UDutheronomi 32
1 “Lalelani, we mazulu, ngizakhuluma, zwana, we mhlaba, amazwi omlomo wami.
“Listen to me, [all you who are in the] heavens, and [all you who are on the] earth, listen to what I say [MTY].
2 Akuthi imfundiso yami inethe njengezulu kuthi amazwi ami ehle njengamazolo, njengemifefezo etshanini obutsha, njengezulu elinengi phezu kwamahlumela.
I wish/desire that my teaching will fall on you like rain drops or be like dew on the ground, and be like a gentle rain on the young plants, like showers on the grass.
3 Ngizaliphakamisa ibizo likaThixo. Yebo dumisani ubukhulu bukaNkulunkulu wethu!
I will praise Yahweh [MTY]. And [all you people should] tell others that our God is very great.
4 UliDwala, imisebenzi yakhe iphelele, njalo zonke izindlela zakhe zilungile. UNkulunkulu othembekileyo ongenzi okubi, uqotho njalo ulungile yena.
He is like a rock [MET] [under which we are protected]; [everything] that he does is perfect and completely just/fair [DOU]. He always does what he says that he will do; he never does anything that is wrong.
5 Sebenze okubi phambi kwakhe; balihlazo kabase bantwabakhe, kodwa isizukulwane esixhwalileyo lesingaqondanga.
“But [you Israeli people] have been very unfaithful to him; because of your sins, you no longer [deserve to] be his children. You are extremely wicked and deceitful [DOU].
6 Yiyonale na indlela yokubonga kwenu uThixo, lina ziwula zabantu abangelakuhlakanipha? KasuYihlo, uMdali wenu, owalenzayo njalo owalibumbayo na?
You foolish and senseless [DOU] people, (is this the way that you should repay Yahweh [for all that he has done for you]?/this is certainly not the way that you should repay Yahweh [for all that he has done for you].) [RHQ] He is your father; he created you [RHQ]; he caused you to become a nation.
7 Khumbulani insuku zakudala; likhumbule izizukulwane zasendulo. Buza uyihlo yena uzakutshela, abadala benu, njalo bazakuchasisela.
“Think about [what happened] long ago; consider what happened to your ancestors. Ask your parents, and they will inform you; ask the older people, and they will tell you.
8 Kwathi oPhezukonke esephe izizwe ilifa lazo, eselwahlukanisile uluntu, walufakela imingcele, kusiya ngenani lamadodana ka-Israyeli.
When God, who is greater than any other god, long ago divided the people into groups, he assigned to the nations their land. He determined where each people-group should live and (assigned to/chose for) each people-group a god/angel.
9 Ngoba isabelo sikaThixo ngabantu bakhe, uJakhobe yisabelo sakhe esikhethiweyo.
But Yahweh decided that we would be his people; he chose [us, the descendants of] Jacob, to belong to him.
10 Wamfica elizweni eliyinkangala, indawo engatheli lutho njalo elodlame. Wamvikela, wamonga; wamsingatha njengegugu lakhe,
“He saw [our ancestors] when they were in a desert, wandering in a land (that was desolate/where no people lived). He protected them and took care of them, as every person takes good care of his own eyes. [SIM, IDM]
11 njengokhozi lunyakazisa isidleke salo, beselundiza phezu kwamachwane alo, lwelule amaphiko alo ukuwagola, luwathwale ngamaphiko alo.
[Yahweh protected his people] just like an eagle encourages its babies [to fly] and flutters over them [MET], spreading its wings and catching them [if they start to fall].
12 Nguye yedwa uThixo owamkhokhelayo; kungekho unkulunkulu wezizweni owayelaye.
Yahweh was the only one who led them; no other foreign god helped him.
13 Wamkhweza engqongeni yelizwe wamondla ngezithelo zeganga. Wamondla ngoluju olwaluvela edwaleni, langamafutha aphuma ezingoxweni zeliwa,
“[After they entered the land that Yahweh promised to give to them], Yahweh enabled them to rule the hilly areas; they ate the crops that grew in the fields. They found honey in the rocks, and their olive trees [MTY] grew [even] in stony ground.
