U-Isaya 28
1 Maye kulowomqhele wamaluba, iqhono lezidakwa zako-Efrayimi, kuluba elibunayo, ubuhle obukhazimulayo, obubekwe ngaphezulu kwesigodi esivundileyo, kulelodolobho, iqhono lalabo asebelaliswe liwayini phansi!
Ho! crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim, and the dead flower of his glory which is on the head of those who are overcome by strong drink!
2 Khangelani, uThixo ulaye olamandla oqinileyo. Njengesiqhotho lomoya odilizayo, njengezulu lesiphepho lesihlambi esilamandla, uzakuphosa phansi ngamandla amakhulu.
See, the Lord has a strong and cruel one; like a rain of ice, a storm of destruction, like the overflowing of a strong river, he will violently overcome them.
3 Umqhele lowo wamaluba, iqhono lezidakwa zako-Efrayimi kuzanyathelwa ngaphansi kwezinyawo.
The crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim will be crushed under foot;
4 Leliyaluba elibunayo, ubuhle bakhe obukhazimulayo, kuhlanyelwe ngaphezu kwesigodi esivundileyo, lizakuba njengomkhiwa ovuthiweyo kungakavunwa okuthi khonokho nje omunye ewubona awukhe ngesandla awuginye.
And the dead flower of his glory, which is on the head of the fertile valley, will be like the first early fruit before the summer; which a man takes and puts in his mouth the minute he sees it.
5 Ngalolosuku uThixo uSomandla uzakuba ngumqhele okhazimulayo, umqhele wamaluba omuhle kulabo abayizinsalela zabantu bakhe.
In that day will the Lord of armies be a crown of glory, and a fair ornament, to the rest of his people;
6 Uzakuba ngumoya wokulunga kulowo owahlulelayo, umthombo wamandla kulabo ababuyisela impi emuva isisesangweni.
And a spirit of wisdom to the judge, and strength to those who keep back the attackers at the door of the town.
7 Lalaba bayadiyazela ngenxa yewayini, babhadazele ngenxa yotshwala. Abaphristi labaphrofethi bayadiyazela ngenxa yotshwala, njalo baphambene ngenxa yewayini; bayabhadazela ngenxa yotshwala, bayadiyazela, lapho bebona imibono, bayakhininda lapho besenza izinqumo.
And further, these are uncertain through wine, and have gone out of the right way through strong drink: the priest and the prophet are uncertain through strong drink, they are overcome by wine, they have gone out of the way through strong drink; their vision is false, they go wrong in their decisions.
8 Amatafula wonke agcwele amahlanzo njalo akulandawo engelamanyala.
For all the tables are covered with coughed-up food, so that there is not a clean place.
9 “Ngubani lowo ozama ukumfundisa? Umbiko wakhe uwuchazela bani na? Abantwana abangasamunyi, kumbe abalunyuliweyo na?
To whom will he give knowledge? and to whom will he make clear the word? Will it be to those who have newly given up milk, and who have only now been taken from the breast?
10 Ngoba kumi kanje: Yenza lokhu, yenza lokhuya, umthetho walokhu, umthetho walokhuya; ingcosana lapha, lengconsana laphayana.”
For it is one rule after another; one line after another; here a little, there a little.
11 Kungasenani, ngezindebe zabezizweni langolimi olungaziwayo, uNkulunkulu uzakhuluma lalababantu,
No, but with broken talk, and with a strange tongue, he will give his word to this people:
12 atshoyo kubo wathi, “Le yindawo yokuphumula, abadiniweyo kabaphumule”; njalo, “Le yindawo yokucambalala,” kodwa kabalalelanga.
To whom he said, This is the rest, give rest to him who is tired; and by this you may get new strength; but they would not give ear.
13 Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo kubo lizakuba ngelithi: Yenza lokhu, yenza lokhuya, umthetho walokhu, umthetho walokhuya, ingcosana lapha, ingcosana laphaya, ukuze bahambe bawe nyovane, balimale, bathiywe, bathunjwe.
For this cause the word of the Lord will be to them rule after rule, line after line, here a little, there a little; so that they may go on their way, and falling back may be broken, and taken in the net.
14 Ngakho-ke zwanini ilizwi likaThixo lina bantu abaklolodayo, ababusa abantu laba eJerusalema.
Give ear then to the word of the Lord, you men of pride, the rulers of this people in Jerusalem:
15 Lizitshaya izifuba lisithi, “Senze isivumelwano lokufa, senza isivumelwano lethuna. Nxa isijeziso esikhulu sifika, kasiyikusithinta, ngoba senze amanga aba yisiphephelo sethu lenkohliso yaba yindawo yethu yokucatsha.” (Sheol h7585)
Because you have said, We have made death our friend, and with the underworld we have made an agreement; when the overflowing waters come through they will not come near us; for we are looking to false words for help, taking cover in what is untrue: (Sheol h7585)
16 Ngakho lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo woBukhosi: “Khangelani, ngibeka ilitshe eZiyoni, ilitshe elihloliweyo, ilitshe lengosi eliligugu; elesisekelo esiqinisekileyo, lowo othembayo akayikuphela amandla.
