Isaiah 28
1 Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious adornment, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine.
Maye kulowomqhele wamaluba, iqhono lezidakwa zako-Efrayimi, kuluba elibunayo, ubuhle obukhazimulayo, obubekwe ngaphezulu kwesigodi esivundileyo, kulelodolobho, iqhono lalabo asebelaliswe liwayini phansi!
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, as a storm of hail [and] a destroying tempest; as a storm of mighty waters overflowing, shall he cast down to the earth with might.
Khangelani, uThixo ulaye olamandla oqinileyo. Njengesiqhotho lomoya odilizayo, njengezulu lesiphepho lesihlambi esilamandla, uzakuphosa phansi ngamandla amakhulu.
3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet;
Umqhele lowo wamaluba, iqhono lezidakwa zako-Efrayimi kuzanyathelwa ngaphansi kwezinyawo.
4 and the fading flower of his glorious adornment which is on the head of the fat valley shall be like an early fig before the summer: as soon as he that seeth it perceiveth it, scarcely is it in his hand, he swalloweth it down.
Leliyaluba elibunayo, ubuhle bakhe obukhazimulayo, kuhlanyelwe ngaphezu kwesigodi esivundileyo, lizakuba njengomkhiwa ovuthiweyo kungakavunwa okuthi khonokho nje omunye ewubona awukhe ngesandla awuginye.
5 In that day will Jehovah of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the remnant of his people;
Ngalolosuku uThixo uSomandla uzakuba ngumqhele okhazimulayo, umqhele wamaluba omuhle kulabo abayizinsalela zabantu bakhe.
6 and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
Uzakuba ngumoya wokulunga kulowo owahlulelayo, umthombo wamandla kulabo ababuyisela impi emuva isisesangweni.
7 But these also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are they gone astray. The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are overpowered by wine, they are gone astray through strong drink; they have erred in vision, they have stumbled [in] judgment.
Lalaba bayadiyazela ngenxa yewayini, babhadazele ngenxa yotshwala. Abaphristi labaphrofethi bayadiyazela ngenxa yotshwala, njalo baphambene ngenxa yewayini; bayabhadazela ngenxa yotshwala, bayadiyazela, lapho bebona imibono, bayakhininda lapho besenza izinqumo.
8 For all tables are full of filthy vomit, so that there is no [more] place.
Amatafula wonke agcwele amahlanzo njalo akulandawo engelamanyala.
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand the report? Them that are weaned from the milk, withdrawn from the breasts?
“Ngubani lowo ozama ukumfundisa? Umbiko wakhe uwuchazela bani na? Abantwana abangasamunyi, kumbe abalunyuliweyo na?
10 For [it is] precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little. ...
Ngoba kumi kanje: Yenza lokhu, yenza lokhuya, umthetho walokhu, umthetho walokhuya; ingcosana lapha, lengconsana laphayana.”
11 For with stammering lips and a strange tongue will he speak to this people;
Kungasenani, ngezindebe zabezizweni langolimi olungaziwayo, uNkulunkulu uzakhuluma lalababantu,
12 to whom he said, This is the rest: cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing. But they would not hear.
atshoyo kubo wathi, “Le yindawo yokuphumula, abadiniweyo kabaphumule”; njalo, “Le yindawo yokucambalala,” kodwa kabalalelanga.
13 And the word of Jehovah was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little: that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo kubo lizakuba ngelithi: Yenza lokhu, yenza lokhuya, umthetho walokhu, umthetho walokhuya, ingcosana lapha, ingcosana laphaya, ukuze bahambe bawe nyovane, balimale, bathiywe, bathunjwe.
14 Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
Ngakho-ke zwanini ilizwi likaThixo lina bantu abaklolodayo, ababusa abantu laba eJerusalema.
15 For ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol have we made an agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves. (Sheol h7585)
Lizitshaya izifuba lisithi, “Senze isivumelwano lokufa, senza isivumelwano lethuna. Nxa isijeziso esikhulu sifika, kasiyikusithinta, ngoba senze amanga aba yisiphephelo sethu lenkohliso yaba yindawo yethu yokucatsha.” (Sheol h7585)
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I lay for foundation in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation: he that trusteth shall not make haste.