14 lezankefu langochago oluvela emihlambini yenkomo leyezimvu; lamazinyane anonisiweyo ezimvu lembuzi, lenqama zekhethelo zaseBhashani, kanye lengqoloyi elezinhlamvu ezinhle. Wanatha igazi eliphuphumayo lesithelo samavini.
The cows gave them plenty of curds/yogurt, the goats gave them plenty of milk, they had well-fed sheep and cattle, they had very good wheat, and they made delicious wine from their grapes.
15 UJeshuruni wazimuka watshakala; esesuthi ukudla, wakhuluphala waba butshelezi. Wamlahla uNkulunkulu owamdalayo waliphika iDwala uMsindisi wakhe.
“The Israeli people became rich and prosperous, but then they rebelled against God; they abandoned him, the one who created them, the one who powerfully saves them.
16 Bambangela ubukhwele ngabonkulunkulu babo bezizweni bamthukuthelisa ngezithombe zabo ezinengekayo.
So he abandoned them because they started to worship other/strange gods. Because of their worshiping disgusting idols, he became angry.
17 Benza imihlatshelo kuwo amadimoni, wona angasiNkulunkulu, onkulunkulu ababengazange babazi, onkulunkulu ababesanda kuvela, onkulunkulu ababengakhonzwa ngoyihlo.
They offered sacrifices to gods who were [really] demons, gods that their ancestors had never known; they offered sacrifices to gods that they had recently found out about, gods whom your ancestors had never revered.
18 Walihlamukela iDwala, elinguyihlo; wakhohlwa uNkulunkulu owakuzalayo.
They forgot [the true] God, the one who protects them [MET], the one who created them and caused them to live.
19 UThixo wakubona lokhu wabafulathela ngoba wathukutheliswa ngamadodana lamadodakazi akhe.
“When Yahweh saw that [they had abandoned him], he became angry, so he rejected [the Israeli people, who are like] his sons and daughters.
20 ‘Ngizabufihla ubuso bami kubo,’ watsho uThixo, ‘ngize ngibone ukuthi bazaphetha ngani; ngoba bayisizukulwana esixhwalileyo abantwana abangathembekanga.
He said, ‘They are very wicked/stubborn people, very unfaithful; so I will no longer help them, and then I will watch and see what happens to them.
21 Bangenza ngaba lobukhwele ngalokho okwakungasinkulunkulu njalo bangithukuthelisa ngezithombe zabo ezingasizi lutho. Ngizabavusela umhawu ngesizwe esingesibantu balutho; ngibazondise ngesizwe esingazwisisiyo.
They made me very angry because of their worshiping idols, which are not really gods; they have caused me to be [jealous [MET] because I want them to worship only me]. So now, in order to cause them to become jealous, I will send [to attack them an army of] a nation of worthless and foolish people.
22 Ngoba umlilo usulunyathiswe yikuthukuthela kwami, wona otshisa ujule uze uyethinta ukufa ngaphansi. Uzahangula udle umhlaba kanye lesivuno sawo uthungele lezinsika zezintaba. (Sheol h7585)
I will be very angry, and I will destroy them like a fire that will burn on the earth and all the way down to the place where dead people are [MET]; that fire will destroy the earth and everything that grows on it, and it will even burn what is down under the mountains. (Sheol h7585)
23 Ngizabehlisela izigigaba, imitshoko yami iphelele phezu kwabo.
I will cause them to experience many disasters; [they will feel as though] [MET] I am shooting all my arrows at them.
24 Ngizabathumela inkengane eqeda amandla, izifo ezibhubhisayo lomkhuhlane otshabalalisayo; ngizabathumela amazinyo abukhali ezinyamazana zeganga, ubuthi bezinhlangwana ezihuquzelayo emhlabathini.
They will die because of being hungry and because of having hot fevers and because of terrible diseases; I will send wild animals to attack [MTY] them, and poisonous snakes to bite [MTY] them.
25 Ezindleleni inkemba izabaswelisa abantwana, emizini kuzabusa uchuku. Amadodana lamadodakazi azabhujiswa aphele, abantwana abancinyane kanye lamadoda alenwele ezimhlophe.
