Aggaeus 2
1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first [day] of the month, the Lord spoke by Aggaeus the prophet, saying,
Ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lanye lwenyanga yesikhombisa ilizwi likaThixo lafika ngoHagayi umphrofethi lisithi:
2 Speak now to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, of the tribe of Juda, and to Jesus the son of Josedec, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, saying,
“Khuluma loZerubhabheli indodana kaSheyalithiyeli, umbusi wakoJuda, loJoshuwa indodana kaJozadaki, umphristi omkhulu kanye lensalela yabantu. Babuze uthi,
3 Who [is there] of you that saw this house in her former glory? and how do you now look upon it, as it were nothing before your eyes?
‘Ngubani kini owasalayo owabona indlu le enkazimulweni yayo yakuqala na? Khathesi ikhangeleka injani kini na? Kayikhangeleki njengeze na?
4 Yet now be strong, O Zorobabel, says the Lord; and strengthen yourself, O Jesus the high priest, the son of Josedec; and let all the people of the land strengthen themselves, says the Lord, and work, for I am with you, says the Lord Almighty;
Kodwa khathesi qina wena Zerubhabheli,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Qina wena Joshuwa ndodana kaJozadaki, umphristi omkhulu. Qinani, lonke lina bantu belizwe,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Lisebenze, ngoba ngilani,’ kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
5 and my Spirit remains in the midst of you; be of good courage.
‘Lokhu yikho engakuvumelana lani ekuphumeni kwenu eGibhithe. UMoya wami uhlala phakathi kwenu. Lingesabi.’
6 For thus says the Lord Almighty; Yet once I will shake the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land];
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla: ‘Ngesikhatshana nje ngizaphinda nginyikinye amazulu lomhlaba, ulwandle lelizwe elomileyo.
7 and I will shake all nations, and the choice [portions] of all the nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.
Ngizanyikinya izizwe zonke, abathandwayo kuzozonke izizwe bazakuza, njalo indlu le ngizayigcwalisa ngenkazimulo,’ kutsho uThixo uSomandla,
8 Mine is the silver, and mine the gold, says the Lord Almighty.
‘Isiliva ngesami legolide ngelami,’ kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
9 For the glory of this house shall be great, the latter more than the former, says the Lord Almighty: and in this place will I give peace, says the Lord Almighty, even peace of soul for a possession to every one that builds, to raise up this temple.
‘Inkazimulo yale indlu yakhathesi izakuba nkulu kuleyendlu yakuqala,’ kutsho uThixo uSomandla. ‘Njalo indawo le ngizayipha ukuthula,’ kutsho uThixo uSomandla.”
10 On the four and twentieth [day] of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Aggaeus the prophet, saying,
Ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lane lwenyanga yesificamunwemunye, ngomnyaka wesibili kaDariyu, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuHagayi umphrofethi lisithi:
11 Thus says the Lord Almighty; Inquire now of the priest [concerning] the law, saying,
“Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla uthi: ‘Buza abaphristi ukuthi umthetho uthini:
12 If a man should take holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and the skirt of his garment should touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
Nxa umuntu ethwele inyama engcwele ngomphetho wesigqoko sakhe, umphetho lowo uthinte isinkwa loba inyama ephekiweyo, iwayini, amafutha loba okunye ukudla, kuba ngcwele na?’” Abaphristi baphendula bathi, “Hatshi.”
13 And Aggaeus said, If a defiled person who is unclean by reason of a dead body, touch any of these, shall it be defiled? And the priests answered and said, It shall be defiled.
UHagayi wasesithi, “Nxa umuntu ongcoliswe yikuthinta isidumbu ethinta okunye kwalezizinto, kuyangcola na?” “Ye,” kwaphendula abaphristi, “kuyangcola.”
14 And Aggaeus answered and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, says the Lord; and so are all the works of their hands: and whoever shall approach them, shall be defiled [because of their early burdens: they shall be pained because of their toils; and you have hated him that reproved in the gates].
UHagayi wasesithi, “‘Kunjalo-ke emehlweni ami ngabantu laba langesizwe lesi,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Lokho abakwenzayo loba abakunikelayo lapho kungcolile.
15 And now consider, I pray you, from this day and beforetime, before they laid a stone on a stone in the temple of the Lord, what manner of men you were.
Khathesi cabangani kuhle ngalokhu kusukela ngalolusuku kusiya phambili, khumbulani ukuthi izinto zazinjani kungakabekwa elinye ilitshe phezu kwelinye ethempelini likaThixo.
16 When you cast into the corn-bin twenty measures of barley, and there were [only] ten measures of barley: and you went to the vat to draw out fifty measures, and there were [but] twenty.
Kwakusithi lapho umuntu efika enqunjini yezilinganiso ezingamatshumi amabili, kwakulezilitshumi kuphela. Kuthi lapho umuntu eye efatshini lewayini ukuba akhe izilinganiso ezingamatshumi amahlanu, kwakulezingamatshumi amabili kuphela.
17 I struck you with barrenness, and with blasting, and all the works of your hands with hail; yet you returned not to me, says the Lord.
Wonke umsebenzi wezandla zenu ngawutshaya ngomkhuhlane, ngesikhwekhwe langesiqhotho, kodwa kaliphendukelanga kimi,’ kutsho uThixo.
18 Set your hearts now [to think] from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth [day] of the ninth month, even from the day when the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid;
‘Kusukela lamhla kusiya phambili, kusukela ngalolusuku lwamatshumi amabili lane lwenyanga yesificamunwemunye, cabangani kuhle ngosuku okwabekwa ngalo isisekelo sethempeli likaThixo. Cabangani kuhle:
19 consider in your hearts, whether [this] shall be known on the corn-floor, and whether yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-trees that bear no fruit [are with you]: from this day will I bless [you].
Kuselenhlanyelo eseleyo esiphaleni na? Kuze kube khathesi, ivini lomkhiwa, iphomegranathi lesihlahla se-Oliva asikatheli izithelo. Kusukela ngalolusuku kusiya phambili ngizalibusisa.’”
20 And the word of the Lord came the second time to Aggaeus the prophet, on the four and twentieth [day] of the month, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika ngokwesibili kuHagayi ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lane lwenyanga lisithi:
21 Speak to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, of the tribe of Juda, saying, I shake the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land];
“Tshela uZerubhabheli umbusi wakoJuda ukuthi ngizanyikinya amazulu lomhlaba.
22 and I will overthrow the thrones of kings, and I will destroy the power of the kings of the nations; and I will overthrow chariots and riders; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword striving against his brother.
Ngizagenqula izihlalo zobukhosi ngichithe amandla emibuso yezizweni. Ngizagenqula izinqola zempi labagadi bazo; amabhiza labagadi bawo bazakuwa, ngamunye ngenkemba yomfowabo.
23 In that day, says the Lord Almighty, I will take you, O Zorobabel, the son of Salathiel, my servant, says the Lord, and will make you as a seal: for I have chosen you, says the Lord Almighty.
‘Ngalolosuku,’ kutsho uThixo uSomandla, ‘ngizakuthatha wena nceku yami Zerubhabheli ndodana kaSheyalithiyeli,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘njalo ngizakwenza ube njengesongo eliluphawu lwami, ngoba sengikukhethile,’ kutsho uThixo uSomandla.”
