Isaiah 5
1 Let me sing a song for my love, about his vineyard. My love owned a vineyard on a productive hill.
Ake ngihlabelele othandiweyo wami ingoma yomthandwa wami ngesivini sakhe. Othandiweyo wami ulesivini oqaqeni oluvundileyo.
2 He dug it over, cleared the ground of stones, and planted it with the very best vines. In the middle of it he built a watchtower, and he also cut out a winepress from the rock. Then he waited for a good harvest of grapes, but it only produced wild, sour grapes.
Wasibiyela, wakhupha amatshe kiso, wasihlanyela ngevini elikhethiweyo, wakha umphotshongo phakathi kwaso, wagubha lesikhamelo sewayini kiso; walindela ukuthi sizathela izithelo zevini, kodwa sathela izithelo zevini ezimunyu.
3 “Now, you people who live in Jerusalem and Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard.
Ngakho-ke, bahlali beJerusalema, lani madoda akoJuda, ake lahlulele phakathi kwami lesivini sami.
4 What more could I have done for my vineyard than I've already done? When I looked for sweet grapes, why did it only produce sour ones?
Ngabe kwenziwani okunye esivinini sami engingakwenzanga kuso? Ngalindelelani ukuthi sizathela izithelo zevini, kodwa sathela izithelo zevini ezimunyu?
5 So let me tell you what I'm going to do to my vineyard. I'll remove its hedge, and it will be destroyed. I'll tear down its wall, and it will be trampled underfoot.
Ngakho-ke, ake ngilitshele engizakwenza esivinini sami: Ngizasusa uthango lwaso ukuze sibe lidlelo, ngidilize umduli waso ukuze sibe ngesokugxotshwa.
6 I'll turn it into a wasteland. It won't be pruned or weeded—it will be overgrown with brambles and thorns. I'll order the clouds not to rain on it.”
Ngizasenza sibe liganga, singathenwa, singahlakulwa, kodwa kumile ameva lokhula oluhlabayo. Njalo ngizalaya amayezi ukuthi anganisi izulu phezu kwaso.
7 Israel is the vineyard of the Lord Almighty, and the people of Judah are the plants in his garden that made him happy. Yet while he hoped for justice, he only saw injustice; he hoped people would live right, but he only heard the cries of those who were suffering.
Ngoba isivini seNkosi yamabandla yindlu kaIsrayeli, labantu bakoJuda bayisithombo sentokozo zayo. Njalo yayilindele isahlulelo, kodwa khangela, ukuchithwa kwegazi; ukulunga, kodwa khangela, ukukhala.
8 Tragedy is coming to you who buy house upon house and field upon field, joining them all together until no one else has anywhere to live and you live alone in the land.
Maye kulabo abahlanganisa indlu lendlu, abasondeza insimu lensimu, kuze kusweleke indawo, lina-ke lihlale lodwa phakathi kwelizwe!
9 I heard the Lord Almighty declare: You can be sure that many houses are destined to become ruins, and beautiful mansions destined to become uninhabited.
Endlebeni zami iNkosi yamabandla yathi: Isibili izindlu ezinengi zizakuba ngamanxiwa, ezinkulu lezinhle zingabi lamhlali.
10 Ten acres of vineyard will only produce a six gallons of wine, and a measure of seed only a tenth of that in grain.
Ngoba indima ezilitshumi zesivini zizathela ibhathi elilodwa, lehomeri lenhlanyelo lithele i-efa.
11 Tragedy is coming to you who get up early in the morning wanting a drink, and who stay up late drinking wine until you're drunk.
Maye kwabavuka ekuseni kakhulu, bexotshana lokunathwayo okulamandla, balibale kuze kuhlwe, lize iwayini libalumathise!
12 At their feasts you have lyres and harps, tambourines and flutes, and wine, but you don't ever consider what the Lord is doing, and you don't recognize his help.
Njalo ichacho lomhubhe, isigubhu lomhlanga, lewayini kusemadilini abo, kodwa kabananzi isenzo seNkosi, bengaboni umsebenzi wezandla zayo.
13 As a result my people will be exiled for their lack of understanding. Their honored leaders will starve, and the crowds will be dying of thirst.
Ngakho abantu bami bazakuya ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokungabi lolwazi, lamadoda abo odumo alendlala, lenengi labo lizakoma ngumhawu.
14 The grave's appetite increases, its mouth opens wide, and Jerusalem's nobility and the masses will go down into it, along with the rowdy, drunken mobs. (Sheol h7585)
Ngakho ingcwaba lizazinabulula, livule umlomo walo ube banzi ngokungelasilinganiso, kuze kwehle udumo lwabo lobunengi babo lenxokozelo yabo lothokozayo phakathi kwabo. (Sheol h7585)
15 Everyone will be brought down, everyone will be humbled; the proud will lower their eyes in humiliation.
Lomuntukazana uzakwehliselwa phansi, lomuntu ophakemeyo athotshiswe, lamehlo abazikhukhumezayo athotshiswe.
