U-Isaya 5
1 Ngizahlabelela lowo engimthandayo ingoma ngesivini sakhe: Othandwa yimi wayelesivini eqaqeni oluvundileyo.
Let me make a song about my loved one, a song of love for his vine-garden. My loved one had a vine-garden on a fertile hill:
2 Wasigebha, wasusa amatshe kuso, wahlanyela kuso amavini amahle. Wakha umphotshongo ophakemeyo phakathi kwaso njalo wagebha lesikhamelo sewayini kuso. Walindela izithelo ezinhle, kodwa amavini athela ezimbi kuphela.
And after working the earth of it with a spade, he took away its stones, and put in it a very special vine; and he put up a watchtower in the middle of it, hollowing out in the rock a place for the grape-crushing; and he was hoping that it would give the best grapes, but it gave common grapes.
3 “Manje-ke lina abahlala eJerusalema lani madoda akoJuda, yahlulelani phakathi kwami lesivini sami.
And now, you people of Jerusalem and you men of Judah, be the judges between me and my vine-garden.
4 Kuyini okudlula lapho okwakumele kwenziwe esivinini sami engingakwenzanga kuso na? Lapho ngangilindele izithelo ezinhle kungani sona sathela ezimbi kuphela na?
Is there anything which might have been done for my vine-garden which I have not done? why then, when I was hoping for the best grapes did it give me common grapes?
5 Khathesi-ke sengizalitshela engizakwenza esivinini sami: Ngizasusa uthango lwaso; sizadilizwa. Ngizabhidliza umduli waso, sizagxotshwa ngezinyawo.
And now, this is what I will do to my vine-garden: I will take away the circle of thorns round it, and it will be burned up; its wall will be broken down and the beasts of the field will go through it;
6 Ngizasenza sibe liganga kungabikho ukuthenwa kumbe ukuhlakulwa; inkotha lameva kuzakhula kuso. Ngizalaya amayezi anganisi zulu kuso.”
And I will make it waste; its branches will not be touched with the knife, or the earth worked with the spade; but blackberries and thorns will come up in it: and I will give orders to the clouds not to send rain on it.
7 Isivini sikaThixo uSomandla yindlu ka-Israyeli; abantu bakoJuda bayinsimu eligugu kuye. Wayelindele okufaneleyo, kodwa wabona ukuchitheka kwegazi; endaweni yokulunga, wezwa ukukhala kosizi.
For the vine-garden of the Lord of armies is the people of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of his delight: and he was looking for upright judging, and there was blood; for righteousness, and there was a cry for help.
8 Maye kini elengeza izindlu ngezindlu lihlanganise insimu ensimini kuze kusweleke indawo eseleyo, njalo lihlala lodwa elizweni.
Cursed are those who are joining house to house, and putting field to field, till there is no more living-space for any but themselves in all the land!
9 UThixo uSomandla usetshilo ngisizwa wathi: “Ngeqiniso izindlu ezinengi zizakuba ngamanxiwa; ezinkulu ezinhle zisale zingaselamuntu ohlala kuzo.
The Lord of armies has said to me secretly, Truly, numbers of great and fair houses will be waste, with no one living in them.
10 Izindima ezilitshumi zesivini zizathela ifatshi elilodwa lewayini, ihomeri lenhlanyelo lithele ihefa lamabele.”
For ten fields of vines will only give one measure of wine, and a great amount of seed will only give a small measure of grain.
11 Maye kulabo abavuka ngovivi ekuseni begijimela ukunatha utshwala; abaqhubekayo kuze kube phakathi kobusuku baze badakwe butshwala.
Cursed are those who get up early in the morning to give themselves up to strong drink; who keep on drinking far into the night till they are heated with wine!
12 Balamachacho lemihubhe emadilini abo, amagedla, imihlanga, lewayini, kodwa kabazinaki izenzo zikaThixo, akukho nhlonipho yomsebenzi wezandla zakhe.
And corded instruments and wind-instruments and wine are in their feasts: but they give no thought to the work of the Lord, and they are not interested in what his hands are doing.
13 Ngakho-ke abantu bami bazakuya ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokungazwisisi; izikhulu zabo zizabulawa yindlala lenengi labo lizakoma ngomhawu wamanzi.
For this cause my people are taken away as prisoners into strange countries for need of knowledge: and their rulers are wasted for need of food, and their loud-voiced feasters are dry for need of water.
14 Ngakho indawo yabafileyo izakwelula imihlathi yayo, ikhamise umlomo wayo okungelamkhawulo; izikhulu zabo lenengi labo bawele phakathi labo bonke abaxokozelayo labazithokozisayo. (Sheol h7585)
For this cause the underworld has made wide its throat, opening its mouth without limit: and her glory, and the noise of her masses, and her loud-voiced feasters, will go down into it. (Sheol h7585)
15 Abantu bazakwehliselwa phansi, abantu bazathobekiswa, amehlo abaziphakamisayo athotshiswe.
And the poor man's head is bent, and the great man goes down on his face, and the eyes of pride are put to shame:
16 Kodwa uThixo uSomandla uzaphakanyiswa ngokwahlulela kwakhe okuhle; ubungcwele bukaNkulunkulu buzabonakala ngokulunga kwakhe.
