Isaiah 1
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Umbono omayelana ngoJuda leJerusalema owabonwa ngu-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi ensukwini zokubusa kuka-Uziya, loJothamu, lo-Ahazi loHezekhiya amakhosi akoJuda.
2 Hear, [ye] heavens, and give ear, [thou] earth! for Jehovah hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children; and they have rebelled against me.
Zwanini, mazulu! Lalelani, mhlaba! Ngoba uThixo usekhulumile: “Ngondla abantwana ngabakhulisa, kodwa sebengihlamukele.
3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; Israel doth not know, my people hath no intelligence.
Inkabi iyamazi umniniyo, lobabhemi uyasazi isibaya somnikazi wakhe, kodwa u-Israyeli kazi, abantu bami kabaqedisisi.”
4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that corrupt themselves! They have forsaken Jehovah; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they are turned away backward.
Maye kuso isizwe esonayo, abantu abathwele amacala, inzalo yabenza okubi, abantwana abaxhwalileyo! Sebemlahlile uThixo; bamdelele oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, bamfulathela.
5 Why should ye be smitten any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Kungani kumele litshaywe futhi? Kungani liqhubeka ngokuhlamuka? Ikhanda lakho lonke lilimele, yonke inhliziyo yakho ihlukuluziwe.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in him; wounds, and weals, and open sores: they have not been dressed, nor bound up, nor mollified with oil.
Kusukela ngaphansi kwentende yonyawo lwakho kusiya esicholo sekhanda lakho akukho kuphelela, kodwa izilonda lemvivinya kuphela, kanye lamanxeba; akugeziswanga, akubotshwanga kumbe kwathanjiswa ngamafutha.
7 Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers eat it up in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
Ilizwe lenu lichithekile, amadolobho enu atshiswa ngomlilo, umhlaba wenu uphundlwa ngabezizweni, phambi kwenu uqobo, uchitheka njengalapho udilizwa ngabezizweni.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left, as a booth in a vineyard, as a night-lodge in a cucumber-garden, as a besieged city.
Indodakazi yaseZiyoni isele njengedumba esivinini, njengendlwana ensimini yamajodo, njengedolobho elihonqolozelweyo.
9 Unless Jehovah of hosts had left us a very small residue, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Aluba uThixo uSomandla kasitshiyelanga abalutshwana abasindayo, sasizakuba njengeSodoma; sasizafana leGomora.
10 Hear the word of Jehovah, rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, people of Gomorrah!
Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lina babusi baseSodoma, lalelani umthetho kaNkulunkulu wethu, lina bantu baseGomora!
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith Jehovah. I am sated with burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and in the blood of bullocks, and of lambs, and of he-goats I take no pleasure.
“Ubunengi bemihlatshelo yenu buyini kimi?” kutsho uThixo. “Ngileminikelo yokutshiswa edlula efunekayo, eyenqama lamahwahwa ezifuyo ezinonisiweyo; igazi lenkunzi, lelamawundlu lelembuzi kalingithokozisi.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this from your hand — to tread my courts?
Lapho lisiza phambi kwami, ngubani othe linyathele amaguma ami na?
13 Bring no more vain oblations! Incense is an abomination unto me, — new moon and sabbath, the calling of convocations — wickedness and the solemn meeting I cannot bear.
Yekelani ukuletha iminikelo eyize! Impepha yenu iyisinengiso kimi. Angingeke ngibekezelele imbuthano yenu yobubi, eyokuThwasa kweNyanga, amaSabatha lemihlangano.
14 Your new moons and your set feasts my soul hateth: they are a burden to me; I am wearied of bearing [them].
Umphefumulo wami uyawazonda amadili enu okuthwasa kwezinyanga lemikhosi yenu emisiweyo. Sekube ngumthwalo kimi; sengikhathele ngokukuthwala.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Lapho lichaya izandla zenu likhuleka, ngizalifihlela amehlo ami; loba selikhuleka imikhuleko eminengi, angiyikulalela. Izandla zenu zigcwele igazi!
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; — cease to do evil,
Gezani libe ngabahlambulukileyo. Susani izenzo zenu ezimbi phambi kobuso bami; yekelani ukwenza okubi.
17 learn to do well: seek judgment, gladden the oppressed, do justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Fundani ukwenza okulungileyo; funani ukwahlulela okuhle. Khuthazani abancindezelweyo. Vikelani izintandane; lamulelani umfelokazi.
18 Come now, let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Wozani, siqondisane sindawonye,” kutsho uThixo. “Lanxa izono zenu zibomvu gebhu, zizakuba mhlophe njengonqwaqwane, loba zibomvu njengegazi, zizakuba njengoboya bezimvu.
19 If ye be willing and hearken, ye shall eat the good of the land;
Nxa livuma njalo lilalela, lizakudla okuhle kwelizwe;
20 but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.
kodwa nxa linqaba, lihlamuka, lizadliwa yinkemba.” Ngoba umlomo kaThixo usukhulumile.
21 How is the faithful city become a harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness used to lodge in it, but now murderers.
Khangelani ukuthi idolobho elithembekileyo seliphenduke laba yisifebe kanjani! Lake lagcwala ngokufaneleyo; ukulunga kwakuhlala kulo, kodwa khathesi sekuhlala ababulali!
22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine is mixed with water:
Isiliva senu sesingamanyele, iwayini lenu elihle selihlanganiswe lamanzi.
23 thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth presents, and hunteth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, and the cause of the widow cometh not unto them.
Ababusi benu bangabahlamuki, abangane bamasela; bonke bathanda izivalamlomo, bafune izipho. Izintandane kabazivikeli; indaba yomfelokazi kayifiki kibo.
24 Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.
Ngakho-ke iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uMninimandla ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Yebo! Ngizabhodlisela ezitheni zami, ngibuye ngiphindisele kwabayizitha zami.
25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and will thoroughly purge away thy dross, and take away all thine alloy;
Ngizaphakamisela isandla sami kini; ngizawahlambulula ngokupheleleyo amanyele enu, ngisuse lakho konke ukungcola kwenu.
26 and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning. Afterwards thou shalt be called, Town of righteousness, Faithful city.
Ngizabuyisa abehluleli benu njengezinsukwini zakudala, labeluleki benu njengasekuqaleni. Muva uzabizwa ngokuthi iDolobho Lokulunga, iDolobho Elithembekileyo.”
27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and they that return of her with righteousness.
IZiyoni izahlengwa ngemfanelo, abaphendukayo bayo bahlengwe ngokulunga.
28 But the ruin of the transgressors and of the sinners [shall be] together; and they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed.
Kodwa abahlamuki lezoni bazachithwa, lalabo abalahla uThixo bazabhubha.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the terebinths that ye have desired, and ye shall blush for the gardens that ye have chosen.
“Lizayangeka ngenxa yezihlahla zomʼokhi ezingcwele elazithokozisa ngazo. Lizadana ngamasimu elawakhethayo.
30 For ye shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
Lizafana lomʼokhi olamahlamvu asebuna, lanjengensimu engelamanzi.
31 And the strong shall be for tow, and his work a spark; and they shall both burn together, and there shall be none to quench [them].
Indoda elamandla izafana lencwathi, umsebenzi wayo ufane lenhlansi; kokubili kuzakutsha kanyekanye, kungekho ozacitsha umlilo.”
