U-Isaya 13
1 Leli yilizwi elimayelana leBhabhiloni elaboniswa u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi:
A prophecy concerning Babylon, which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
2 Phakamisa uphawu phezu koqaqa oluligceke, umemezele kubo, ubaqhwebe ngesandla ukuba bangene emasangweni asesikhosini.
Upon the bare mountain lift up a banner; Cry aloud to them, wave the hand, That they may enter the gates of the tyrants!
3 Sengibalayile abangcwele bami, sengiwalayile amaqhawe ami ukuba afeze ulaka lwami, lawo athokozela ukunqoba kwami.
I have given orders to my consecrated ones, Yea, I have called upon my mighty ones to execute mine anger, My proud exulters!
4 Lalelani, umsindo phezu kwezintaba, onjengowexuku elikhulu. Lalelani, ukuxokozela phakathi kwemibuso njengezizwe zibuthana ndawonye! UThixo uSomandla ubutha ibutho elibuthela impi.
The noise of a multitude upon the mountains, like that of a great people! The tumultuous noise of kingdoms, of nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts mustereth his army for battle.
5 Bavela emazweni akude, emikhawulweni yamazulu, uThixo lezikhali zolaka lwakhe, ukuba kuchithwe ilizwe lonke.
They come from a distant country, From the end of Heaven, Jehovah and the instruments of his indignation. To lay waste the whole land.
6 Lilani ngoba usuku lukaThixo seluseduze. Luzafika njengokuchithakala okuvela kuSomandla.
Howl ye, for the day of Jehovah is at hand! Like a destruction from the Almighty, it cometh;
7 Ngenxa yalokhu izandla zonke zizakuba buthakathaka, inhliziyo zabantu bonke zizaphela amandla.
Therefore shall all hands hang down, And every heart of man shall melt.
8 Bazakuba lokwesaba okukhulu, baphathwe yibuhlungu losizi; bazabhinqika njengowesifazane ehelelwa. Bazakhangelana bemangele, ubuso babo bungamalangabi.
They shall be in consternation; Distress and anguish shall lay hold of them; As a woman in travail shall they writhe; They shall look upon one another with amazement: Their faces shall glow like flames.
9 Khangelani usuku lukaThixo luyeza, usuku lwesihluku, ulaka lokuthukuthela okukhulu, ukwenza ilizwe lichitheke, kubhujiswe izoni eziphakathi kwalo.
Behold! the day of Jehovah cometh, Terrible, full of wrath and burning indignation, To make the land a waste, And to destroy the sinners out of it.
10 Izinkanyezi zezulu lemithala yazo akuyikukhanyisa. Ilanga eliphumayo lizafiphazwa lenyanga ayiyikukhanyisa.
For the stars of heaven, and the constellations thereof, Shall not give their light; The sun shall be darkened at his going forth, And the moon shall withhold her light.
11 Umhlaba ngizawujezisa ngenxa yobubi bawo, lababi ngenxa yezono zabo. Ngizaqeda ukukloloda kwabazikhukhumezayo, ngehlise ukuzigqaja kwabalesihluku.
For I will punish the world for its guilt, And the wicked for their iniquity. I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, And I will bring down the haughtiness of the tyrants.
12 Ngizakwenza abantu basweleke okudlula igolide elicengekileyo, basweleke okudlula igolide lase-Ofiri.
I will make men scarcer than gold; Yea, men than the gold of Ophir.
13 Ngakho-ke ngizakwenza amazulu anyikinyeke; lomhlaba uzamazame endaweni yawo ngokuthukuthela kukaThixo uSomandla, ngosuku lolaka lwakhe oluvuthayo.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth shall be shaken out of her place, In the anger of Jehovah of hosts, In the day of his burning indignation.
14 Njengempala ezingelwayo, lanjengezimvu ezingelamelusi, omunye lomunye uzabuyela ebantwini bakibo, omunye lomunye uzabalekela elizweni lakibo.
Then shall they be like a chased doe; Like a flock, which no one gathereth together; Every one shall turn to his own people, And every one flee to his own land.
15 Lowo ozathunjwa uzagwazwa; bonke abazabanjwa bazabulawa ngenkemba.
Every one that is overtaken shall be thrust through, And every one that is caught shall fall by the sword.
16 Izingane zabo zizamahlazelwa phambi kwamehlo abo; izindlu zabo zizakhuthuzwa, omkabo babanjwe ngodlakela.
Their children shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses shall be plundered, and their wives ravished.
17 Khangelani, ngizabavusela amaMede angelandaba lesiliva, njalo engalijabuleli legolide.
Behold, I stir up against them the Medes, Who make no account of silver, And as to gold, they do not regard it.
18 Imitshoko yawo izabulala izinsizwa; kawayikuba lozwelo ezinganeni loba abe lesihawu ebantwaneni.
Their bows shall strike down the young men, And on the fruit of the womb they shall have no compassion; Their eye shall not pity the children.
19 IBhabhiloni, igugu lemibuso, ubukhazikhazi bokuziqhenya kwamaKhaladiya, lizachithwa nguNkulunkulu njengeSodoma leGomora.
So shall Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The proud ornament of the Chaldeans, Be like Sodom and Gomorrah, which God overthrew,
20 Akuyikuhlalwa kulo futhi loba kwakhiwe kulo kuzozonke izizukulwane; akulama-Arabhu azamisa amathente awo khona, loba umelusi ozaphumuza imihlambi yakhe khona.
It shall never more be inhabited; Nor shall it be dwelt in through all generations. Nor shall the Arabian pitch his tent there, Nor shall shepherds make their folds there.
21 Kodwa izinyamazana zeganga zizahlala khona, amakhanka azahlala ezindlini zakhona lezikhova zizahlala khona, lamagogo aqolotshe khona.
But there shall the wild beasts of the desert lodge, And owls shall fill their houses; And ostriches shall dwell there, And satyrs shall dance there.
22 Impisi zizakhala ezinqabeni zakhona, amakhanka ezindlini ezinhle zobukhosi. Isikhathi salo sesizafika njalo insuku zalo kaziyikwandiswa.
Wolves shall howl in their palaces, And jackals in their pleasant edifices. Her time is near, And her days shall not be prolonged.
