U-Isaya 17
1 Isiqalekiso esimayelana leDamaseko: “Khangela iDamaseko kayisayikuba lidolobho kodwa izakuba yinqumbi yamanxiwa.
The burden of Damascus. Lo, Damascus is taken away from [being] a city, And it hath been a heap — a ruin.
2 Amadolobho ase-Aroyeri azatshiywa, etshiyelwa imihlambi ezalala phansi kungekho ozayenza yesabe.
Forsaken are the cities of Aroer, For droves they are, and they have lain down, And there is none troubling.
3 Idolobho elivikelweyo lizanyamalala ko-Efrayimi lamandla obukhosi eDamaseko; insalela ka-Aramu izakuba njengodumo lwabako-Israyeli,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
And ceased hath the fortress from Ephraim, And the kingdom from Damascus, And the remnant of Aram are as the honour of the sons of Israel, The affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts!
4 “Ngalolusuku udumo lukaJakhobe luzakwehla; amafutha asemzimbeni wakhe azancipha.
And it hath come to pass, in that day, Wax poor doth the honour of Jacob, And the fatness of his flesh doth wax lean.
5 Kuzakuba njengalapho umvuni evuna amabele amiyo evuna amabele ngengalo yakhe, njenganxa umuntu edobha izikhwebu zamabele eSigodini saseRefayi.
And it hath come to pass, As the gathering by the reaper of the standing corn, And his arm the ears reapeth, And it hath come to pass, As the gathering of the ears in the valley of Rephaim,
6 Ikanti ezinye izikhwebu zizasala, njengalapho isihlahla se-oliva sibhuliwe, kusale ama-oliva amabili loba amathathu ezingatsheni eziphezulu kakhulu, amane loba amahlanu ezingabeni zezithelo,” kutsho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
And left in him have been gleanings, As the compassing of an olive, Two — three berries on the top of a branch, Four — five on the fruitful boughs, The affirmation of Jehovah, God of Israel!
7 Ngalolosuku abantu bazathembela kuMenzi wabo amehlo abo aphendukele koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
In that day doth man look to His Maker, Yea, his eyes to the Holy One of Israel look,
8 Abayikuthembela ema-alithareni, umsebenzi wezandla zabo, njalo kabayikuzinanza izinsika zika-Ashera lama-alithare empepha enziwa yiminwe yabo.
And he looketh not unto the altars. The work of his own hands, And that which his own fingers made He seeth not — the shrines and the images.
9 Ngalolosuku amadolobho abo aqinileyo, abawatshiyayo ngenxa yama-Israyeli azafana lezindawo ezatshiyelwa izixukwana lezihlahlanyana. Konke kuzakuba yincithakalo.
In that day are the cities of his strength As the forsaken thing of the forest, And the branch that they have left, Because of the sons of Israel, It also hath been a desolation.
10 Selimkhohliwe uNkulunkulu uMsindisi wenu, kalilikhumbulanga iDwala, inqaba yenu. Ngakho lanxa ligxumeka izihlahla ezinhle, lihlanyele lamavini avela ezizweni,
Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, And the rock of thy strength hast not remembered, Therefore thou plantest plants of pleasantness, And with a strange slip sowest it,
11 lanxa lingawenza akhule ngelanga elizawagxumeka ngalo, loba liwenze ahlume ngekuseni eliwahlanyele ngayo, kodwa isivuno sizakuba yize ngosuku lwesifo lobuhlungu obungelaphekiyo.
In the day thy plant thou causest to become great, And in the morning thy seed makest to flourish, A heap [is] the harvest in a day of overflowing, And of mortal pain.
12 Maye, ukuhlokoma kwezizwe ezinengi, zihlokoma njengokuhlokoma kolwandle! Yeka ukuxokozela kwezizwe, zihuba njengokuhuba kwamanzi amanengi!
Woe [to] the multitude of many peoples, As the sounding of seas they sound; And [to] the wasting of nations, As the wasting of mighty waters they are wasted.
13 Lanxa izizwe zihuba njengokugubhuza kwamanzi, nxa ezikhuza zibalekela khatshana, njengamakhoba ephetshulwa ngumoya emaqaqeni, lanjengothuli olubangwa yisivunguzane.
Nations as the wasting of many waters are wasted, And He hath pushed against it, And it hath fled afar off, And been pursued as chaff of hills before wind, And as a rolling thing before a hurricane.
14 Kusihlwa kuba lokuthuthumela. Kungakasi, kabasekho. Lesi yiso isabelo salabo abasikhuthuzayo, isabelo salabo abasihlaselayo.
At even-time, lo, terror, before morning it is not, This [is] the portion of our spoilers, And the lot of our plunderers!
