Amos 7
1 Yahweh our God showed me [in a vision] that he was going to send locusts [to destroy our crops]. It was going to happen right after the king’s share of the hay had been harvested/cut and before the rest of the hay was ready to be harvested.
Nanku engakutshengiswa nguThixo Wobukhosi: Wayelungisa imitshitshi yezintethe emva kokuvunwa kwesabelo senkosi khonapho amabele esibili esakhula.
2 [And in the vision I saw] those locusts come, and they ate everything that was green. Then I cried out, “Yahweh our Lord, please forgive us! We Israeli people are very helpless; (how will we be able to survive [RHQ]?/we will not be able to survive!)”
Kwathi lapho ilizwe seziliphundlile, ngamemeza ngathi, “Thixo Wobukhosi, thethelela! UJakhobe angaphepha kanjani? Mncinyane kakhulu!”
3 So Yahweh changed his mind and said, “That will not happen.”
Ngakho uthixo waxola. “Akusoze kwenzakale” watsho uthixo.
4 Then this is what Yahweh our Lord showed me [in another vision]: He was calling to a fire to [come and] punish [his people]. [In the vision I saw that] the fire dried up the ocean and also burned [everything on] the land.
Nanku engakutshengiswa nguThixo Wobukhosi: uThixo Wobukhosi wayememezela ukwehlulela ngomlilo; womisa ulwandle waqothula lelizwe.
5 Then I cried out again, “Yahweh our Lord, I plead with you, please stop this! We Israeli people are very helpless; how will we be able to survive [RHQ]?”
Ngakho ngamemeza ngathi “Thixo Wobukhosi, ngiyakuncenga, ake ume! UJakhobe angaphepha kanjani na? Mncinyane kakhulu!”
6 So Yahweh changed his mind again, and said, “That also will not happen.”
Ngakho uThixo waxola. “Lokhu lakho akuyikwenzakala,” kwatsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
7 Then Yahweh showed me [another vision]. I saw him standing beside a wall. [It was very straight because] it had been built using a (plumb line/cord with a weight on one end to determine if walls are vertically straight). Yahweh had the plumb line in his hand.
Nanku angitshengisa khona: uThixo wayemi phansi komduli owawakhiwe waqonda nta ephethe intambo yokuqondisa ngesandla sakhe
8 Yahweh asked me, “Amos, what do you see?” I replied, “A plumb line.” Then Yahweh said, “Look, I am going to use a plumb line among my Israeli people, [to show that they are like a wall that is not straight]. I will not change my mind again about punishing them.
UThixo wasengibuza esithi, “Kuyini okubonayo, Amosi?” Ngaphendula ngathi, “Yintambo yokuqondisa.” UThixo wasesithi, “Khangela, ngibeka intambo yokuqondisa phakathi kwabantu bami bako-Israyeli; kangisayikubaxolela futhi.
9 The places on hills where [the descendants of] [MTY] Isaac worship [idols] will be destroyed. And the other important shrines in Israel will also be destroyed. And I will enable [your enemies] to attack your people with swords and they will get rid of [King] Jeroboam and all his descendants.”
Izindawo eziphakemeyo zika-Isaka zizadilizwa lezindawo ezingcwele zako-Israyeli zizachithwa; indlu kaJerobhowamu ngizayihlasela ngenkemba yami.”
10 Then Amaziah, the priest at Bethel, sent [a message] to Jeroboam, the King of Israel. In the message he said, “Amos is plotting against you among the Israeli people [MTY]. [I am worried that] the people of this country will not be able to refute his words.
U-Amaziya umphristi waseBhetheli wathumela ilizwi kuJerobhowamu inkosi yako-Israyeli, wathi, “U-Amosi uceba okubi ngawe khona kanye phakathi kwako-Israyeli. Ilizwe lingeke limelane lawo wonke amazwi akhe.
11 This is what he is saying: ‘Jeroboam will soon be killed by [someone using] a sword, and the people of Israel will be (exiled/forced to leave their land and go to another country).’”
Ngoba u-Amosi uthi: ‘UJerobhowamu uzakufa ngenkemba, njalo impela u-Israyeli uzathunjwa, asiwe khatshana kwelizwe lakibo.’”
12 Then Amaziah [came to me and] said, “You prophet, get out of here! Go back to the country of Judah! Earn money to [buy food to be able] to live there, and do your prophesying there!
U-Amaziya wasesithi ku-Amosi, “Phuma, wena mboni! Buyela elizweni lakoJuda, usebenzele ukudla kwakho khonale wenze lokuphrofetha kwakho khonale.
13 Do not prophesy any more here at Bethel, because this is where the national temple, the king’s temple, is!”
Ungaphrofithi futhi eBhetheli, ngoba le yindawo yenkosi kanye lethempeli lombuso.”
14 I replied to Amaziah, “I was [previously] not a prophet, and my father was not a prophet; I was a shepherd. I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.
U-Amosi waphendula u-Amaziya wathi, “Mina ngangingasuye mphrofethi kumbe indodana yomphrofethi, kodwa ngangingumelusi, njalo ngigcina izihlahla zomkhiwa wesikhamore.
15 But Yahweh took me away from taking care of my sheep, and he said to me, ‘Go to Israel and prophesy to my people there!’
Kodwa uThixo wangithatha ekweluseni imihlambi yezimvu wathi kimi, ‘Hamba uyephrofetha ebantwini bami bako-Israyeli.’
16 You said to me, ‘Do not prophecy saying terrible things will happen to [the people of] Israel; stop saying those things!’
Ngakho-ke khathesi zwana ilizwi likaThixo. Wena uthi: ‘Ungaphrofethi kubi ngo-Israyeli, njalo yekela ukutshumayela kubi ngendlela ka-Isaka.’
17 Therefore listen to what Yahweh says about you: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in this city, and your sons and daughters will be killed by [your enemies’] swords. Others will measure your land and divide it up [among themselves]; and you yourself will die in a foreign country. And the people of Israel will certainly be forced to leave their country and go (into exile/to live in another country).’”
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Umkakho uzakuba yisifebe edolobheni, amadoda lamadodakazi akho azakufa ngenkemba. Ilizwe lakho lizalinganiswa labiwe, njalo wena ngokwakho uzafela elizweni lamaqaba. Njalo impela u-Israyeli uzathunjwa asiwe khatshana kwelizwe lakhe.’”
