U-Isaya 10
1 Maye kulabo abenza imithetho emibi, lakulabo ababhala izimiso ezincindezelayo,
Tragedy is coming to those who pass evil decrees and who write laws to harm people.
2 ukuba kwamukwe abayanga amalungelo abo lokugodla okufaneleyo kwabantu bami abancindezelweyo; bazingela abafelokazi baqhwage izintandane.
They pervert the legal rights of the needy, and rob justice from the poor of my people. They steal from widows and cheat orphans.
3 Lizakwenzani ngosuku lokuthonisiswa lapho incithakalo isiza ivela khatshana? Lizabalekela kubani ukuba lithole usizo na? Lizayitshiya ngaphi inotho yenu?
What are you going to do on the day you're punished, when disaster falls on you from far away? Who are you going to run to so you can get help? Where are you going to leave all your wealth?
4 Akukho okuzasala, kodwa ukuba baquthe phakathi kwabathunjiweyo loba bafe lababuleweyo. Ikanti kukho konke lokhu, ukuthukuthela kwakhe akupheli, isandla sakhe silokhu siphakanyisiwe.
All you'll be able to do is to bow down as prisoners, or lie among the dead! In all of this he is still angry and his hand is still raised.
5 “Maye kumʼAsiriya, intonga yentukuthelo yami, esandleni sayo kulesagila solaka lwami!
Tragedy is coming to the Assyrians, even though the rod they use represents my anger and the stick they hold in their hands represents my fury!
6 Ngimthumela ukuyamelana lesizwe esingelankulunkulu, ngimthumela ukuyamelana labantu abangithukuthelisayo, ukuba athumbe ahluthune impahla yokuthunjwa, lokubanyathelela phansi njengodaka ezindleleni.
I am sending the Assyrians against a nation that has given up on its God, against a people that make me angry. I order the Assyrians to loot them, to take their possessions, and to trample them down like mud in the street.
7 Kodwa lokhu akusikho akujongileyo, lokhu akusikho okusengqondweni yakhe; injongo yakhe yikutshabalalisa, abhubhise izizwe ezinengi.
But this isn't what is behind the thinking of the king of Assyria. This isn't the plan he has in mind. What he wants to do is to destroy and eliminate many nations.
8 Uthi, ‘Izinduna zami zebutho kazisimakhosi zonke na?
He says: “All my commanders are kings!
9 IKhalino kaliphumelelanga njengeKharikhemishi na? IHamathi kalinjenge-Ariphadi na? LeSamariya kayinjengeDamaseko na?
We conquered Calno like we did Carchemish; Hamath like Arpad; Samaria like Damascus.
10 Lanjengoba isandla sami sabamba imibuso yezithombe, imibuso ezifanekiso zayo zedlula ezeJerusalema lezeSamariya,
I was the one who conquered these kingdoms along with the idols of their gods. These kingdoms had images of their gods that were better than those of Jerusalem and Samaria.
11 angiyikuliphatha iJerusalema lezithombe zalo ngendlela engaphatha ngayo iSamariya lezithombe zayo na?’”
Why shouldn't I do to Jerusalem and her idols just what I did to Samaria 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.”
Once the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for his terrible arrogance and for the conceited 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 the king of Assyria says: “I have done this in my own strength. It was through my wisdom, because I'm clever. I have wiped out the boundaries of nations and looted their treasures. Like a bull I knocked their rulers off their thrones.
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.’”
Like robbing a bird's nest, I took the wealth of the nations. Like collecting abandoned eggs, I collected the whole the earth. There wasn't a fluttering wing or an open beak, not even a chirp!”
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 ax say it's more important than the person swinging it? Does a saw boast that it's greater than the person sawing with it? It would be as if a rod waved the person holding it, or a walking stick lifted up a person—who certainly wasn't wood!
16 Ngakho-ke, iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzathumela isifo esicikizayo emabuthweni ayo aqinileyo; ngaphansi kobukhosi bayo kuzaphembeka umlilo njengelangabi elibhebhayo.
So the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a disease on the king of Assyria's strong warriors that will make them waste away; a flaming fire will be set under everything he's so proud of.
