U-Isaya 24
1 Khangela, uThixo uzabhidliza umhlaba utshabalale; uzawuchitha, ahlakaze abahlala kuwo.
Behold, the Lord will lay waste to the earth, and he will strip it, and he will afflict its surface, and he will scatter its inhabitants.
2 Kuzafanana okuzenziwa kumphristi kuzenziwa lasebantwini, okuzenziwa enkosini kuzenziwa lasencekwini, okuzenziwa enkosikazini kuzenziwa lasencekukazini, okuzenziwa kumthengisi kuzenziwa lakumthengi, okuzenziwa kowebolekayo kuzenziwa lakumebolekisi, okuzenziwa kokweledayo kuzenziwa lakokweledisayo.
And this shall be: as with the people, so with the priest; and as with the servant, so with his master; as with the handmaid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3 Umhlaba uzatshabalaliswa nya uphangwe uqedwe du. UThixo uselikhulumile ilizwi leli.
The earth will be utterly devastated and utterly plundered. For the Lord has spoken this word.
4 Umhlaba uyoma ubune, umhlaba uyahodoza ubune, abaphakemeyo bomhlaba bayahodoza!
The earth mourned, and slipped away, and languished. The world slipped away; the loftiness of the people of the earth was weakened.
5 Umhlaba ungcoliswa ngabantu bawo. Kabayilalelanga imithetho, beqe imilayo bephula isivumelwano esingapheliyo.
And the earth was corrupted by its inhabitants. For they have transgressed the laws, they have changed the ordinance, they have dissipated the everlasting covenant.
6 Ngakho-ke umhlaba uchithwa yisiqalekiso; abantu bawo kumele bahlupheke ngenxa yokona kwabo. Ngakho abantu abahlala emhlabeni bayatshiswa, njalo balutshwana kakhulu abaseleyo.
Because of this, a curse will devour the earth, and its inhabitants will sin. And for this reason, its caretakers will become crazed, and few men will be left behind.
7 Iwayini elitsha liyaphela, amavini ayabuna; bonke abenza umsindo bejabula bayabubula.
The vintage has mourned. The vine has languished. All those who were rejoicing in their hearts have groaned.
8 Ukukhala kwamagedla kuthulisiwe, umsindo wabajabulayo usuphelile, ichacho lentokozo selithule.
The gladness of the drums has ceased. The sound of rejoicing has quieted. The sweetness of stringed instruments has been silenced.
9 Kabasanathi iwayini behlabela, utshwala buyababa kubanathi babo.
They will not drink wine with a song. The drink will be bitter to those who drink it.
10 Idolobho elidilikileyo litshabalele; iminyango yezindlu zonke ivalekile.
The city of vanity has been worn away. Every house has been closed up; no one enters.
11 Emigwaqweni bakhalela iwayini, yonke intokozo iba yikudana, ukujabula konke kuphelile emhlabeni.
There will be a clamor for wine in the streets. All rejoicing has been abandoned. The gladness of the earth has been carried away.
12 Idolobho lisele selingamanxiwa, isango lalo libhidlizwe laba yizicucu.
Solitude is what remains in the city, and calamity will overwhelm its gates.
13 Kuzakuba njalo emhlabeni laphakathi kwezizwe, njengalapho isihlahla somʼoliva sinyikinywa, loba njengezithelo ezitholwa emva kokuvunwa kwamavini.
For so shall it be in the midst of the earth, in the midst of the people: it is as if the few remaining olives are being shaken from the olive tree, and it is like a few clusters of grapes, when the grape harvest has already ended.
14 Baphakamisa amazwi abo, bahlabele ngentokozo; bememezela ubukhosi bukaThixo bengasentshonalanga.
These few shall lift up their voice and give praise. When the Lord will have been glorified, they will make a joyful noise from the sea.
15 Ngakho-ke dumisani uThixo empumalanga; phakamisani uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ezihlengeni zolwandle.
Because of this, glorify the Lord in doctrine: the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.
16 Sizwa ukuhlabelela okuvela emikhawulweni yomhlaba: “Udumo kalube koLungileyo.” Kodwa mina ngathi, “Ngiyacikizeka, ngiyacikizeka! Maye mina! Abakhohlisi bayaceba! Ngenkohliso abakhohlisi bayaceba!”
From the ends of the earth, we have heard the praises of the glory of the Just One. And I said: “My secret is for myself! My secret is for myself! Woe to me! Those who would betray us have betrayed us, and they have betrayed us with the betrayal of transgression.”
17 Ukwesaba, igodi lomjibila kulilindele, lina bantu basemhlabeni.
Dread, and the pit, and the snare are over you, O inhabitant of the earth!
18 Loba ngubani obalekela umsindo wokwesaba uzawela egodini; loba ngubani ophumayo egodini uzabanjwa ngumjibila. Amasango asezulwini avuliwe, izisekelo zomhlaba ziyanyikinyeka.
And this shall be: whoever will flee from the voice of dread will fall into the pit. And whoever will extricate himself from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the floodgates from above have been opened, and the foundations of the earth will be shaken.
19 Umhlaba usubhidlikile, umhlaba usudabuke phakathi, umhlaba usunyikinywe impela.
The earth will be utterly broken! The earth will be utterly crushed! The earth will be utterly shaken!
20 Umhlaba udiyazela njengesidakwa, uzunguzeka njengendlu kulesiphepho; siwusinda kangaka isono sokuhlamuka kwawo uze uwe, awuyikuvuka futhi.
The earth will stagger greatly, like a drunken man, and will be carried away, like the tent of a single night. And its iniquity will be heavy upon it, and it will fall and not rise up again.
21 Ngalolosuku uThixo uzajezisa amabutho asemazulwini phezulu lamakhosi emhlabeni ngaphansi.
And this shall be: in that day, the Lord will visit upon the armies of the sky above, and upon the kings of the earth who are on the ground.
22 Bazabuthelwa ndawonye njengezibotshwa zibotshiwe emgodini oyintolongo. Bazavalelwa entolongweni bajeziswe emva kwensuku ezinengi.
And they will be gathered together like the gathering of one bundle into a pit. And they will be enclosed in that place, as in a prison. And after many days, they will be visited.
23 Inyanga izayangeka, ilanga libelenhloni; ngoba uThixo uSomandla uzabusa ngenkazimulo phezu kweNtaba iZiyoni laphakathi kweJerusalema, laphambi kwabadala bakhona.
And the moon will be ashamed, and the sun will be confounded, when the Lord of hosts will reign on mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and when he will have been glorified in the sight of his elders.
