Amos 5
1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, as a lamentation, O house of Israel.
Zwana ilizwi leli, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, isililo lesi engisenzayo ngani:
2 She is fallen, she will not rise again—the virgin of Israel: she is thrown down upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
“Iwile iNtombi u-Israyeli, kayiphindi ivuke futhi, ideliwe elizweni layo, kungekho ongayiphakamisela phezulu.”
3 For thus hath said the Lord Eternal, The city that goeth forth with a thousand shall retain but a hundred, and she that goeth forth with a hundred shall retain but ten, [left] to the house of Israel.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Idolobho lenu elikhupha inkulungwane eziqinileyo lizasala labalikhulu kuphela; idolobho elikhupha abalikhulu abaqinileyo lizasala labalitshumi kuphela.”
4 For thus hath said the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye for me, and ye shall live;
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo endlini ka-Israyeli: “Dingani mina, liphile;
5 But seek not for Beth-el, and into Gilgal enter not, and to Beer-sheba' do not pass over; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Beth-el shall become naught.
lingadingi iBhetheli, lingayi eGiligali, lingayi eBherishebha. Ngoba impela iGiligali izakuya ekuthunjweni, leBhetheli izadliwa iphele nya.”
6 Seek for the Lord, and ye shall live: so that he come not suddenly like fire over the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el;
Dingani uThixo liphile hlezi adabule phakathi kwendlu kaJosefa njengomlilo; uzatshisa uqothule, njalo iBhetheli kayiyikuba lomuntu ozawucitsha.
7 Ye who change justice into wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth!
Lina eliguqula ukulunga kube yibuhlungu, lilahlele ubuqotho emhlabathini.
8 [But] he maketh the seven stars and Orion, and changeth into morning the shadow of death, and maketh the day dark into night; he it is that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out over the face of the earth: The Lord is his name;
Yena owenza iSilimela loMthala, oguqula umnyama ube yikusa enze imini ibe yibusuku obumnyama, yena obiza amanzi olwandle, awathele phezu kobuso belizwe, uThixo yilo ibizo lakhe,
9 That causeth wasting to prevail against the strong, so that wasting shall come against the fortress.
wehlisela incithakalo phezu kwenqaba atshabalalise idolobho elivikelweyo.
10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and him that speaketh uprightly they abhor.
Liyamzonda okhuzayo emthethwandaba limeyise lalowo okhuluma iqiniso.
11 Therefore forasmuch as you tread down upon the poor, and ye take from him onerous contributions of corn: if ye have built houses of hewn stone, ye shall not dwell in them; if ye have planted pleasant vineyards, ye shall not drink their wine.
Linyathezela umyanga limncindezele ukuba aliphe amabele. Ngakho-ke, lanxa lakhe izindlu ezinkulukazi zamatshe kaliyikuhlala kuzo; lanxa lihlanyele izivini ezinhle, iwayini lazo kaliyikulinatha.
12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your numerous sins: ye are those that are the adversaries of the just, that take a ransom, and that wrest [the cause of] the needy in the gate.
Ngoba iziphambeko zenu ngiyazazi ukuthi zingaki kanye lokuthi izono zenu zinkulu okunganani. Lincindezela abalungileyo lamukele isivalamlomo, njalo emithethwandaba linqabela abayanga imfanelo.
13 Therefore will the intelligent keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
Ngakho ezikhathini ezinjalo umuntu ohlakaniphileyo uyazithulela, ngoba izikhathi zimbi.
14 Seek for the good, and not the evil, in order that ye may live: and so will the Lord, the God of hosts, be with you, as ye have said.
Dingani okuhle, hatshi okubi, ukuze liphile. Lapho-ke uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uzakuba lani njengoba lisithi ulani.
15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice firmly in the gate: perhaps the Lord the God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
Zondani okubi lithande okuhle; qinisani ukulunga emithethwandaba. Mhlawumbe uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uzakuba lomusa kuzinsalela zakoJosefa.
16 Therefore thus hath said the Eternal, the God of hosts, the Lord, On all public places there is lamentation, and in all the streets they cry, Woe! woe! and they call the husbandman to mourning, and to lamentation those skilled in wailing.
Ngakho nanku okutshiwo yiNkosi, uThixo, uNkulunkulu uSomandla, “Kuzakuba lokulila emigwaqweni yonke lokukhala kabuhlungu ezinkundleni zonke zikazulu. Abalimi bazabizwa ukuba bakhale, labakhalayo ukuba balile.
17 And in all vineyards there is lamentation; for I will pass through thy midst, saith the Lord.
Kuzakuba lokulila ezivinini zonke, ngoba ngizadlula phakathi kwenu,” kutsho uThixo.
18 Woe unto you that long for the day of the Lord! for what do you wish the day of the Lord? it is [one of] darkness, and not of light.
Maye kini lina elilangazelela usuku lukaThixo! Kungani lilangazelela lolosuku lukaThixo na? Lolosuku luzakuba ngumnyama, hatshi ukukhanya.
19 As if a man were to flee from a lion, and a bear should meet him; and he enter into the house, and lean his hand against the wall, and a serpent should bite him.
Kuzafana lokuthi umuntu ubalekele isilwane wahlangana lebhele, njengangathi ungene endlini yakhe wabambelela emdulini ngesandla waselunywa yinyoka.
20 Behold the day of the Lord is [one of] darkness, and not of light; yea, it is obscure, and hath no brightness.
Usuku lukaThixo kaluyikuba ngumnyama na, hatshi ukukhanya, lumnyama bhuqe, kungekho nhlansi yokukhanya?
21 I hate, I despise your feast-days, and I will not smell [the sacrifices] on your festive assemblies.
“Ngiyayizonda, ngiyayeyisa imikhosi yokholo lwenu; angingeke ngiyimele imbuthano yenu.
22 For though ye should offer me burnt-offerings and your meat-offerings, I will not accept them in favor: and the peace-offerings of your fatted cattle will I not look at.
Lanxa lingangilethela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yamabele kangiyikuyamukela. Lanxa liletha iminikelo emihle kakhulu yobuzalwane, lokunonisiweyo kangiyikuyinanza.
23 Remove thou from around me the noise of thy songs: and the playing of thy psalteries I will not hear.
Sukani lomsindo wezingoma zenu! Kangiyikuwulalela umculo wamachacho enu.
24 But let justice roll along like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Kodwa ukulunga kakugeleze njengamanzi, lobuqotho njengesifula esingatshiyo!
25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and meat-offerings in the wilderness [during] forty years, O house of Israel?
Kanje wake wangilethela imihlatshelo leminikelo eminyakeni engamatshumi amane enkangala, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli na?
26 Bear then the canopy of your chief idol, and the figure of your images, the star of your god, which ye have made for yourselves.
Seliphakamise indawo yokukhonzela izithombe zenu, isenabelo senkosi unkulunkulu wenu uSakhuthi, lenkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu uKhayiwani, elazenzela khona lina ngokwenu.
27 And I will cause you to go into exile far beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, The God of hosts is his name.
Ngakho ngizalisa ekuthunjweni ngale kweDamaseko,” kutsho uThixo obizo lakhe nguNkulunkulu uSomandla.
