< Isaiah 5 >

1 Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved concerning his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
Ngizahlabelela lowo engimthandayo ingoma ngesivini sakhe: Othandwa yimi wayelesivini eqaqeni oluvundileyo.
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones of it, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein: and he expected that it would bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
Wasigebha, wasusa amatshe kuso, wahlanyela kuso amavini amahle. Wakha umphotshongo ophakemeyo phakathi kwaso njalo wagebha lesikhamelo sewayini kuso. Walindela izithelo ezinhle, kodwa amavini athela ezimbi kuphela.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
“Manje-ke lina abahlala eJerusalema lani madoda akoJuda, yahlulelani phakathi kwami lesivini sami.
4 What more could have been done to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected that it would bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
Kuyini okudlula lapho okwakumele kwenziwe esivinini sami engingakwenzanga kuso na? Lapho ngangilindele izithelo ezinhle kungani sona sathela ezimbi kuphela na?
5 And now come; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten up; [and] break down the wall of it, and it shall be trodden down:
Khathesi-ke sengizalitshela engizakwenza esivinini sami: Ngizasusa uthango lwaso; sizadilizwa. Ngizabhidliza umduli waso, sizagxotshwa ngezinyawo.
6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
Ngizasenza sibe liganga kungabikho ukuthenwa kumbe ukuhlakulwa; inkotha lameva kuzakhula kuso. Ngizalaya amayezi anganisi zulu kuso.”
7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
Isivini sikaThixo uSomandla yindlu ka-Israyeli; abantu bakoJuda bayinsimu eligugu kuye. Wayelindele okufaneleyo, kodwa wabona ukuchitheka kwegazi; endaweni yokulunga, wezwa ukukhala kosizi.
8 Woe to them that join house to house, [that] lay field to field, till [there is] no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
Maye kini elengeza izindlu ngezindlu lihlanganise insimu ensimini kuze kusweleke indawo eseleyo, njalo lihlala lodwa elizweni.
9 In my ears [said] the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, [even] great and fair, without inhabitant.
UThixo uSomandla usetshilo ngisizwa wathi: “Ngeqiniso izindlu ezinengi zizakuba ngamanxiwa; ezinkulu ezinhle zisale zingaselamuntu ohlala kuzo.
10 Yes, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.
Izindima ezilitshumi zesivini zizathela ifatshi elilodwa lewayini, ihomeri lenhlanyelo lithele ihefa lamabele.”
11 Woe to them that rise early in the morning, [that] they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, [till] wine inflameth them!
Maye kulabo abavuka ngovivi ekuseni begijimela ukunatha utshwala; abaqhubekayo kuze kube phakathi kobusuku baze badakwe butshwala.
12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
Balamachacho lemihubhe emadilini abo, amagedla, imihlanga, lewayini, kodwa kabazinaki izenzo zikaThixo, akukho nhlonipho yomsebenzi wezandla zakhe.
13 Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because [they have] no knowledge: and their honorable men [are] famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
Ngakho-ke abantu bami bazakuya ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokungazwisisi; izikhulu zabo zizabulawa yindlala lenengi labo lizakoma ngomhawu wamanzi.
14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. (Sheol h7585)
Ngakho indawo yabafileyo izakwelula imihlathi yayo, ikhamise umlomo wayo okungelamkhawulo; izikhulu zabo lenengi labo bawele phakathi labo bonke abaxokozelayo labazithokozisayo. (Sheol h7585)
15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be abased.
Abantu bazakwehliselwa phansi, abantu bazathobekiswa, amehlo abaziphakamisayo athotshiswe.
16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
Kodwa uThixo uSomandla uzaphakanyiswa ngokwahlulela kwakhe okuhle; ubungcwele bukaNkulunkulu buzabonakala ngokulunga kwakhe.
17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
Lapho-ke izimvu zizakudla angathi kusemadlelweni azo, amazinyane adle emanxiweni ezinothi.
18 Woe to them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope:
Maye kulabo abahudula isono ngentambo zenkohliso lobubi kungathi kungamagoda enqola,
19 That say, Let him make speed, [and] hasten his work, that we may see [it]: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know [it]!
kulabo abathi, “UNkulunkulu kaphangise, kaphangisise umsebenzi wakhe ukuze siwubone. Kalisondele icebo loNgcwele ka-Israyeli kalize ukuze silazi.”
20 Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Maye kulabo abathi okubi kuhle bathi okuhle kubi, ababeka umnyama esikhundleni sokukhanya; ukukhanya esikhundleni somnyama; ababeka okubabayo esikhundleni sokumnandi, okumnandi esikhundleni sokubabayo.
21 Woe to [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Maye kulabo abahlakaniphileyo emehlweni abo njalo besile ekuboneni kwabo.
22 Woe to [them that are] mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Maye kulabo abangamaqhawe ekunatheni iwayini njalo bezintshantshu ekuhlanganiseni okunathwayo,
23 Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
abakhulula abalamacala ngenxa yokufunjathiswa. Kodwa banqabele abamsulwa imfanelo yabo.
24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, [so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Ngakho-ke, njengalokhu umlilo utshisa inhlanga, utshani obomileyo buphelela phakathi kwamalangabi, ngokunjalo impande zabo zizabola. Lamaluba abo aphephuke njengothuli; ngoba bawalile umthetho kaThixo uSomandla balidelela ilizwi loNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills trembled, and their carcasses [were] torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.
Ngakho ulaka lukaThixo luzavutha ebantwini bakhe; isandla sakhe siphakeme njalo uyabatshaya. Izintaba ziyanyikinyeka, izidumbu zabafileyo zinjengezibi ezindleleni. Ikanti kukho konke lokhu ulaka lwakhe kaluphelanga, isandla sakhe silokhu siphakanyisiwe.
26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from afar, and will hiss to them from the end of the earth: and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
Uphakamisela izizwe ezikude uphawu, ubatshayela ikhwelo abasemaphethelweni omhlaba. Nampa besiza ngokuphangisa langejubane!
27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
Kakho omunye wabo odinwayo loba okhubekayo, kakho owozelayo kumbe olalayo, akukho bhanti elixegiswayo ekhalweni, akukho ntambo yenyathelo equmekileyo.
28 Whose arrows [are] sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:
Imitshoko yabo ibukhali, wonke amadandili abo agotshisiwe; amasondo amabhiza abo afana lelitshe elilukhuni, amavili ezinqola zabo zokulwa anjengesivunguzane.
29 Their roaring [shall be] like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yes, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry [it] away safe, and none shall deliver [it].
Ukubhonga kwabo kufana lokwesilwane, babhonga njengezilwane ezikhulayo, bayabhavuma lapho bebamba inyamazana edliwayo, babaleke layo kungekho ongabemuka.
30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if [one] looketh to the land, behold darkness [and] sorrow, and the light is darkened in its heavens.
Ngalolosuku bazabhavumela phezu kwayo njengokubhavuma kolwandle. Njalo nxa umuntu ekhangela ilizwe, uzabona umnyama losizi; lelanga lizakwenziwa libe mnyama ngamayezi.

< Isaiah 5 >