U-Isaya 29
1 Maye kuwe Ariyeli, Ariyeli, idolobho uDavida ahlala kulo! Yengezelela umnyaka emnyakeni Wenze ukulandelana kwemikhosi yakho kuqhubeke.
Ho! Ariel, Ariel, the town against which David made war; put year to year, let the feasts come round:
2 Ikanti i-Ariyeli ngizalivimbezela, lizakhala lilile, kimi lizafana leziko le-alithari.
And I will send trouble on Ariel, and there will be weeping and cries of grief; and she will be to me as Ariel.
3 Ngizakuhlasela amacele wonke, ngizakuzungeza ngemiphotshongo ngikuvimbezele ngemisebenzi yokukuhlasela.
And I will make war on you like David, and you will be shut in by earthworks, and I will make towers round you.
4 Nxa usudilizelwe phansi, uzakhuluma uphansi, inkulumo yakho ayiyikuzwakala ivela othulini. Ilizwi lakho lizafana lelethonga liphuma phansi emhlabathini. Ilizwi lakho lizanyenyeza liphuma othulini.
And you will be made low, and your voice will come out of the earth, and your words will be low out of the dust; and your voice will come out of the earth like that of a spirit, making bird-like noises out of the dust.
5 Kodwa izitha zakho ezinengi, zizakuba njengothuli olucolekileyo, amaxuku alesihluku afane lamakhoba aphephukayo. Masinyazana, ngesikhatshana nje,
And the army of your attackers will be like small dust, and all the cruel ones like dry stems gone before the wind; suddenly it will come about.
6 UThixo uSomandla uzafika ngomdumo langokunyikinyeka komhlaba langomsindo omkhulu; ngesiphepho langesivunguzane langamalangabi omlilo oqothulayo.
The Lord of armies will come in with thunder and earth-shaking and great noise, with rushing wind and storm, and the flame of burning fire.
7 Lapho-ke amaxuku ezizwe zonke ezilwa le-Ariyeli, ayihlaselayo kanye lezinqaba zayo, njalo eyizungezile, azakuba njengephupho, lilombono webusuku,
And all the nations making war on Ariel, and all those who are fighting against her and shutting her in with their towers, will be like a dream, like a vision of the night.
8 njengomuntu olambileyo ephupha esidla, kodwa aphaphame ukulamba kwakhe kulokhu kunjalo, lanjengalapho umuntu owomileyo ephupha enatha kodwa aphaphame engelamandla, ukoma kwakhe kungaphelanga. Kuzakuba njalo lakumaxuku ezizwe zonke ezilwa leNtaba iZiyoni.
And it will be like a man desiring food, and dreaming that he is feasting; but when he is awake there is nothing in his mouth: or like a man in need of water, dreaming that he is drinking; but when he is awake he is feeble and his soul is full of desire: so will all the nations be which make war on Mount Zion.
9 Thithibalani limangale, zenzeni iziphofu lingabe lisabona; dakwani kodwa kungabi ngenxa yotshwala.
Be surprised and full of wonder; let your eyes be covered and be blind: be overcome, but not with wine; go with uncertain steps, but not because of strong drink.
10 UThixo ulehlisele ubuthongo obukhulu: uwavalile amehlo enu (abaphrofethi); wagubuzela amakhanda enu (izanuse).
For the Lord has sent on you a spirit of deep sleep; and by him your eyes, the prophets, are shut, and your heads, the seers, are covered.
11 Kini umbono wonke lo kawusilutho kodwa amazwi nje avalelwe encwadini egoqiweyo. Njalo nxa incwadi leyo liyiqhubela umuntu okwaziyo ukubala lithi kuye, “Ake ubale lokhu,” uzaphendula athi, “Anganelisi, ngoba ivaliwe.”
And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book which is shut, which men give to one who has knowledge of writing, saying, Make clear to us what is in the book: and he says, I am not able to, for the book is shut:
12 Loba nxa incwadi leyo liyiqhubela umuntu ongakwaziyo ukubala lithi kuye, “Ake ubale lokhu,” uzaphendula athi, “Angikwazi ukubala.”
