U-Isaya 33
1 Maye kuwe, wena mchithi, wena ongachithwanga! Maye kuwe, wena mthengisi, wena ongacetshwanga! Lapho uyekela ukuthengisa, lawe uzacetshwa.
Alas! thou plunderer when, thou, hadst not been plundered, And thou traitor when they had not betrayed thee: When thou hast ceased plundering, thou shalt be plundered, When thou hast left off betraying, they shall betray thee.
2 Awu Thixo, woba lomusa kithi; siyakulangazelela. Woba ngamandla ethu ekuseni konke, ube yinsindiso yethu esikhathini sosizi.
O Yahweh! shew us favour, —For thee, have we waited, —Be thou their arm every morning, Yea our salvation in the time of distress.
3 Ekukhwazeni kwelizwi lakho, izizwe ziyabaleka; lapho uphakama izizwe ziyahlakazeka.
At the noise of a tumult, the peoples retreated, —When thou didst lift thyself up, nations were scattered.
4 Elakuthumbayo, lina zizwe, kubuthwa sengangathi kuqoqwa yisikhongwane, abantu beqela kukho njengomtshitshi wentethe.
Then shall your spoil be gathered as the gathering of the caterpillar, —As the swift running of locusts, is he about to run upon them.
5 UThixo uphakeme ngoba uhlala phezulu, uzagcwalisa iZiyoni ngokufaneleyo langokulunga.
Exalted is Yahweh, for he inhabiteth a height, —He hath filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 Uzakuba yisisekelo esithembekileyo sesikhathi senu, isiphala esigcwele usindiso, ukuhlakanipha lokwazi; ukumesaba uThixo kuyisiqokoqela sokuzuza ingcebo le.
So shall a wealth of deliverances, wisdom and knowledge, become the stability of thy times, —the reverence of Yahweh, the same is his treasure.
7 Khangelani, amaqhawe akibo ahlaba umkhosi emigwaqweni! Izithunywa zokuthula ziyakhala kakhulu.
Lo! their heroes, have cried out openly, —the messengers of peace, in bitterness, continue weeping [they say]:
8 Imigwaqo emikhulu ibetha umoya, akulazihambi kuyo. Isivumelwano sephulwe, ofakazi baso beyisiwe, kakho ohlonitshwayo.
The highways are deserted, The passer-by on the path, hath ceased, —He hath broken covenant, He hath despised cities, He hath made no account of men.
9 Ilizwe liyalila njalo liyachitheka. ILebhanoni iyangekile njalo iyabuna; iSharoni injengenkangala, iBhashani leKhameli akhithizwa amahlamvu awo.
The land mourneth, languisheth, Lebanon, displayeth shame, is withered, —Sharon, hath become, as the waste plain, And Bashan and Carmel are shaking off their leaves.
10 UThixo uthi, “Khathesi sengizavuka, khathesi sengizadunyiswa, khathesi sengizaphakanyiswa.
Now, will I arise, Saith Yahweh, Now, will I lift myself up, Now, will I be exalted!
11 Liqukethe ngamakhoba, lizale izibi; umoya wenu eliwuphefumulayo ungumlilo oliqedayo.
Ye shall conceive chaff Ye shall bring forth stubble, —Your own breath, like fire, shall devour you.
12 Abantu bazatshiswa bafane lekalaga; bazathungelwa ngomlilo njengamahlahla ameva aganyuliweyo.”
So shall peoples, become, as the burnings of lime, —As thorns lopped off, with fire, shall they be burned.
13 Lina elikhatshana, zwanini engikwenzileyo; lina abaseduze, vumani amandla ami!
Hear—ye that are far off. what I have done, And know—ye that are near my might:
14 Izoni zaseZiyoni ziyathuthumela; abangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu bayaqhaqhazela: “Ngubani owakithi ongahlala lomlilo oqothulayo na? Ngubani owakithi ongahlala lokutshisa okungapheliyo na?”
Terror-stricken in Zion, —are sinners, Shuddering hath seized the impious, —Who among us can sojourn with a fire that devoureth? Who among us can sojourn with burnings age-abiding?
15 Ngulowo owenza okulungileyo, ekhuluma okuqotho oyalayo inzuzo yokuncindezelwa, ale ukwamukela isivalamlomo, owalayo ukulalela amaqhinga okubulala, avale amehlo akhe ukuze angaboni okubi,
He that walketh righteously, And speaketh uprightly, —He that refuseth the gain of exactions That shaketh his hands free from holding a bribe, That stoppeth his ear from hearkening to deeds of blood, And shutteth his eyes from giving countenance to wrong,
16 lo nguye umuntu ozahlala ekuphakameni, osiphephelo sakhe sizakuba yinqaba yasentabeni. Uzalethelwa isinkwa sakhe, lamanzi kayikuwaswela.
He, the heights, shall inhabit, A stronghold of crags, shall be his refuge, —His bread, hath been delivered, His waters, have been made sure,
17 Amehlo enu azayibona inkosi ebuhleni bayo, abuke lelizwe elibanzi.
Of a king, in his beauty, shall thine eyes have vision: They shall see a land that stretcheth afar.
18 Ezingqondweni zenu lizakhumbula ukwesaba kwakuqala lithi: “Ingaphi induna yezikhulu leyana? Ungaphi owayethatha imali yemithelo? Singaphi isikhulu esigcina imiphotshongo na?”
Thy heart, may murmur in terror, —Where is the scribe? Where—the receiver? Where—he that maketh a list of the towers?
19 Abantu labayana abaklolodayo kalisayikubabona futhi, abantu labayana abolimi olungazwakaliyo, abolimi olungaziwayo, olungaqondakaliyo.
The fierce people, shalt thou not see, —The people of too deep a lip to be understood, of too barbarous a tongue for thee to comprehend.
20 Khangelani iZiyoni, idolobho lemikhosi yethu; amehlo enu azabona iJerusalema indawo yokuhlala elokuthula, ithente elingeke lisuswe; izikhonkwane zalo kaziyikusitshunwa lezintambo zalo kaziyikuqamuka.
Look thou on Zion, the city of our appointed feast, —Thine own eyes, shall see Jerusalem—A home of comfort A tent which shall not be packed up—Whose pins shall not be pulled out, for ever, And none of, whose cords, shall be broken.
21 Khonapho uThixo uzakuba ngolaMandla wethu. Kuzafana lendawo elemifula ebanzi kanye lezifula. Akukho mkhumbi wempi ozagwedlwa khona, akukho mkhumbi olamandla ozahamba khona.
But, there shall Yahweh be our majestic one, A place of rivers—streams broad on both hands, Wherein shall go no galley with oars, Neither shall majestic ship traverse it;
22 Ngoba uThixo ungumahluleli wethu, uThixo usinika imithetho, uThixo yinkosi yethu; nguye ozasikhulula.
For, Yahweh is our judge, Yahweh, is our lawgiver, —Yahweh, is our king, He will save us!
23 Izintambo zakho zeseyili ziyaxega. Insika kayiqiniswanga; iseyili kayivulekanga. Lapho-ke impango enengi izakwabiwa kuthi labaqhulayo labo bazazuza impango.
Loosed are thy ropes, —They cannot strengthen the socket of their mast They have not unfurled a sail Now, can be apportioned spoil, in abundance, The lame, have captured prey!
24 Akulamuntu ohlala eZiyoni ozakuthi, “Mina ngiyagula”; labantu abahlala khona bazathethelelwa izono zabo.
Neither shall the inhabitant say. I am sick, —the people who dwell therein, have been forgiven iniquity.
