Isaiah 22
1 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
Isiphrofethi ngesiGodi soMbono: Kuyini okukukhathazayo khathesi, wena sewakhwela phezu kwezimpahla zezindlu,
2 O thou that art full of shoutings, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.
wena dolobho eligcwele iziphithiphithi, wena dolobho lokuxokozela lokuthokoza? Abafayo bakho ababulawanga ngenkemba, njalo kabafelanga empini.
3 All thy rulers fled away together, they were bound by the archers: all that were found of thee were bound together, they fled afar off.
Bonke abakhokheli bakho babaleke bebonke, bathunjiwe bengazange basebenzise mtshoko. Lonke lina elabanjwayo lathathwa ukuba libe yizibotshwa ndawonye, libalekile isitha sisesekhatshana.
4 Therefore said I, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; labour not to comfort me, for the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
Ngakho ngathi, “Sukani kimi; lingiyekele ngikhale kabuhlungu. Lingazami ukungiduduza ngenxa yokuchithwa kwabantu bakithi.”
5 For it is a day of discomfiture, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, the LORD of hosts, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.
INkosi, uThixo uSomandla, ulosuku lokuxokozela lokugxoba lokwesaba eSigodini soMbono, usuku lokudiliza imiduli lokumemezela ezintabeni.
6 And Elam bare the quiver, with chariots of men [and] horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.
I-Elamu ithatha isikhwama semitshoko, labatshayeli balo bezinqola zempi, lamabhiza; iKhiri lambula ihawu.
7 And it came to pass, that thy choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.
Izigodi zakho ezinhle kakhulu zigcwele izinqola zempi, abagadi bamabhiza bamiswe emasangweni edolobho.
8 And he took away the covering of Judah; and thou didst look in that day to the armour in the house of the forest.
Ukuvikeleka kukaJuda kususiwe, Ngalolosuku wathemba izikhali eziseSigodlweni seHlathi,
9 And ye saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
wabona ukuthi iDolobho likaDavida lalilezikhala ezinengi ezivikelweni zalo; wagcina amanzi eSizibeni esingaPhansi.
10 and ye numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and ye brake down the houses to fortify the wall.
Wabala izindlu zaseJerusalema, wazidiliza ukuze kuqiniswe umduli.
11 ye made also a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye looked not unto him that had done this, neither had ye respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.
Phakathi kwemiduli yomibili wakha indawo yokugcinela amanzi eSiziba esiDala. Kodwa kawukhangelanga kuLowo owasenzayo, kumbe umnake Lowo owaceba ukusenza kudala.
12 And in that day did the Lord, the LORD of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
Ngalolosuku iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, wakubiza ukuba ukhale ulile, usiphune inwele zakho, ugqoke isaka.
13 and behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die.
Kodwa khangela, kulokuthaba lokuthokoza, ukuhlatshwa kwezinkomo lokubalwa kwezimvu, ukudliwa kwenyama lokunathwa kwewayini! Lithi, “Kasidleni sinathe, ngoba kusasa sizakufa!”
14 And the LORD of hosts revealed himself in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.
UThixo uSomandla usekuvezile lokhu ngisizwa: “Lesisono kasiyikuthethelelwa kuze kube lusuku lwakho lokufa,” kutsho iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla.
15 Thus saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, [and say],
Lokhu yikho okutshiwo yiNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uthi: “Hamba, uthi encekwini le, kuShebhina ongumphathi wesigodlo:
16 What doest thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out here a sepulchre? hewing him out a sepulchre on high, graving an habitation for himself in the rock!
Wenzani lapha, njalo ngubani okuphe imvumo ukuba uzimbele ingcwaba lapha, ugubha ingcwaba lakho endaweni ephezulu, ugubha indawo yakho yokuphumula edwaleni?”
17 Behold, the LORD will hurl thee away violently as a [strong] man; yea, he will wrap thee up closely.
Qaphela, sekuseduze ukuthi uThixo akubambe aqinise, akuphosele khatshana, wena ndoda elamandla.
18 He will surely turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country; there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, thou shame of thy lord’s house.
Uzakugoqa ngokuqinisa akubumbe njengebhola akuphosele elizweni elikhulu. Uzafela khonapho. Lezigqoko zakho zempi ezinhle zizasala khonapho, wenza ihlazo endlini yenkosi yakho!
19 And I will thrust thee from thine office, and from thy station shall he pull thee down.
Ngizakususa esikhundleni sakho, njalo uzaxotshwa emsebenzini wakho.
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
Ngalolosuku ngizabiza inceku yami, u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya.
21 and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
Ngizamgqokisa izembatho zakho, ngimbophe ngebhanti lakho, ngimnike amandla akho. Uzakuba nguyise walabo abahlala eJerusalema lakwabendlu kaJuda.
22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
Ngizabeka phezu kwamahlombe akhe isivulo sendlu kaDavida; akuvulayo kakho ongakuvala.
23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father’s house.
Ngizambethela njengesikhonkwane endaweni eqinileyo; uzakuba yisihlalo sobukhosi sasendlini kayise.
24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons.
Lonke udumo lwakwabo luzakuba kuye, inzalo yakhona lezizukulwane zonke, izitsha zakhona ezincinyane, kusukela emiganwini kusiya enkonxeni zonke.
25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that was fastened in a sure place give way; and it shall be hewn down, and fall, and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the LORD hath spoken it.
“Ngalolosuku,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla, “isikhonkwane esabethelwa endaweni eqinileyo sizakhumuka; sizaqunywa siwe, umthwalo ophezu kwaso uzawela phansi.” UThixo usekhulumile.
