U-Isaya 5
1 Ngizahlabelela lowo engimthandayo ingoma ngesivini sakhe: Othandwa yimi wayelesivini eqaqeni oluvundileyo.
I will sing now for my beloved, the song of my dear one touching his vineyard. A vineyard had my beloved on a rich hill-top;
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 he fenced it in, and cleared it of stones, and planted it with the choicest vines, and built a tower in its midst, and also a winepress he hewed out therein: and he hoped that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth worthless fruit.
3 “Manje-ke lina abahlala eJerusalema lani madoda akoJuda, yahlulelani phakathi kwami lesivini sami.
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, between me and my vineyard.
4 Kuyini okudlula lapho okwakumele kwenziwe esivinini sami engingakwenzanga kuso na? Lapho ngangilindele izithelo ezinhle kungani sona sathela ezimbi kuphela na?
What more was to be done to my vineyard, that I had not done in it? Why then did I hope that it should bring forth grapes, while it brought forth worthless fruit?
5 Khathesi-ke sengizalitshela engizakwenza esivinini sami: Ngizasusa uthango lwaso; sizadilizwa. Ngizabhidliza umduli waso, sizagxotshwa ngezinyawo.
And now I will let you know also what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten off; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trodden down;
6 Ngizasenza sibe liganga kungabikho ukuthenwa kumbe ukuhlakulwa; inkotha lameva kuzakhula kuso. Ngizalaya amayezi anganisi zulu kuso.”
And I will lay it quite waste; it shall not be pruned, nor hoed around; and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; and the clouds will I command that they send down no rain upon 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 vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of his delight: and he hoped for justice, but behold injustice; for equity, but behold iniquity.
8 Maye kini elengeza izindlu ngezindlu lihlanganise insimu ensimini kuze kusweleke indawo eseleyo, njalo lihlala lodwa elizweni.
Woe unto those that cause house to join on house, bring field near to field, till there is no more room, so that ye may be left alone as the inhabitants in the midst of the land!
9 UThixo uSomandla usetshilo ngisizwa wathi: “Ngeqiniso izindlu ezinengi zizakuba ngamanxiwa; ezinkulu ezinhle zisale zingaselamuntu ohlala kuzo.
In my ears [spoke] the Lord of hosts, Truly many houses shall become desolate, yea, great and beautiful ones without an inhabitant.
10 Izindima ezilitshumi zesivini zizathela ifatshi elilodwa lewayini, ihomeri lenhlanyelo lithele ihefa lamabele.”
Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield [but] one bath, and a chomer-seed shall yield [but] an ephah.
11 Maye kulabo abavuka ngovivi ekuseni begijimela ukunatha utshwala; abaqhubekayo kuze kube phakathi kobusuku baze badakwe butshwala.
Woe unto those that rise up early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink; that continue until late in the twilight, till wine inflame them!
12 Balamachacho lemihubhe emadilini abo, amagedla, imihlanga, lewayini, kodwa kabazinaki izenzo zikaThixo, akukho nhlonipho yomsebenzi wezandla zakhe.
And there are harp and psaltery, tambourine and flute, and wine at their drinking-feasts; but the deeds of the Lord they regard not, and the works of his hands they behold not.
13 Ngakho-ke abantu bami bazakuya ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokungazwisisi; izikhulu zabo zizabulawa yindlala lenengi labo lizakoma ngomhawu wamanzi.
Therefore are my people led into exile, for want of knowledge: and their honorable men suffer of famine, and their multitude are panting with thirst.
14 Ngakho indawo yabafileyo izakwelula imihlathi yayo, ikhamise umlomo wayo okungelamkhawulo; izikhulu zabo lenengi labo bawele phakathi labo bonke abaxokozelayo labazithokozisayo. (Sheol h7585)
Therefore hath the deep enlarged her desire, and opened her mouth without measure: and there descend [Jerusalem's] glory, and her multitude, and her noise, and whoever rejoiced therein. (Sheol h7585)
15 Abantu bazakwehliselwa phansi, abantu bazathobekiswa, amehlo abaziphakamisayo athotshiswe.
And bent down shall be the son of earth, and humbled shall be the man, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled;
16 Kodwa uThixo uSomandla uzaphakanyiswa ngokwahlulela kwakhe okuhle; ubungcwele bukaNkulunkulu buzabonakala ngokulunga kwakhe.
