< UDutheronomi 32 >
1 “Lalelani, we mazulu, ngizakhuluma, zwana, we mhlaba, amazwi omlomo wami.
Give ear O ye heavens and I will speak, And let the earth hear the sayings of my mouth:
2 Akuthi imfundiso yami inethe njengezulu kuthi amazwi ami ehle njengamazolo, njengemifefezo etshanini obutsha, njengezulu elinengi phezu kwamahlumela.
Let my teaching drop as the rain, Let my speech distil as the dew, —As copious rains on tender grass, As myriad drops on seeding plants.
3 Ngizaliphakamisa ibizo likaThixo. Yebo dumisani ubukhulu bukaNkulunkulu wethu!
When, the name of Yahweh, I proclaim, Ascribe ye greatness unto our God: —
4 UliDwala, imisebenzi yakhe iphelele, njalo zonke izindlela zakhe zilungile. UNkulunkulu othembekileyo ongenzi okubi, uqotho njalo ulungile yena.
A Rock! faultless his work, For, all his ways, are just, A GOD of faithfulness and without perversity, Right and fair, is he!
5 Sebenze okubi phambi kwakhe; balihlazo kabase bantwabakhe, kodwa isizukulwane esixhwalileyo lesingaqondanga.
They have broken faith with him to be no sons of his—their fault, —A generation twisted and crooked.
6 Yiyonale na indlela yokubonga kwenu uThixo, lina ziwula zabantu abangelakuhlakanipha? KasuYihlo, uMdali wenu, owalenzayo njalo owalibumbayo na?
Is it Yahweh, ye thus requite, O impious people and unwise? Is not, he, thy father who begat thee? He, that made thee and established thee?
7 Khumbulani insuku zakudala; likhumbule izizukulwane zasendulo. Buza uyihlo yena uzakutshela, abadala benu, njalo bazakuchasisela.
Remember the days of age-past times, Remark the years of many generations, —Ask thy father and he will tell thee, Thine elders and they will say to thee: —
8 Kwathi oPhezukonke esephe izizwe ilifa lazo, eselwahlukanisile uluntu, walufakela imingcele, kusiya ngenani lamadodana ka-Israyeli.
When the Most High gave inheritances unto the nations, When he spread abroad the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the peoples, According to the number of the sons of Israel.
9 Ngoba isabelo sikaThixo ngabantu bakhe, uJakhobe yisabelo sakhe esikhethiweyo.
For, Yahweh’s portion is his people, —Jacob, his inherited possession.
10 Wamfica elizweni eliyinkangala, indawo engatheli lutho njalo elodlame. Wamvikela, wamonga; wamsingatha njengegugu lakhe,
He met him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness, —He encompassed him watched over him, Shielded him as the pupil of his own eye.
11 njengokhozi lunyakazisa isidleke salo, beselundiza phezu kwamachwane alo, lwelule amaphiko alo ukuwagola, luwathwale ngamaphiko alo.
As, an eagle, stirreth up his nest, Over his young ones, fluttereth, Spreadeth abroad his wings, taketh one, Beareth it up on his pinions,
12 Nguye yedwa uThixo owamkhokhelayo; kungekho unkulunkulu wezizweni owayelaye.
Yahweh alone did lead him, —And there was with him no GOD of a stranger.
13 Wamkhweza engqongeni yelizwe wamondla ngezithelo zeganga. Wamondla ngoluju olwaluvela edwaleni, langamafutha aphuma ezingoxweni zeliwa,
He made him ride on the high places of the land, Caused him to eat the increase of the fields, —And gave him to suck honey out of the cliff, And oil out of the rock of flint:
14 lezankefu langochago oluvela emihlambini yenkomo leyezimvu; lamazinyane anonisiweyo ezimvu lembuzi, lenqama zekhethelo zaseBhashani, kanye lengqoloyi elezinhlamvu ezinhle. Wanatha igazi eliphuphumayo lesithelo samavini.
