U-Isaya 29
1 Maye kuwe Ariyeli, Ariyeli, idolobho uDavida ahlala kulo! Yengezelela umnyaka emnyakeni Wenze ukulandelana kwemikhosi yakho kuqhubeke.
Woe to Ariel, to Ariel the city against which David fought: year has been added to year, the solemnities have unfolded.
2 Ikanti i-Ariyeli ngizalivimbezela, lizakhala lilile, kimi lizafana leziko le-alithari.
And I will surround Ariel with siege works, and it will be in sorrow and mourning, and it will be like Ariel to me.
3 Ngizakuhlasela amacele wonke, ngizakuzungeza ngemiphotshongo ngikuvimbezele ngemisebenzi yokukuhlasela.
And I will surround you like a sphere all around you, and I will raise up a rampart against you, and I will set up fortifications to blockade you.
4 Nxa usudilizelwe phansi, uzakhuluma uphansi, inkulumo yakho ayiyikuzwakala ivela othulini. Ilizwi lakho lizafana lelethonga liphuma phansi emhlabathini. Ilizwi lakho lizanyenyeza liphuma othulini.
You will be brought low. You will speak from the ground, and your eloquence will be heard from the dirt. And, from the ground, your voice will be like that of the python, and your eloquence will mumble from the dirt.
5 Kodwa izitha zakho ezinengi, zizakuba njengothuli olucolekileyo, amaxuku alesihluku afane lamakhoba aphephukayo. Masinyazana, ngesikhatshana nje,
And the multitude of those who fan you will be like fine dust. And the multitude of those who have prevailed against you will be like embers fading away.
6 UThixo uSomandla uzafika ngomdumo langokunyikinyeka komhlaba langomsindo omkhulu; ngesiphepho langesivunguzane langamalangabi omlilo oqothulayo.
And this will happen suddenly and swiftly. It will be visited from the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquakes, and with the great noise of a whirlwind and a storm, and with a flame of devouring fire.
7 Lapho-ke amaxuku ezizwe zonke ezilwa le-Ariyeli, ayihlaselayo kanye lezinqaba zayo, njalo eyizungezile, azakuba njengephupho, lilombono webusuku,
And the multitude of all the nations that have struggled against Ariel will be like the dream of a vision by night, along with all who have battled, and besieged, and prevailed against it.
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 one who is hungry and dreams of eating, but, when he has been awakened, his soul is empty. And it will be like one who is thirsty and dreams of drinking, but, after he has been awakened, he still languishes in thirst, and his soul is empty. So shall the multitude of all the nations be, who have struggled against Mount Zion.
9 Thithibalani limangale, zenzeni iziphofu lingabe lisabona; dakwani kodwa kungabi ngenxa yotshwala.
Be stupefied and in wonder! Shake and quiver! Be inebriated, but not from wine! Stagger, but not from drunkenness!
10 UThixo ulehlisele ubuthongo obukhulu: uwavalile amehlo enu (abaphrofethi); wagubuzela amakhanda enu (izanuse).
For the Lord has mixed for you a spirit of deep sleep. He will close your eyes. He will cover your prophets and leaders, who see visions.
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 will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which, when they have given it to someone who knows how to read, they will say, “Read this,” but he will respond, “I cannot; for it has been sealed.”
12 Loba nxa incwadi leyo liyiqhubela umuntu ongakwaziyo ukubala lithi kuye, “Ake ubale lokhu,” uzaphendula athi, “Angikwazi ukubala.”
But if the book is given to someone who does not know how to read, and it is said to him, “Read,” then he will respond, “I do not know how to read.”
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: Since this people have drawn near to me only with their mouth, and their lips glorify me while their heart is far from me, and their fear of me is based on the commandments and doctrines of men,
14 Ngakho-ke abantu laba ngizaphinda ngibethuse ngesimanga phezu kwesimanga; inhlakanipho yabahlakaniphileyo izaphela, ulwazi lwezazi lunyamalale.”
for this reason, behold, I will proceed to accomplish a wonder for this people, a great and mystifying miracle. For wisdom will perish from their wise, and the understanding of their prudent will be concealed.
15 Maye kulabo abatshona phansi ukuba bafihlele uThixo amacebo abo, abenzela imisebenzi yabo emnyameni bacabange bathi, “Ngubani osibonayo? Ngubani ozakwazi?”
Woe to you who use the depths of the heart, so that you may hide your intentions from the Lord. Their works are done in darkness, and so they say: “Who sees us?” and “Who knows us?”
16 Lina lihlanekela izinto kube sengathi kucatshangwa ukuthi umbumbi unjengebumba. Okubunjiweyo kungatsho yini kokubumbileyo kuthi, “Kangibumbanga”? Imbiza ingatsho na kumbumbi ithi, “Kazi lutho”?
This intention of yours is perverse. It is as if the clay were to plan against the potter, or as if the work were to say to its maker: “You did not make me.” Or it is as if what has been formed were to say to the one who formed it, “You do not understand.”
17 Ngesikhatshana esifitshane nje, iLebhanoni kayiyikuphendulwa ibe yinsimu evundileyo, kuthi insimu evundileyo ifane legusu na?
In not more than a little while and a brief time, Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field, and a fruitful field will be considered to be a forest.
18 Ngalolosuku izacuthe zizawezwa amazwi omqulu, njalo ekukhanyeni lebumnyameni amehlo eziphofu abone emnyameni omkhulu.
And in that day, the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of darkness and obscurity the eyes of the blind will see.
19 Abathobekileyo bazathokoza futhi kuThixo, abaswelayo bazathokoza koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
And the meek will increase their rejoicing in the Lord, and the poor among men will exult in the Holy One of Israel.
20 Abalesihluku bazanyamalala, abahleka usulu abayikuba khona, bonke abathanda ukwenza okubi bazabhujiswa,
For the one who was prevailing has failed, the one who was mocking has been consumed, and all those who were standing guard over iniquity have been cut down.
21 labo abenza umuntu abe lecala ngokufakaza amanga, abathiya umvikeli enkundleni yamacala, kuthi ngobufakazi obungamanga benze omsulwa angehlulelwa ngemfanelo.
For they caused men to sin by a word, and they supplanted him who argued against them at the gates, and they turned away from justice in vain.
22 Ngakho-ke lokhu yikho uThixo owahlenga u-Abhrahama akutshoyo kwabendlu kaJakhobe: “UJakhobe kasayikuba lenhloni, ubuso bakhe kabusayikudana.
Because of this, thus says the Lord, he who has redeemed Abraham, to the house of Jacob: From now on, Jacob will not be confounded; from now on his countenance will not blush with shame.
23 Lapho bebona abantwana babo, umsebenzi wezandla zami, bazakwenza ibizo lami libengcwele; bazabubona ubungcwele boNgcwele kaJakhobe, njalo bazamesaba uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
Instead, when he sees his children, they will be the work of my hands in his midst, sanctifying my name, and they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and they will preach the God of Israel.
24 Abalahlekileyo emoyeni bazakuba lokuzwisisa; abasolayo bazavuma ukufundiswa.”
And those who had gone astray in spirit will know understanding, and those who had murmured will learn the law.