Outside [their houses, their enemies] will kill them [MTY] with swords, and in their homes, [their enemies will cause] them to be terrified. Their enemies will kill young men and young women, and they will kill infants and old people with gray hair.
26 Ngithe ngizabachitha ngisuse imbali yabo bakhohlakale emhlabeni,
I wanted to scatter the Israeli people to distant countries in order that no one would ever remember them.
27 kodwa ngesaba ukweyisa kwesitha, funa isitha singezwisisi besesisithi, “Isandla sethu sinqobile, njalo uThixo kakwenzanga konke lokhu.”’
But [if I did that], their enemies would wrongly boast that they were the ones who had [gotten rid of my people]; they would say, “We [SYN] are the ones who defeated them; it was not Yahweh who has done all these things.”’
28 Bayisizwe esingelangqondo, akukho ukuqedisisa kubo.
You Israelis are a nation of people who do not have any sense. None of you is wise.
29 Ngabe kodwa bahlakaniphile njalo bezwisise lokhu, babe lokuqedisisa ukuthi sizakuba yini isiphetho sabo!
If you were wise, you would understand [why you would be punished]; you would have realized what was going to happen to you.
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?
[You would have realized] why 1,000 [of your soldiers] would be defeated by only one [of the enemy soldiers], and why two of your enemies would chase away 10,000 [Israeli soldiers]. [You would realize that this would happen] only if God, the one who always defended you [MET], had allowed your enemies to defeat you, because he had abandoned you.
31 Ngoba elabo idwala alinjengelethu iDwala, njengoba lezitha zethu zivuma.
Your enemies know that their gods are not powerful like Yahweh, our God, [so their gods could not have defeated us Israelis].
32 Iwayini labo livela esivinini saseSodoma lasemasimini aseGomora. Amagrebisi abo agcwele itshefu, lamaxha awo amunyu.
Your enemies are like [MET] grapevines planted near [the ruins of] Sodom and Gomorrah [cities]; the grapes from those vines are bitter and poisonous;
33 Iwayini labo liyibuthi bezinyoka, ubuhlungu obubulalayo bezinhlangwana.
the wine [from those grapes] is like the poison of snakes [DOU].
34 ‘Kambe lokhu angikugodlanga na ngakugcikela eziphaleni zami na?
[“Yahweh says], ‘I know [RHQ] [what I have planned to do to the Israeli people and to their enemies], and those plans are so secure [that it as though he locked them up] [MET].
35 Ukuphindisela ngokwami; ngizabuyisela. Ngesikhathi esifaneleyo unyawo lwabo luzatshelela; usuku lwabo lokubhujiswa luseduze, ukuchitheka kwabo kubalanda ngesiqubu.’
I am the one who will get revenge and pay those enemies back for what they have done [to my people], at the right time for them to be punished [IDM]; they will soon experience disasters, and I will punish/destroy them quickly.’
36 UThixo uzakwahlulela abantu bakhe, abe lozwelo ezincekwini zakhe lapho esebona amandla abo ephela njalo kakho ozasala, isigqili loba okhululekileyo.
“But Yahweh will see that you who are truly his people, who (are innocent/have not done things that are wrong), and he will be merciful to you. And he will see that you are helpless, and that there are very few of you, slaves or free people, who are still alive.
37 Uzakuthi: ‘Kanti bangaphi onkulunkulu babo, lelodwala ababephephela kulo,
Then Yahweh will ask his people, ‘Where are the gods that you thought would protect you [MET]?
38 onkulunkulu abadla amafutha emihlatshelo yabo njalo banatha iwayini elingumnikelo wokunathwayo kwabo? Kabaphakame balincedise! Kabaliphe umthunzi wokuphephela!
You gave to those gods the best parts of the animals that you sacrificed, and you poured out wine for them to drink. So, they should begin to help you; they should be the ones who will protect you!
39 Angithi liyazibonela ukuthi Mina ngiNguye! Kakho omunye unkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami. Ngiyabhubhisa njalo ngiyaphilisa. Ngilimazile njalo ngizelapha, kakho ongaphunyuka esandleni sami.