And they give it to one without learning, saying, Make clear to us what is in the book: and he says, I have no knowledge of writing.
13 UThixo uthi: “Abantu laba basondela kimi ngemilomo yabo bangikhonze ngezindebe zabo, kodwa inhliziyo zabo zikude lami; ukungikhonza kwabo kwenziwa kuphela nje ngemilayo abayifundiswa ngabantu.
And the Lord said, because this people come near to me with their mouths, and give honour to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and their fear of me is false, a rule given them by the teaching of men;
14 Ngakho-ke abantu laba ngizaphinda ngibethuse ngesimanga phezu kwesimanga; inhlakanipho yabahlakaniphileyo izaphela, ulwazi lwezazi lunyamalale.”
For this cause I will again do a strange thing among this people, a thing to be wondered at: and the wisdom of their wise men will come to nothing, and the sense of their guides will no longer be seen.
15 Maye kulabo abatshona phansi ukuba bafihlele uThixo amacebo abo, abenzela imisebenzi yabo emnyameni bacabange bathi, “Ngubani osibonayo? Ngubani ozakwazi?”
Cursed are those who go deep to keep their designs secret from the Lord, and whose works are in the dark, and who say, Who sees us? and who has knowledge of our acts?
16 Lina lihlanekela izinto kube sengathi kucatshangwa ukuthi umbumbi unjengebumba. Okubunjiweyo kungatsho yini kokubumbileyo kuthi, “Kangibumbanga”? Imbiza ingatsho na kumbumbi ithi, “Kazi lutho”?
You are turning things upside down! Is the wet earth the same to you as the one who is forming it? will the thing made say of him who made it, He made me not: or the thing formed say of him who gave it form, He has no knowledge?
17 Ngesikhatshana esifitshane nje, iLebhanoni kayiyikuphendulwa ibe yinsimu evundileyo, kuthi insimu evundileyo ifane legusu na?
In a very short time Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will seem like a wood.
18 Ngalolosuku izacuthe zizawezwa amazwi omqulu, njalo ekukhanyeni lebumnyameni amehlo eziphofu abone emnyameni omkhulu.
And in that day those whose ears are stopped will be hearing the words of the book; and the eyes of the blind will see through the mist and the dark.
19 Abathobekileyo bazathokoza futhi kuThixo, abaswelayo bazathokoza koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
And the poor will have their joy in the Lord increased, and those in need will be glad in the Holy One of Israel.
20 Abalesihluku bazanyamalala, abahleka usulu abayikuba khona, bonke abathanda ukwenza okubi bazabhujiswa,
For the cruel one has come to nothing; and those who make sport of the Lord are gone; and those who are watching to do evil are cut off:
21 labo abenza umuntu abe lecala ngokufakaza amanga, abathiya umvikeli enkundleni yamacala, kuthi ngobufakazi obungamanga benze omsulwa angehlulelwa ngemfanelo.
Who give help to a man in a wrong cause, and who put a net for the feet of him who gives decisions in the public place, taking away a man's right without cause.
22 Ngakho-ke lokhu yikho uThixo owahlenga u-Abhrahama akutshoyo kwabendlu kaJakhobe: “UJakhobe kasayikuba lenhloni, ubuso bakhe kabusayikudana.
For this reason the Lord, the saviour of Abraham, says about the family of Jacob, Jacob will not now be put to shame, or his face be clouded with fear.
23 Lapho bebona abantwana babo, umsebenzi wezandla zami, bazakwenza ibizo lami libengcwele; bazabubona ubungcwele boNgcwele kaJakhobe, njalo bazamesaba uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
But when they, the children of Jacob, see the work of my hands among them, they will give honour to my name; yes, they will give honour to the Holy One of Jacob, and go in fear of the God of Israel.
24 Abalahlekileyo emoyeni bazakuba lokuzwisisa; abasolayo bazavuma ukufundiswa.”
Those whose hearts were turned away from him will get knowledge, and those who made an outcry against him will give attention to his teaching.
