U-Isaya 10
1 Maye kulabo abenza imithetho emibi, lakulabo ababhala izimiso ezincindezelayo,
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees,
2 ukuba kwamukwe abayanga amalungelo abo lokugodla okufaneleyo kwabantu bami abancindezelweyo; bazingela abafelokazi baqhwage izintandane.
to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.
3 Lizakwenzani ngosuku lokuthonisiswa lapho incithakalo isiza ivela khatshana? Lizabalekela kubani ukuba lithole usizo na? Lizayitshiya ngaphi inotho yenu?
What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
4 Akukho okuzasala, kodwa ukuba baquthe phakathi kwabathunjiweyo loba bafe lababuleweyo. Ikanti kukho konke lokhu, ukuthukuthela kwakhe akupheli, isandla sakhe silokhu siphakanyisiwe.
Nothing will remain but to crouch among the captives or fall among the slain. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
5 “Maye kumʼAsiriya, intonga yentukuthelo yami, esandleni sayo kulesagila solaka lwami!
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath.
6 Ngimthumela ukuyamelana lesizwe esingelankulunkulu, ngimthumela ukuyamelana labantu abangithukuthelisayo, ukuba athumbe ahluthune impahla yokuthunjwa, lokubanyathelela phansi njengodaka ezindleleni.
I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets.
7 Kodwa lokhu akusikho akujongileyo, lokhu akusikho okusengqondweni yakhe; injongo yakhe yikutshabalalisa, abhubhise izizwe ezinengi.
But this is not his intention; this is not his plan. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off many nations.
8 Uthi, ‘Izinduna zami zebutho kazisimakhosi zonke na?
“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says.
9 IKhalino kaliphumelelanga njengeKharikhemishi na? IHamathi kalinjenge-Ariphadi na? LeSamariya kayinjengeDamaseko na?
“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 Lanjengoba isandla sami sabamba imibuso yezithombe, imibuso ezifanekiso zayo zedlula ezeJerusalema lezeSamariya,
As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 angiyikuliphatha iJerusalema lezithombe zalo ngendlela engaphatha ngayo iSamariya lezithombe zayo na?’”
and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”
12 Lapho uThixo esewuqedile wonke umsebenzi wakhe mayelana lentaba iZiyoni leJerusalema uzakuthi, “Ngizayijezisa inkosi yase-Asiriya ngenxa yokuzigqaja kwayo lokuzazisa okubonakala emehlweni ayo.”
So when the Lord has completed all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of his arrogant heart and the proud look in his eyes.
13 Ngoba uthi: “‘Ngamandla esandla sami langokuhlakanipha kwami sengenze lokhu ngoba ngilokuqedisisa. Ngayisusa imingcele yezizwe, ngathumba inotho yazo; njengolamandla nganqoba amakhosi azo.
For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers.
14 Njengomuntu efinyelela isidleke senyoni, ngokunjalo isandla sami safinyelela enothweni yezizwe, njengabantu bebutha amaqanda atshiyiweyo, kanjalo ngaqoqa amazwe wonke; akukho okwaphaphazelisa amaphiko loba okwavula umlomo wakho kwatshiyoza.’”
My hand reached as into a nest to seize the wealth of the nations. Like one gathering abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth. No wing fluttered, no beak opened or chirped.’”
15 Konje ihloka liyaziphakamisela ngaphezu kwalowo olizulisayo na, loba isaha izincome imelane lalowo oyisebenzisayo na? Njengangathi induku izanyikinya lowo oyiphakamisayo, kumbe isagila sinyikinye lowo ongasiso sigodo!
Does an axe raise itself above the one who swings it? Does a saw boast over him who saws with it? It would be like a rod waving the one who lifts it, or a staff lifting him who is not wood!
16 Ngakho-ke, iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzathumela isifo esicikizayo emabuthweni ayo aqinileyo; ngaphansi kobukhosi bayo kuzaphembeka umlilo njengelangabi elibhebhayo.
Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame.
17 Ukukhanya kuka-Israyeli kuzakuba ngumlilo, oNgcwele wabo abe lilangabi, ngosuku olulodwa lizatshisa liqede ameva akhe lokhula lwakhe.
And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles.
18 Ubuhle bamahlathi akhe lamasimu akhe avundileyo, uzakuqeda ngokupheleleyo njengalapho umuntu ogulayo ecikizeka.
The splendor of its forests and orchards, both soul and body, it will completely destroy, as a sickness consumes a man.
19 Izihlahla zamahlathi ezisalayo zizakuba zilutshwana, okungathi lomntwana azibale.
The remaining trees of its forests will be so few that a child could count them.
20 Ngalolosuku insalela yako-Israyeli, abendlu kaJakhobe abasindayo, kabasayikwethemba kuye owabatshayayo wababhubhisa kodwa ngeqiniso bazathembela kuThixo, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
21 Insalela izabuyela, insalela kaJakhobe izabuyela kuSomandla uNkulunkulu.
A remnant will return —a remnant of Jacob— to the Mighty God.
22 Loba abantu bakho, we Israyeli, benjengetshebetshebe olwandle, kuzabuya insalela kuphela. Incithakalo isimenyezelwe, iyabakhulela kodwa ilungile.
Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overflowing with righteousness.
23 INkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzasifeza isimemezelo sokubhujiswa elizweni lonke.
For the Lord GOD of Hosts will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.
24 Ngakho-ke lokho yikho iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla akutshoyo: “Awu bantu bami abahlala eZiyoni, lingawesabi ama-Asiriya alitshaya ngentonga njalo lawo aliphakamisela isagila njengokwenziwa yiGibhithe.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear Assyria, who strikes you with a rod and lifts his staff against you as the Egyptians did.
25 Masinyane ukulithukuthelela kwami kuzaphela, ulaka lwami luzaqondiswa ekubhujisweni kwabo.”
For in just a little while My fury against you will subside, and My anger will turn to their destruction.”
26 UThixo uSomandla uzabatshaya ngomchilo njengalapho atshaya iMidiyani edwaleni lase-Orebi, njalo uzaphakamisela intonga yakhe ngaphezu kwamanzi njengalokhu akwenza eGibhithe.
And the LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise His staff over the sea, as He did in Egypt.
27 Ngalolosuku imithwalo yabo izasuswa emahlombe enu, lejogwe labo entanyeni zenu; ijogwe lizakwephulwa ngoba selizimukile.
On that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders, and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large.
28 Bayangena e-Ayathi; badabula phakathi kweMigironi; bagcina impahla eMikhimashi.
Assyria has entered Aiath and passed through Migron, storing their supplies at Michmash.
29 Badlula emkhandlwini bathi, “Ebusuku sizalala eGebha.” IRama liyathuthumela; iGibhiya likaSawuli liyabaleka.
They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.
30 Hlaba umkhosi, We! Ndodakazi kaGalimi, lalela we Layisha! Anathothi ozihawulelayo!
Cry aloud, O Daughter of Gallim! Listen, O Laishah! O wretched Anathoth!
31 IMadimena iyabaleka; abantu baseGebhimu bazacatsha.
Madmenah flees; the people of Gebim take refuge.
32 Ngalolosuku bazakuma kancane, kancane eNobhi, bazakhomba ngezinqindi zabo intaba yeNdodakazi yeZiyoni, eqaqeni lwaseJerusalema.
Yet today they will halt at Nob, shaking a fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Khangelani, iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzaquma ingatsha ngamandla amakhulu. Izihlahla ezidephileyo zizaqunywa. Ezinde zazo zizakwehliselwa phansi.
Behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts will lop off the branches with terrifying power. The tall trees will be cut down, the lofty ones will be felled.
34 Ngehloka uzagamula izixuku zehlathi; iLebhanoni izakuwa phambi kwakhe olaMandla.
He will clear the forest thickets with an axe, and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.
