U-Isaya 24
1 Khangela, uThixo uzabhidliza umhlaba utshabalale; uzawuchitha, ahlakaze abahlala kuwo.
Behold, the Lord is about to lay waste the world, and will make it desolate, and will lay bare the surface of it, and scatter them that dwell therein.
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 the people shall be as the priest, and the servant as the lord, and the maid as the mistress; the buyer shall be as the seller, the lender as the borrower, and the debtor as his creditor.
3 Umhlaba uzatshabalaliswa nya uphangwe uqedwe du. UThixo uselikhulumile ilizwi leli.
The earth shall be completely laid waste, and the earth shall be utterly spoiled: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things.
4 Umhlaba uyoma ubune, umhlaba uyahodoza ubune, abaphakemeyo bomhlaba bayahodoza!
The earth mourns, and the world is ruined, the lofty ones of the earth are mourning.
5 Umhlaba ungcoliswa ngabantu bawo. Kabayilalelanga imithetho, beqe imilayo bephula isivumelwano esingapheliyo.
And she has sinned by reason of her inhabitants; because they have transgressed the law, and changed the ordinances, [even] 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.
Therefore a curse shall consume the earth, because the inhabitants thereof have sinned: therefore the dwellers in the earth shall be poor, and few men shall be left.
7 Iwayini elitsha liyaphela, amavini ayabuna; bonke abenza umsindo bejabula bayabubula.
The wine shall mourn, the vine shall mourn, all the merry-hearted shall sigh.
8 Ukukhala kwamagedla kuthulisiwe, umsindo wabajabulayo usuphelile, ichacho lentokozo selithule.
The mirth of timbrels has ceased, the sound of the harp has ceased.
9 Kabasanathi iwayini behlabela, utshwala buyababa kubanathi babo.
They are ashamed, they have not drunk wine; strong drink has become bitter to them that drink [it].
10 Idolobho elidilikileyo litshabalele; iminyango yezindlu zonke ivalekile.
All the city has become desolate: one shall shut his house so that none shall enter.
11 Emigwaqweni bakhalela iwayini, yonke intokozo iba yikudana, ukujabula konke kuphelile emhlabeni.
There is a howling for the wine everywhere; all the mirth of the land has ceased, all the mirth of the land has departed.
12 Idolobho lisele selingamanxiwa, isango lalo libhidlizwe laba yizicucu.
And cities shall be left desolate, and houses being left shall fall to ruin.
13 Kuzakuba njalo emhlabeni laphakathi kwezizwe, njengalapho isihlahla somʼoliva sinyikinywa, loba njengezithelo ezitholwa emva kokuvunwa kwamavini.
All this shall be in the land in the midst of the nations, as if one should strip an olive tree, so shall they strip them; but when the vintage is done,
14 Baphakamisa amazwi abo, bahlabele ngentokozo; bememezela ubukhosi bukaThixo bengasentshonalanga.
these shall cry aloud; and they that are left on the land shall rejoice together in the glory of the Lord: the water of the sea shall be troubled.
15 Ngakho-ke dumisani uThixo empumalanga; phakamisani uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ezihlengeni zolwandle.
Therefore shall the glory of the Lord be in the isles of the sea; the name of the Lord shall be glorious.
16 Sizwa ukuhlabelela okuvela emikhawulweni yomhlaba: “Udumo kalube koLungileyo.” Kodwa mina ngathi, “Ngiyacikizeka, ngiyacikizeka! Maye mina! Abakhohlisi bayaceba! Ngenkohliso abakhohlisi bayaceba!”
O Lord God of Israel, from the ends of the earth we have heard wonderful things, [and there is] hope to the godly: but they shall say, Woe to the despisers, that despise the law.
17 Ukwesaba, igodi lomjibila kulilindele, lina bantu basemhlabeni.
Fear, and a pit, and a snare, are upon you that dwell on the earth.
18 Loba ngubani obalekela umsindo wokwesaba uzawela egodini; loba ngubani ophumayo egodini uzabanjwa ngumjibila. Amasango asezulwini avuliwe, izisekelo zomhlaba ziyanyikinyeka.
And it shall come to pass, [that] he that flees from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that comes up out of the pit shall be caught by the snare: for windows have been opened in heaven, and the foundations of the earth shall be shaken,
19 Umhlaba usubhidlikile, umhlaba usudabuke phakathi, umhlaba usunyikinywe impela.
the earth shall be utterly confounded, and the earth shall be completely perplexed.
20 Umhlaba udiyazela njengesidakwa, uzunguzeka njengendlu kulesiphepho; siwusinda kangaka isono sokuhlamuka kwawo uze uwe, awuyikuvuka futhi.
It reels as a drunkard and one oppressed with wine, and the earth shall be shaken as a storehouse of fruits; for iniquity has prevailed upon it, and it shall fall, and shall not be able to rise.
21 Ngalolosuku uThixo uzajezisa amabutho asemazulwini phezulu lamakhosi emhlabeni ngaphansi.
And God shall bring [his] hand upon the host of heaven, and upon the kings of the earth.
22 Bazabuthelwa ndawonye njengezibotshwa zibotshiwe emgodini oyintolongo. Bazavalelwa entolongweni bajeziswe emva kwensuku ezinengi.
And they shall gather the multitude thereof into prisons, and they shall shut them into a strong hold: after many generations they shall be visited.
23 Inyanga izayangeka, ilanga libelenhloni; ngoba uThixo uSomandla uzabusa ngenkazimulo phezu kweNtaba iZiyoni laphakathi kweJerusalema, laphambi kwabadala bakhona.
And the brick shall decay, and the wall shall fall; for the Lord shall reign from out of Sion, and out of Jerusalem, and shall be glorified before [his] elders.
