Isaiah 30
1 Yahweh says, “Terrible things will happen to you, my people who rebel against me. You make plans, but what you plan is not what I want. You have made an alliance [with the rulers of Egypt], but you did not ask my Spirit [if that was what you should do]. By doing that, you have increased the number of your sins.
“Maye ebantwaneni abalobuqholo,” kutsho uThixo, “kulabo abafeza amacebo angasiwami, abenza isivumelwano, kodwa kungesi ngoMoya wami, besengeza isono phezu kwesono;
2 You went to Egypt [to ask their rulers for help], without asking for my advice. You have trusted in [the army of] the king of Egypt to protect you; you have [trusted in them] [like] people sit in the shade [to protect themselves from the sun] [MET].
labaya eGibhithe bengabuzanga kimi; abadinga usizo lokuvikelwa nguFaro, lomthunzi wokuphephela eGibhithe.
3 [But] the result of your trusting in the king of Egypt is that you will be [disappointed and] disgraced; because of trusting in him, you will be humiliated.
Kodwa-ke ukuvikelwa nguFaro kuzakuba lihlazo kini, umthunzi weGibhithe uzaliyangisa.
4 Officials/ambassadors [from Judah] have gone to Zoan and Hanes [cities in Egypt to make treaties],
Lanxa belabameli eZowani, lezithunywa zabo sezifikile eHanesi,
5 but all those [who trust in the King of Egypt] will be humiliated, because that nation will not be able to help you; the treaty that you have made [requesting help from them] will be useless; instead, the result will be that you will be humiliated and disgraced [DOU].”
bonke bazayangeka ngenxa yabantu abangalasizo kubo, abangalethi sizo loba inzuzo, kodwa ihlazo lokuyangeka kuphela.”
6 [I received from Yahweh] this message about the animals in the southern part of Judah: That area is one where [people experience a lot of] troubles and difficulties, an area where there are male and female lions and various kinds of poisonous snakes. Caravans go through that area taking donkeys and camels loaded with valuable goods. [They are taking them] to Egypt to seek for protection [by the army of Egypt], [but] it will be useless.
Isiphrofethi mayelana lezinyamazana zeNegebi sithi: kulolonke ilizwe lobunzima losizi, elezilwane lezilwanekazi, elamabululu lezinyoka ezeqayo izithunywa zithwala inotho yazo ngemihlane yabobabhemi, impahla yazo eligugu ziyithwale ngamalunda amakamela, zikusa ebantwini abangayikuba losizo kuzo.
7 The promises made by [the king of] Egypt are worthless; therefore I call Egypt ‘the sea monster/dragon that does nothing’.
Zisiwa eGibhithe osizo lwayo lungelamsebenzi. Ngakho ngiyibiza ngokuthi nguRahabi ivilavoxo.
8 Yahweh told me to write on a scroll a message, in order that it would be a witness [to the people of Judah] that would endure forever.
Hamba khathesi nje, ubalobele khona esibhebhedwini, kulobe emqulwini, ukuze kuthi ensukwini ezizayo kube yibufakazi obungapheliyo.
9 [It would remind them] that they are deceitful and always rebelling against Yahweh; they refuse to pay attention to what he tells/teaches them.
Laba ngabantu abangabahlamuki, abantwana abangabakhohlisi, abantwana abangafuniyo ukulalela imfundiso kaThixo.
10 They tell the people who see/receive visions [from Yahweh], “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Do not reveal to us what is right! Tell us pleasant things; do not tell us visions about things that are true!
Bathi kwabayizanuse, “Lingabe lisahlahlula futhi.” Kubaphrofethi bathi, “Lingasitsheli imibono ngalokho okuqondileyo. Sitsheleni izinto ezinhle, liphrofethe inkohliso.
11 Stop doing what you have been doing [DOU]; stop telling us what the Holy One of Israel [says to us]!”
Tshiyani indlela le, phambukani kulo umkhondo liyekele ukusibelesela ngoNgcwele ka-Israyeli!”
12 Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “You have rejected my message, and you are relying on those who oppress and deceive others.
Ngakho okutshiwo ngoNgcwele ka-Israyeli yilokhu: “Njengoba lilalile ilizwi leli, lathembela ekuncindezelweni, lagwaba ngokukhohliswa,
13 Therefore, the result of your sin [of rejecting me] will be that you will [suddenly experience disasters]; what will happen to you will be like [SIM] a cracked wall that suddenly collapses [DOU].
isono lesi kini sizafana lomduli ophakemeyo, olomnkenke njalo ohlephukayo, odilika masinyane, ngesikhatshana nje.
