Amos 5
1 You people [MTY] of Israel, listen to this funeral song that I will sing about you:
Zwanini lelilizwi engiliphakamisa phezu kwenu, isililo, ndlu kaIsrayeli.
2 “You are like [MET] a young woman, but in spite of that, you will certainly be struck down and you will never get up again! You will lie on the ground, abandoned, and there will be no one to help you stand up.”
Intombi emsulwa yakoIsrayeli iwile, kayiyikuvuka futhi; ideliwe emhlabathini wayo, kakho oyivusayo.
3 This is what Yahweh the Lord says to the people [MTY] of Israel: [“When your enemies attack you, ] and when 1,000 [of your soldiers] will go [to a battle], there will be only 100 who will survive. When 100 soldiers march out [from a city to fight], there will be only ten who will remain alive.”
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Umuzi ophuma labayinkulungwane uzasala labalikhulu, lophuma labalikhulu uzasala labalitshumi, kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli.
4 Yahweh continues to say to the people [MTY] of Israel: “You Israeli people, return to me! If you do that, you will continue to remain alive.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi endlini kaIsrayeli: Ngidingani liphile.
5 Do not go to Bethel to seek [my help]; do not go to Gilgal [to worship]; do not [even] go to Beersheba, because [your enemies] will drag away [the people of] Gilgal to other countries, and Bethel will be completely destroyed.”
Kodwa lingadingi iBhetheli, lingangeni eGiligali, lingedluleli eBherishebha, ngoba iGiligali izathunjwa lokuthunjwa, leBhetheli izakuba yize.
6 So, come to Yahweh; if you do that, you will remain alive. If you do not do that, Yahweh will descend on you descendants [MTY] of Joseph like [SIM] a fire; that fire will burn everything in Bethel, and (nothing/no one) will be able to save that town.
Dingani iNkosi liphile, hlezi ifohlele indlu kaJosefa njengomlilo oqothulayo, kungabi khona owucitshayo eBhetheli.
7 You people distort what is fair/right and cause [people to think that] it is something that is very bitter; you treat good things as though they are evil.
Lina eliphendula isahlulelo sibe ngumhlonyane, lilalise ukulunga emhlabathini.
8 [Do you know who] created all the groups of stars and put them in their places? [Each morning] he causes the darkness to become the dawn, and [each evening] he causes the daylight to become darkness. He scoops up water from the oceans [to become clouds], and then he dumps the water [from the clouds] onto the earth. The one who does those things is named Yahweh.
Owenza isiLimela leziNja, lophendula umthunzi wokufa ube yikusa, lowenza imini ibe mnyama njengobusuku, obiza amanzi olwandle, awathulule ebusweni bomhlabathi; iNkosi libizo lakhe.
9 He causes strong [soldiers] to be killed, and causes the (high walls around/fortresses of) cities to be torn down.
Okhazimulisa incithakalo phezu kolamandla, ukuze incithakalo ize phezu kwenqaba.
10 [He is the one who will punish you] because you hate those who challenge anyone who tries to make unjust decisions, and you hate those who tell the truth in your courts.
Bayamzonda okhuzayo esangweni, banengwe ngokhuluma ngokuqonda.
11 You oppress poor people and force them to pay big taxes. You have built big stone mansions [for yourselves], but you will not be able to live in them. You have planted vineyards, but there will not be any [grapes for you to harvest to make] wine.
Ngenxa yokuthi linyathelela phansi umyanga, limthathele umthwalo wamabele, lakhe izindlu zamatshe abaziweyo, kodwa kaliyikuhlala kuzo; lihlanyele izivini zentokozo, kodwa kaliyikunatha iwayini lazo.
12 I know all of your sins and the terrible crimes that you have committed. You oppress righteous/honest people, and you accept bribes. You do not allow judges to treat poor people justly.
Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi iziphambeko zenu zinengi, lokuthi izono zenu zilamandla; lina elihlupha olungileyo, elemukela isivalamlomo, eliphambula abayanga esangweni.
13 This is a time when [many people do] evil things, so people who have good sense say nothing [when they hear about such things being done].
Ngakho ohlakaniphileyo uzathula ngalesosikhathi, ngoba kuyisikhathi esibi.
