U-Isaya 33
1 Maye kuwe, wena mchithi, wena ongachithwanga! Maye kuwe, wena mthengisi, wena ongacetshwanga! Lapho uyekela ukuthengisa, lawe uzacetshwa.
Woe to you who destroy, but you weren’t destroyed, and who betray, but nobody betrayed you! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betrayal, you will be betrayed.
2 Awu Thixo, woba lomusa kithi; siyakulangazelela. Woba ngamandla ethu ekuseni konke, ube yinsindiso yethu esikhathini sosizi.
LORD, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3 Ekukhwazeni kwelizwi lakho, izizwe ziyabaleka; lapho uphakama izizwe ziyahlakazeka.
At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered.
4 Elakuthumbayo, lina zizwe, kubuthwa sengangathi kuqoqwa yisikhongwane, abantu beqela kukho njengomtshitshi wentethe.
Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap.
5 UThixo uphakeme ngoba uhlala phezulu, uzagcwalisa iZiyoni ngokufaneleyo langokulunga.
The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 Uzakuba yisisekelo esithembekileyo sesikhathi senu, isiphala esigcwele usindiso, ukuhlakanipha lokwazi; ukumesaba uThixo kuyisiqokoqela sokuzuza ingcebo le.
There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is your treasure.
7 Khangelani, amaqhawe akibo ahlaba umkhosi emigwaqweni! Izithunywa zokuthula ziyakhala kakhulu.
Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
8 Imigwaqo emikhulu ibetha umoya, akulazihambi kuyo. Isivumelwano sephulwe, ofakazi baso beyisiwe, kakho ohlonitshwayo.
The highways are desolate. The travelling man ceases. The covenant is broken. He has despised the cities. He doesn’t respect man.
9 Ilizwe liyalila njalo liyachitheka. ILebhanoni iyangekile njalo iyabuna; iSharoni injengenkangala, iBhashani leKhameli akhithizwa amahlamvu awo.
The land mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded and withers away. Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.
10 UThixo uthi, “Khathesi sengizavuka, khathesi sengizadunyiswa, khathesi sengizaphakanyiswa.
“Now I will arise,” says the LORD. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.
11 Liqukethe ngamakhoba, lizale izibi; umoya wenu eliwuphefumulayo ungumlilo oliqedayo.
You will conceive chaff. You will give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you.
12 Abantu bazatshiswa bafane lekalaga; bazathungelwa ngomlilo njengamahlahla ameva aganyuliweyo.”
The peoples will be like the burning of lime, like thorns that are cut down and burnt in the fire.
13 Lina elikhatshana, zwanini engikwenzileyo; lina abaseduze, vumani amandla ami!
Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and, you who are near, acknowledge my might.”
14 Izoni zaseZiyoni ziyathuthumela; abangamesabiyo uNkulunkulu bayaqhaqhazela: “Ngubani owakithi ongahlala lomlilo oqothulayo na? Ngubani owakithi ongahlala lokutshisa okungapheliyo na?”
The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who amongst us can live with the devouring fire? Who amongst us can live with everlasting burning?
15 Ngulowo owenza okulungileyo, ekhuluma okuqotho oyalayo inzuzo yokuncindezelwa, ale ukwamukela isivalamlomo, owalayo ukulalela amaqhinga okubulala, avale amehlo akhe ukuze angaboni okubi,
He who walks righteously and speaks blamelessly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil—
16 lo nguye umuntu ozahlala ekuphakameni, osiphephelo sakhe sizakuba yinqaba yasentabeni. Uzalethelwa isinkwa sakhe, lamanzi kayikuwaswela.
he will dwell on high. His place of defence will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.
17 Amehlo enu azayibona inkosi ebuhleni bayo, abuke lelizwe elibanzi.
Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. They will see a distant land.
18 Ezingqondweni zenu lizakhumbula ukwesaba kwakuqala lithi: “Ingaphi induna yezikhulu leyana? Ungaphi owayethatha imali yemithelo? Singaphi isikhulu esigcina imiphotshongo na?”
Your heart will meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers?
19 Abantu labayana abaklolodayo kalisayikubabona futhi, abantu labayana abolimi olungazwakaliyo, abolimi olungaziwayo, olungaqondakaliyo.
You will no longer see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can’t comprehend, with a strange language that you can’t understand.
20 Khangelani iZiyoni, idolobho lemikhosi yethu; amehlo enu azabona iJerusalema indawo yokuhlala elokuthula, ithente elingeke lisuswe; izikhonkwane zalo kaziyikusitshunwa lezintambo zalo kaziyikuqamuka.
Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords 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 the LORD will be with us in majesty, a place of wide rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will go, neither will any gallant ship pass by there.
22 Ngoba uThixo ungumahluleli wethu, uThixo usinika imithetho, uThixo yinkosi yethu; nguye ozasikhulula.
For the LORD is our judge. The LORD is our lawgiver. The LORD 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.
Your rigging is untied. They couldn’t strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn’t spread the sail. Then the prey of a great plunder was divided. The lame took the prey.
24 Akulamuntu ohlala eZiyoni ozakuthi, “Mina ngiyagula”; labantu abahlala khona bazathethelelwa izono zabo.
The inhabitant won’t say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell therein will be forgiven their iniquity.
