Isaiah 1
1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw, concerning Judah and Jerusalem, —in the days of Uzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah—kings of Judah.
Umbono omayelana ngoJuda leJerusalema owabonwa ngu-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi ensukwini zokubusa kuka-Uziya, loJothamu, lo-Ahazi loHezekhiya amakhosi akoJuda.
2 Hear O heavens, And give ear, O earth, for Yahweh, hath spoken: —Sons, have I brought up, and advanced, And, they, have rebelled against me.
Zwanini, mazulu! Lalelani, mhlaba! Ngoba uThixo usekhulumile: “Ngondla abantwana ngabakhulisa, kodwa sebengihlamukele.
3 An ox knoweth, his owner, And an ass his masters crib, —Israel, doth not know, My people doth not consider.
Inkabi iyamazi umniniyo, lobabhemi uyasazi isibaya somnikazi wakhe, kodwa u-Israyeli kazi, abantu bami kabaqedisisi.”
4 Alas! a nation—committing sin, a people—burdened with iniquity, a seed—practising wickedness, sons—acting corruptly. They have forsaken Yahweh despised the Holy One of Israel, —Are estranged and gone back.
Maye kuso isizwe esonayo, abantu abathwele amacala, inzalo yabenza okubi, abantwana abaxhwalileyo! Sebemlahlile uThixo; bamdelele oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, bamfulathela.
5 Why should ye be smitten any more? Ye would again turn aside! The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faint:
Kungani kumele litshaywe futhi? Kungani liqhubeka ngokuhlamuka? Ikhanda lakho lonke lilimele, yonke inhliziyo yakho ihlukuluziwe.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is in it no soundness, Bruise and stripe and newly-made wound, —They have not been pressed out, nor bound up, nor soothed with oil.
Kusukela ngaphansi kwentende yonyawo lwakho kusiya esicholo sekhanda lakho akukho kuphelela, kodwa izilonda lemvivinya kuphela, kanye lamanxeba; akugeziswanga, akubotshwanga kumbe kwathanjiswa ngamafutha.
7 Your country—is a desolation, Your cities—are consumed with fire, —Your soil—right before your eyes, foreigners are devouring it, And it is a desolation a very overthrow by foreigners;
Ilizwe lenu lichithekile, amadolobho enu atshiswa ngomlilo, umhlaba wenu uphundlwa ngabezizweni, phambi kwenu uqobo, uchitheka njengalapho udilizwa ngabezizweni.
8 And left is the Daughter of Zion, Like a hut in a vineyard, —Like a lodge in a gourd-plot Like a city besieged.
Indodakazi yaseZiyoni isele njengedumba esivinini, njengendlwana ensimini yamajodo, njengedolobho elihonqolozelweyo.
9 If, Yahweh of hosts, had not left us a very small remnant, Like Sodom, had we become, Gomorrah, had we resembled.
Aluba uThixo uSomandla kasitshiyelanga abalutshwana abasindayo, sasizakuba njengeSodoma; sasizafana leGomora.
10 Hear the word of Yahweh, ye rulers of Sodom, —Give ear to the instruction of our God, ye people of Gomorrah: —
Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lina babusi baseSodoma, lalelani umthetho kaNkulunkulu wethu, lina bantu baseGomora!
11 Of what use to me, is your multitude of sacrifices: Saith Yahweh: I am sated with ascending-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, —In the blood of bulls and young rams and he-goats, have I no pleasure.
“Ubunengi bemihlatshelo yenu buyini kimi?” kutsho uThixo. “Ngileminikelo yokutshiswa edlula efunekayo, eyenqama lamahwahwa ezifuyo ezinonisiweyo; igazi lenkunzi, lelamawundlu lelembuzi kalingithokozisi.
12 When ye enter to see my face, Who hath required this at your hand trampling my courts?
Lapho lisiza phambi kwami, ngubani othe linyathele amaguma ami na?
13 Ye shall not again bring in an empty, present, Incense, an abomination, is that unto me! New moon, and sabbath calling an assembly—I cannot endure, iniquity and sacred festival!
Yekelani ukuletha iminikelo eyize! Impepha yenu iyisinengiso kimi. Angingeke ngibekezelele imbuthano yenu yobubi, eyokuThwasa kweNyanga, amaSabatha lemihlangano.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul, hateth, —They have become unto me a burden I am too weary to bear:
Umphefumulo wami uyawazonda amadili enu okuthwasa kwezinyanga lemikhosi yenu emisiweyo. Sekube ngumthwalo kimi; sengikhathele ngokukuthwala.
15 Even when ye spread forth your open palms, I hide mine eyes from you; Yea, though ye multiply prayers, I am not hearkening, —Your hands, with deeds of blood, are filled.
