< Micah 4 >

1 In the last days, the mountain where the Lord's Temple stands will be recognized as the highest of all mountains, rising above other hills. Crowds of people from many places will travel to it.
Ngezinsuku zokucina intaba yethempeli likaThixo izamiswa njengenhloko phakathi kwezintaba; izaphakanyiselwa phezu kwezintaba njalo izizwe zizabekelela zisiya kuyo.
2 Many nations will come and say, “Let's go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob. There God will teach us his ways and we will follow his directions.” God's teachings will spread out from Zion, his word from Jerusalem.
Izizwe ezinengi zizafika zithi, “Wozani siye phezu kwentaba kaThixo, siye ethempelini likaNkulunkulu kaJakhobe. Uzasifundisa izindlela zakhe, ukuze sihambe emikhondweni yakhe.” Umthetho uzavela eZiyoni, ilizwi likaThixo livele eJerusalema.
3 The Lord will decide the cases of the nations, he will settle arguments between distant powerful nations. They will hammer their swords and turn them into plough blades, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not fight against each other anymore; they will no longer learn methods of warfare.
Uzakwahlulela phakathi kwezizwe ezinengi alamule lezingxabano zezizwe ezilamandla ezindaweni ezikhatshana. Bazakhanda izinkemba zabo zibe yimihlathi yamakhuba, lemikhonto yabo ibe zingqamu zokuthena izihlahla. Isizwe asiyikuhlomela isizwe ngenkemba loba sifundele ukulwa impi futhi.
4 Everyone will be able to sit under their own vine and their own fig tree, for there will be no one to make them afraid. I the Lord Almighty has spoken!
Umuntu wonke uzahlala ngaphansi kwesihlahla sakhe sevini langaphansi kwesihlahla sakhe somkhiwa, njalo kakho ozabenza besabe, ngoba uThixo uSomandla usekhulumile.
5 Even though all the other nations follow their gods, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.
Zonke izizwe zingahamba ebizweni labonkulunkulu bazo; thina sizahamba ebizweni likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu kuze kube laphakade.
6 On that day, declares the Lord, I will gather those who are lame, I will bring together those who have been scattered in exile, those whom I punished.
“Ngalolosuku,” kutsho uThixo, “ngizabutha abaqhulayo; ngizaqoqa abathunjwayo lalabo engabehlisela usizi.
7 I will make those who remain, crippled and driven far away, into a strong nation, and the Lord will rule them from Mount Zion forever and ever.
Ngizakwenza abaqhulayo babe yinsalela, abaxotshwayo babe yisizwe esilamandla. UThixo uzababusa eNtabeni iZiyoni, kusukela ngalolosuku kuze kube nininini.
8 And as for you, Jerusalem, watchtower of the flock, your former royal rule and power will be returned to you: the kingdom will be given back to Jerusalem.
Wena nqaba yokulinda yomhlambi, wena nqaba yeNdodakazi yeZiyoni, umbuso wakuqala uzabuyiselwa kuwe; ubukhosi buzakuza eNdodakazini yaseJerusalema.”
9 So why are you screaming aloud? Don't you have a king? Has the king who advises you died so that pain has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?
Kungani khathesi usukhala kakhulu, kawulankosi na? Umeluleki wakho usebhubhile na, ukuba uphathwe yibuhlungu obunjengowesifazane ohelelwayo?
10 Thrash around in agony like a woman giving birth, people of Zion—for you will be expelled from the city, forced to camp out in the open, and exiled to Babylon. But the Lord will bring you back, and rescue you from the power of your enemies.
Janqula ngobuhlungu, wena Ndodakazi yeZiyoni, njengowesifazane ohelelwayo, ngoba khathesi sekumele usuke kulelidolobho uyehlala egangeni. Uzakuya eBhabhiloni; lapho ozahlengwa khona. Khonale uThixo uzakukhulula ezandleni zezitha zakho.
11 Right now many enemies are gathered against you, saying, “Let us attack and violate her, so we can look with gloating over Zion!”
Kodwa khathesi izizwe ezinengi zikujamele. Zithi, “Kangcoliswe, lamehlo ethu kawahawukele iZiyoni!”
12 But they don't know what the Lord is thinking, and don't understand what he is planning. He has brought them together like bundles of grain to the threshing floor.
Kodwa kabayazi imicabango kaThixo; kabaliqedisisi icebo lakhe, yena obabutha njengezixha zamabele esizeni.
13 People of Zion, get up and start threshing, for I will make for you iron horns and bronze hooves so you can break many nations into pieces. You will present their stolen plunder to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
“Sukuma ubhule, wena Ndodakazi yeZiyoni, ngoba ngizakupha impondo zensimbi; ngizakunika amasondo ethusi, njalo uzachoboza izizwe ezinengi.” Uzanikela kuThixo inzuzo yabo eyatholwa ngobuqili inotho yabo kuThixo womhlaba wonke.

< Micah 4 >