14 In order to remain alive, you must stop doing what is wrong, and start doing what is right. If you do that, the Commander of the armies of angels will be with you like you claim [that he always is].
Dingani okuhle, hatshi-ke okubi, ukuze liphile, ukuze ngokunjalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla ibe lani, njengokutsho kwenu.
15 Love what is good, and hate what is evil! Try to cause [judges] in your courts to make decisions that are right/fair! If you do those things, perhaps the Commander of the armies of angels will act mercifully toward [you descendants of] Joseph who are still alive.
Zondani ububi, lithande okuhle, limise isahlulelo esangweni; mhlawumbe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla ingaba lesisa kunsali yakoJosefa.
16 “Because I, Yahweh, [will punish you for your sins], this is what I have solemnly declared: People will be wailing loudly in every street, and people will be very sorrowful in every plaza. Farmers will be summoned to [come and] weep, along with the other official mourners who will wail [for those who have died].
Ngakho utsho njalo uJehova, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, iNkosi: Kuzakuba khona isililo emidangeni yonke, lakuzo zonke izitalada bazakuthi: Maye! Maye! Njalo bazabizela umlimi ekulileni, lesililo sizakuba labazi ukulila.
17 People will be wailing in your vineyards, because I will punish you [IDM] severely. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it!”
Lakuzo zonke izivini kuzakuba lokulila, ngoba ngizadabula phakathi kwenu, itsho iNkosi.
18 Terrible things will happen to you who desire that it will soon be the day when Yahweh [will punish your enemies], because that will be a day of darkness, not of light.
Maye kulabo abaloyisa usuku lweNkosi! Luzakuba ngolwani kini usuku lweNkosi? Luzakuba ngumnyama, hatshi ukukhanya.
19 [At that time, ] when you try to run from a lion, you will face a bear. When you run into your house [to be safe], and you put your hand on a wall, it will be bitten by a snake.
Kunjengomuntu obaleke phambi kwesilwane, ahlangane lebhere; loba angene endlini abambelele ngesandla sakhe emdulini, lenyoka imlume.
20 That day, [when he punishes people], will certainly be [RHQ] a very dark day [MET], without even a little bit of light.
Usuku lweNkosi kaluyikuba ngumnyama yini, hatshi-ke ukukhanya, lomnyama omkhulu ongelakukhanya kuwo?
21 [Yahweh says], “I hate your religious celebrations and the times when you gather to worship me; I detest them [DOU].
Ngiyayizonda, ngiyayidelela imikhosi yenu, kangiyikunuka emihlanganweni yenu enzulu.
22 Even if you bring me offerings that will be completely burned [on the altar] and offerings of grain, I will no longer accept them. Even if you bring me offerings to renew/maintain fellowship with me, I will not pay any attention to them.
Ngoba lanxa linikela kimi iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yenu yokudla, kangithokozi, leminikelo yokuthula yezifuyo zenu ezinonileyo kangiyinanzi.
23 So, stop singing noisy/loud songs! I will not listen when you play harps.
Susani kimi umsindo wezingoma zenu, ngoba kangiyikuzwa ukukhala kwamachacho enu.
24 Instead, your continually acting justly/fairly and righteously should be [never stop, ] like [SIM] [the water in] a river that never stops flowing.
Kodwa isahlulelo kasikhukhule njengamanzi, lokulunga njengesifula esigeleza njalo.
25 You Israeli people [MTY], your [ancestors] wandered through the desert for 40 years; and during that time, they never brought any sacrifices and offerings to me!
Lanikela yini kimi imihlatshelo leminikelo yokudla enkangala okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli?
26 But they carried the two idols that they had made— the idols of Succoth, the god [that they considered to be] their king, and Kaiwan, [the image of the] star [that they worshiped].
Kodwa lathwala uSikuthi inkosi yenu, loKhiwuni izithombe zenu, inkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu, elizenzele zona.
27 Therefore, now I will force you to go to [a country that is] far beyond Damascus! [That will surely happen because] I, the Commander of the armies of angels, have said it!”
Ngakho ngizalithumbela ngaphetsheya kweDamaseko, itsho iNkosi, obizo layo nguNkulunkulu wamabandla.
