< U-Isaya 3 >

1 Khangelani khathesi UThixo, uThixo uSomandla usezasusa eJerusalema lelizweni lakoJuda okufunekayo losizo: konke ukudla lamanzi,
For behold, the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, Is turning aside from Jerusalem and from Judah [Both] stay and staff: Every stay of bread and every stay of water;
2 iqhawe lebutho, umahluleli lomphrofethi, isangoma lomuntu omdala,
Mighty and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elderly,
3 induna yebutho labangamatshumi amahlanu lamadoda ayizikhulu, umeluleki, ingcitshi yemisebenzi, lesanuse esihlakaniphileyo.
Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counselor, and wise craftsmen, And discerning charmer.
4 “Ngizakwenza abafana babeyizikhulu zabo; abantwana nje bazababusa.”
And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them.
5 Abantu bazancindezelana, umuntu avukele umuntu, umakhelwane avukele umakhelwane. Abatsha bazavukela abadala, abeyisekayo bavukele abahlonitshwa.
And the people has exacted—man on man, Even a man on his neighbor, The youths enlarge themselves against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honored.
6 Indoda izabamba omunye wabafowabo emzini kayise ithi, “Ulesembatho, woba ngumkhokheli wethu, inqwaba yamanxiwa le izakuba ngaphansi kombuso wakho.”
When one lays hold on his brother, Of the house of his father, [by] the garment, “Come, you are a ruler to us, And this ruin [is] under your hand.”
7 Kodwa ngalolosuku uzakhala athi, “Angilamasiza. Endlini yami akulakudla loba izigqoko; ungangenzi umkhokheli wabantu.”
He lifts up, in that day, saying, “I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, You do not make me a ruler of the people.”
8 IJerusalema liyadiyazela, uJuda uyawa; amazwi abo lezenzo zabo kuphambene loThixo, kweyisa ubukhosi bakhe.
For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, For their tongue and their doings [are] against YHWH, To provoke the eyes of His glory.
9 Ukukhangeleka kobuso babo kufakaza kubi ngabo; babukisa izono zabo njengeSodoma; kabazifihli. Maye kubo! Bazilethele incithakalo phezu kwabo.
The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Woe to their soul, For they have done evil to themselves.
10 Tshela abalungileyo ukuthi kuzakuba kuhle kubo, ngoba bazakholisa izithelo zezenzo zabo.
Say to the righteous that [it is] good, Because they eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Maye kwababi! Incithakalo isiphezu kwabo! Bazaphindiselwa ngalokho izandla zabo ezikwenzileyo.
Woe to the wicked—evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him.
12 Abatsha bancindezela abantu bami, abesifazane bayababusa. Awu, bantu bami, abakhokheli benu bayaliduhisa; bayaliphambula endleleni.
My people—its exactors [are] sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people—your eulogists are causing to err, And the way of your paths swallowed up.
13 UThixo uphakama ukuba afakaze indaba yakhe, uyasukuma ukuba ahlulele abantu.
YHWH has stood up to plead, And He is standing to judge the peoples.
14 UThixo uqalisa ukwahlulela abadala labakhokheli babantu esithi, “Yini elitshabalalise isivini sami; elikuthumbe kubayanga kusezindlini zenu.
YHWH enters into judgment With [the] elderly of His people, and its heads: “And you, you have consumed the vineyard, Plunder of the poor [is] in your houses.
15 Litshoni ngokuchoboza abantu bami langokuchola ubuso babayanga?” kutsho iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla.
Why? Why do you [do this]? You bruise My people, And you grind the faces of the poor.” A declaration of the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, And YHWH says:
16 UThixo uthi, “Abesifazane baseZiyoni bayaziphakamisa, bahamba belule izintamo, behuga ngamehlo abo, begwenxeka ngamanyathelo amancane, izigqizo zikhencezela enqagaleni zabo.
“Because that daughters of Zion have been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving [with] the eyes, They go walking and mincing, And they make a jingling with their feet,
17 Ngakho-ke uThixo uzakwenza amakhanda abesifazane baseZiyoni abe lezilonda; uThixo uzakwenza isikhumba samakhanda abo siphuceke.”
The Lord has also scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And YHWH exposes their simplicity.
18 Ngalolosuku uThixo uzahluthuna imiceciso yabo: amasongo, imincwazi, lemigaxo yentanyeni
In that day the Lord turns aside The beauty of the jingling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the crescents,
19 amacici, izigqizo lezimbombozo,
Of the pendants, and the bracelets, and the veils,
20 amaqhiye, izigetsho lamabhanti; amambodlela amakha lezintebe,
Of the headdresses, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets,
21 indandatho ezilophawu lamasongo empumulo,
Of the seals, and of the nose-rings,
22 izembatho ezinhle lezingubo lezigqoko, izikhwama
Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses,
23 lezibuko, lezigqoko zelineni, imiqhele lamaveli.
Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the veils,
24 Endaweni yephunga elimnandi kuzakuba lomnuko omubi; endaweni yebhanti kuzakuba legoda, endaweni yenwele ezilungiswe kuhle kuzakuba lempabanga, endaweni yezigqoko ezinhle kuzakuba ngamasaka, endaweni yobuhle, kuzakuba lihlazo.
And it has been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth.
25 Amadoda akini azakuwa ngenkemba, kanjalo lamabutho akini empini.
For instead of glory, your men fall by sword, And your might in battle.
26 Amasango aseZiyoni azakhala alile, kuthi yona ihlale phansi ichithekile.
And her openings have lamented and mourned, Indeed, she has been emptied, she sits on the earth!”

< U-Isaya 3 >