14 You will be smashed like a clay jar is smashed [when it is dropped], and it shatters completely, with the result that there is not one piece big enough to carry some coals from a stove or to carry a little bit of water from a well.”
Uzadilika ube yizicucu, njengembiza yombumbi ephahazeke kakubi akwaze kwatholakala lesihlephu sokokha amalahle eziko ezicucwini zayo kumbe ukukha amanzi emgqonyeni.”
15 Yahweh, [our] God, the Holy One of Israel, [also] says this: “You will be rescued [from your enemies only] if you repent and trust [in what I will do for you]; you will be strong [only] if you quit worrying and trust in me. But you do not want [to do that].
Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, ukuthi: “Ukusindiswa kwenu kusekuphendukeni lekuphumuleni, amandla enu asekuthuleni lekwethembeni, kodwa likwalile lokhu.
16 You said, ‘No, we will escape on horses [that the army of Egypt will give us]!’ So, you will [try to] flee. You said, ‘We will [escape from the army of Assyria] by riding on swift horses!’ [But] those who pursue you will [also ride] swiftly.
Lithe, ‘Hatshi, sizabaleka ngamabhiza.’ Ngakho lizabaleka! Lithe, ‘Sizagada amabhiza alejubane.’ Ngakho abalixotshayo bazakuba lejubane!
17 [As a result], 1,000 [of you] will flee when [only] one of them pursues you! When only five [of their soldiers] threaten [to kill you], [all of] will flee. [Only a few of] you will be left, like [SIM] a [single] flagpole on top of a mountain with one signal flag on the pole.”
Abayinkulungwane bazabaleka besongelwe ngoyedwa nje; ekusongeni kwabahlanu, lizabaleka lonke, lize lisale linjengensika yophawu lwelizwe elisengqongeni yentaba, lanjengesiboniso phezu koqaqa.”
18 [But] wants to be kind to you; he desires to show you that he is merciful. [Do not forget that] Yahweh is a God who acts justly; he is pleased with those who patiently trust in him.
Kodwa uThixo ulangatha ukuba lomusa kini; uyavuka ukuba alitshengise isihawu. Ngoba uThixo unguNkulunkulu wokulunga. Babusisiwe bonke abamlindeleyo!
19 You people who live in Jerusalem [DOU], [some day] you will not cry any more. Yahweh will be kind to you when you call out to him for help. He will answer/help you as soon as he hears you call.
Awu bantu baseZiyoni, abahlala eJerusalema, alisayikulila. UThixo uzakuba lomusa kini nxa licela usizo. Uzaliphendula khonokho nje ekulizweni kwakhe.
20 Although [now] Yahweh has caused you to [daily] experience [MET] great troubles and suffer much, [he], your teacher, will not hide himself from you. He [SYN] will teach you many things clearly.
Lanxa nje uThixo elinika isinkwa sokuhlupheka lamanzi osizi, abalifundisayo kabayikucatsha futhi; lizababona ngamehlo enu.
21 And you will hear him speak to you to guide you. [Right] behind you he will say, “This is the road on which you should walk; walk on this road!”
Loba liphambukele kwesokudla kumbe kwesenxele lizalizwa ilizwi ngemva kwenu lisithi, “Le yiyo indlela; hambani ngayo.”
22 When that happens, you will destroy [all] your idols that are covered with silver or gold. You will throw them away like you throw away a filthy rag, and you will say to them, “We do not need you any more!”
Lapho-ke lizangcolisa izithombe zenu ezihuqwe ngesiliva lezifanekiso zenu ezinanyekwe ngegolide; lizazilahlela khatshana njengelembu lowesifazane obesesikhathini, lithi kuzo, “Sukani lapha!”
23 [If you do that], Yahweh will bless you by giving you good rain at the time that you plant your crops. You will have good harvests, and plenty of pasture with grass for your cattle to eat.
UThixo uzalehlisela izulu lenhlanyelo yenu eliyihlanyele emhlabathini, lamabele azavela emhlabathini azakuba mahle njalo emanengi. Ngalolosuku inkomo zenu zizakudla emadlelweni abanzi.
