Isaiah 23
1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in. From the land of Kittim it is revealed to them.
Isiqalekiso esimayelana leThire: Khalani lina mikhumbi yaseThashishi! Ngoba iThire selichithiwe lasala lingaselandlu kumbe indawo yokungenisa imikhumbi. Ilizwi selifikile kibo livela elizweni laseKhithimi.
2 Be still, you inhabitants of the coast, you whom the merchants of Sidon that pass over the sea have replenished.
Thulani lina bantu basesihlengeni lani bathengi baseSidoni, asebanothiswa ngabahambi bolwandle.
3 On great waters, the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue. She was the market of nations.
Amabele aseShihori eza ephezu kwamanzi, isivuno saseNayili sasiyinzuzo yeThire, njalo yaba yindawo yezizwe yokuthengiselana.
4 Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, “I have not travailed, nor given birth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.”
Woba lenhloni wena Sidoni, lawe wena nqaba yasolwandle ngoba ulwandle selukhulumile lwathi: kangizange ngihelelwe kumbe ngizale; “Kangizange ngondle amadodana kumbe ngikhulise amadodakazi.”
5 When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.
Lapho ilizwi lifika eGibhithe bazakuba lusizi ngombiko ovela eThire.
6 Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the coast!
Khuphukelani ngaseThashishi; khalani lina bantu basesihlengeni.
7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her far away to travel?
Leli yilo na idolobho lenu lentokozo, idolobho elidaladala, elinyawo zalo zalithatha ukuyalihlalisa emazweni akude?
8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honourable of the earth?
Ngubani ocebe lokhu ngeThire, umethesi wemiqhele, abathengisi bayo bangamakhosana, abathengisi bayo badumile emhlabeni?
9 The LORD of Armies has planned it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
UThixo uSomandla wakuceba lokhu, ukwehlisa ukuzigqaja kwenkazimulo yonke lokuthobisa bonke abalodumo emhlabeni.
10 Pass through your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no restraint any more.
Lima insimu yakho malungana leNayili wena Ndodakazi yaseThashishi ngoba kawuselayo indawo yokungenisa imikhumbi.
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. The LORD has ordered the destruction of Canaan’s strongholds.
UThixo useselulele isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle wenza imibuso yalo yanyikinyeka. Usekhuphe umlayo ngeKhenani ukuba izinqaba zayo zidilizwe.
12 He said, “You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest.”
Wathi, “Akusekho ukuthokoza kwakho wena Ndodakazi Egcweleyo yaseSidoni esichoboziwe! Vuka ukhuphukele ngaseKhithimi; lakhona awuyikuthola ukuphumula.”
13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans. This people didn’t exist. The Assyrians founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up their towers. They overthrew its palaces. They made it a ruin.
Khangela elizweni lamaKhaladiya, abantu laba khathesi abangaselutho! Abase-Asiriya sebelenze laba yindawo yezidalwa zeganga; bakhe imiphotshongo yabo yokuzivikela, bazibhidlizile izinqaba zalo balenza laba lunxiwa.
14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste!
Khalani lina mikhumbi yaseThashishi, inqaba yenu idiliziwe!
15 It will come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years it will be to Tyre like in the song of the prostitute.
Ngalesosikhathi iThire izakhohlakala okweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa, ibanga lokuphila kwenkosi. Kodwa ekupheleni kwaleyominyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa, eThire kuzakwenzakala okunjengokutshiwo yingoma yewule ukuthi:
16 Take a harp; go about the city, you prostitute that has been forgotten. Make sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you may be remembered.
“Thatha ichacho, uhambahambe phakathi kwedolobho wena wule elikhohlakeleyo. Litshaye kuhle ichacho, uhlabele izingoma ezinengi, ukuze ukhunjulwe.”
17 It will happen after the end of seventy years that the LORD will visit Tyre. She will return to her wages, and will play the prostitute with all the kingdoms of the world on the surface of the earth.
Ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa uThixo uzakhumbula iThire. IThire lizabuyela ekuthengiseni kwalo njengesifebe, njalo lizabuyela emsebenzini walo wokuthengiselana lemibuso yonke esemhlabeni.
18 Her merchandise and her wages will be holiness to the LORD. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
Inzuzo lemiholo yalo kuzakwahlukaniselwa uThixo; kakuyikulondolozwa loba kubuthelelwe. Inzuzo yalo izakuya kulabo abahlala loThixo ukuba babe lokudla okunengi lezigqoko ezinhle.
