Isaiah 22
1 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
Isiphrofethi ngesiGodi soMbono: Kuyini okukukhathazayo khathesi, wena sewakhwela phezu kwezimpahla zezindlu,
2 Thou that wast full of stir, a town of tumult, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
wena dolobho eligcwele iziphithiphithi, wena dolobho lokuxokozela lokuthokoza? Abafayo bakho ababulawanga ngenkemba, njalo kabafelanga empini.
3 All thy rulers have fled together, they are taken prisoners without the bow: all that are found of thee are made prisoners together; they were fleeing far off.
Bonke abakhokheli bakho babaleke bebonke, bathunjiwe bengazange basebenzise mtshoko. Lonke lina elabanjwayo lathathwa ukuba libe yizibotshwa ndawonye, libalekile isitha sisesekhatshana.
4 Therefore said I, Look away from me; let me weep bitterly: labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
Ngakho ngathi, “Sukani kimi; lingiyekele ngikhale kabuhlungu. Lingazami ukungiduduza ngenxa yokuchithwa kwabantu bakithi.”
5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision; [a day of] breaking down the wall, and of crying to the mountain:
INkosi, uThixo uSomandla, ulosuku lokuxokozela lokugxoba lokwesaba eSigodini soMbono, usuku lokudiliza imiduli lokumemezela ezintabeni.
6 — Elam beareth the quiver with chariots of men [and] horsemen; and Kir uncovereth the shield.
I-Elamu ithatha isikhwama semitshoko, labatshayeli balo bezinqola zempi, lamabhiza; iKhiri lambula ihawu.
7 And it shall come to pass [that] thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
Izigodi zakho ezinhle kakhulu zigcwele izinqola zempi, abagadi bamabhiza bamiswe emasangweni edolobho.
8 And he uncovereth the covering of Judah: and thou didst look in that day to the armour in the house of the forest;
Ukuvikeleka kukaJuda kususiwe, Ngalolosuku wathemba izikhali eziseSigodlweni seHlathi,
9 and ye have seen the breaches of the city of David, that they are many; and ye have gathered together the waters of the lower pool;
wabona ukuthi iDolobho likaDavida lalilezikhala ezinengi ezivikelweni zalo; wagcina amanzi eSizibeni esingaPhansi.
10 and ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and have broken down the houses to fortify the wall;
Wabala izindlu zaseJerusalema, wazidiliza ukuze kuqiniswe umduli.
11 and ye have made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not had regard unto the maker thereof, neither have ye looked unto him that fashioned it long ago.
Phakathi kwemiduli yomibili wakha indawo yokugcinela amanzi eSiziba esiDala. Kodwa kawukhangelanga kuLowo owasenzayo, kumbe umnake Lowo owaceba ukusenza kudala.
12 And in that day did the Lord Jehovah of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth;
Ngalolosuku iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, wakubiza ukuba ukhale ulile, usiphune inwele zakho, ugqoke isaka.
13 and behold joy and rejoicing, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: — Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.
Kodwa khangela, kulokuthaba lokuthokoza, ukuhlatshwa kwezinkomo lokubalwa kwezimvu, ukudliwa kwenyama lokunathwa kwewayini! Lithi, “Kasidleni sinathe, ngoba kusasa sizakufa!”
14 And it was revealed in mine ears by Jehovah of hosts: Assuredly this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
UThixo uSomandla usekuvezile lokhu ngisizwa: “Lesisono kasiyikuthethelelwa kuze kube lusuku lwakho lokufa,” kutsho iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla.
15 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts: Go, get thee in unto this steward, unto Shebna, who is over the house, [and say, ]
Lokhu yikho okutshiwo yiNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uthi: “Hamba, uthi encekwini le, kuShebhina ongumphathi wesigodlo:
16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee out a sepulchre here, [as] he that heweth out his sepulchre on high, cutting out in the rock a habitation for himself?
Wenzani lapha, njalo ngubani okuphe imvumo ukuba uzimbele ingcwaba lapha, ugubha ingcwaba lakho endaweni ephezulu, ugubha indawo yakho yokuphumula edwaleni?”
17 Behold, Jehovah will hurl thee with the force of a mighty man, and will cover thee entirely.
Qaphela, sekuseduze ukuthi uThixo akubambe aqinise, akuphosele khatshana, wena ndoda elamandla.
18 Rolling thee up completely, he will roll thee as a ball into a wide country: there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, O shame of thy lord's house!
Uzakugoqa ngokuqinisa akubumbe njengebhola akuphosele elizweni elikhulu. Uzafela khonapho. Lezigqoko zakho zempi ezinhle zizasala khonapho, wenza ihlazo endlini yenkosi yakho!
19 And I will drive thee from thine office, and from thy station will I pull thee down.
Ngizakususa esikhundleni sakho, njalo uzaxotshwa emsebenzini wakho.
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkijah;
Ngalolosuku ngizabiza inceku yami, u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya.
21 and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
Ngizamgqokisa izembatho zakho, ngimbophe ngebhanti lakho, ngimnike amandla akho. Uzakuba nguyise walabo abahlala eJerusalema lakwabendlu kaJuda.
22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Ngizabeka phezu kwamahlombe akhe isivulo sendlu kaDavida; akuvulayo kakho ongakuvala.
23 And I will fasten him [as] a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father's house:
Ngizambethela njengesikhonkwane endaweni eqinileyo; uzakuba yisihlalo sobukhosi sasendlini kayise.
24 and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all the small vessels, as well the vessels of cups as all the vessels of flagons.
Lonke udumo lwakwabo luzakuba kuye, inzalo yakhona lezizukulwane zonke, izitsha zakhona ezincinyane, kusukela emiganwini kusiya enkonxeni zonke.
25 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in a sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for Jehovah hath spoken.
“Ngalolosuku,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla, “isikhonkwane esabethelwa endaweni eqinileyo sizakhumuka; sizaqunywa siwe, umthwalo ophezu kwaso uzawela phansi.” UThixo usekhulumile.
