Esias 8
1 And the Lord said to me, Take to yourself a volume of a great new [book], and write in it with a man's pen concerning the making a rapid plunder of spoils; for it is near at hand.
UThixo wathi kimi, “Thatha isibhebhedu selitshe esikhulu ulobe kuso ngolimi olujwayelekileyo ukuthi: Maheri-Shalali-Hashi-Bhazi (okutsho ukuthi: abaphanga ukuhuquluza okuphangiweyo).
2 And make me witnesses [of] faithful men, Urias, and Zacharias the son of Barachias.
Ngizabiza u-Uriya umphristi loZakhariya indodana kaJebherekhiya njengabofakazi bami abathembekileyo.”
3 And I went in to the prophetess; and she conceived, and bore a son. And the Lord said to me, Call his name, Spoil quickly, plunder speedily.
Ngemva kwalokho ngaya kumphrofethikazi, wathatha isisu, wazala indodana. UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Mbize ngokuthi nguMaheri-Shalali-Hashi-Bhazi.
4 For before the child shall know [how] to call [his] father or [his] mother, [one] shall take the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria before the king of the Assyrians.
Kuzakuthi umfana engakakwazi ukuthi ‘Ubaba’ loba ‘Umama,’ inotho yaseDamaseko lempahla ethunjwe eSamariya kuzathathwa yinkosi yase-Asiriya.”
5 And the Lord spoke to me yet again, [saying],
UThixo wakhuluma kimi futhi wathi:
6 Because this people chooses not the water of Siloam that goes softly, but wills to have Rassin, and the son of Romelias [to be] king over you;
“Ngenxa yokuthi abantu laba sebewalile amanzi ageleza kuhle aseShilowa bethokozela uRezini lendodana kaRemaliya,
7 therefore, behold, the Lord brings up upon you the water of the river, strong and abundant, [even] the king of the Assyrians, and his glory: and he shall come up over every valley of yours, and shall walk over every wall of yours:
ngakho-ke iNkosi isiseduze ukubalethela izikhukhula zamanzi ezilamandla, eziyinkosi yase-Asiriya lobukhosi bayo bonke, zivela eYufrathe. Azachithekela ngaphandle kwayo yonke imigelo yawo, ageleze phezu kwamakhumbi ayo wonke,
8 and he shall take away from Juda [every] man who shall be able to lift up his head, [and every one] able to accomplish anything; and his camp shall fill the breadth of your land, [O] God with us.
afohlele koJuda, agcwale kulo, adlule phakathi kwalo efika entanyeni. Impiko zawo ezeluliweyo zizakwembesa ububanzi belizwe lakho, Awu, Emanuweli!”
9 Know, you Gentiles, and be conquered; listen you, even to the extremity of the earth: be conquered, after you strengthened yourselves; for even if you should again strengthen yourselves, you shall again be conquered.
Hlabani umkhosi wempi lina zizwe, lichithwe! Lalelani lonke lina mazwe akude. Lungiselani impi, lichithwe! Lungiselani impi lichithwe!
10 And whatever counsel you shall take, the Lord shall bring it to nothing; and whatever word you shall speak, it shall not stand among you: for God is with us.
Lungisani icebo lenu, kodwa kalisoze liphumelele: bumbani isu lenu, kodwa kaliyikuma, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulathi.
11 Thus says the Lord, With a strong hand they revolt from the course of the way of this people, saying,
UThixo wakhuluma kimi isandla sakhe esilamandla siphezu kwami, engixwayisa ukuba ngingalandeli indlela yalababantu. Wathi:
12 Let them not say, [It is] hard, for whatever this people says, is hard: but fear not you their fear, neither be dismayed.
“Ungabokuthi kungamacebo amabi konke abantu laba abathi kungamacebo amabi; ungakwesabi abakwesabayo njalo ungakuqhuqhi.
13 Sanctify you the Lord himself; and he shall be your fear.
UThixo uSomandla nguye okumele limazi engongcwele, nguye okumele limesabe, nguye okumele limqhuqhe.
14 And if you shall trust in him, he shall be to you for a sanctuary; and you shall not come against [him] as against a stumbling-stone, neither as against the falling of a rock: but the houses of Jacob are in a snare, and the dwellers in Jerusalem in a pit.
Uzakuba yisiphephelo; kodwa kuzo zombili izindlu zako-Israyeli uzakuba yilitshe elikhubekisa abantu ledwala elibenza bawe. Ebantwini baseJerusalema uzakuba yisifu lomjibila.
15 Therefore many among them shall be weak, and fall, and be crushed; and they shall draw near, and men shall be taken securely.
Inengi labo lizakhubeka; bazakuwa bephuke, bazathiywa bathunjwe.”
16 Then shall those who seal themselves that they may not learn the law be made manifest.
Bopha ubufakazi besixwayiso, uqinise umthetho phakathi kwabafundi bakaNkulunkulu.
17 And [one] shall say, I will wait for God, who has turned away his face from the house of Jacob, and I will trust in him.
Ngizamlindela uThixo, ofihlela indlu kaJakhobe ubuso bakhe. Ngizabeka ithemba lami kuye.
18 Behold I and the children which God has given me: and they shall be [for] signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in mount Sion.
Mina ngilapha, kanye labantwana uThixo angiphe bona. Siyizibonakaliso lempawu ku-Israyeli ezivela kuThixo uSomandla, ohlala entabeni iZiyoni.
19 And if they should say to you, Seek those who have in them a divining spirit, and them that speak out of the earth, them that speak vain words, who speak out of their belly: shall not a nation diligently seek to their God? why do they seek to the dead concerning the living?
Nxa abantu bekutshela ukuthi buza abalamadlozi labalemimoya yobuthakathi, labanyenyezayo bengunguza, kambe abantu akumelanga babuzisise uNkulunkulu wabo na? Kungani abaphilayo libabuzela kwabafayo na?
20 For he has given the law for a help, that they should not speak according to this word, concerning which there are no gifts to give for it.
Emthethweni lakubo ubufakazi! Nxa bengakhulumi ngokumayelana lelizwi leli, kabalakho ukukhanya kokusa.
21 And famine shall come sorely upon you, and it shall come to pass, [that] when you shall be hungry, you shall be grieved, and you shall speak ill of the prince and your fathers' ordinances: and they shall look up to heaven above,
Bazazula lelizwe behlulukelwe, belambile. Lapho sebephalwe yindlala, bazathukuthela, bathuke inkosi yabo loNkulunkulu wabo bekhangele phezulu.
22 and they shall look on the earth below, and behold severe distress, and darkness, affliction, and anguish, and darkness so that [one can’t] see; and he that is in anguish shall not be distressed only for a time.
Emva kwalokho bazakhangela emhlabeni babone usizi kuphela, lomnyama owesabekayo, njalo bazaphoselwa emnyameni opheleleyo.
