Isaiah 13
1 [I], Isaiah, the son of Amoz, received [from Yahweh] this message about Babylon [city]:
Umthwalo weBhabhiloni awubonayo uIsaya indodana kaAmozi.
2 Lift up a flag on the bare [top of a] hill, to signal [that an army should come to attack Babylon]. Shout to them and wave your hand [to signal to them] that they should march through the city gates into the palaces of the proud [rulers of Babylon]!
Phakamisani uphawu entabeni eligceke, libaphakamisele ilizwi, liqhwebe ngesandla, ukuze bangene eminyango yeziphathamandla.
3 [Yahweh says], “I have commanded those soldiers to do that; I have summoned the warriors whom I have chosen to punish [the people of Babylon] because of my being very angry with them, and those soldiers will be very proud [when they do that].”
Mina ngibalayile abangcwelisiweyo bami, ngibizile lamaqhawe ami kuntukuthelo yami, abathokozayo ngobukhosi bami.
4 Listen to the noise on the mountains, which is the noise of a huge army marching! It is the noise made by people of many people-groups shouting. The Commander of the armies of angels has summoned this army to gather together.
Ukuxokozela kwexuku ezintabeni, kungathi ngokwabantu abanengi, umsindo wokuxokozela kwemibuso, kwezizwe ezibutheneyo; iNkosi yamabandla ibutha ibutho lempi.
5 They come from countries that are far away, from the most remote places [IDM] on the earth. They are [like] [SIM] weapons that Yahweh will use [to punish the people with whom] he is very angry, and to destroy the entire country [of Babylonia].
Bavela elizweni elikhatshana, emkhawulweni wamazulu, iNkosi kanye lezikhali zentukuthelo yayo, ukuchitha ilizwe lonke.
6 [You people of Babylon] will scream because you will be terrified, because it will be the time that Yahweh [has determined/chosen], the time for the all-powerful [God] to destroy [your city].
Qhinqani isililo, ngoba usuku lweNkosi lusondele; njengokuchitheka okuvela kuSomandla luzafika.
7 All of your people will be very afraid [DOU], with the result that they will be unable even to lift their arms.
Ngenxa yalokhu izandla zonke zizaxega, lenhliziyo yonke yomuntu incibilike;
8 All of you will be terrified. You will have [PRS] severe pains like [SIM] a woman has when she is giving birth to a baby. You will look at each other helplessly, and it will show on your faces that you feel horror.
babesebetshaywa luvalo; imihelo lobuhlungu kubabambe; bafuthelwe njengowesifazana obelethayo; bamangale ngulowo ngomakhelwane wakhe; ubuso babo buyibuso bamalangabi.
9 Listen to this: The day that Yahweh has appointed/chosen is near, the day that he will furiously and fiercely [punish you] because he is very angry [with you]. He will cause your land [of Babylonia] to be desolate/barren, and he will destroy [all] the sinners in it.
Khangelani, usuku lweNkosi luyeza, lulesihluku lokufutheka lolaka oluvuthayo, ukubeka umhlaba ube yincithakalo; ibhubhise izoni zawo zisuke kuwo.
10 [When that happens], none of the stars will shine. When the sun rises, it will be dark, and there will be no light from the moon [at night].
Ngoba inkanyezi zamazulu lemithala yazo kaziyikukhanyisa ukukhanya kwazo; ilanga lizakuba mnyama ekuphumeni kwalo, lenyanga kayiyikukhanyisa ukukhanya kwayo.
11 [Yahweh says], “I will punish [everyone in] the world for the evil things that they do; I will punish the wicked people for the sins that they have committed. I will stop arrogant/proud people from being proud, and I will stop ruthless people from acting cruelly.
Ngoba ngizaphindisela ububi phezu komhlaba, laphezu kwabakhohlakeleyo izono zabo; ngiqede ukuzigqaja kwabazikhukhumezayo; ngithobise ukuzikhukhumeza kwabalesihluku.
