< U-Isaya 19 >

1 Isiphrofethi esimayelana leGibhithe sithi: Khangela uThixo ukhwele phezu kweyezi elilesiqubu esiza eGibhithe. Izithombe zaseGibhithe ziyathuthumela phambi kwakhe, njalo inhliziyo zamaGibhithe ziba buthakathaka ngaphakathi kwawo.
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Egypt: “Listen to this! I, Yahweh, am coming to Egypt, riding on a fast-moving cloud. The idols in Egypt will tremble when [I appear], and the people of Egypt will be extremely afraid [IDM].
2 “Ngizadunga umGibhithe alwe lomGibhithe, umuntu uzakulwa lomfowabo, umakhelwane alwe lomakhelwane, idolobho lilwe ledolobho, umbuso ulwe lombuso.
I will cause the people of Egypt to fight against each other: men will fight against their brothers, neighbors will fight against each other, people of one city will fight against the people of another city, people of one province will fight against the people of another province.
3 AbaseGibhithe bazaphelelwa lithemba, njalo ngizakwenza amacebo abo abe yize; bazabuza izithombe lemimoya yabafayo, amadlozi lezanuse.
The people of Egypt will become very discouraged, and I will cause their plans not to be successful. They will plead with idols and sorcerers and those who talk with spirits of dead people to tell them what they should do.
4 AbaseGibhithe ngizabanikela enkosini elesihluku, inkosi eyesabekayo izababusa,” kutsho iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla.
Then I will enable someone who will treat them very cruelly to become their king [DOU].” That is what I, the Commander of the armies of angels, say.
5 Amanzi omfula azakutsha, umfula uzacitsha, wome.
[Some day] the water in the [Nile] River will dry up, and the riverbed will become very dry [DOU].
6 Imigelo izanuka, izifula zaseGibhithe zizakwentsha zitshe. Imihlanga lebhuma kuzabuna,
The branches of the river will all dry up [DOU] The canals along the river will stink because of the rotting reeds and (bulrushes/tall grass).
7 kanjalo lezihlahlanyana emakhunjini kaNayili lapho umfula othela khona. Konke okuhlanyelwe eduzane loNayili Kuzakoma, kuphephukele khatshana Kungabikhona.
All the plants along the river and all the crops will dry up; then they will blow away and disappear.
8 Abagoli benhlanzi bazabubula balile, bonke abaphosa amawuka kuNayili, loba abajika amambule emanzini bazaphela amandla.
The fishermen will throw into the river lines with hooks on them and nets, and then they will groan and be very discouraged; they will be sad [because there will be no fish in the river].
9 Labo abasebenzisa isikusha bazadangala, abeluka ilineni elihle bazaphelelwa lithemba.
Those who weave cloth from flax will not know what to do, because there will be no thread for them to weave.
10 Izisebenzi zasemalenjini zizadana, njalo bonke abahola imiholo bazakuba lusizi.
They will all despair and be very discouraged.
11 Izikhulu zaseZowani azisilutho kodwa izithutha nje; abaluleki bakaFaro abahlakaniphileyo banika izeluleko zobuwula. Ungatsho kanjani kuFaro uthi, “Mina ngingomunye wamadoda ahlakaniphileyo, umfundi wamakhosi endulo?”
The officials in Zoan [city in northern Egypt] are foolish. The advice that they gave to the king was worthless. Why do they continue to tell the king that they are wise, that they are descendants of wise kings who lived long ago [RHQ]?
12 Khathesi bangaphi abantu bakini abahlakaniphileyo? Kabalitshengise balazise ngalokhu uThixo uSomandla asecebe ukukwenza emelana leGibhithe.
King, (where are your wise counselors now?/You have no wise counselors now!) [RHQ] If you had any wise counselors, they could tell you what the Commander of the armies of angels has planned to do to Egypt [SAR]!
13 Izikhulu zaseZowani sezibe yizithutha, abakhokheli baseMemfisi bakhohlisiwe, abazinsika zabantu bakhona sebedukise iGibhithe.
[Yes], the officials of Zoan have become foolish, and the leaders in Memphis [city in northern Egypt] have deceived themselves. [All] leaders of the people have (caused their people to do wrong things/led their people astray).
14 UThixo usethele umoya wesiyezi phakathi kwabo; benza iGibhithe ibhadazele kukho konke ekwenzayo, njengesidakwa sidiyazela emahlanzweni aso.
