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 kumqhele wokuzigqaja wezidakwa zakoEfrayimi, obuhle benkazimulo yazo buliluba elibunayo, eliphezu kwekhanda lezihotsha ezivundileyo zalabo abatshaywe liwayini.
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.
Khangela, iNkosi ilaye olamandla loqinileyo, ozaphosela emhlabeni ngesandla, njengezulu lesiphepho elilesiqhotho, isiphepho esichithayo, njengempophoma yamanzi alamandla akhukhulayo.
3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot;
Umqhele wokuzigqaja wezidakwa zakoEfrayimi uzanyathelelwa phansi ngezinyawo.
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.
Lobuhle benkazimulo yakhe, obuphezu kwekhanda lesihotsha esivunde kakhulu, buzakuba liluba elibunayo, njengesithelo esivuthwe masinyane kungakafiki ihlobo; okuthi osibonileyo asibone, sisesesandleni sakhe asiginye.
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 iNkosi yamabandla izakuba ngumqhele wenkazimulo, lesidlodlo sobuhle kunsali yabantu bayo,
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.
lomoya wesahlulelo kulowo ohlalela isahlulelo, lamandla kulabo ababuyisela impi esangweni.
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 baduhile ngenxa yewayini, langenxa yokunathwayo okulamandla baphambukile; umpristi lomprofethi baduhile ngenxa yokunathwayo okulamandla, baginywe liwayini, baphambukile ngenxa yokunathwayo okulamandla; bayaduha embonweni, bakhubeke kusahlulelo.
8 For all tables are full of filthy vomit, and no place is clean.
Ngoba wonke amatafula agcwele amahlanzo lokungcola, kakulandawo engangcolanga.
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?
Izafundisa bani ulwazi, njalo izakwenza bani aqedisise umbiko? Abalunyuliweyo echagweni, abakhunyuliweyo emabeleni.
10 For it is precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little.
Ngoba umthetho phezu komthetho, umthetho phezu komthetho; umzila phezu komzila, umzila phezu komzila; lapha okuncinyane, laphayana okuncinyane.
11 For with stammering lips and with a strange tongue shall it be spoken to this people;
Ngoba ngendebe eziklolodayo langolunye ulimi izakhuluma kulababantu,
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.
eyathi kubo: Lokhu yikuphumula, phumuzani abadiniweyo; lalokhu yikuvuselela; kodwa kabathandanga ukuzwa.
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.
Kodwa ilizwi leNkosi lizakuba kibo ngumthetho phezu komthetho, umthetho phezu komthetho; umzila phezu komzila, umzila phezu komzila; lapha okuncinyane, laphayana okuncinyane; ukuze bahambe, bawe nyovane, bephuke, bathiywe, bathunjwe.
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scoffers, the ballad-mongers of this people which is in Jerusalem:
Ngakho zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, bantu abaklolodayo, elibusa lababantu abaseJerusalema.
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)
Ngoba lithe: Sivumelane isivumelwano lokufa, njalo senze isivumelwano lesihogo; lapho isiswepu esiphuphumayo sisedlula, kasiyikufika kithi; ngoba senze amanga aba yisiphephelo sethu, sacatsha ngaphansi kwenkohliso. (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 itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngibeka eZiyoni ilitshe lesisekelo, ilitshe elihloliweyo, ilitshe lengonsi eliligugu, isisekelo esisekelweyo; okholwayo kayikuphangisa.
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.
Isahlulelo laso ngizasibeka entanjeni, lokulunga entanjeni yokuqondisa; lesiqhotho sizakhukhula isiphephelo samanga; lamanzi agabhele indawo 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)
Lesivumelwano senu lokufa sizaphela, lokuvumelana kwenu lesihogo kakuyikuma; lapho isiswepu esikhukhulayo sisedlula, khona lizanyathelelwa phansi yikho. (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.
Kusukela esikhathini sokwedlula kwaso, sizalithatha; ngoba ukusa ngokusa sizakwedlula, emini lebusuku; njalo kuzakuba ngokwesabisayo kuphela ukuqedisisa umbiko.
20 For the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself; and the covering too narrow when he gathereth himself up.
Ngoba umbheda mfitshane kakhulu ukuthi umuntu azelule kuwo, lengubo yincinyane kakhulu ukuthi umuntu azigoqele 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.
Ngoba iNkosi izavuka njengentabeni yePerazimi, ithukuthele njengesigodini seGibeyoni, ukuze yenze umsebenzi wayo, umsebenzi wayo ongejwayelekanga, yenze isenzo sayo, isenzo sayo esingejwayelekanga.
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.
Ngakho-ke lingahleki usulu, hlezi izibopho zenu ziqiniswe; ngoba ngizwile eNkosini uJehova wamabandla ngokuqedwa okuqunywe phezu komhlaba wonke.
23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my speech.
Bekani indlebe, lizwe ilizwi lami; lalelani lizwe inkulumo yami.
24 Is the plowman never done with plowing to sow, with the opening and harrowing of his ground?
Umlimi ulimela ukuhlanyela lonke usuku yini? Uyavula abhuqe umhlabathi wakhe yini?
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?
Kakunjalo yini, esewuhlelembile ubuso bawo, ukuthi aphose amafitshizi, ahlakaze ikhumini, afake phezu kwakho ingqoloyi enhle kakhulu, lebhali emisiweyo, lespelite emngceleni wakho?
26 For He doth instruct him aright; his God doth teach him.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu wakhe uyamazisa ngendlela, amfundise.
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.
Ngoba amafitshizi kawabhulwa ngobhulo, levili lenqola kaliphendulwa phezu kwekhumini; kodwa amafitshizi atshaywa ngoswazi, lekhumini ngentonga.
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 esinkwa ayachotshozwa; ngoba kayikuhlala ewabhula kokuphela, loba ewachoboza ngevili lenqola yakhe, njalo kawachobozi ngamabhiza akhe.
29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts: Wonderful is His counsel, and great His wisdom.
Lalokhu kuvela eNkosini yamabandla; iyamangalisa ekwelulekeni, yinkulu ekusebenzeni.
