Isaiah 17
1 The burden of Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap.
Isiqalekiso esimayelana leDamaseko: “Khangela iDamaseko kayisayikuba lidolobho kodwa izakuba yinqumbi yamanxiwa.
2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken. They will be for flocks, which shall lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.
Amadolobho ase-Aroyeri azatshiywa, etshiyelwa imihlambi ezalala phansi kungekho ozayenza yesabe.
3 The fortress shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria. They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,” says the LORD of Armies.
Idolobho elivikelweyo lizanyamalala ko-Efrayimi lamandla obukhosi eDamaseko; insalela ka-Aramu izakuba njengodumo lwabako-Israyeli,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
4 “It will happen in that day that the glory of Jacob will be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh will become lean.
“Ngalolusuku udumo lukaJakhobe luzakwehla; amafutha asemzimbeni wakhe azancipha.
5 It will be like when the harvester gathers the wheat, and his arm reaps the grain. Yes, it will be like when one gleans grain in the valley of Rephaim.
Kuzakuba njengalapho umvuni evuna amabele amiyo evuna amabele ngengalo yakhe, njenganxa umuntu edobha izikhwebu zamabele eSigodini saseRefayi.
6 Yet gleanings will be left there, like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outermost branches of a fruitful tree,” says the LORD, the God of Israel.
Ikanti ezinye izikhwebu zizasala, njengalapho isihlahla se-oliva sibhuliwe, kusale ama-oliva amabili loba amathathu ezingatsheni eziphezulu kakhulu, amane loba amahlanu ezingabeni zezithelo,” kutsho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
7 In that day, people will look to their Maker, and their eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.
Ngalolosuku abantu bazathembela kuMenzi wabo amehlo abo aphendukele koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
8 They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands; neither shall they respect that which their fingers have made, either the Asherah poles or the incense altars.
Abayikuthembela ema-alithareni, umsebenzi wezandla zabo, njalo kabayikuzinanza izinsika zika-Ashera lama-alithare empepha enziwa yiminwe yabo.
9 In that day, their strong cities will be like the forsaken places in the woods and on the mountain top, which were forsaken from before the children of Israel; and it will be a desolation.
Ngalolosuku amadolobho abo aqinileyo, abawatshiyayo ngenxa yama-Israyeli azafana lezindawo ezatshiyelwa izixukwana lezihlahlanyana. Konke kuzakuba yincithakalo.
10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not remembered the rock of your strength. Therefore you plant pleasant plants, and set out foreign seedlings.
Selimkhohliwe uNkulunkulu uMsindisi wenu, kalilikhumbulanga iDwala, inqaba yenu. Ngakho lanxa ligxumeka izihlahla ezinhle, lihlanyele lamavini avela ezizweni,
11 In the day of your planting, you hedge it in. In the morning, you make your seed blossom, but the harvest flees away in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
lanxa lingawenza akhule ngelanga elizawagxumeka ngalo, loba liwenze ahlume ngekuseni eliwahlanyele ngayo, kodwa isivuno sizakuba yize ngosuku lwesifo lobuhlungu obungelaphekiyo.
12 Ah, the uproar of many peoples who roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations that rush like the rushing of mighty waters!
Maye, ukuhlokoma kwezizwe ezinengi, zihlokoma njengokuhlokoma kolwandle! Yeka ukuxokozela kwezizwe, zihuba njengokuhuba kwamanzi amanengi!
13 The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far off, and will be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm.
Lanxa izizwe zihuba njengokugubhuza kwamanzi, nxa ezikhuza zibalekela khatshana, njengamakhoba ephetshulwa ngumoya emaqaqeni, lanjengothuli olubangwa yisivunguzane.
14 At evening, behold, terror! Before the morning, they are no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us.
Kusihlwa kuba lokuthuthumela. Kungakasi, kabasekho. Lesi yiso isabelo salabo abasikhuthuzayo, isabelo salabo abasihlaselayo.