And the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and the holy God shall be sanctified by [displaying his] righteousness.
17 Lapho-ke izimvu zizakudla angathi kusemadlelweni azo, amazinyane adle emanxiweni ezinothi.
Then shall the sheep feed according to their wont, and the ruins of the fat ones shall sojourners eat.
18 Maye kulabo abahudula isono ngentambo zenkohliso lobubi kungathi kungamagoda enqola,
Woe unto those that draw iniquity with the cords of falsehood, and as with a wagon-rope, sinfulness;
19 kulabo abathi, “UNkulunkulu kaphangise, kaphangisise umsebenzi wakhe ukuze siwubone. Kalisondele icebo loNgcwele ka-Israyeli kalize ukuze silazi.”
That say, Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it: and let draw nigh and come the counsel of the Holy One of Israel, that we may know it!
20 Maye kulabo abathi okubi kuhle bathi okuhle kubi, ababeka umnyama esikhundleni sokukhanya; ukukhanya esikhundleni somnyama; ababeka okubabayo esikhundleni sokumnandi, okumnandi esikhundleni sokubabayo.
Woe unto those that say of the evil it is good, and of the good it is evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Maye kulabo abahlakaniphileyo emehlweni abo njalo besile ekuboneni kwabo.
Woe unto those that are wise in their own eyes, and intelligent in their own esteem!
22 Maye kulabo abangamaqhawe ekunatheni iwayini njalo bezintshantshu ekuhlanganiseni okunathwayo,
Woe unto those that are heroes to drink wine, and men of might to mingle strong drink;
23 abakhulula abalamacala ngenxa yokufunjathiswa. Kodwa banqabele abamsulwa imfanelo yabo.
Who justify the wicked in lieu of a bribe, and who deprive the righteous of their right!
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.
Therefore as the tongue of the fire devoureth the stubble, and dry hay sinketh before the flame: so shall their root be as rotten things, and their blossom shall fly up as the dust; because they have despised the law of the Lord of hosts, and the word of the Holy One of Israel they have rejected.
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 cause is kindled the anger of the Lord against his people, and he stretcheth forth his hand against them, and he smiteth them; and the mountains tremble, and their carcasses lie like sweepings in the midst of the streets: with all this his anger is not turned away, but still is his hand stretched out.
26 Uphakamisela izizwe ezikude uphawu, ubatshayela ikhwelo abasemaphethelweni omhlaba. Nampa besiza ngokuphangisa langejubane!
And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from afar, and will call for one of them from the end of the earth; and, behold, with speed, swiftly, it cometh;
27 Kakho omunye wabo odinwayo loba okhubekayo, kakho owozelayo kumbe olalayo, akukho bhanti elixegiswayo ekhalweni, akukho ntambo yenyathelo equmekileyo.
There is none weary, nor stumbling among its men; it slumbereth not, it sleepeth not; not loosened is the girdle of its loins, not broken is the latchet of its shoes;
28 Imitshoko yabo ibukhali, wonke amadandili abo agotshisiwe; amasondo amabhiza abo afana lelitshe elilukhuni, amavili ezinqola zabo zokulwa anjengesivunguzane.
Whose arrows are sharpened, and all whose bows are bent; its horses hoofs are hard like the flint, and its wheels like the whirlwind;
29 Ukubhonga kwabo kufana lokwesilwane, babhonga njengezilwane ezikhulayo, bayabhavuma lapho bebamba inyamazana edliwayo, babaleke layo kungekho ongabemuka.
It hath a roar like the lioness, it roareth like the young lions: yea, it growleth, and layeth hold of the prey, and carrieth it safely off, with none to deliver.
30 Ngalolosuku bazabhavumela phezu kwayo njengokubhavuma kolwandle. Njalo nxa umuntu ekhangela ilizwe, uzabona umnyama losizi; lelanga lizakwenziwa libe mnyama ngamayezi.
And it will rage against them on that day like with the raging of the sea: and if one look unto the earth, behold, there is darkness, oppression, and the light is darkened through the darkness of its clouds.
