U-Amosi 7
1 Nanku engakutshengiswa nguThixo Wobukhosi: Wayelungisa imitshitshi yezintethe emva kokuvunwa kwesabelo senkosi khonapho amabele esibili esakhula.
These things the Lord God shewed to me: and behold the locust was formed in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter rain, and lo, it was the latter rain after the king’s mowing.
2 Kwathi lapho ilizwe seziliphundlile, ngamemeza ngathi, “Thixo Wobukhosi, thethelela! UJakhobe angaphepha kanjani? Mncinyane kakhulu!”
And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, I said: O Lord God, be merciful, I beseech thee: who shall raise up Jacob, for he is very little?
3 Ngakho uthixo waxola. “Akusoze kwenzakale” watsho uthixo.
The Lord had pity upon this: It shall not be, said the Lord.
4 Nanku engakutshengiswa nguThixo Wobukhosi: uThixo Wobukhosi wayememezela ukwehlulela ngomlilo; womisa ulwandle waqothula lelizwe.
These things the Lord God shewed to me: and behold the Lord called for judgment unto fire, and it devoured the great deep, and ate up a part at the same time.
5 Ngakho ngamemeza ngathi “Thixo Wobukhosi, ngiyakuncenga, ake ume! UJakhobe angaphepha kanjani na? Mncinyane kakhulu!”
And I said: O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee, who shall raise up Jacob, for he is a little one?
6 Ngakho uThixo waxola. “Lokhu lakho akuyikwenzakala,” kwatsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
The Lord had pity upon this. Yea this also shall not be, said the Lord God.
7 Nanku angitshengisa khona: uThixo wayemi phansi komduli owawakhiwe waqonda nta ephethe intambo yokuqondisa ngesandla sakhe
These things the Lord shewed to me: and behold the Lord was standing upon a plastered wall, and in his hand a mason’s trowel.
8 UThixo wasengibuza esithi, “Kuyini okubonayo, Amosi?” Ngaphendula ngathi, “Yintambo yokuqondisa.” UThixo wasesithi, “Khangela, ngibeka intambo yokuqondisa phakathi kwabantu bami bako-Israyeli; kangisayikubaxolela futhi.
And the Lord said to me: What seest thou, Amos? And I said: A mason’s trowel. And the Lord said: Behold, I will lay down the trowel in the midst of my people Israel. I will plaster them over no more.
9 Izindawo eziphakemeyo zika-Isaka zizadilizwa lezindawo ezingcwele zako-Israyeli zizachithwa; indlu kaJerobhowamu ngizayihlasela ngenkemba yami.”
And the high places of the idol shall be thrown down, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste: and I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
10 U-Amaziya umphristi waseBhetheli wathumela ilizwi kuJerobhowamu inkosi yako-Israyeli, wathi, “U-Amosi uceba okubi ngawe khona kanye phakathi kwako-Israyeli. Ilizwe lingeke limelane lawo wonke amazwi akhe.
And Amasias the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying: Amos hath rebelled against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
11 Ngoba u-Amosi uthi: ‘UJerobhowamu uzakufa ngenkemba, njalo impela u-Israyeli uzathunjwa, asiwe khatshana kwelizwe lakibo.’”
For thus saith Amos: Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall be carried away captive out of their own land.
12 U-Amaziya wasesithi ku-Amosi, “Phuma, wena mboni! Buyela elizweni lakoJuda, usebenzele ukudla kwakho khonale wenze lokuphrofetha kwakho khonale.
And Amasias said to Amos: Thou seer, go, flee away into the land of Juda: and eat bread there, and prophesy there.
13 Ungaphrofithi futhi eBhetheli, ngoba le yindawo yenkosi kanye lethempeli lombuso.”
But prophesy not again any more in Bethel: because it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the house of the kingdom.
14 U-Amosi waphendula u-Amaziya wathi, “Mina ngangingasuye mphrofethi kumbe indodana yomphrofethi, kodwa ngangingumelusi, njalo ngigcina izihlahla zomkhiwa wesikhamore.
And Amos answered and said to Amasias: I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet: but I am a herdsman plucking wild figs.
15 Kodwa uThixo wangithatha ekweluseni imihlambi yezimvu wathi kimi, ‘Hamba uyephrofetha ebantwini bami bako-Israyeli.’
And the Lord took me when I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me: Go, prophesy to my people Israel.
16 Ngakho-ke khathesi zwana ilizwi likaThixo. Wena uthi: ‘Ungaphrofethi kubi ngo-Israyeli, njalo yekela ukutshumayela kubi ngendlela ka-Isaka.’
And now hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, thou shalt not prophesy against Israel, and thou shalt not drop thy word upon the house of the idol.
17 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Umkakho uzakuba yisifebe edolobheni, amadoda lamadodakazi akho azakufa ngenkemba. Ilizwe lakho lizalinganiswa labiwe, njalo wena ngokwakho uzafela elizweni lamaqaba. Njalo impela u-Israyeli uzathunjwa asiwe khatshana kwelizwe lakhe.’”
Therefore thus saith the Lord: Thy wife shall play the harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be measured by a line: and thou shalt die in a polluted land, and Israel shall go into captivity out of their land.