Curds of kine and milk of sheep, —With fat of well-fed lambs, Yea rams bred in Bashan, and he-goats, With the white of the kernels of wheat, —And, the blood of the grape, thou didst drink as it foamed.
15 UJeshuruni wazimuka watshakala; esesuthi ukudla, wakhuluphala waba butshelezi. Wamlahla uNkulunkulu owamdalayo waliphika iDwala uMsindisi wakhe.
Then Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: Thou wast fat, Thou wast thick, Thou wast gorged, So he forsook the GOD who made him, And treated as foolish his Rock of salvation.
16 Bambangela ubukhwele ngabonkulunkulu babo bezizweni bamthukuthelisa ngezithombe zabo ezinengekayo.
They moved him to jealousy with foreign [gods], —With abominations, angered they him:
17 Benza imihlatshelo kuwo amadimoni, wona angasiNkulunkulu, onkulunkulu ababengazange babazi, onkulunkulu ababesanda kuvela, onkulunkulu ababengakhonzwa ngoyihlo.
They sacrificed to mischievous demons to a No-GOD, Gods whom they knew not, —New ones lately come in, Your fathers never shuddered at them!
18 Walihlamukela iDwala, elinguyihlo; wakhohlwa uNkulunkulu owakuzalayo.
Of the Rock who had begotten thee, thou wast unmindful, —And didst forget GOD who had given thee birth.
19 UThixo wakubona lokhu wabafulathela ngoba wathukutheliswa ngamadodana lamadodakazi akhe.
When Yahweh saw, he derided, —Because his sons and his daughters gave provocation.
20 ‘Ngizabufihla ubuso bami kubo,’ watsho uThixo, ‘ngize ngibone ukuthi bazaphetha ngani; ngoba bayisizukulwana esixhwalileyo abantwana abangathembekanga.
So he said: —I will hide my face from them, I will see what will be their hereafter, —For a generation given to intrigue, they are, Sons, whom there is no trusting;
21 Bangenza ngaba lobukhwele ngalokho okwakungasinkulunkulu njalo bangithukuthelisa ngezithombe zabo ezingasizi lutho. Ngizabavusela umhawu ngesizwe esingesibantu balutho; ngibazondise ngesizwe esingazwisisiyo.
They have moved me to jealousy with a No-GOD, They have angered me with their vanities: I, therefore, will move them to jealousy with a No-people, With an impious nation, will I anger them.
22 Ngoba umlilo usulunyathiswe yikuthukuthela kwami, wona otshisa ujule uze uyethinta ukufa ngaphansi. Uzahangula udle umhlaba kanye lesivuno sawo uthungele lezinsika zezintaba. (Sheol )
For, a fire, is kindled in mine anger, And shall burn as far as hades beneath, —And consume the earth with her produce, And set ablaze the foundations of the mountains: (Sheol )
23 Ngizabehlisela izigigaba, imitshoko yami iphelele phezu kwabo.
I will heap on them, calamities, —Mine arrows, will I spend upon them:
24 Ngizabathumela inkengane eqeda amandla, izifo ezibhubhisayo lomkhuhlane otshabalalisayo; ngizabathumela amazinyo abukhali ezinyamazana zeganga, ubuthi bezinhlangwana ezihuquzelayo emhlabathini.
The meltings of hunger, The devourings of fever, And the dangerous pestilence, —And, the tooth of beasts, will I send among them, With the poison of crawlers of the dust:
25 Ezindleleni inkemba izabaswelisa abantwana, emizini kuzabusa uchuku. Amadodana lamadodakazi azabhujiswa aphele, abantwana abancinyane kanye lamadoda alenwele ezimhlophe.
Without, shall the sword bereave, In the inmost recesses, terror, —To both young man and virgin, Suckling, with man of grey hairs.