Lapho lichaya izandla zenu likhuleka, ngizalifihlela amehlo ami; loba selikhuleka imikhuleko eminengi, angiyikulalela. Izandla zenu zigcwele igazi!
16 Wash you make you clean, Put away the wickedness of your doings from before mine eyes, —Cease to do evil.
Gezani libe ngabahlambulukileyo. Susani izenzo zenu ezimbi phambi kobuso bami; yekelani ukwenza okubi.
17 Learn to do well—Seek justice, Correct the oppressor, —Vindicate the fatherless, Plead the cause of the widow,
Fundani ukwenza okulungileyo; funani ukwahlulela okuhle. Khuthazani abancindezelweyo. Vikelani izintandane; lamulelani umfelokazi.
18 Come, I pray you, and let us settle the dispute Saith Yahweh, —Though your sins be found like scarlet, As snow, shall they be made white, Though they appear red like crimson, As wool, shall they become.
Wozani, siqondisane sindawonye,” kutsho uThixo. “Lanxa izono zenu zibomvu gebhu, zizakuba mhlophe njengonqwaqwane, loba zibomvu njengegazi, zizakuba njengoboya bezimvu.
19 If ye be willing—and hearken Of the good of the land, shall ye eat;
Nxa livuma njalo lilalela, lizakudla okuhle kwelizwe;
20 But, if ye refuse and rebel, With the sword, shall ye be devoured, For, the mouth of Yahweh, hath spoken it.
kodwa nxa linqaba, lihlamuka, lizadliwa yinkemba.” Ngoba umlomo kaThixo usukhulumile.
21 How hath she become unchaste!—The city that was Faithful, —Full of justice, Righteousness lodged in her, But, now, murderers!
Khangelani ukuthi idolobho elithembekileyo seliphenduke laba yisifebe kanjani! Lake lagcwala ngokufaneleyo; ukulunga kwakuhlala kulo, kodwa khathesi sekuhlala ababulali!
22 Thy silver, hath become dross, —Thy wine, weakened with water;
Isiliva senu sesingamanyele, iwayini lenu elihle selihlanganiswe lamanzi.
23 Thy rulers, are unruly, and companions of thieves, Every one of the people, loveth a bribe, and runneth after rewards, —The fatherless, they do not vindicate, And, the plea of the widow, reacheth them not.
Ababusi benu bangabahlamuki, abangane bamasela; bonke bathanda izivalamlomo, bafune izipho. Izintandane kabazivikeli; indaba yomfelokazi kayifiki kibo.
24 Therefore, Declareth the Lord Yahweh of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, —Alas! I must appease me on mine adversaries, I must avenge me on mine enemies
Ngakho-ke iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uMninimandla ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Yebo! Ngizabhodlisela ezitheni zami, ngibuye ngiphindisele kwabayizitha zami.
25 That I may turn my hand against thee, And smelt away, as with potash, thy dross, And remove all thine alloy;
Ngizaphakamisela isandla sami kini; ngizawahlambulula ngokupheleleyo amanyele enu, ngisuse lakho konke ukungcola kwenu.
26 That I may restore thy Judges as at the first, and thy Counsellors as at the beginning, —After that, shalt thou be called Righteous citadel, Trusty city, —
Ngizabuyisa abehluleli benu njengezinsukwini zakudala, labeluleki benu njengasekuqaleni. Muva uzabizwa ngokuthi iDolobho Lokulunga, iDolobho Elithembekileyo.”
27 Zion, with justice shall be redeemed, —And her returning ones, with righteousness;
IZiyoni izahlengwa ngemfanelo, abaphendukayo bayo bahlengwe ngokulunga.
28 And the downfall of transgressors and sinners, shall be, together, —And, they who forsake Yahweh, shall be brought to an end;
Kodwa abahlamuki lezoni bazachithwa, lalabo abalahla uThixo bazabhubha.
29 For they shall turn pale on account of the oaks which ye desired, —And ye shall blush on account of the gardens which ye had chosen;
“Lizayangeka ngenxa yezihlahla zomʼokhi ezingcwele elazithokozisa ngazo. Lizadana ngamasimu elawakhethayo.
30 For ye shall be as an oak with its leaf faded, And as a garden that hath no, water;
Lizafana lomʼokhi olamahlamvu asebuna, lanjengensimu engelamanzi.
31 Then shall the strong one become tow, And his work a spark, —And they shall both blaze together And there be none to quench the fire.
Indoda elamandla izafana lencwathi, umsebenzi wayo ufane lenhlansi; kokubili kuzakutsha kanyekanye, kungekho ozacitsha umlilo.”