16 But the Lord Almighty will be vindicated because he does what is right; the holy God will be shown to be holy because of his goodness.
Kodwa iNkosi yamabandla izaphakanyiswa ngesahlulelo, loNkulunkulu ongcwele uzangcweliswa ngokulunga.
17 Lambs will graze as in their own pasture; fattened livestock and goats will feed among the ruins of the rich.
Lamawundlu azakudla ngokwendlela yawo, labemzini badle amanxiwa abakhulupheleyo.
18 Tragedy is coming to you who pull along your sins behind you with iniquity with cords made of lies, and pulling with ropes a cartful of wickedness.
Maye kwabadonsa isiphambeko ngentambo zeze, lesono njengamagoda enqola!
19 You are among the people who say, “God should hurry up! Why doesn't God get a move on with what he's doing so we can see it? Why doesn't the Holy One of Israel execute his plan? Let's see it happen so we can understand what it is!”
Labo abathi: Kaphangise, aphangisise umsebenzi wakhe, ukuze siwubone; lecebo loNgcwele kaIsrayeli kalisondele lize, ukuze silazi.
20 Tragedy is coming to you who say evil is good, and good is evil; who turn darkness into light and light into darkness; who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter.
Maye kwabathi kokubi kuhle, lakokuhle kubi, ababeka umnyama ube yikukhanya, lokukhanya kube ngumnyama, ababeka okubabayo kube mnandi, lokumnandi kube ngokubabayo!
21 Tragedy is coming to you who are wise in your own eyes and think you're so clever.
Maye kwabahlakaniphileyo emehlweni abo, labaqedisisayo phambi kobuso babo!
22 Tragedy is coming to you who are wine-drinking champions, and experts at mixing alcoholic drinks;
Maye kwabangamaqhawe okunatha iwayini, lamadoda alamandla okuhlanganisa okunathwayo okulamandla;
23 you who set the guilty free for a bribe, and yet deny justice to the innocent.
abalungisisa okhohlakeleyo ngenxa yomvuzo, basuse ukulunga kwabalungileyo kubo!
24 In the same way fire burns up stubble and dry grass falls down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers disintegrate into dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty, and have treated with contempt what the Holy One of Israel has said.
Ngakho njengolimi lomlilo lusidla isidindi sotshani, lamakhoba edilika ngelangabi, ngokunjalo impande yabo izakuba njengokubola, lempoko yabo iphephuke njengothuli; ngoba bewalile umlayo weNkosi yamabandla, balidelela ilizwi loNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
25 That's why the Lord burns with anger against his people. He has lifted up his hand and hit them, shaking the mountains, and leaving their corpses lying like refuse in the streets. Despite all this, his anger is not finished, and his hand is still lifted up.
Ngenxa yalokho ulaka lweNkosi lubavuthele abantu bayo, yelula isandla sayo imelene labo, yabatshaya, izintaba zaze zazamazama, lezidumbu zabo zaba njengengcekeza phakathi kwezitalada. Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu ulaka lwayo kaluphenduki, kodwa isandla sayo silokhu seluliwe.
26 He will send a signal to the distant nations, and will whistle for those living at the ends of the earth. See how quickly they respond, how speedily they come!
Njalo izasiphakamisela isizwe isiboniso ikhatshana, isitshayele ikhwelo isekucineni komhlaba; khangela-ke, sizakuza masinyane ngejubane.
27 None of them gets tired or stumbles; none of them rests or sleeps. No belt comes loose, and no sandal strap breaks.
Kakho ozadinwa, njalo kakho ozakhubeka phakathi kwaso, kakho ozawozela, njalo kakho ozalala, njalo kakho ozakhululelwa ibhanti lokhalo lwakhe, njalo kakho ozaqanyukelwa ngumchilo wamanyathela akhe.
28 Their arrows are already sharpened, and all their bows have been strung. The hooves of their horses are hard as flint; their chariot wheels spin like a whirlwind.
Omitshoko yakhe ibukhali, lomadandili akhe wonke agotshiwe; amasondo amabhiza akhe azabalwa njengelitshe elilukhuni, lamavili akhe njengesivunguzane.
29 They roar like lions, like young lions. They growl, and pounce on their prey. They drag it off so it can't be rescued.
Ukubhonga kwakhe kuzakuba njengokwesilwane, njalo uzabhonga njengamabhongo esilwane, abhavume abambe impango, ayilethe ekuvikelekeni, njalo kungekho umemuki.
30 At that time they will roar over their prey like the roaring of the sea. Anyone who looks out over the land will see only darkness and distress—even the sunlight will be darkened by clouds.
Bazakubhavumela ngalolosuku njengokubhavuma kolwandle. Uba umuntu ekhangela emhlabeni, khangela-ke, umnyama, usizi, lokukhanya kwenziwe kwaba mnyama ngamayezi aso.