26 Ngithe ngizabachitha ngisuse imbali yabo bakhohlakale emhlabeni,
I said, I would puff them away, I would destroy from mortals, their memory;
27 kodwa ngesaba ukweyisa kwesitha, funa isitha singezwisisi besesisithi, “Isandla sethu sinqobile, njalo uThixo kakwenzanga konke lokhu.”’
Were it not that the taunt of the foe, I feared, Lest their adversaries should mistake, —Lest they should say—Our own hand, is exalted, It is not Yahweh, therefore who hath wrought all this!
28 Bayisizwe esingelangqondo, akukho ukuqedisisa kubo.
For a nation of vanished sagacity, they are, —And there is in them no understanding.
29 Ngabe kodwa bahlakaniphile njalo bezwisise lokhu, babe lokuqedisisa ukuthi sizakuba yini isiphetho sabo!
If they had been wise, they would have understood this, —They would have given heed to their here-after!
30 Kungenzeka njani ukuthi umuntu oyedwa axotshane lenkulungwane, loba ababili basukele izinkulungwane ezilitshumi zibaleke na, ngaphandle kokuthi iDwala labo nxa labathengisa; langaphandle kokuthi uThixo wabo esebahlanekele?
Oh! how would one, have chased, a thousand! And, two, put, ten thousand to flight, —Were it not that their Rock had sold them, And, Yahweh, had abandoned them;
31 Ngoba elabo idwala alinjengelethu iDwala, njengoba lezitha zethu zivuma.
For, not like our Rock, is their rock, Our enemies themselves, being judges;
32 Iwayini labo livela esivinini saseSodoma lasemasimini aseGomora. Amagrebisi abo agcwele itshefu, lamaxha awo amunyu.
For of the vine of Sodom, is their vine, And of the vineyards of Gomorrah, —Their grapes, are grapes of gall, Clusters of bitter things, are theirs:
33 Iwayini labo liyibuthi bezinyoka, ubuhlungu obubulalayo bezinhlangwana.
The poison of large serpents, is their wine, —Yea the fierce venom of asps.
34 ‘Kambe lokhu angikugodlanga na ngakugcikela eziphaleni zami na?
Is not, that, stored up with me, —Sealed up amongst my treasures;
35 Ukuphindisela ngokwami; ngizabuyisela. Ngesikhathi esifaneleyo unyawo lwabo luzatshelela; usuku lwabo lokubhujiswa luseduze, ukuchitheka kwabo kubalanda ngesiqubu.’
Unto the days of vengeance and requital: Unto the time their foot shall totter? For, near, is the day of their fate, And their destiny speedeth on.
36 UThixo uzakwahlulela abantu bakhe, abe lozwelo ezincekwini zakhe lapho esebona amandla abo ephela njalo kakho ozasala, isigqili loba okhululekileyo.
For Yahweh will vindicate his people, And upon his servants, will have compassion, —When he seeth that strength is exhausted, And there is no one shut up or at large,
37 Uzakuthi: ‘Kanti bangaphi onkulunkulu babo, lelodwala ababephephela kulo,
Then will he say, Where are their gods, The rock in whom they have trusted;
38 onkulunkulu abadla amafutha emihlatshelo yabo njalo banatha iwayini elingumnikelo wokunathwayo kwabo? Kabaphakame balincedise! Kabaliphe umthunzi wokuphephela!
Who used to eat the fat of their sacrifices, To drink the wine of their libations? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be over you for a coveting!
39 Angithi liyazibonela ukuthi Mina ngiNguye! Kakho omunye unkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami. Ngiyabhubhisa njalo ngiyaphilisa. Ngilimazile njalo ngizelapha, kakho ongaphunyuka esandleni sami.
See, now, that, I, I, am, he that is, And there are no gods with me, —I, kill—and make alive, I wound and, I, heal, And there is none who, from my hand, can deliver,
40 Ngiphakamisela isandla sami ezulwini ngithi: Njengoba ngeqiniso ngiphila nini lanini,
For I lift up unto the heavens my hand, —And say, Living am, I, unto times age-abiding:
41 nxa ngilola inkemba yami ephazimayo lesandla sami siyibamba ekwehluleleni, ngizaphindisela kuzozonke izitha zami, ngiphindisele kulabo abangizondayo.
