< Isaiah 7 >

1 And it comes to pass in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, [that] Rezin king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, have gone up to Jerusalem, to battle against it, and he is not able to fight against it.
Kwathi u-Ahazi indodana kaJothamu, indodana ka-Uziya, eyinkosi yakoJuda, uRezini inkosi yase-Aramu loPhekha indodana kaRemaliya inkosi yako-Israyeli basuka bayahlasela iJerusalema, kodwa kabalinqobanga.
2 And it is declared to the house of David, saying, “Aram has been led toward Ephraim,” and his heart and the heart of his people is moved, like the moving of trees of a forest by the presence of wind.
Indlu kaDavida yatshelwa kwathiwa, “I-Aramu isimanyene lo-Efrayimi,” inhliziyo ka-Ahazi lezabantu bakhe zanyikinyeka njengezihlahla zegusu zinyikinywa ngumoya.
3 And YHWH says to Isaiah, “Now go forth to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to the end of the conduit of the upper pool, to the highway of the fuller’s field,
UThixo wasesithi ku-Isaya, “Hamba wena lendodana yakho uSheyari-Jashubi ukuba lihlangabeze u-Ahazi ekucineni komgelo wamanzi oweChibi Elingaphezulu, emgwaqweni oya Ensimini Yomgezisi.
4 and you have said to him: Take heed, and be quiet, do not fear, And do not let your heart be timid, Because of these two tails of smoking brands, For the fierceness of the anger of Rezin and Aram, And the son of Remaliah.
Lithi kuye, ‘Nanzelela, hlala ngokuthula, njalo ungesabi. Inhliziyo yakho kayingadeli ngenxa yolaka olwesabekayo lukaRezini lo-Aramu lolwendodana kaRemaliya.’”
5 Because that Aram counseled evil against you, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying,
U-Aramu lo-Efrayimi lendodana kaRemaliya sebecebe ukukutshabalalisa besithi,
6 We go up into Judah, and we distress it, And we divide it to ourselves, And we cause a king to reign in its midst—The son of Tabeal.
“Kasihlaseleni ilizwe lakoJuda; kasilidabuleni phakathi silabelane, senze indodana kaThabheli ibe yinkosi yalo.”
7 Thus said Lord YHWH: It does not stand, nor will it be!
Kodwa-ke lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: “‘Akuyikuphumelela, akuyikwenzakala,
8 For the head of Aram [is] Damascus, And the head of Damascus [is] Rezin, And within sixty-five years Is Ephraim broken from [being] a people.
ngoba inhloko ye-Aramu yiDamaseko, inhloko yeDamaseko nguRezini kuphela. Phakathi kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha lanhlanu u-Efrayimi uzakuba esetshabalele engaseyiso sizwe.
9 And the head of Ephraim [is] Samaria, And the head of Samaria [is] the son of Remaliah. If you do not give credence, Surely you are not steadfast.”
Inhloko ka-Efrayimi yiSamariya, inhloko yeSamariya yindodana kaRemaliya kuphela. Nxa lingami liqine okholweni lwenu alisoze livele lime.’”
10 And YHWH adds to speak to Ahaz, saying,
UThixo wakhuluma njalo ku-Ahazi wathi,
11 “Ask for a sign from your God YHWH, Make the request deep, or make [it] high upwards.” (Sheol h7585)
“Cela isibonakaliso kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, ingabe ekujuleni kwezulu loba phezulu engqongweni.” (Sheol h7585)
12 And Ahaz says, “I do not ask nor try YHWH.”
Kodwa u-Ahazi wathi, “Angiyikucela. Angiyikulinga uThixo.”
13 And he says, “Now hear, O house of David, Is it a little thing for you to weary men, That you also weary my God?
U-Isaya wasesithi, “Khathesi-ke zwana wena lendlu kaDavida. Akwenelanga na ukulinga ukubekezela kwabantu? Uzalinga lokubekezela kukaNkulunkulu wami njalo na?
14 Therefore the Lord Himself gives a sign to you, Behold, the virgin is conceiving, And is bringing forth a Son, And has called His Name Immanuel,
Ngakho-ke iNkosi ngokwayo izanika isibonakaliso: Intombi egcweleyo izakhulelwa izale indodana bayibize ngokuthi ngu-Emanuweli.
15 He eats butter and honey, When He knows to refuse evil, and to fix on good.
Uzakudla amasi loluju lapho eselolwazi olwaneleyo ukuba ale okubi akhethe okulungileyo.
16 For before the youth knows To refuse evil, and to fix on good, The land you are distressed with is forsaken, because of her two kings.
Kodwa-ke umfana engakazi okwaneleyo ukuba ale okubi akhethe okulungileyo, ilizwe lamakhosi amabili owesabayo lizachithwa.
17 YHWH brings on you, and on your people, And on the house of your father, Days that have not come, Even from the day of the turning aside of Ephraim from Judah, By the king of Asshur.”
UThixo uzakwehlisela phezu kwakho laphezu kwabantu bakho, laphezu kwendlu kayihlo, isikhathi esingafani lesinye kusukela u-Efrayimi ebhazuka kuJuda, uzaletha inkosi yase-Asiriya.”
18 And it has come to pass in that day, YHWH hisses for a fly that [is] in the extremity of the brooks of Egypt, And for a bee that [is] in the land of Asshur.
Ngalelolanga uThixo uzatshaya ikhwelo ebiza impukane ezisekudabukeni kwezifula zaseGibhithe lezinyosi eziselizweni lase-Asiriya.
19 And they have come, and all of them rested in the desolate valleys, And in holes of the rocks, and on all the thorns, And on all the commendable things.
Zizakuza zonke zihlale ezingoxweni ezingamawa, ezimbalwini zamadwala, ezihlahleni zonke zameva kuwo wonke amagodi amanzi.
20 In that day the Lord shaves, By a razor that is hired beyond the river, By the king of Asshur, The head, and the hair of the feet, Indeed, it also consumes the beard.
Ngalolosuku iNkosi izasebenzisa impuco ebolekwe enkosini yase-Asiriya ngaphetsheya koMfula iYufrathe ukuphuca ikhanda lakho loboya obusembaleni yakho, lokugunda indevu zakho lazo.
21 And it has come to pass in that day, A man keeps alive a heifer of the herd, And two of the flock,
Ngalolosuku umuntu uzafuya ithokazi elilodwa lembuzi ezimbili.
22 And it has come to pass, He eats butter from the abundance of the yielding of milk, For everyone who is left in the heart of the land eats butter and honey.
Ngenxa yobunengi bochago oluzavela kuzo, uzakuba lamasi azawadla. Bonke abazasala elizweni bazakudla amasi loluju.
23 And it has come to pass in that day, Every place where there are one thousand vines, At one thousand pieces of silver, Is for briers and for thorns.
Ngalolosuku, ezindaweni zonke lapho okwakulamavini ayinkulungwane alingana amashekeli esiliva ayinkulungwane, kuzakuba lokhula lameva kuphela.
24 He comes there with arrows and with bow, Because all the land is brier and thorn.
Abantu bazakuya khona belamadandili lemitshoko ngoba ilizwe lizakuba seligcwele ukhula lameva.
25 And all the hills that are kept in order with a mattock, There does not come [for] fear of brier and thorn, And it has been for the sending forth of ox, And for the treading of sheep!
Emaqaqeni wonke ake alinywa ngekhuba kawusayikuya khona ngenxa yokwesaba ukhula lameva, azakuba yindawo yokwelusela inkomo lamadlelo ezimvu.

< Isaiah 7 >