Ngakho lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo woBukhosi: “Khangelani, ngibeka ilitshe eZiyoni, ilitshe elihloliweyo, ilitshe lengosi eliligugu; elesisekelo esiqinisekileyo, lowo othembayo akayikuphela amandla.
17 And I will appoint judgment for a line, and righteousness for a plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.
Ngizakwenza okufaneleyo kube yintambo yokulinganisa, ukulunga kube yintambo yokuqondisa; isiqhotho sizakhukhula isiphephelo senu, amanga, lamanzi azagabhela indawo yenu yokucatsha.
18 And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, ye shall be trodden down by it. (Sheol h7585)
Isivumelwano senu lokufa sizakwesulwa; isivumelwano senu lengcwaba kasiyikuma. Lapho isijeziso esikhulu sifika sizalilahla phansi. (Sheol h7585)
19 As it passeth through it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and it shall be terror only to understand the report.
Ngazozonke izikhathi esizafika ngazo sizalithatha; ukusa ngokusa, emini lebusuku, sizalikhukhula.” Ukulizwisisa ilizwi leli kuzaletha ukwesaba khona ngokwakho.
20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow when he would wrap himself in it.
Umbheda mfitshane kakhulu ukuba unabe kuwo, ingubo incane kakhulu ukuba ugoqelwe ngayo.
21 For Jehovah will rise up as on mount Perazim, he will be moved with anger as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and perform his act, his unwonted act.
UThixo uzavuka njengalokho akwenzayo entabeni iPherazimu; uzathukuthela njengaseSigodini seGibhiyoni, ukuba enze umsebenzi wakhe, umsebenzi oyisimanga, enze umsebenzi wakhe, umsebenzi ongaziwayo.
22 Now therefore be ye not scorners, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord Jehovah of hosts a consumption, and [one] determined, upon the whole land.
Khathesi-ke yekelani ukukloloda kwenu funa amaketane elibotshwe ngawo alisinde kakhulu; iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla usengitshele ngesimiso sokutshabalalisa ilizwe lonke.
23 Give ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
Lalelani lizwe ilizwi lami; lalelani lizwe engikutshoyo.
24 Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow? Is he [all day] opening and breaking the clods of his land?
Lapho umlimi elima ukuba ahlanyele, ulima kokuphela na? Uqhubeka elima umhlabathi ewubhuqa kokuphela na?
25 Doth he not, when he hath levelled the face thereof, cast abroad dill, and scatter cummin, and set the wheat in rows, and the barley in an appointed place, and the rye in its border?
Nxa umhlabathi esewendlale kuhle, kahlanyeli ikharawayi ahlanyele lekhumini na? Kahlanyeli ingqoloyi endaweni yayo; ibhali ensimini yayo, lespelithi ensimini yaso na?
26 His God doth instruct him in [his] judgment, he doth teach him.
UNkulunkulu wakhe uyamfundisa, amfundise indlela eqondileyo.
27 For the dill is not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but dill is beaten out with a staff, and cummin with a rod.
Ikharawayi kayibhulwa ngesileyi; lenqola kayihanjiswa phezu kwekhumini, kodwa ikharawayi ibhulwa ngentonga, kuthi ikhumini ibhulwe ngombhulo.
28 Bread [corn] is crushed, because he will not ever be threshing it; and if he drove the wheels of his cart and his horses [over it], he would not crush it.
Amabele kumele acholwe ukuba kwenziwe isinkwa, ngakho umuntu kawabhuli kokuphela. Lanxa ehambisa inqola yakhe yokubhula phezu kwawo, amabhiza akhe kawawacholi.
29 This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel, great in wisdom.
Konke lokhu lakho kuvela kuThixo uSomandla omangalisayo ngokweluleka, njalo olenhlakanipho emangalisayo.
