U-Isaya 47
1 “Yehla uhlale othulini Ndodakazi emsulwa yaseBhabhiloni, hlala emhlabathini ungelasihlalo sobukhosi, ndodakazi yamaBhabhiloni. Akusayikuthiwa ubuthakathaka loba kuthiwe uthambile.
“Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of Chaldea! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate.
2 Thatha amatshe okuchola uchole impuphu; ukhuphe isimbombozo sakho. Phakamisa izidwaba zakho, uveze imilenze yakho, ugxabhaze udabule ezifuleni.
Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams.
3 Ubunqunu bakho buzavezwa, ihlazo lakho lambuleke. Ngizaphindisela, kakho engizamyekela.”
Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”
4 Umhlengi wethu uThixo uSomandla libizo lakhe ungoNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
Our Redeemer—the LORD of Hosts is His name— is the Holy One of Israel.
5 “Hlala ngokuthula, yana emnyameni, ndodakazi yamaKhaladiya; awuyikubizwa ngokuthi ndlovukazi yemibuso futhi.
“Sit in silence and go into darkness, O Daughter of Chaldea. For you will no longer be called the queen of kingdoms.
6 Ngabathukuthelela abantu bami, ngangcolisa ilifa lami, ngabanikela ezandleni zakho, kawaze waba lesihawu kubo. Lasebeluphele, wabethesa ijogwe elinzima.
I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage, and I placed them under your control. You showed them no mercy; even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke.
7 Wathi, ‘Ngizaqhubeka kokuphela ngiyindlovukazi nini lanini.’ Kodwa kawuzinakanga lezizinto, kumbe unakane ngokungenzakala.
You said, ‘I will be queen forever.’ You did not take these things to heart or consider their outcome.
8 Khathesi-ke lalela, wena sidalwa esingazibekanga, wena ocambaleleyo uvikelekile usithi ngenhliziyo yakho, ‘Mina yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami, angisoze ngaba ngumfelokazi kumbe ngifelwe ngabantwana.’
So now hear this, O lover of luxury who sits securely, who says to herself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or know the loss of children.’
9 Kodwa lokhu kokubili kuzakwehlela ngokuphangisa, ngasuku lunye ukufelwa ngabantwana lobufelokazi. Lokhu kuzakwehlela phezu kwakho ngokugcweleyo, bungakhathelekile ubuthakathi bakho layo yonke imilingo yakho elamandla.
These two things will overtake you in a moment, in a single day: loss of children, and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells.
10 Wethembele ebubini bakho, njalo watsho wathi, ‘Kakho ongibonayo.’ Inhlakanipho yakho lolwazi lwakho kuyakukhohlisa lapho usithi kuwe, ‘Mina yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami.’
You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
11 Incithakalo izakwehlela phezu kwakho, njalo awuyikwazi ukuyivikela ngemilingo. Umonakalo uzakwehlela phezu kwakho, ongeke uwuvimbe ngenhlawulo, lengozi ongeke uyikhumbulele izakujuma.
But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.
12 Qhubeka-ke ngemilingo yakho, langobuthakathi bakho obunengi okusebenza kusukela ebantwaneni bakho. Mhlawumbe uzaphumelela, kumbe njalo wenze kube lokwesaba.
So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
13 Zonke izeluleko owazitholayo zikucobile. Izazi zezinkanyezi kazisondele, labahloli bezinkanyezi ababika ngokuzakwenzakala inyanga ngenyanga. Kabakuhlenge kulokhu okuzakwehlela.
You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you— your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate.
14 Impela banjengamahlanga; umlilo uzabatshisa futhi bangeke bazihlenga emandleni amalangabi. Lapha akulamalahle okothiwa ngumuntu; lapha akulamlilo wokotha.
Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.
15 Lokho yikho abangakwenzela khona labo owasebenza labo, uthengiselana labo kusukela ebuntwaneni. Omunye lomunye wabo uyaqhubeka ngesiphosiso sakhe; kakho ongakusindisa.”
This is what they are to you— those with whom you have labored and traded from youth— each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.
