< Isaiah 13 >
1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:
Leli yilizwi elimayelana leBhabhiloni elaboniswa u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi:
2 Set up a banner on the bare mountain. Lift up your voice to them. Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
Phakamisa uphawu phezu koqaqa oluligceke, umemezele kubo, ubaqhwebe ngesandla ukuba bangene emasangweni asesikhosini.
3 I have commanded my consecrated ones; I have also called my mighty men to carry out my anger, my proudly exulting ones.
Sengibalayile abangcwele bami, sengiwalayile amaqhawe ami ukuba afeze ulaka lwami, lawo athokozela ukunqoba kwami.
4 The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together. YHWH of hosts is mustering the army for the battle.
Lalelani, umsindo phezu kwezintaba, onjengowexuku elikhulu. Lalelani, ukuxokozela phakathi kwemibuso njengezizwe zibuthana ndawonye! UThixo uSomandla ubutha ibutho elibuthela impi.
5 They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even YHWH, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
Bavela emazweni akude, emikhawulweni yamazulu, uThixo lezikhali zolaka lwakhe, ukuba kuchithwe ilizwe lonke.
6 Wail; for the day of YHWH is at hand. It will come as destruction from Shaddai.
Lilani ngoba usuku lukaThixo seluseduze. Luzafika njengokuchithakala okuvela kuSomandla.
7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone's heart will melt.
Ngenxa yalokhu izandla zonke zizakuba buthakathaka, inhliziyo zabantu bonke zizaphela amandla.
8 They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.
Bazakuba lokwesaba okukhulu, baphathwe yibuhlungu losizi; bazabhinqika njengowesifazane ehelelwa. Bazakhangelana bemangele, ubuso babo bungamalangabi.
9 Look, the day of YHWH comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it.
Khangelani usuku lukaThixo luyeza, usuku lwesihluku, ulaka lokuthukuthela okukhulu, ukwenza ilizwe lichitheke, kubhujiswe izoni eziphakathi kwalo.
10 For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
Izinkanyezi zezulu lemithala yazo akuyikukhanyisa. Ilanga eliphumayo lizafiphazwa lenyanga ayiyikukhanyisa.
11 I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the haughtiness of the terrible.
Umhlaba ngizawujezisa ngenxa yobubi bawo, lababi ngenxa yezono zabo. Ngizaqeda ukukloloda kwabazikhukhumezayo, ngehlise ukuzigqaja kwabalesihluku.
12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir.
Ngizakwenza abantu basweleke okudlula igolide elicengekileyo, basweleke okudlula igolide lase-Ofiri.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in the wrath of YHWH of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
Ngakho-ke ngizakwenza amazulu anyikinyeke; lomhlaba uzamazame endaweni yawo ngokuthukuthela kukaThixo uSomandla, ngosuku lolaka lwakhe oluvuthayo.
14 It will happen that like a hunted gazelle, and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land.
Njengempala ezingelwayo, lanjengezimvu ezingelamelusi, omunye lomunye uzabuyela ebantwini bakibo, omunye lomunye uzabalekela elizweni lakibo.
15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
Lowo ozathunjwa uzagwazwa; bonke abazabanjwa bazabulawa ngenkemba.
16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.
Izingane zabo zizamahlazelwa phambi kwamehlo abo; izindlu zabo zizakhuthuzwa, omkabo babanjwe ngodlakela.
17 Look, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
Khangelani, ngizabavusela amaMede angelandaba lesiliva, njalo engalijabuleli legolide.
18 Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.
Imitshoko yawo izabulala izinsizwa; kawayikuba lozwelo ezinganeni loba abe lesihawu ebantwaneni.
19 Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
IBhabhiloni, igugu lemibuso, ubukhazikhazi bokuziqhenya kwamaKhaladiya, lizachithwa nguNkulunkulu njengeSodoma leGomora.
20 It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.
Akuyikuhlalwa kulo futhi loba kwakhiwe kulo kuzozonke izizukulwane; akulama-Arabhu azamisa amathente awo khona, loba umelusi ozaphumuza imihlambi yakhe khona.
21 But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.
Kodwa izinyamazana zeganga zizahlala khona, amakhanka azahlala ezindlini zakhona lezikhova zizahlala khona, lamagogo aqolotshe khona.
22 Wolves will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.
Impisi zizakhala ezinqabeni zakhona, amakhanka ezindlini ezinhle zobukhosi. Isikhathi salo sesizafika njalo insuku zalo kaziyikwandiswa.