Isaiah 28
1 Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are smitten down 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, a tempest of destruction, as a storm of mighty waters overflowing, that casteth down to the earth with violence.
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 foot;
Umqhele lowo wamaluba, iqhono lezidakwa zako-Efrayimi kuzanyathelwa ngaphansi kwezinyawo.
4 And the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer, which when one looketh upon it, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
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 shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue 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 back the battle at the gate.
Uzakuba ngumoya wokulunga kulowo owahlulelayo, umthombo wamandla kulabo ababuyisela impi emuva isisesangweni.
7 But these also reel through wine, and stagger through strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel through strong drink, they are confused because of wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they reel in vision, they totter 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, and no place is clean.
Amatafula wonke agcwele amahlanzo njalo akulandawo engelamanyala.
9 Whom shall one teach knowledge? And whom shall one make to understand the message? Them that are weaned from the milk, them that are drawn from the breasts?
“Ngubani lowo ozama ukumfundisa? Umbiko wakhe uwuchazela bani na? Abantwana abangasamunyi, kumbe abalunyuliweyo na?
10 For it is precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by 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 with a strange tongue shall it be spoken to this people;
Kungasenani, ngezindebe zabezizweni langolimi olungaziwayo, uNkulunkulu uzakhuluma lalababantu,
12 To whom it was said: 'This is the rest, give ye rest to the weary; and this is the refreshing'; yet they would not hear.
atshoyo kubo wathi, “Le yindawo yokuphumula, abadiniweyo kabaphumule”; njalo, “Le yindawo yokucambalala,” kodwa kabalalelanga.
13 And so the word of the LORD is unto them precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little; that they may 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 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scoffers, the ballad-mongers of this people which is in Jerusalem:
Ngakho-ke zwanini ilizwi likaThixo lina bantu abaklolodayo, ababusa abantu laba eJerusalema.
15 Because ye have said: 'We have made a covenant with death, and with the nether-world are we at agreement; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in 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 GOD: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a costly corner-stone of sure foundation; he that believeth 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 make justice the line, and righteousness the 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 disannulled and your agreement with the nether-world shall not stand; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, then 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 often 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 sheer terror to understand the message.
Ngazozonke izikhathi esizafika ngazo sizalithatha; ukusa ngokusa, emini lebusuku, sizalikhukhula.” Ukulizwisisa ilizwi leli kuzaletha ukwesaba khona ngokwakho.
20 For the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself; and the covering too narrow when he gathereth himself up.
Umbheda mfitshane kakhulu ukuba unabe kuwo, ingubo incane kakhulu ukuba ugoqelwe ngayo.
21 For the LORD will rise up as in mount Perazim, He will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that He may do His work, strange is His work, and bring to pass His act, strange is His 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 scoffers, lest your bands be made strong; for an extermination wholly determined have I heard from the Lord, the GOD of hosts, 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 ye ear, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my speech.
Lalelani lizwe ilizwi lami; lalelani lizwe engikutshoyo.
24 Is the plowman never done with plowing to sow, with the opening and harrowing of his ground?
Lapho umlimi elima ukuba ahlanyele, ulima kokuphela na? Uqhubeka elima umhlabathi ewubhuqa kokuphela na?
25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the black cummin, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the appointed place and the spelt in the border thereof?
Nxa umhlabathi esewendlale kuhle, kahlanyeli ikharawayi ahlanyele lekhumini na? Kahlanyeli ingqoloyi endaweni yayo; ibhali ensimini yayo, lespelithi ensimini yaso na?
26 For He doth instruct him aright; his God doth teach him.
UNkulunkulu wakhe uyamfundisa, amfundise indlela eqondileyo.
27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing-sledge, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the black cummin is beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
Ikharawayi kayibhulwa ngesileyi; lenqola kayihanjiswa phezu kwekhumini, kodwa ikharawayi ibhulwa ngentonga, kuthi ikhumini ibhulwe ngombhulo.
28 Is bread corn crushed? Nay, he will not ever be threshing it; and though the roller of his wagon and its sharp edges move noisily, he doth 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 the LORD of hosts: Wonderful is His counsel, and great His wisdom.
Konke lokhu lakho kuvela kuThixo uSomandla omangalisayo ngokweluleka, njalo olenhlakanipho emangalisayo.
