Isaiah 24
1 Lo, Jehovah is emptying the land, And is making it waste, And hath overturned [it on] its face, And hath scattered its inhabitants.
Khangela, uThixo uzabhidliza umhlaba utshabalale; uzawuchitha, ahlakaze abahlala kuwo.
2 And it hath been — as a people so a priest, As the servant so his master, As the maid-servant so her mistress, As the buyer so the seller, As the lender so the borrower, As the usurer so he who is lifting [it] on himself.
Kuzafanana okuzenziwa kumphristi kuzenziwa lasebantwini, okuzenziwa enkosini kuzenziwa lasencekwini, okuzenziwa enkosikazini kuzenziwa lasencekukazini, okuzenziwa kumthengisi kuzenziwa lakumthengi, okuzenziwa kowebolekayo kuzenziwa lakumebolekisi, okuzenziwa kokweledayo kuzenziwa lakokweledisayo.
3 Utterly emptied is the land, and utterly spoiled, For Jehovah hath spoken this word:
Umhlaba uzatshabalaliswa nya uphangwe uqedwe du. UThixo uselikhulumile ilizwi leli.
4 Mourned, faded hath the land, Languished, faded hath the world, Languished have they — the high place of the people of the land.
Umhlaba uyoma ubune, umhlaba uyahodoza ubune, abaphakemeyo bomhlaba bayahodoza!
5 And the land hath been defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed laws, They have changed a statute, They have made void a covenant age-during.
Umhlaba ungcoliswa ngabantu bawo. Kabayilalelanga imithetho, beqe imilayo bephula isivumelwano esingapheliyo.
6 Therefore a curse hath consumed the land, And the inhabitants in it are become desolate, Therefore consumed have been inhabitants of the land, And few men have been left.
Ngakho-ke umhlaba uchithwa yisiqalekiso; abantu bawo kumele bahlupheke ngenxa yokona kwabo. Ngakho abantu abahlala emhlabeni bayatshiswa, njalo balutshwana kakhulu abaseleyo.
7 Mourned hath the new wine, languished the vine, Sighed have all the joyful of heart.
Iwayini elitsha liyaphela, amavini ayabuna; bonke abenza umsindo bejabula bayabubula.
8 Ceased hath the joy of tabrets, Ceased hath the noise of exulting ones, Ceased hath the joy of a harp.
Ukukhala kwamagedla kuthulisiwe, umsindo wabajabulayo usuphelile, ichacho lentokozo selithule.
9 With a song they drink not wine, Bitter is strong drink to those drinking it.
Kabasanathi iwayini behlabela, utshwala buyababa kubanathi babo.
10 It was broken down — a city of emptiness, Shut hath been every house from entrance.
Idolobho elidilikileyo litshabalele; iminyango yezindlu zonke ivalekile.
11 A cry over the wine [is] in out-places, Darkened hath been all joy, Removed hath been the joy of the land.
Emigwaqweni bakhalela iwayini, yonke intokozo iba yikudana, ukujabula konke kuphelile emhlabeni.
12 Left in the city [is] desolation, And [with] wasting is the gate smitten.
Idolobho lisele selingamanxiwa, isango lalo libhidlizwe laba yizicucu.
13 When thus it is in the heart of the land, In the midst of the peoples, As the compassing of the olive, As gleanings when harvest hath been finished,
Kuzakuba njalo emhlabeni laphakathi kwezizwe, njengalapho isihlahla somʼoliva sinyikinywa, loba njengezithelo ezitholwa emva kokuvunwa kwamavini.
14 They — they lift up their voice, They sing of the excellency of Jehovah, They have cried aloud from the sea.
Baphakamisa amazwi abo, bahlabele ngentokozo; bememezela ubukhosi bukaThixo bengasentshonalanga.
15 Therefore in prosperity honour ye Jehovah, In isles of the sea, the name of Jehovah, God of Israel.
Ngakho-ke dumisani uThixo empumalanga; phakamisani uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ezihlengeni zolwandle.
16 From the skirt of the earth we heard songs, The desire of the righteous. And I say, 'Leanness [is] to me, Leanness [is] to me, woe [is] to me.' Treacherous dealers dealt treacherously, Yea, treachery, treacherous dealers dealt treacherously.
Sizwa ukuhlabelela okuvela emikhawulweni yomhlaba: “Udumo kalube koLungileyo.” Kodwa mina ngathi, “Ngiyacikizeka, ngiyacikizeka! Maye mina! Abakhohlisi bayaceba! Ngenkohliso abakhohlisi bayaceba!”
17 Fear, and a snare, and a gin, [Are] on thee, O inhabitant of the land.
Ukwesaba, igodi lomjibila kulilindele, lina bantu basemhlabeni.
18 And it hath come to pass, He who is fleeing from the noise of the fear Doth fall into the snare, And he who is coming up from the midst of the snare, Is captured by the gin, For windows on high have been opened, And shaken are foundations of the land.
Loba ngubani obalekela umsindo wokwesaba uzawela egodini; loba ngubani ophumayo egodini uzabanjwa ngumjibila. Amasango asezulwini avuliwe, izisekelo zomhlaba ziyanyikinyeka.
19 Utterly broken down hath been the land, Utterly broken hath been the land, Utterly moved hath been the land.
Umhlaba usubhidlikile, umhlaba usudabuke phakathi, umhlaba usunyikinywe impela.
20 Stagger greatly doth the land as a drunkard, And it hath been moved as a lodge, And heavy on it hath been its transgression, And it hath fallen, and addeth not to rise.
Umhlaba udiyazela njengesidakwa, uzunguzeka njengendlu kulesiphepho; siwusinda kangaka isono sokuhlamuka kwawo uze uwe, awuyikuvuka futhi.
21 And it hath come to pass, in that day, Jehovah layeth a charge on the host of the high place in the high place, And on the kings of the land on the land.
Ngalolosuku uThixo uzajezisa amabutho asemazulwini phezulu lamakhosi emhlabeni ngaphansi.
22 And they have been gathered — A gathering of bound ones in a pit, And shut up they have been in a prison, And after a multitude of days are inspected.
Bazabuthelwa ndawonye njengezibotshwa zibotshiwe emgodini oyintolongo. Bazavalelwa entolongweni bajeziswe emva kwensuku ezinengi.
23 And confounded hath been the moon, And ashamed hath been the sun, For reigned hath Jehovah of Hosts In mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, And over-against His elders — honour!
Inyanga izayangeka, ilanga libelenhloni; ngoba uThixo uSomandla uzabusa ngenkazimulo phezu kweNtaba iZiyoni laphakathi kweJerusalema, laphambi kwabadala bakhona.