“But now you will realize that I, only I, am God; there is no other god who is [a real] god. I am the one who can kill people and who can cause people to live; I can wound people, and I can heal people, and there is no one who can prevent me from doing those things.
40 Ngiphakamisela isandla sami ezulwini ngithi: Njengoba ngeqiniso ngiphila nini lanini,
I raise my hand toward heaven and solemnly declare that just as sure as I live forever,
41 nxa ngilola inkemba yami ephazimayo lesandla sami siyibamba ekwehluleleni, ngizaphindisela kuzozonke izitha zami, ngiphindisele kulabo abangizondayo.
that when I sharpen my sword, as I [SYN] prepare to punish people, I will get revenge on my enemies; I will pay back those who hate me.
42 Imitshoko yami izagava igazi, kanti inkemba izakudla enyameni: igazi lalabo ababulawayo labathunjwayo, amakhanda alabo abangabakhokheli bezitha.’
I will kill all [of my enemies] with a sword; it will be as though I had arrows that will be covered with their blood. I will kill [MTY] all those whom I capture and cut off their leaders’ heads.’
43 Jabulani, lina zizwe, kanye labantu bakhe, ngoba uzaphindisela igazi lezinceku zakhe, uzaphindisela ezitheni zakhe, njalo enzele ilizwe lakhe labantu bakhe indlela yokubuyisana.”
“You people of all nations, you as well as his people should praise Yahweh, because Yahweh gets revenge on those who kill the people who serve him; and he cleanses his people’s land which has become defiled because of their sins.”
44 UMosi weza loJoshuwa indodana kaNuni wethula wonke amazwi engoma le abantu bonke besizwa.
Joshua and Moses/I recited the words of that song while the Israeli people were listening.
45 UMosi wathi eqeda ukuwethula lamazwi phambi kwabo bonke abako-Israyeli,
When they/we finished reciting to the Israeli people the words of this song,
46 wathi kubo, “Alondolozeni ezinhliziyweni zenu wonke lamazwi engiwethule phambi kwenu ngesifungo lamuhla, ukuze libe lakho ukubalaya abantwabenu ukuba bawalalele ngonanzelelo amazwi alo umthetho.
Moses/I said, “Never forget all these commands that I have been giving you today. Teach these laws to your children, in order that they will faithfully obey all of them.
47 Akusimazwi alula nje kini, ayikuphila kwenu. Ngala amazwi lizaphila isikhathi eside elizweni eselingena kulo lichapha uJodani ukuba lilithathe libe ngelenu.”
These instructions are very important [LIT]. If [you obey] them, you will live a long time in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan [River] to occupy.”
48 Ngalolosuku uThixo watshela uMosi wathi,
On that same day, Yahweh said to Moses/me,
49 “Khwela uye okhahlamba lwezintaba zase-Abharimi eNtabeni yaseNebho kwelamaMowabi, ngaphetsheya kweJerikho, ukuze ubone iKhenani, ilizwe engilinika abako-Israyeli ukuba balithathe libe ngelabo.
“Go to the Abarim Mountain range [here] in the Moab region, across from Jericho. Climb Nebo Mountain, and look [toward the west] to see Canaan land, the land that I am about to give to the Israeli people.
50 Phezu kwaleyontaba okhwele phezu kwayo uzakufa umbelwe uye kubokhokho bakho njengoba u-Aroni laye wafela entabeni yaseHori wembelwa kwabakibo.
You will die on that mountain [EUP, DOU], like your [older] brother Aaron died on Hor Mountain.
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.
You will die because both of you disobeyed me in the presence of the Israeli people, when you all were at Meribah Springs near Kadesh [town] in the Zin Desert. You did not honor and respect me in the presence of the Israeli people in the way that I deserve because I am God.
52 Ngenxa yalokho, ilizwe uzalibonela kude, awusoze ungene elizweni esengilinika abako-Israyeli ukuba bangene kulo.”
[When you are on that mountain where I told you to go], you will see in the distance in front of you the land that I am about to give to the Israeli people, but you will not enter it.”
