U-Isaya 13
1 Leli yilizwi elimayelana leBhabhiloni elaboniswa u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi:
The word of the Lord about Babylon which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
2 Phakamisa uphawu phezu koqaqa oluligceke, umemezele kubo, ubaqhwebe ngesandla ukuba bangene emasangweni asesikhosini.
Put up a flag on a clear mountain-top, make a loud outcry to them, give directions with the hand, so that they may go into the doors of the great ones.
3 Sengibalayile abangcwele bami, sengiwalayile amaqhawe ami ukuba afeze ulaka lwami, lawo athokozela ukunqoba kwami.
I have given orders to my holy ones, I have sent out my men of war, those of mine who take pride in their power, to give effect to my wrath.
4 Lalelani, umsindo phezu kwezintaba, onjengowexuku elikhulu. Lalelani, ukuxokozela phakathi kwemibuso njengezizwe zibuthana ndawonye! UThixo uSomandla ubutha ibutho elibuthela impi.
The noise of great numbers in the mountains, like the noise of a strong people! The noise of the kingdoms of the nations meeting together! The Lord of armies is numbering his forces for war.
5 Bavela emazweni akude, emikhawulweni yamazulu, uThixo lezikhali zolaka lwakhe, ukuba kuchithwe ilizwe lonke.
They come from a far country, from the farthest part of heaven, even the Lord and the instruments of his wrath, with destruction for all the land.
6 Lilani ngoba usuku lukaThixo seluseduze. Luzafika njengokuchithakala okuvela kuSomandla.
Send out a cry of grief; for the day of the Lord is near; it comes as destruction from the Most High.
7 Ngenxa yalokhu izandla zonke zizakuba buthakathaka, inhliziyo zabantu bonke zizaphela amandla.
For this cause all hands will be feeble, and every heart of man be turned to water;
8 Bazakuba lokwesaba okukhulu, baphathwe yibuhlungu losizi; bazabhinqika njengowesifazane ehelelwa. Bazakhangelana bemangele, ubuso babo bungamalangabi.
Their hearts will be full of fear; pains and sorrows will overcome them; they will be in pain like a woman in childbirth; they will be shocked at one another; their faces will be like flames.
9 Khangelani usuku lukaThixo luyeza, usuku lwesihluku, ulaka lokuthukuthela okukhulu, ukwenza ilizwe lichitheke, kubhujiswe izoni eziphakathi kwalo.
See, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with wrath and burning passion: to make the land a waste, driving the sinners in it to destruction.
10 Izinkanyezi zezulu lemithala yazo akuyikukhanyisa. Ilanga eliphumayo lizafiphazwa lenyanga ayiyikukhanyisa.
For the stars of heaven and its bright armies will not give their light: the sun will be made dark in his journey through the heaven, and the moon will keep back her light.
11 Umhlaba ngizawujezisa ngenxa yobubi bawo, lababi ngenxa yezono zabo. Ngizaqeda ukukloloda kwabazikhukhumezayo, ngehlise ukuzigqaja kwabalesihluku.
And I will send punishment on the world for its evil, and on the sinners for their wrongdoing; and I will put an end to all pride, and will make low the power of the cruel.
12 Ngizakwenza abantu basweleke okudlula igolide elicengekileyo, basweleke okudlula igolide lase-Ofiri.
I will make men so small in number, that a man will be harder to get than gold, even the best gold of Ophir.
13 Ngakho-ke ngizakwenza amazulu anyikinyeke; lomhlaba uzamazame endaweni yawo ngokuthukuthela kukaThixo uSomandla, ngosuku lolaka lwakhe oluvuthayo.
For this cause the heavens will be shaking, and the earth will be moved out of its place, in the wrath of the Lord of armies, and in the day of his burning passion.
14 Njengempala ezingelwayo, lanjengezimvu ezingelamelusi, omunye lomunye uzabuyela ebantwini bakibo, omunye lomunye uzabalekela elizweni lakibo.
And it will be that, like a roe in flight, and like wandering sheep, they will go every man to his people and to his land.
15 Lowo ozathunjwa uzagwazwa; bonke abazabanjwa bazabulawa ngenkemba.
Everyone who is overtaken will have a spear put through him, and everyone who goes in flight will be put to the sword.
16 Izingane zabo zizamahlazelwa phambi kwamehlo abo; izindlu zabo zizakhuthuzwa, omkabo babanjwe ngodlakela.
Their young children will be broken up before their eyes; their goods will be taken away, and their wives made the property of others.
17 Khangelani, ngizabavusela amaMede angelandaba lesiliva, njalo engalijabuleli legolide.
See, I am driving the Medes against them, who put no value on silver and have no pleasure in gold.
18 Imitshoko yawo izabulala izinsizwa; kawayikuba lozwelo ezinganeni loba abe lesihawu ebantwaneni.
In their hands are bows and spears; they are cruel, violently putting the young men to death, and crushing the young women; they have no pity for children, and no mercy for the fruit of the body.
19 IBhabhiloni, igugu lemibuso, ubukhazikhazi bokuziqhenya kwamaKhaladiya, lizachithwa nguNkulunkulu njengeSodoma leGomora.
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beautiful town which is the pride of the Chaldaeans, will be like God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 Akuyikuhlalwa kulo futhi loba kwakhiwe kulo kuzozonke izizukulwane; akulama-Arabhu azamisa amathente awo khona, loba umelusi ozaphumuza imihlambi yakhe khona.
People will never be living in it again, and it will have no more men from generation to generation: the Arab will not put up his tent there; and those who keep sheep will not make it a resting-place for their flocks.
21 Kodwa izinyamazana zeganga zizahlala khona, amakhanka azahlala ezindlini zakhona lezikhova zizahlala khona, lamagogo aqolotshe khona.
But the beasts of the waste land will have their holes there; and the houses will be full of crying jackals, and ostriches will have their place there, and evil spirits will be dancing there.
22 Impisi zizakhala ezinqabeni zakhona, amakhanka ezindlini ezinhle zobukhosi. Isikhathi salo sesizafika njalo insuku zalo kaziyikwandiswa.
And wolves will be answering one another in their towers, and jackals in their houses of pleasure: her time is near, and her days of power will quickly be ended.