If I whet my flashing sword, And my hand take hold on justice, I will return vengeance unto mine adversaries, And them who hate me, will I requite:
42 Imitshoko yami izagava igazi, kanti inkemba izakudla enyameni: igazi lalabo ababulawayo labathunjwayo, amakhanda alabo abangabakhokheli bezitha.’
I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, And, my sword, shall devour flesh, —With the blood of the slain and the captive, With the flesh of the chief leader of the foe.
43 Jabulani, lina zizwe, kanye labantu bakhe, ngoba uzaphindisela igazi lezinceku zakhe, uzaphindisela ezitheni zakhe, njalo enzele ilizwe lakhe labantu bakhe indlela yokubuyisana.”
Shout for joy O ye nations [with] his people, For the blood of his servants, he avengeth, —And, vengeance, he returneth unto his adversaries, And is propitious unto the soil of his people.
44 UMosi weza loJoshuwa indodana kaNuni wethula wonke amazwi engoma le abantu bonke besizwa.
So Moses came in and spake all the words of this Song in the hearing of the people, —he and Hoshea son of Nun.
45 UMosi wathi eqeda ukuwethula lamazwi phambi kwabo bonke abako-Israyeli,
And, when Moses made an end of speaking all these words unto all Israel,
46 wathi kubo, “Alondolozeni ezinhliziyweni zenu wonke lamazwi engiwethule phambi kwenu ngesifungo lamuhla, ukuze libe lakho ukubalaya abantwabenu ukuba bawalalele ngonanzelelo amazwi alo umthetho.
he said unto them—Apply your hearts unto all the words which I am witnessing against you, to-day, —how that ye must command your sons to observe to do all the words of this law;
47 Akusimazwi alula nje kini, ayikuphila kwenu. Ngala amazwi lizaphila isikhathi eside elizweni eselingena kulo lichapha uJodani ukuba lilithathe libe ngelenu.”
for it is not, too small a thing, for you, for, it, is your life, —and, hereby, shall ye prolong your days upon the soil whereunto ye are, passing over the Jordan to possess it.
48 Ngalolosuku uThixo watshela uMosi wathi,
And Yahweh spake unto Moses, on this selfsame day, saying:
49 “Khwela uye okhahlamba lwezintaba zase-Abharimi eNtabeni yaseNebho kwelamaMowabi, ngaphetsheya kweJerikho, ukuze ubone iKhenani, ilizwe engilinika abako-Israyeli ukuba balithathe libe ngelabo.
Get thee up into this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, which is over against Jericho—and behold the land of Canaan which I am giving unto the sons of Israel, for a possession;
50 Phezu kwaleyontaba okhwele phezu kwayo uzakufa umbelwe uye kubokhokho bakho njengoba u-Aroni laye wafela entabeni yaseHori wembelwa kwabakibo.
and die thou in the mount whither thou art going up, and be withdrawn unto thy kinsfolk, —as Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor, and was withdrawn unto his kinsfolk;
51 Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi lina lobabili lalahla ithemba lenu kimi phambi kwabako-Israyeli emachibini aseMeribha Khadeshi, eNkangala yaseZini langenxa yokuthi alizange lime ngobungcwele bami phambi kwabako-Israyeli.
for that ye acted unfaithfully against me in the midst of the sons of Israel, regarding the waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the desert of Zin, —for that ye hallowed me not in the midst of the sons of Israel.
52 Ngenxa yalokho, ilizwe uzalibonela kude, awusoze ungene elizweni esengilinika abako-Israyeli ukuba bangene kulo.”
Yet, over against thee, shalt thou behold the land, —but thereinto, shalt thou not enter, into the land which I am giving unto the sons of Israel.