Yahweh has caused them to be very foolish, with the result that in everything that they do, [it is as though the people of] Egypt stagger like [SIM] a drunken person staggers [and slips] in his own vomit.
15 Akulalutho iGibhithe engalwenza, ikhanda loba umsila, ugatsha lwelala loba umhlanga.
There is no one in Egypt, rich or poor, important or unimportant, [who will be able to help them].
16 Ngalolosuku abaseGibhithe bazafana labesifazane. Bazathuthumela ngokwesaba isandla esiphakanyisiweyo uThixo uSomandla abaphakamisele sona.
At that time, the people of Egypt will be [as helpless] as [SIM] women. They will tremble, being terrified [because they know that] the Commander of the armies of angels has raised his fist, [ready to strike/punish them].
17 Lelizwe lakoJuda lizaletha ukwesaba kwabaseGibhithe. Bonke okuzakhulunywa kubo ngoJuda bazathuthumela, ngenxa yalokho uThixo uSomandla aceba ukukwenza kubo.
The people of Egypt will be afraid of the people of Judah, and anyone who mentions Judah to them will cause them to be terrified, because [that will remind them] of what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, is planning to do to them.
18 Ngalolosuku amadolobho amahlanu aseGibhithe azakhuluma ulimi lwaseKhenani, afungele ukwethembeka kuThixo uSomandla. Elinye lawo lizathiwa liDolobho leNcithakalo.
At that time, [people in] five cities in Egypt will solemnly declare that they will serve Yahweh. They will [learn to] speak the Hebrew language. One of those cities will be called ‘City of the Sun’.
19 Ngalolosuku kuzakuba le-alithari likaThixo phakathi kwelizwe laseGibhithe, lelitshe lesikhumbuzo sikaThixo emngceleni walo.
At that time, there will be an altar for worshiping Yahweh in the center of Egypt, and there will be a (pillar/large rock) to honor Yahweh at the border [between Egypt and Israel].
20 Lizakuba yisibonakaliso lobufakazi kuThixo uSomandla elizweni laseGibhithe. Lapho bekhalaza kuThixo ngenxa yabancindezeli babo, uzabathumela umsindisi lomvikeli, abahlenge.
That will be a sign to indicate that the Commander of the armies of angels is worshiped in the land of Egypt. And when the people cry out to Yahweh to help them because others are (oppressing them/causing them to suffer), he will send to them someone who will defend and rescue them.
21 Kanjalo uThixo uzakwenza ukuba azakale kwabaseGibhithe, njalo ngalolosuku bazamvuma uThixo. Bazakhonza ngemihlatshelo langeminikelo yamabele; bazakwenza izifungo kuThixo, bazigcine.
Yahweh will enable the people of Egypt to know who he is, and at that time they will have a close relationship with Yahweh and worship him and bring to him offerings of grain and other sacrifices. They will solemnly promise to do things for Yahweh, and they will do what they promise.
22 UThixo uzatshaya iGibhithe ngesifo; uzabatshaya aphinde abasilise. Bazaphendukela kuThixo, njalo uzakuzwa imikhuleko yabo abasilise.
After Yahweh has punished Egypt, he will cause their troubles to end. The people of Egypt will turn to Yahweh, and he will listen when they plead to him [for help], and he will cause their troubles to cease.
23 Ngalolosuku bazakuba lomgwaqo osuka eGibhithe usiya e-Asiriya. Abase-Asiriya bazakuya eGibhithe, abeGibhithe labo baye e-Asiriya. AbaseGibhithe labase-Asiriya bazakhonza ndawonye.
At that time, there will be a highway between Egypt and Assyria. [As a result], the people of Egypt will [be able to] travel [easily] to Assyria, and the people of Assyria [will be able to travel easily] to Egypt. And the people of both countries will worship [Yahweh].
24 Ngalolosuku i-Israyeli izakuba ngeyesithathu kanye leGibhithe le-Asiriya kube yisibusiso emhlabeni.
And Israel will be their ally. All three nations will be [friendly to] each other, and the people of Israel will be a blessing to the people of the entire world.
25 UThixo uSomandla uzababusisa esithi, “Kayibusiswe iGibhithe abantu bami, i-Asiriya umsebenzi wezandla zami le-Israyeli ilifa lami.”
The Commander of the armies of angels will bless them, saying, “[You people of] Egypt are now my people. You people of Assyria, I have established your country. You people of Israel are the people whom I have chosen to belong to me.”

< U-Isaya 19 >