12 [And because I will cause most people to die], people will be harder to find than gold, harder to find than fine gold from Ophir [in Arabia].
Ngizakwenza ukuthi indoda ibe ligugu elikhulu kulegolide elicwengekileyo, lomuntu kulegolide leOfiri.
13 I will shake the sky, and the earth will [also] move out of its place. That will happen when [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, punish [wicked people], when [I show them that] I am extremely angry [with them].
Ngenxa yalokhu ngizazamazamisa amazulu, lomhlaba uzanyikinyeka usuke endaweni yawo, entukuthelweni yeNkosi yamabandla, losukwini lokuvutha kolaka lwayo.
14 And all [the foreigners in Babylon will run around] like [SIM] deer that are being hunted, like sheep that do not have a shepherd. They will try to find other people from their countries, and [then] they will escape [from Babylon] and return to their own countries.
Njalo kuzakuba njengomziki oxotshwayo, lanjengezimvu okungelamuntu oziqoqayo; bazaphenduka ngulowo lalowo ebantwini bakibo, babalekele ngulowo lalowo elizweni lakhe.
15 Anyone who is captured [in Babylon] will be killed by [their enemies’] swords [DOU].
Wonke ozatholakala uzagwazwa, laye wonke ozabanjwa uzakuwa ngenkemba.
16 Their little children will be dashed to pieces on the rocks while [their parents] watch; [their enemies] will steal everything valuable from their houses and will rape their wives.
Labantwana babo bazachotshozwa phambi kwamehlo abo, izindlu zabo ziphangwe, labomkabo badlwengulwe.
17 Look! I am going to incite the people of Media to attack Babylon. The [army of Media] will attack Babylon, even if they are offered [DOU] silver or gold [if they promise to not attack it].
Khangela, ngizabavusela amaMede, angakhathaleli isiliva, legolide, angathokozi ngalo.
18 [With] their arrows, the [soldiers of Media] will shoot the young men [of Babylon]; they will not [even] act mercifully [DOU] toward infants or children!”
Lamadandili awo azachoboza amajaha; njalo kawayikuba lesihawu ngesithelo sesizalo; ilihlo lawo kaliyikuhawukela abantwana.
19 Babylon has been a very beautiful [MTY] city; [all] the people of Babylonia have been very proud of Babylon, [their capital city]; [but] God will destroy Babylon, like [SIM] he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
LeBhabhiloni, udumo lwemibuso, ubuhle bokuziqhenya kwamaKhaladiya, izakuba njengokugenqulwa nguNkulunkulu kweSodoma leGomora.
20 No one will ever live in Babylon again. It will be deserted forever. (Nomads/People who travel from place to place to live) will refuse to set up their tents there; shepherds will not bring their flocks of sheep to rest there.
Kakuyikuba lendawo yokuhlala kuze kube nininini, njalo kayiyikuhlalwa kusizukulwana lesizukulwana; lomArabhiya kayikumisa ithente khona, labelusi kabayikulalisa umhlambi khona.
21 Instead, animals that live in the desert will be there; jackals/wolves will live in [the ruins of] the houses. Owls (OR, Ostriches) will live in [the ruins], and wild goats will romp/jump around [there].
Kodwa izilo zeganga zizalala khona, lezindlu zayo zizagcwala izilo ezikhonyayo; lamadodakazi ezintshe azahlala khona, lamagogo aqolotshe khona.
22 Hyenas will howl in the [ruined] towers, and jackals/wolves will make their dens in [the ruins of] the palaces that [were previously] very beautiful. The time when [Babylon will be destroyed] is very near; Babylon will not exist much longer.
Lezimpisi zizaphendulana emanxiweni ayo, lemigobho ezigodlweni ezilentokozo. Lesikhathi sayo siseduze ukufika, lezinsuku zayo kaziyikuphuziswa.
