Amos 3
1 “You people of Israel, I brought all your ancestors out of Egypt; so listen to what I am saying about you.
Zwanini ilizwi elikhulunywe nguThixo ngani lina bantu bako-Israyeli Lomndeni wonke engawukhupha eGibhithe:
2 From all the people-groups on the earth, I [chose and] took care of only you. That is the reason that I will punish you for the sins that you have committed.”
“Yini kuphela engalikhethayo kuyo yonke imideni yasemhlabeni; ngakho ngizalijezisela zonke izono zenu.”
3 Two [people] certainly cannot [RHQ] walk together if they have not [already] agreed [about what place they will start walking from].
Ababili bayahamba bendawonye ngaphandle kokuba bevumelene ukwenzanjalo na?
4 A lion certainly does not [RHQ] roar in the bushes/forest if it has not killed another animal. It does not [RHQ] growl in its den if it is not eating [the flesh of an animal that it has caught].
Isilwane siyabhonga ehlathini kungelalutho esingalubamba na? Siyabhonga esikhundleni saso singabambanga lutho na?
5 No one can [RHQ] catch a bird if [he does] not [set] a trap for it. A trap does not spring shut unless some [animal] has not sprung the trap.
Inyoni iyabanjwa emhlabathini okungelamjibila othiywe khona na? Umjibila uyathanca usuke emhlabathini kungelalutho olubambayo na?
6 [Similarly, all] the people in a city certainly [RHQ] become afraid when [they hear someone] blowing a trumpet [to signal that enemies are attacking]. And when a city experiences disaster, Yahweh is the one who has caused it [RHQ].
Lapho icilongo likhala edolobheni abantu kabethuki na? Lapho incithakalo isehlela idolobho kayenziwanga nguThixo na?
7 And whatever Yahweh plans to do, he tells his prophets about it.
Impela uThixo Wobukhosi kenzi lutho engavezanga icebo lakhe ezincekwini zakhe abaphrofethi.
8 Everyone certainly becomes terrified [RHQ] when they hear a lion roar, and if Yahweh the Lord has given messages [to prophets like me], we certainly must [RHQ] proclaim those messages, [even if they cause people to become terrified].
Isilwane sibhongile, ngubani ongayikwesaba na? UThixo Wobukhosi usekhulumile ngubani ongayekela ukuphrofitha na?
9 [I said this to the leaders of Samaria] (OR, [Yahweh said this to me]): Send this message to the leaders [MET] in Ashdod [city] and to Egypt: “Come to the hills of Samaria and see [the way that their (leaders/wealthy people)] are causing people in that city to be terrified, and [the way that they] are causing the people to suffer!”
Memezelani ezinqabeni zase-Ashidodi lasezinqabeni zaseGibhithe lithi: “Buthanani phezu kwezintaba zaseSamariya; libone isiyaluyalu esikhulu phakathi kwayo lokuncindezela phakathi kwabantu bayo.”
10 Yahweh says that the people there do not know how to do things that are right. Their homes are filled with [valuable things] that they have stolen or [taken] violently [from others].
“Kabakwazi ukwenza okulungileyo,” kutsho uThixo, “bona ababuthelela impango baphange lasezinqabeni zabo.”
11 So Yahweh [our] God says that [soon] their enemies will come and tear down their (defenses/high city walls) and take away those valuable things.
Ngakho uThixo Wobukhosi uthi: “Isitha sizachitha ilizwe; sizadiliza izinqaba zenu, siphange izinqaba zenu.”
12 Yahweh has declared this: “When a lion attacks a sheep, [sometimes] a shepherd will be able to snatch from the lion’s mouth only two legs or an ear of the sheep. Similarly, [only] a few people from Samaria will escape, and [they will be able to rescue only] a part of a couch and a part of a bed.”
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Njengomelusi ehlenga emlonyeni wesilwane amathambo amabili kuphela omlenze loba isiqa sendlebe, bazahlengwa kanjalo abako-Israyeli abahlala eSamariya bethithibele ekucineni kwemibheda yabo, kanye laseDamaseko phezu kwemibheda yabo yokuphumulela.”
13 The Commander of the armies of angels said this: “Proclaim [this message] about the descendants [MTY] of Jacob:
“Zwanini lokhu lifakaze ngendlu kaJakhobe,” kutsho iNkosi, uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla.
14 When I, Yahweh, punish [the people of] Israel because of the sins that they have committed, I will cause the altars at Bethel [town] to be destroyed; even the projections at the corners of the altars will be cut off and fall to the ground.
“Ngosuku engizajezisela u-Israyeli izono zakhe ngizabhidliza ama-alithare aseBhetheli; impondo ze-alithare zizaqunywa ziwele emhlabathini.
15 I will cause the houses [that they live in during] the (winter/rainy season) and those [in which they live during] the (summer/dry season) to be torn down. [Beautiful] big houses and houses [that are decorated] with ivory will be destroyed. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
Ngizadiliza indlu yebusika kanye lendlu yehlobo, izindlu eziceciswe ngempondo zendlovu zizadilizwa lezindlu ezinkulu zizabhidlizwa,” kutsho uThixo.
