U-Amosi 5
1 Zwana ilizwi leli, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, isililo lesi engisenzayo ngani:
Hear this word that I take up as a lament over you, house of Israel.
2 “Iwile iNtombi u-Israyeli, kayiphindi ivuke futhi, ideliwe elizweni layo, kungekho ongayiphakamisela phezulu.”
The virgin Israel has fallen; she will rise no more; she is forsaken on her land; there is no one 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 this is what the Lord Yahweh says: “The city that went out with a thousand will have a hundred left, and the one that went out with a hundred will have ten left belonging to the house of Israel.”
4 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo endlini ka-Israyeli: “Dingani mina, liphile;
For this is what Yahweh says to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live!
5 lingadingi iBhetheli, lingayi eGiligali, lingayi eBherishebha. Ngoba impela iGiligali izakuya ekuthunjweni, leBhetheli izadliwa iphele nya.”
Do not seek Bethel; nor enter Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into captivity, and Bethel will become nothing.
6 Dingani uThixo liphile hlezi adabule phakathi kwendlu kaJosefa njengomlilo; uzatshisa uqothule, njalo iBhetheli kayiyikuba lomuntu ozawucitsha.
Seek Yahweh and live, or he will break out like fire in the house of Joseph. It will devour, and there will be no one to quench it in Bethel.
7 Lina eliguqula ukulunga kube yibuhlungu, lilahlele ubuqotho emhlabathini.
Those people turn justice into a bitter thing and throw righteousness down to the ground!”
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,
God made the Pleiades and Orion; he turns darkness into the morning; he makes the day dark with night and calls for the waters of the sea; he pours them out on the surface of the earth. Yahweh is his name!
9 wehlisela incithakalo phezu kwenqaba atshabalalise idolobho elivikelweyo.
He brings sudden destruction on the strong so that destruction comes on the fortresses.
10 Liyamzonda okhuzayo emthethwandaba limeyise lalowo okhuluma iqiniso.
They hate anyone who corrects them in the city gate, and they abhor anyone who speaks the truth.
11 Linyathezela umyanga limncindezele ukuba aliphe amabele. Ngakho-ke, lanxa lakhe izindlu ezinkulukazi zamatshe kaliyikuhlala kuzo; lanxa lihlanyele izivini ezinhle, iwayini lazo kaliyikulinatha.
Because you trample down the poor and take portions of wheat from him— although you have built houses of worked stone, you will not live in them. You have delightful vineyards, but you will not drink their wine.
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 how many are your offenses and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, take bribes, and turn aside the needy in the city gate.
13 Ngakho ezikhathini ezinjalo umuntu ohlakaniphileyo uyazithulela, ngoba izikhathi zimbi.
Therefore any prudent person is silent at such a 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, so that you may live. So Yahweh, the God of hosts, will really be with you, as you say he is.
15 Zondani okubi lithande okuhle; qinisani ukulunga emithethwandaba. Mhlawumbe uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uzakuba lomusa kuzinsalela zakoJosefa.
Hate evil, love good, establish justice in the city gate. Perhaps Yahweh, the God of hosts, will be gracious to 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, this is what Yahweh says, the God of hosts, the Lord, “Wailing will be in all the squares, and they will say in all the streets, 'Woe! Woe!' They will call the farmers to mourning and the mourners to wail.
17 Kuzakuba lokulila ezivinini zonke, ngoba ngizadlula phakathi kwenu,” kutsho uThixo.
In all vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says Yahweh.
18 Maye kini lina elilangazelela usuku lukaThixo! Kungani lilangazelela lolosuku lukaThixo na? Lolosuku luzakuba ngumnyama, hatshi ukukhanya.
Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It will be darkness and not light,
19 Kuzafana lokuthi umuntu ubalekele isilwane wahlangana lebhele, njengangathi ungene endlini yakhe wabambelela emdulini ngesandla waselunywa yinyoka.
as when a man flees from a lion and a bear meets him, or he goes in a house and puts his hand on the wall and a snake bites him.
20 Usuku lukaThixo kaluyikuba ngumnyama na, hatshi ukukhanya, lumnyama bhuqe, kungekho nhlansi yokukhanya?
Will not the day of Yahweh be darkness and not light? Gloom and no brightness?
21 “Ngiyayizonda, ngiyayeyisa imikhosi yokholo lwenu; angingeke ngiyimele imbuthano yenu.
“I hate, I despise your festivals, I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Lanxa lingangilethela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yamabele kangiyikuyamukela. Lanxa liletha iminikelo emihle kakhulu yobuzalwane, lokunonisiweyo kangiyikuyinanza.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look at the fellowship offerings of your fattened animals.
23 Sukani lomsindo wezingoma zenu! Kangiyikuwulalela umculo wamachacho enu.
Remove from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the sound of your harps.
24 Kodwa ukulunga kakugeleze njengamanzi, lobuqotho njengesifula esingatshiyo!
Instead, let justice flow like water, and righteousness like a constantly flowing stream.
25 Kanje wake wangilethela imihlatshelo leminikelo eminyakeni engamatshumi amane enkangala, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli na?
Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel?
26 Seliphakamise indawo yokukhonzela izithombe zenu, isenabelo senkosi unkulunkulu wenu uSakhuthi, lenkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu uKhayiwani, elazenzela khona lina ngokwenu.
You have lifted up the images of Sikkuth, your king, and Kaiwan, your star god, which you made for yourselves.
27 Ngakho ngizalisa ekuthunjweni ngale kweDamaseko,” kutsho uThixo obizo lakhe nguNkulunkulu uSomandla.
Therefore I will exile you beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of hosts.