But the Lord of armies is lifted up as judge, and the Holy God is seen to be holy in righteousness.
17 Lapho-ke izimvu zizakudla angathi kusemadlelweni azo, amazinyane adle emanxiweni ezinothi.
Then the lambs will get food as in their grass-lands, and the fat cattle will be feasting in the waste places.
18 Maye kulabo abahudula isono ngentambo zenkohliso lobubi kungathi kungamagoda enqola,
Cursed are those who make use of ox-cords for pulling the evil thing, and the bands of a young ox for their sin!
19 kulabo abathi, “UNkulunkulu kaphangise, kaphangisise umsebenzi wakhe ukuze siwubone. Kalisondele icebo loNgcwele ka-Israyeli kalize ukuze silazi.”
Who say, Let him do his work quickly, let him make it sudden, so that we may see it: let the design of the Holy One of Israel come near, so that it may be clear to us.
20 Maye kulabo abathi okubi kuhle bathi okuhle kubi, ababeka umnyama esikhundleni sokukhanya; ukukhanya esikhundleni somnyama; ababeka okubabayo esikhundleni sokumnandi, okumnandi esikhundleni sokubabayo.
Cursed are those who give the name of good to evil, and of evil to what is good: who make light dark, and dark light: who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter!
21 Maye kulabo abahlakaniphileyo emehlweni abo njalo besile ekuboneni kwabo.
Cursed are those who seem wise to themselves, and who take pride in their knowledge!
22 Maye kulabo abangamaqhawe ekunatheni iwayini njalo bezintshantshu ekuhlanganiseni okunathwayo,
Cursed are those who are strong to take wine, and great in making mixed drinks!
23 abakhulula abalamacala ngenxa yokufunjathiswa. Kodwa banqabele abamsulwa imfanelo yabo.
Who for a reward give support to the cause of the sinner, and who take away the righteousness of the upright from him.
24 Ngakho-ke, njengalokhu umlilo utshisa inhlanga, utshani obomileyo buphelela phakathi kwamalangabi, ngokunjalo impande zabo zizabola. Lamaluba abo aphephuke njengothuli; ngoba bawalile umthetho kaThixo uSomandla balidelela ilizwi loNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
For this cause, as the waste of the grain is burned up by tongues of fire, and as the dry grass goes down before the flame, so their root will be like the dry stems of grain, and their flower will go up in dust: because they have gone against the law of the Lord of armies, and have given no honour to the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Ngakho ulaka lukaThixo luzavutha ebantwini bakhe; isandla sakhe siphakeme njalo uyabatshaya. Izintaba ziyanyikinyeka, izidumbu zabafileyo zinjengezibi ezindleleni. Ikanti kukho konke lokhu ulaka lwakhe kaluphelanga, isandla sakhe silokhu siphakanyisiwe.
For this reason the wrath of the Lord has been burning against his people, and his hand has been stretched out against them in punishment, and the hills were shaking, and their dead bodies were like waste in the open places of the town.
26 Uphakamisela izizwe ezikude uphawu, ubatshayela ikhwelo abasemaphethelweni omhlaba. Nampa besiza ngokuphangisa langejubane!
And he will let a flag be lifted up as a sign to a far-off nation, whistling to them from the ends of the earth: and they will come quickly and suddenly.
27 Kakho omunye wabo odinwayo loba okhubekayo, kakho owozelayo kumbe olalayo, akukho bhanti elixegiswayo ekhalweni, akukho ntambo yenyathelo equmekileyo.
There is no weariness among them, and no man is feeble-footed: they come without resting or sleeping, and the cord of their shoes is not broken.
28 Imitshoko yabo ibukhali, wonke amadandili abo agotshisiwe; amasondo amabhiza abo afana lelitshe elilukhuni, amavili ezinqola zabo zokulwa anjengesivunguzane.
Their arrows are sharp, and every bow is bent: the feet of their horses are like rock, and their wheels are like a rushing storm.
29 Ukubhonga kwabo kufana lokwesilwane, babhonga njengezilwane ezikhulayo, bayabhavuma lapho bebamba inyamazana edliwayo, babaleke layo kungekho ongabemuka.
The sound of their armies will be like the voice of a lion, and their war-cry like the noise of young lions: with loud cries they will come down on their food and will take it away safely, and there will be no one to take it out of their hands.
30 Ngalolosuku bazabhavumela phezu kwayo njengokubhavuma kolwandle. Njalo nxa umuntu ekhangela ilizwe, uzabona umnyama losizi; lelanga lizakwenziwa libe mnyama ngamayezi.
And his voice will be loud over him in that day like the sounding of the sea: and if a man's eyes are turned to the earth, it is all dark and full of trouble; and the light is made dark by thick clouds.
