< Obadiah 1 >

1 THE VISION of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a message from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the nations: 'Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.'
Umbono Ka-Obhadaya. Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi nge-Edomi: Sesizwe ilizwi elivela kuThixo: Kuthunywe isithunywa ezizweni ukuba sithi, “Phakamani, asihambeni silwe laye impi”:
2 Behold, I make thee small among the nations; thou art greatly despised.
“Khangela, ngizakwenza ube mncinyane phakathi kwezizwe; uzakweyiswa kakhulu.
3 The pride of thy heart hath beguiled thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, thy habitation on high; that sayest in thy heart: 'Who shall bring me down to the ground?'
Ukuzigqaja kwenhliziyo yakho sekukukhohlisile, wena ohlala ezingoxweni zamadwala wakhe umuzi wakho eziqongweni, wena ozitshela uthi, ‘Ngubani ongangiwisela phansi enhlabathini na?’
4 Though thou make thy nest as high as the eagle, and though thou set it among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
Lanxa uqonga njengengqungqulu wakhe isidleke sakho phakathi kwezinkanyezi, ngizakwethula khonale,” kutsho uThixo.
5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night — how art thou cut off! — would they not steal till they had enough? If grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes?
“Nxa amasela efike kuwe, nxa abaphangi ebusuku, Awu, yeka ubukhulu bomonakalo okulindeleyo, kabayikuntshontsha kuphela lokho okwanele abakufunayo na? Nxa abavuni bamavini befike kuwe, kabangeke batshiye amalutshwana na?
6 How is Esau searched out! How are his hidden places sought out!
Kodwa yeka ukuphangwa okuzakwenziwa u-Esawu, inotho yakhe efihliweyo izathunjwa!
7 All the men of thy confederacy have conducted thee to the border; the men that were at peace with thee have beguiled thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread lay a snare under thee, in whom there is no discernment.
Bonke abamanyane lawe bazakuxotshela emngceleni; abangane bakho bazakukhohlisa bakunqobe; labo abadla ukudla kwakho bazakuthiya ngomjibila, kodwa wena kawuyikuwubona.
8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and discernment out of the mount of Esau?
Ngalolosuku,” kutsho uThixo, “kangiyikuwabhubhisa yini amadoda ahlakaniphileyo ase-Edomi, amadoda aqedisisayo ezintabeni zako-Esawu na?
9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter.
Amabutho akho, wena Themani, azathuthumela, njalo bonke abasezintabeni zako-Esawu bazacakazelwa phansi ekubulaweni kwabanengi.
10 For the violence done to thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
Ngenxa yodlakela kumfowenu uJakhobe, uzakwembeswa lihlazo; uzachithwa nini lanini.
11 In the day that thou didst stand aloof, in the day that strangers carried away his substance, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
Ngosuku owema ngalo khatshana mhla izihambi zithumba inotho yakhe labezizweni bengena emasangweni akhe bephosa inkatho ngeJerusalema, wawunjengomunye wabo.
12 But thou shouldest not have gazed on the day of thy brother in the day of his disaster, neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
Akumelanga weyise umfowenu ngosuku lokuhlupheka kwakhe, loba uthokoze ngabantu bakoJuda ngosuku lokubhujiswa kwabo, loba uklamase kangaka ngosuku lokuhlupheka kwabo.
13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of My people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have gazed on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.
Akumelanga ungene ngamasango abantu bami ngosuku lomonakalo wabo, loba ubeyise osizini lwabo ngosuku lomonakalo wabo, loba uthumbe inotho yabo ngosuku lomonakalo wabo.
14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
Akumelanga ume emahlukanandlela ukuba ubulale ababalekayo babo, loba unikele abaphephileyo babo ngosuku lokuhlupheka kwabo.
15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations; as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy dealing shall return upon thine own head.
Usuku lukaThixo selusondele ezizweni zonke. Njengalokho okwenzileyo, yikho okuzakwenziwa kuwe; izenzo zakho zizaphendukela phezu kwekhanda lakho.
16 For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and swallow down, and shall be as though they had not been.
Njengokunatha elakwenzayo entabeni yami, ngokunjalo izizwe zonke zizanatha njalonjalo; zizanatha, zinathe kuze kube angathi kazizange zivele zibe khona.
17 But in mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
Kodwa phezu kweNtaba iZiyoni kuzakuba lokusindiswa; kuzakuba ngcwele, lendlu kaJakhobe izazuza ilifa layo.
18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken.
Indlu kaJakhobe izakuba ngumlilo lendlu kaJosefa ibe lilangabi; indlu ka-Esawu izakuba libibi, njalo bazayithungela ngomlilo ozayiqothula. Akuyikuba khona abasilayo endlini ka-Esawu.” UThixo usekhulumile.
19 And they of the South shall possess the mount of Esau, and they of the Lowland the Philistines; and they shall possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria; and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
Abantu abavela eNegebi bazathumba izintaba zako-Esawu, labantu abavela emawatheni ezintaba bazathumba ilizwe lamaFilistiya. Bazathumba amasimu ako-Efrayimi lawaseSamariya, loBhenjamini uzathumba iGiliyadi.
20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel, that are among the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath, and the captivity of Jerusalem, that is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the South.
Lelibutho labako-Israyeli abathunjwayo abaseKhenani lizalithatha ilizwe kusiyafika eZarefathi; abathunjwa eJerusalema abaseSefaradi bazathatha amadolobho aseNegebi.
21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.
Abakhululi bazakhwela iNtaba iZiyoni ukuba babuse izintaba zako-Esawu. Njalo umbuso uzakuba ngokaThixo.

< Obadiah 1 >