< U-Isaya 27 >

1 Ngalolosuku, uThixo uzajezisa ngenkemba yakhe, inkemba yakhe eyesabekayo, enkulu njalo elamandla, uLeviyathani inyoka endizayo, uLeviyathini inyoka egoqanayo; uzayibulala inunu yasolwandle.
In that day will Jehovah punish with his sword, His hard, and great, and strong sword, The leviathan, that fleet serpent, Even the leviathan, that winding serpent; Yea, he will slay the monster, that is in the sea.
2 Ngalolosuku: “Hlabelani ngesivini esithela izithelo.
In that day, sing ye thus concerning the vineyard:
3 Mina Thixo, ngiyasilinda; ngiyasithelezela kokuphela. Ngisilinda emini lebusuku ukuze kungabikhona owenza okubi kuso.
“I, Jehovah, am its guardian; I will water it every moment; That no one may assault it, I will watch it day and night.
4 Angithukuthelanga. Sengathi kungabe kulokhula lameva okumelana lami! Bengizakulanda ngilwe lakho empini; bengizakutshisa konke ngomlilo.
There is no fury in me; But let me find the thorns and thistles in battle. I will go against them, And burn them up together,
5 Loba phela kabeze bazephephela kimi; kabenze ukuthula lami, yebo, kabenze ukuthula lami.”
Unless they take hold of my protection, And with me make peace, And make peace with me.”
6 Ensukwini ezizayo uJakhobe uzagxila, u-Israyeli uzahluma akhahlele agcwalise umhlaba wonke ngezithelo.
In coming days shall Jacob take root, And Israel flourish and bud forth, And fill the world with fruit.
7 UThixo usemtshayile na njengokutshaya kwakhe abamtshayayo? Usebulewe na njengokubulawa kwalabo abambulalayo?
Did he smite Israel, as he smote those that smote him? Was he slain as those that slew him?
8 Ngempi langokumxotsha elizweni ulwe laye, ngesiphepho sakhe esesabekayo umsusela phandle, njengamhla kuvunguza umoya wasempumalanga.
In measure, by sending her away, didst thou punish her, Taking her away in the rough tempest, in the day of the east wind.
9 Ngalokhu-ke ukona kukaJakhobe kuzahlawulelwa, njalo lokhu kuzakuba yisithelo esigcweleyo esokususwa kwesono sakhe: Lapho esenza wonke amatshe e-alithare abe njengamatshe ekalaga avuthuzwe izicucu, akulazinsika zika-Ashera kumbe ama-alithare empepha azatshiywa emi.
By this, therefore, is the iniquity of Jacob expiated, And this is wholly the fruit of the removal of his sin, That He has made the stones of the altar like limestones broken in pieces, And that the images of Astarte and the sun-pillars no more stand.
10 Idolobho elivikelweyo libhidlikile, indawo yokuhlala etshiyiweyo, yadelwa njengenkangala; lapho asesidla khona amathole lapho alala khona phansi; aphundla ingatsha zalo zisale zize.
For the fortified city is desolate, A habitation forsaken, deserted like a wilderness; There doth the calf feed, and there doth he lie down, And consume her branches.
11 Lapho ingatsha zalo sezomile, ziyephulwa kuze abesifazane babase umlilo ngazo. Ngoba laba ngabantu abangelakuzwisisa; ngakho uMenzi wabo kalasihawu kubo, loMdali wabo akayikuba lomusa kubo.
When her boughs are withered, they are broken off; Women come, and burn them; For it was a people of no understanding; Therefore he that made him had not mercy on him, And he that formed him showed him no favor.
12 Ngalolosuku uThixo uzabhula kusukela kuYufrathe ogelezayo kusiya eMhotsheni waseGibhithe, njalo lina abako-Israyeli lizabuthwa munye ngamunye.
But it shall come to pass in that day, That Jehovah shall gather fruit From the stream of the Euphrates to the river of Egypt, And ye shall be gathered, one by one, ye children of Israel!
13 Njalo ngalolusuku kuzakhaliswa icilongo elikhulu. Labo ababelahlekele elizweni lase-Asiriya lababexotshelwe elizweni laseGibhithe bazabuya bakhonze uThixo phezu kwentaba engcwele eJerusalema.
In that day shall a great trumpet be sounded, And they shall come who are lost in the land of Assyria, And are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship Jehovah upon the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

< U-Isaya 27 >