< U-Isaya 31 >
1 Maye kulabo abaya eGibhithe ukuyafuna usizo, abathemba amabhiza, abathembe ubunengi bezinqola zabo zempi lamandla amakhulu abagadi bamabhiza abo, kodwa bengathembeli koNgcwele ka-Israyeli, kumbe bacele usizo kuThixo.
Woe [to] those going down to Egypt for help, And [who] lean on horses, And trust on chariots, because [they are] many, And on horsemen, because [they are] very strong, And have not looked on the Holy One of Israel, And have not sought YHWH.
2 Ikanti laye uhlakaniphile njalo angaletha incithakalo; ilizwi lakhe kalibuyeli emuva. Uzavukela abendlu yababi lalabo abasiza abenza okubi.
And He [is] also wise, and brings in evil, And He has not turned aside His words, And He has risen against a house of evildoers, And against the help of workers of iniquity.
3 Kodwa amaGibhithe ngabantu kawasiNkulunkulu; amabhiza awo yinyama kawasimoya. Lapho uThixo eselula isandla sakhe, lowo osizayo uzakhubeka, lowo osizwayo uzakuwa, bobabili bazabhubha.
And the Egyptians [are men], and not God, And their horses [are] flesh, and not spirit, And YHWH stretches out His hand, And the helper has stumbled, And the helped one has fallen, And together all of them are consumed.
4 Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo kimi, ukuthi: “Njengesilwane sihwabha; isilwane esikhulu sibhongela esikubambileyo, lanxa ixuku lonke labelusi libizwa ukuba lisihlasele, kasethuswa yikuklabalala kwabo kumbe sithikanyezwe ngumsindo wabo, unjalo-ke uThixo uSomandla uzakwehla ukuba alwe entabeni iZiyoni laseziqongweni zayo.
For thus said YHWH to me: “As the lion and the young lion growl over his prey, Against whom a multitude of shepherds is called, He is not frightened from their voice, And he is not humbled from their noise; So YHWH of Hosts comes down To war on Mount Zion, and on her height.
5 Njengezinyoni zitshaya amaphiko emoyeni, uThixo uSomandla uzavikela iJerusalema, uzalivikela alikhulule, uzadlula ‘ngaphezu’ kwalo alihlenge.”
As birds flying, so does YHWH of Hosts Cover over Jerusalem, covering and delivering, Passing over, and causing to escape.”
6 Awu bantu bako-Israyeli, buyelani kulowo elamhlamukela kakubi.
Turn back to Him from whom sons of Israel Have deepened apostasy.
7 Ngoba ngalolosuku lonke lizazilahla izithombe zenu zesiliva lezegolide elizenze ngezandla zenu ezonayo.
For in that day each despises His idols of silver, and his idols of gold, That your hands made to you—a sin.
8 “I-Asiriya izachithwa ngenkemba engesiyabantu, inkemba engasiyo yabantu izababhubhisa. Bazayibalekela inkemba, izinsizwa zabo zizakwenziwa izigqili.
And Asshur has fallen by sword, not of the high, Indeed, a sword—not of the low, consumes him, And he has fled for himself from the face of a sword, And his young men become tributary.
9 Inqaba yabo izadilika ngenxa yokwesaba; lapho bebona uphawu lwempi izinduna zabo zempi zizatshaywa luvalo,” kutsho uThixo omlilo wakhe useZiyoni, osithando sakhe siseJerusalema.
And he passes on [to] his rock from fear, And his princes have been frightened by the ensign—a declaration of YHWH, Who has a light in Zion, And who has a furnace in Jerusalem!