lord said, See, I will let down a weighted line among my people Israel; never again will my eyes be shut to their sin:
UThixo wasengibuza esithi, “Kuyini okubonayo, Amosi?” Ngaphendula ngathi, “Yintambo yokuqondisa.” UThixo wasesithi, “Khangela, ngibeka intambo yokuqondisa phakathi kwabantu bami bako-Israyeli; kangisayikubaxolela futhi.
9 And the high places of Isaac will be unpeopled, and the holy places of Israel will be made waste; and I will come up against the family of Jeroboam with the sword.
Izindawo eziphakemeyo zika-Isaka zizadilizwa lezindawo ezingcwele zako-Israyeli zizachithwa; indlu kaJerobhowamu ngizayihlasela ngenkemba yami.”
10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Beth-el, sent to Jeroboam, king of Israel, saying, Amos has made designs against you among the people of Israel: the land is troubled by his words.
U-Amaziya umphristi waseBhetheli wathumela ilizwi kuJerobhowamu inkosi yako-Israyeli, wathi, “U-Amosi uceba okubi ngawe khona kanye phakathi kwako-Israyeli. Ilizwe lingeke limelane lawo wonke amazwi akhe.
11 For Amos has said, Jeroboam will be put to the sword, and Israel will certainly be taken away as a prisoner out of his land.
Ngoba u-Amosi uthi: ‘UJerobhowamu uzakufa ngenkemba, njalo impela u-Israyeli uzathunjwa, asiwe khatshana kwelizwe lakibo.’”
12 And Amaziah said to Amos, O seer, go in flight into the land of Judah, and there get your living by working as a prophet:
U-Amaziya wasesithi ku-Amosi, “Phuma, wena mboni! Buyela elizweni lakoJuda, usebenzele ukudla kwakho khonale wenze lokuphrofetha kwakho khonale.
13 But be a prophet no longer at Beth-el: for it is the holy place of the king, and the king's house.
Ungaphrofithi futhi eBhetheli, ngoba le yindawo yenkosi kanye lethempeli lombuso.”
14 Then Amos in answer said to Amaziah, I am no prophet, or one of the sons of the prophets; I am a herdman and one who takes care of sycamore-trees:
U-Amosi waphendula u-Amaziya wathi, “Mina ngangingasuye mphrofethi kumbe indodana yomphrofethi, kodwa ngangingumelusi, njalo ngigcina izihlahla zomkhiwa wesikhamore.
15 And the Lord took me from the flock, and the Lord said to me, Go, be a prophet to my people Israel.
Kodwa uThixo wangithatha ekweluseni imihlambi yezimvu wathi kimi, ‘Hamba uyephrofetha ebantwini bami bako-Israyeli.’
16 Now then, give ear to the word of the Lord: You say, Be no prophet to Israel, and say not a word against the people of Isaac.
Ngakho-ke khathesi zwana ilizwi likaThixo. Wena uthi: ‘Ungaphrofethi kubi ngo-Israyeli, njalo yekela ukutshumayela kubi ngendlela ka-Isaka.’
17 So this is what the Lord has said: Your wife will be a loose woman in the town, and your sons and your daughters will be put to the sword, and your land will be cut up into parts by a line; and you yourself will come to your end in an unclean land, and Israel will certainly be taken away a prisoner out of his land.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Umkakho uzakuba yisifebe edolobheni, amadoda lamadodakazi akho azakufa ngenkemba. Ilizwe lakho lizalinganiswa labiwe, njalo wena ngokwakho uzafela elizweni lamaqaba. Njalo impela u-Israyeli uzathunjwa asiwe khatshana kwelizwe lakhe.’”