For this cause says the Lord God, See, I am placing in Zion as a base, a stone, a tested stone, an angle-stone which is certain and of great value: and he who has faith will not give way.
17 Ngizakwenza okufaneleyo kube yintambo yokulinganisa, ukulunga kube yintambo yokuqondisa; isiqhotho sizakhukhula isiphephelo senu, amanga, lamanzi azagabhela indawo yenu yokucatsha.
And I will make right decision the measuring-line, and righteousness the weight: and the ice-storm will take away the safe place of false words, and the secret place will be covered by the flowing waters.
18 Isivumelwano senu lokufa sizakwesulwa; isivumelwano senu lengcwaba kasiyikuma. Lapho isijeziso esikhulu sifika sizalilahla phansi. (Sheol h7585)
And the help you were looking for from death will come to nothing, and your agreement with the underworld will be broken; when the overflowing waters come through, then you will be overcome by them. (Sheol h7585)
19 Ngazozonke izikhathi esizafika ngazo sizalithatha; ukusa ngokusa, emini lebusuku, sizalikhukhula.” Ukulizwisisa ilizwi leli kuzaletha ukwesaba khona ngokwakho.
Whenever they come through they will overtake you; for they will come through morning after morning, by day and by night: and the news will be nothing but fear.
20 Umbheda mfitshane kakhulu ukuba unabe kuwo, ingubo incane kakhulu ukuba ugoqelwe ngayo.
For the bed is not long enough for a man to be stretched out on: and the cover is not wide enough for him to be covered with.
21 UThixo uzavuka njengalokho akwenzayo entabeni iPherazimu; uzathukuthela njengaseSigodini seGibhiyoni, ukuba enze umsebenzi wakhe, umsebenzi oyisimanga, enze umsebenzi wakhe, umsebenzi ongaziwayo.
For the Lord will come up as on Mount Perazim, he will be moved to wrath as in the valley of Gibeon; so that he may do his work — strange is his work; and give effect to his act — unnatural is his act.
22 Khathesi-ke yekelani ukukloloda kwenu funa amaketane elibotshwe ngawo alisinde kakhulu; iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla usengitshele ngesimiso sokutshabalalisa ilizwe lonke.
And now, take care that you do not make sport of him, or your bands will be made strong; for I have had word from the Lord, the Lord of armies, of an end, of a complete end, which is to come on all the land.
23 Lalelani lizwe ilizwi lami; lalelani lizwe engikutshoyo.
Let your ears be open to my voice; give attention to what I say.
24 Lapho umlimi elima ukuba ahlanyele, ulima kokuphela na? Uqhubeka elima umhlabathi ewubhuqa kokuphela na?
Is the ploughman for ever ploughing? does he not get the earth ready and broken up for the seed?
25 Nxa umhlabathi esewendlale kuhle, kahlanyeli ikharawayi ahlanyele lekhumini na? Kahlanyeli ingqoloyi endaweni yayo; ibhali ensimini yayo, lespelithi ensimini yaso na?
When the face of the earth has been levelled, does he not put in the different sorts of seed, and the grain in lines, and the barley in its place, and the spelt at the edge?
26 UNkulunkulu wakhe uyamfundisa, amfundise indlela eqondileyo.
For his God is his teacher, giving him the knowledge of these things.
27 Ikharawayi kayibhulwa ngesileyi; lenqola kayihanjiswa phezu kwekhumini, kodwa ikharawayi ibhulwa ngentonga, kuthi ikhumini ibhulwe ngombhulo.
For the fitches are not crushed with a sharp instrument, and a cart-wheel is not rolled over the cummin; but the grain of the fitches is hammered out with a stick, and of the cummin with a rod.
28 Amabele kumele acholwe ukuba kwenziwe isinkwa, ngakho umuntu kawabhuli kokuphela. Lanxa ehambisa inqola yakhe yokubhula phezu kwawo, amabhiza akhe kawawacholi.
Is the grain for bread crushed? He does not go on crushing it for ever, but he lets his cart-wheels and his horses go over it without crushing it.
29 Konke lokhu lakho kuvela kuThixo uSomandla omangalisayo ngokweluleka, njalo olenhlakanipho emangalisayo.
This comes from the Lord of armies, purposing wonders, and wise in all his acts.
