U-Amosi 5
1 Zwana ilizwi leli, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, isililo lesi engisenzayo ngani:
Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
2 “Iwile iNtombi u-Israyeli, kayiphindi ivuke futhi, ideliwe elizweni layo, kungekho ongayiphakamisela phezulu.”
The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
3 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Idolobho lenu elikhupha inkulungwane eziqinileyo lizasala labalikhulu kuphela; idolobho elikhupha abalikhulu abaqinileyo lizasala labalitshumi kuphela.”
For thus saith the Lord Yhwh; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
4 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo endlini ka-Israyeli: “Dingani mina, liphile;
For thus saith Yhwh unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
5 lingadingi iBhetheli, lingayi eGiligali, lingayi eBherishebha. Ngoba impela iGiligali izakuya ekuthunjweni, leBhetheli izadliwa iphele nya.”
But seek not Beth–el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer–sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth–el shall come to nought.
6 Dingani uThixo liphile hlezi adabule phakathi kwendlu kaJosefa njengomlilo; uzatshisa uqothule, njalo iBhetheli kayiyikuba lomuntu ozawucitsha.
Seek Yhwh, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth–el.
7 Lina eliguqula ukulunga kube yibuhlungu, lilahlele ubuqotho emhlabathini.
Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
8 Yena owenza iSilimela loMthala, oguqula umnyama ube yikusa enze imini ibe yibusuku obumnyama, yena obiza amanzi olwandle, awathele phezu kobuso belizwe, uThixo yilo ibizo lakhe,
Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: Yhwh is his name:
9 wehlisela incithakalo phezu kwenqaba atshabalalise idolobho elivikelweyo.
That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
10 Liyamzonda okhuzayo emthethwandaba limeyise lalowo okhuluma iqiniso.
They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
11 Linyathezela umyanga limncindezele ukuba aliphe amabele. Ngakho-ke, lanxa lakhe izindlu ezinkulukazi zamatshe kaliyikuhlala kuzo; lanxa lihlanyele izivini ezinhle, iwayini lazo kaliyikulinatha.
Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
12 Ngoba iziphambeko zenu ngiyazazi ukuthi zingaki kanye lokuthi izono zenu zinkulu okunganani. Lincindezela abalungileyo lamukele isivalamlomo, njalo emithethwandaba linqabela abayanga imfanelo.
For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
13 Ngakho ezikhathini ezinjalo umuntu ohlakaniphileyo uyazithulela, ngoba izikhathi zimbi.
Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
14 Dingani okuhle, hatshi okubi, ukuze liphile. Lapho-ke uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uzakuba lani njengoba lisithi ulani.
Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so Yhwh, the God of Armies, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
15 Zondani okubi lithande okuhle; qinisani ukulunga emithethwandaba. Mhlawumbe uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uzakuba lomusa kuzinsalela zakoJosefa.
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that Yhwh God of Armies will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
16 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo yiNkosi, uThixo, uNkulunkulu uSomandla, “Kuzakuba lokulila emigwaqweni yonke lokukhala kabuhlungu ezinkundleni zonke zikazulu. Abalimi bazabizwa ukuba bakhale, labakhalayo ukuba balile.
Therefore Yhwh, the God of Armies, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.
17 Kuzakuba lokulila ezivinini zonke, ngoba ngizadlula phakathi kwenu,” kutsho uThixo.
And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith Yhwh.
18 Maye kini lina elilangazelela usuku lukaThixo! Kungani lilangazelela lolosuku lukaThixo na? Lolosuku luzakuba ngumnyama, hatshi ukukhanya.
Woe unto you that desire the day of Yhwh! to what end is it for you? the day of Yhwh is darkness, and not light.
19 Kuzafana lokuthi umuntu ubalekele isilwane wahlangana lebhele, njengangathi ungene endlini yakhe wabambelela emdulini ngesandla waselunywa yinyoka.
As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Usuku lukaThixo kaluyikuba ngumnyama na, hatshi ukukhanya, lumnyama bhuqe, kungekho nhlansi yokukhanya?
Shall not the day of Yhwh be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21 “Ngiyayizonda, ngiyayeyisa imikhosi yokholo lwenu; angingeke ngiyimele imbuthano yenu.
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
22 Lanxa lingangilethela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yamabele kangiyikuyamukela. Lanxa liletha iminikelo emihle kakhulu yobuzalwane, lokunonisiweyo kangiyikuyinanza.
Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
23 Sukani lomsindo wezingoma zenu! Kangiyikuwulalela umculo wamachacho enu.
Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24 Kodwa ukulunga kakugeleze njengamanzi, lobuqotho njengesifula esingatshiyo!
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
25 Kanje wake wangilethela imihlatshelo leminikelo eminyakeni engamatshumi amane enkangala, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli na?
Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 Seliphakamise indawo yokukhonzela izithombe zenu, isenabelo senkosi unkulunkulu wenu uSakhuthi, lenkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu uKhayiwani, elazenzela khona lina ngokwenu.
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
27 Ngakho ngizalisa ekuthunjweni ngale kweDamaseko,” kutsho uThixo obizo lakhe nguNkulunkulu uSomandla.
Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Yhwh, whose name is The God of Armies.