17 Ukukhanya kuka-Israyeli kuzakuba ngumlilo, oNgcwele wabo abe lilangabi, ngosuku olulodwa lizatshisa liqede ameva akhe lokhula lwakhe.
Israel's light will become a fire, and his Holy One will become a flame. It will burn up his thorns and brambles in just one day.
18 Ubuhle bamahlathi akhe lamasimu akhe avundileyo, uzakuqeda ngokupheleleyo njengalapho umuntu ogulayo ecikizeka.
It will totally destroy its splendid forests and orchards. Assyria will waste away, staggering off like someone sick.
19 Izihlahla zamahlathi ezisalayo zizakuba zilutshwana, okungathi lomntwana azibale.
The trees left in 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.
At that time those who are left in Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer trust in those who turn on them, but they will truly trust in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
21 Insalela izabuyela, insalela kaJakhobe izabuyela kuSomandla uNkulunkulu.
A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will come back to the Mighty God.
22 Loba abantu bakho, we Israyeli, benjengetshebetshebe olwandle, kuzabuya insalela kuphela. Incithakalo isimenyezelwe, iyabakhulela kodwa ilungile.
Israel, even though your people are as numerous as sand on the seashore, only a remnant will return. The Lord has rightly decided to destroy his people.
23 INkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzasifeza isimemezelo sokubhujiswa elizweni lonke.
The Lord God Almighty has rightly decided to bring destruction throughout the whole country.
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.
So this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says, My people living in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrians who beat you with rods and hit you with clubs, just like the Egyptians did.
25 Masinyane ukulithukuthelela kwami kuzaphela, ulaka lwami luzaqondiswa ekubhujisweni kwabo.”
Very shortly I will stop being angry with you. Then I will turn my anger on them and I will destroy them.
26 UThixo uSomandla uzabatshaya ngomchilo njengalapho atshaya iMidiyani edwaleni lase-Orebi, njalo uzaphakamisela intonga yakhe ngaphezu kwamanzi njengalokhu akwenza eGibhithe.
The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, just as he did when he attacked the Midianites at the rock of Oreb. He will hold up his rod over the sea, just as he did in Egypt.
27 Ngalolosuku imithwalo yabo izasuswa emahlombe enu, lejogwe labo entanyeni zenu; ijogwe lizakwephulwa ngoba selizimukile.
At that time he will remove the burden from your shoulders and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because of the anointing with oil.
28 Bayangena e-Ayathi; badabula phakathi kweMigironi; bagcina impahla eMikhimashi.
The Assyrians came to Aiath, passed through Migron, and stored their supplies at Michmash.
29 Badlula emkhandlwini bathi, “Ebusuku sizalala eGebha.” IRama liyathuthumela; iGibhiya likaSawuli liyabaleka.
They cross the pass, saying, “We'll stay overnight at Geba.” The people of Ramah tremble in fear; the inhabitants of Gibeah of Saul run away.
30 Hlaba umkhosi, We! Ndodakazi kaGalimi, lalela we Layisha! Anathothi ozihawulelayo!
Shout out a warning, people of Gallim! Pay attention, those living in Laishah! You poor people of Anathoth!
31 IMadimena iyabaleka; abantu baseGebhimu bazacatsha.
The people of Madmenah, are all running away. The inhabitants of Gebim are looking for somewhere safe.
32 Ngalolosuku bazakuma kancane, kancane eNobhi, bazakhomba ngezinqindi zabo intaba yeNdodakazi yeZiyoni, eqaqeni lwaseJerusalema.
Today the invaders stop at Nob, shaking their fists at the mountain of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Khangelani, iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzaquma ingatsha ngamandla amakhulu. Izihlahla ezidephileyo zizaqunywa. Ezinde zazo zizakwehliselwa phansi.
Look how the Lord Almighty is going to chop off the branches with great force. The tall trees will be cut down, the proud trees will be brought crashing down.
34 Ngehloka uzagamula izixuku zehlathi; iLebhanoni izakuwa phambi kwakhe olaMandla.
He will cut down the thick forest with an ax, and Lebanon will fall at the hand of the Mighty One.
