Isaiah 23
1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in; from the land of Kittim it is revealed to them.
Isiqalekiso esimayelana leThire: Khalani lina mikhumbi yaseThashishi! Ngoba iThire selichithiwe lasala lingaselandlu kumbe indawo yokungenisa imikhumbi. Ilizwi selifikile kibo livela elizweni laseKhithimi.
2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast-land; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
Thulani lina bantu basesihlengeni lani bathengi baseSidoni, asebanothiswa ngabahambi bolwandle.
3 And on great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue; and she was the mart of nations.
Amabele aseShihori eza ephezu kwamanzi, isivuno saseNayili sasiyinzuzo yeThire, njalo yaba yindawo yezizwe yokuthengiselana.
4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon; for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: 'I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I reared young men, nor brought up virgins.'
Woba lenhloni wena Sidoni, lawe wena nqaba yasolwandle ngoba ulwandle selukhulumile lwathi: kangizange ngihelelwe kumbe ngizale; “Kangizange ngondle amadodana kumbe ngikhulise amadodakazi.”
5 When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
Lapho ilizwi lifika eGibhithe bazakuba lusizi ngombiko ovela eThire.
6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the coast-land.
Khuphukelani ngaseThashishi; khalani lina bantu basesihlengeni.
7 Is this your joyous city, whose feet in antiquity, in ancient days, carried her afar off to sojourn?
Leli yilo na idolobho lenu lentokozo, idolobho elidaladala, elinyawo zalo zalithatha ukuyalihlalisa emazweni akude?
8 Who hath devised this against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?
Ngubani ocebe lokhu ngeThire, umethesi wemiqhele, abathengisi bayo bangamakhosana, abathengisi bayo badumile emhlabeni?
9 The LORD of hosts hath devised it, to pollute the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
UThixo uSomandla wakuceba lokhu, ukwehlisa ukuzigqaja kwenkazimulo yonke lokuthobisa bonke abalodumo emhlabeni.
10 Overflow thy land as the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! there is no girdle any more.
Lima insimu yakho malungana leNayili wena Ndodakazi yaseThashishi ngoba kawuselayo indawo yokungenisa imikhumbi.
11 He hath stretched out His hand over the sea, He hath shaken the kingdoms; the LORD hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof;
UThixo useselulele isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle wenza imibuso yalo yanyikinyeka. Usekhuphe umlayo ngeKhenani ukuba izinqaba zayo zidilizwe.
12 And He said: 'Thou shalt no more rejoice.' O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Zidon, arise, pass over to Kittim; even there shalt thou have no rest.
Wathi, “Akusekho ukuthokoza kwakho wena Ndodakazi Egcweleyo yaseSidoni esichoboziwe! Vuka ukhuphukele ngaseKhithimi; lakhona awuyikuthola ukuphumula.”
13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans — this is the people that was not, when Asshur founded it for shipmen — they set up their towers, they overthrew the palaces thereof; it is made a ruin.
Khangela elizweni lamaKhaladiya, abantu laba khathesi abangaselutho! Abase-Asiriya sebelenze laba yindawo yezidalwa zeganga; bakhe imiphotshongo yabo yokuzivikela, bazibhidlizile izinqaba zalo balenza laba lunxiwa.
14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste.
Khalani lina mikhumbi yaseThashishi, inqaba yenu idiliziwe!
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king; after the end of seventy years it shall fare with Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
Ngalesosikhathi iThire izakhohlakala okweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa, ibanga lokuphila kwenkosi. Kodwa ekupheleni kwaleyominyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa, eThire kuzakwenzakala okunjengokutshiwo yingoma yewule ukuthi:
16 Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot long forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
“Thatha ichacho, uhambahambe phakathi kwedolobho wena wule elikhohlakeleyo. Litshaye kuhle ichacho, uhlabele izingoma ezinengi, ukuze ukhunjulwe.”
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will remember Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and shall have commerce with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
Ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa uThixo uzakhumbula iThire. IThire lizabuyela ekuthengiseni kwalo njengesifebe, njalo lizabuyela emsebenzini walo wokuthengiselana lemibuso yonke esemhlabeni.
18 And her gain and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD; it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her gain shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat their fill, and for stately clothing.
Inzuzo lemiholo yalo kuzakwahlukaniselwa uThixo; kakuyikulondolozwa loba kubuthelelwe. Inzuzo yalo izakuya kulabo abahlala loThixo ukuba babe lokudla okunengi lezigqoko ezinhle.