24 After the wind [blows away the chaff], the oxen and donkeys that [pull the plow to] plow your ground will have good grain to eat.
Inkabi labobabhemi elilima ngakho umhlabathi kuzakudla utshani lamabele ahlungulwe ngefologwe langefotsholo.
25 At that time, when [your enemies] have been slaughtered and their towers have (collapsed/been destroyed), there will be streams flowing down every hill and mountain [in Judah].
Ngosuku lokubulawa okukhulu, lapho imiphotshongo isiwa, izifula zamanzi zizageleza kuzozonke izintaba ezinde lakuwo wonke amaqaqa adephileyo.
26 The moon will seem to shine as brightly as the sun, and the sun will seem to shine seven times as brightly as previously. That is what it will be like when Yahweh causes [the suffering of] his people [to cease; it will be as though] [MET] he will be putting bandages on their wounds and healing them.
Inyanga izakhanya njengelanga, ukukhanya kwelanga kukhanye ngokuphindwe kasikhombisa, njengokukhanya kwensuku eziyisikhombisa ezigcweleyo, lapho uThixo esebopha amanxeba abantu bakhe, epholisa lezilonda ezabangwa nguye.
27 [It is as though] we see Yahweh coming from far away; he is extremely angry, and there are thick clouds of smoke around him. By what he says [MTY] he shows that he is angry; what he says is like [SIM] a devastating/destructive fire.
Khangelani, ibizo likaThixo livela khatshana, lolaka oluvuthayo kanye lokuthunqa kwentuthu enkulu; izindebe zakhe zigcwele intukuthelo, ulimi lwakhe lungumlilo ohangulayo.
28 His breath is like [SIM] a flood that covers [his enemies] up to their necks. He will separate [MET] the nations in order to destroy [some of them]; [it is as though] he will put hooks in their mouths and take them away.
Umoya awuphefumulayo unjengesifula esigcwele amanzi afika entanyeni. Uhlungula izizwe ngesefa yokubhubhisa; ufaka emihlathini yabantu amatomu abasa ekulahlekeni.
29 But [his people] will sing joyfully like they sing during the nights when they celebrate a holy festival. They will be very joyful, like [SIM] [a large group of his people] are joyful when they go up to Zion Hill in Jerusalem, along with men playing flutes [when they are all going there to worship Yahweh]. He is [like] [MET] a huge rock under which [we] Israeli people [are safe].
Lizahlabela njengasebusuku bokuthakazelela umkhosi ongcwele; inhliziyo zenu zizathokoza njengalapho abantu besiya entabeni kaThixo, eDwaleni lika-Israyeli, belemihubhe.
30 And Yahweh will enable [us] to hear him speaking powerfully/majestically. He will show us that he [SYN] is very powerful. [We] will see him [SYN] smash [his enemies]. Being very angry, he will descend with a big rainstorm and thunder and hail [to punish them].
UThixo uzakwenza abantu balizwe ilizwi lakhe lobukhosi, njalo uzakwenza bayibone ingalo yakhe isehla ngokuthukuthela okukhulu langomlilo oqothulayo, langesihlambo esikhulu, lomdumo kanye lesiqhotho.
31 [The soldiers of] Assyria will be terrified when they hear the voice of Yahweh and when he strikes them with his rod.
Ilizwi likaThixo lizayichitha i-Asiriya; abatshaye ngenduku yakhe yobukhosi.
32 And while Yahweh strikes them to punish them, [his people] will [celebrate by] playing tambourines and harps. [It will be as though] Yahweh will lift up his powerful hand/arm and defeat the Assyrian army in battle.
Imvimvinya yinye uThixo abatshaya yona ngentonga yakhe yokujezisa, uzakuba ukanye lokutshaywa kwamagedla lemihubhe, lapho esilwa labo impi ngezidutshulo zengalo yakhe.
33 [The valley of] Topheth [outside Jerusalem] has been prepared for a long time; it is ready for the king [of Assyria]; the (funeral pyre/pile of wood) [for burning his body] is wide and high, and [it will be as though] Yahweh will light the fire with his breath, which will come out like a stream of burning sulfur.
IThofethi sekukade yalungiswa; seyenziwa yalungela inkosi. Igodi layo lomlilo selenziwa latshona njalo laba banzi, lomlilo lenkuni ezinengi; umphefumulo kaThixo, utshisa njengokugeleza komlilo wesolufa, uyawulumathisa.
