U-Isaya 47
1 “Yehla uhlale othulini Ndodakazi emsulwa yaseBhabhiloni, hlala emhlabathini ungelasihlalo sobukhosi, ndodakazi yamaBhabhiloni. Akusayikuthiwa ubuthakathaka loba kuthiwe uthambile.
Descend, sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon! Sit on the ground. There is no throne for the daughter of the Chaldeans. For you shall no longer be called delicate and tender.
2 Thatha amatshe okuchola uchole impuphu; ukhuphe isimbombozo sakho. Phakamisa izidwaba zakho, uveze imilenze yakho, ugxabhaze udabule ezifuleni.
Take a millstone and grind meal. Uncover your shame, bare your shoulder, reveal your legs, cross the streams.
3 Ubunqunu bakho buzavezwa, ihlazo lakho lambuleke. Ngizaphindisela, kakho engizamyekela.”
Your disgrace will be revealed, and your shame will be seen. I will seize vengeance, and no man will withstand me.
4 Umhlengi wethu uThixo uSomandla libizo lakhe ungoNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.
5 “Hlala ngokuthula, yana emnyameni, ndodakazi yamaKhaladiya; awuyikubizwa ngokuthi ndlovukazi yemibuso futhi.
Sit in silence, and enter into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no longer be called the noblewoman 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 have polluted my inheritance, and I have given them into your hand. You have not shown mercy to them. You have greatly increased the burden of your yoke upon the elders.
7 Wathi, ‘Ngizaqhubeka kokuphela ngiyindlovukazi nini lanini.’ Kodwa kawuzinakanga lezizinto, kumbe unakane ngokungenzakala.
And you have said: “I will be a noblewoman forever.” You have not set these things upon your heart, and you have not remembered your end.
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.’
And now, hear these things, you who are delicate and have confidence, who say in your heart: “I am, and there is no one greater than me. I will not sit as a widow, and I will not know barrenness.”
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 suddenly overwhelm you in one day: barrenness and widowhood. All things shall overwhelm you, because of the multitude of your sorceries and because of the great cruelty of your enchantments.
10 Wethembele ebubini bakho, njalo watsho wathi, ‘Kakho ongibonayo.’ Inhlakanipho yakho lolwazi lwakho kuyakukhohlisa lapho usithi kuwe, ‘Mina yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami.’
And you have trusted in your malice, and you have said: “There is no one who sees me.” Your wisdom and your knowledge, these have deceived you. And you have said in your heart: “I am, and beside me there is no other.”
11 Incithakalo izakwehlela phezu kwakho, njalo awuyikwazi ukuyivikela ngemilingo. Umonakalo uzakwehlela phezu kwakho, ongeke uwuvimbe ngenhlawulo, lengozi ongeke uyikhumbulele izakujuma.
Evil will overwhelm you, and you will not notice its rising. And calamity will fall violently over you, and you will not be able to avert it. You will suddenly be overwhelmed by a misery such as you have never known.
12 Qhubeka-ke ngemilingo yakho, langobuthakathi bakho obunengi okusebenza kusukela ebantwaneni bakho. Mhlawumbe uzaphumelela, kumbe njalo wenze kube lokwesaba.
Stand with your incantations, and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth, as if somehow it might benefit you, or as if it were able to make you stronger.
13 Zonke izeluleko owazitholayo zikucobile. Izazi zezinkanyezi kazisondele, labahloli bezinkanyezi ababika ngokuzakwenzakala inyanga ngenyanga. Kabakuhlenge kulokhu okuzakwehlela.
You have failed in the multitude of your plans! Let the seers stand and save you, those who were contemplating the stars, and figuring the months, so that from these they might announce to you the things to come.
14 Impela banjengamahlanga; umlilo uzabatshisa futhi bangeke bazihlenga emandleni amalangabi. Lapha akulamalahle okothiwa ngumuntu; lapha akulamlilo wokotha.
Behold, they have become like stubble. Fire has consumed them. They will not free themselves from the power of the flames. These are not coals by which they may be warmed, nor is this a fire which they may sit beside.
15 Lokho yikho abangakwenzela khona labo owasebenza labo, uthengiselana labo kusukela ebuntwaneni. Omunye lomunye wabo uyaqhubeka ngesiphosiso sakhe; kakho ongakusindisa.”
So have all these things, in which you have labored, become to you. Your merchants from your youth, each one has erred in his own way. There is no one who can save you.
