< U-Isaya 5 >
1 Ngizahlabelela lowo engimthandayo ingoma ngesivini sakhe: Othandwa yimi wayelesivini eqaqeni oluvundileyo.
Let me sing, I pray you, for my beloved, A song of my beloved as to his vineyard: My beloved hath a vineyard in a fruitful 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 he fenceth it, and casteth out its stones, And planteth it [with] a choice vine, And buildeth a tower in its midst, And also a wine press hath hewn out in it, And he waiteth for the yielding of grapes, And it yieldeth bad ones!
3 “Manje-ke lina abahlala eJerusalema lani madoda akoJuda, yahlulelani phakathi kwami lesivini sami.
And now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem, and man 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 — to do still to my vineyard, That I have not done in it! Wherefore, I waited to the yielding of grapes, And it yieldeth bad ones!
5 Khathesi-ke sengizalitshela engizakwenza esivinini sami: Ngizasusa uthango lwaso; sizadilizwa. Ngizabhidliza umduli waso, sizagxotshwa ngezinyawo.
And now, pray, let me cause you to know, That which I am doing to my vineyard, To turn aside its hedge, And it hath been for consumption, To break down its wall, And it hath been for a treading-place.
6 Ngizasenza sibe liganga kungabikho ukuthenwa kumbe ukuhlakulwa; inkotha lameva kuzakhula kuso. Ngizalaya amayezi anganisi zulu kuso.”
And I make it a waste, It is not pruned, nor arranged, And gone up have brier and thorn, And on the thick clouds I lay a charge, From raining upon it rain.
7 Isivini sikaThixo uSomandla yindlu ka-Israyeli; abantu bakoJuda bayinsimu eligugu kuye. Wayelindele okufaneleyo, kodwa wabona ukuchitheka kwegazi; endaweni yokulunga, wezwa ukukhala kosizi.
Because the vineyard of Jehovah of Hosts [Is] the house of Israel, And the man of Judah His pleasant plant, And He waiteth for judgment, and lo, oppression, For righteousness, and lo, a cry.
8 Maye kini elengeza izindlu ngezindlu lihlanganise insimu ensimini kuze kusweleke indawo eseleyo, njalo lihlala lodwa elizweni.
Woe [to] those joining house to house, Field to field they bring near, till there is no place, And ye have been settled by yourselves In the midst of the land!
9 UThixo uSomandla usetshilo ngisizwa wathi: “Ngeqiniso izindlu ezinengi zizakuba ngamanxiwa; ezinkulu ezinhle zisale zingaselamuntu ohlala kuzo.
By the weapons of Jehovah of Hosts Do not many houses a desolation become? Great and good without inhabitant!
10 Izindima ezilitshumi zesivini zizathela ifatshi elilodwa lewayini, ihomeri lenhlanyelo lithele ihefa lamabele.”
For ten acres of vineyard do yield one bath, And an homer of seed yieldeth an ephah.
11 Maye kulabo abavuka ngovivi ekuseni begijimela ukunatha utshwala; abaqhubekayo kuze kube phakathi kobusuku baze badakwe butshwala.
Woe [to] those rising early in the morning, Strong drink they pursue! Tarrying in twilight, wine inflameth them!
12 Balamachacho lemihubhe emadilini abo, amagedla, imihlanga, lewayini, kodwa kabazinaki izenzo zikaThixo, akukho nhlonipho yomsebenzi wezandla zakhe.
And harp, and psaltery, tabret, and pipe, And wine, have been their banquets, And the work of Jehovah they behold not, Yea, the work of His hands they have not seen.
13 Ngakho-ke abantu bami bazakuya ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokungazwisisi; izikhulu zabo zizabulawa yindlala lenengi labo lizakoma ngomhawu wamanzi.
Therefore my people removed without knowledge, And its honourable ones are famished, And its multitude dried up of thirst.
14 Ngakho indawo yabafileyo izakwelula imihlathi yayo, ikhamise umlomo wayo okungelamkhawulo; izikhulu zabo lenengi labo bawele phakathi labo bonke abaxokozelayo labazithokozisayo. (Sheol )
Therefore hath Sheol enlarged herself, And hath opened her mouth without limit. And gone down hath its honour, and its multitude, And its noise, and its exulting one — into her. (Sheol )
15 Abantu bazakwehliselwa phansi, abantu bazathobekiswa, amehlo abaziphakamisayo athotshiswe.
And bowed down is the low, and humbled the high, And the eyes of the haughty become low,
16 Kodwa uThixo uSomandla uzaphakanyiswa ngokwahlulela kwakhe okuhle; ubungcwele bukaNkulunkulu buzabonakala ngokulunga kwakhe.
And Jehovah of Hosts is high in judgment, And the Holy God sanctified in righteousness,
17 Lapho-ke izimvu zizakudla angathi kusemadlelweni azo, amazinyane adle emanxiweni ezinothi.
And fed have lambs according to their leading, And waste places of the fat ones Do sojourners consume.
18 Maye kulabo abahudula isono ngentambo zenkohliso lobubi kungathi kungamagoda enqola,
Woe [to] those drawing out iniquity with cords of vanity, And as [with] thick ropes of the cart — sin.
19 kulabo abathi, “UNkulunkulu kaphangise, kaphangisise umsebenzi wakhe ukuze siwubone. Kalisondele icebo loNgcwele ka-Israyeli kalize ukuze silazi.”
Who are saying, 'Let Him hurry, Let Him hasten His work, that we may see, And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel Draw near and come, and we know.'
20 Maye kulabo abathi okubi kuhle bathi okuhle kubi, ababeka umnyama esikhundleni sokukhanya; ukukhanya esikhundleni somnyama; ababeka okubabayo esikhundleni sokumnandi, okumnandi esikhundleni sokubabayo.
Woe [to] those saying to evil 'good,' And to good 'evil,' Putting darkness for light, and light for darkness, Putting bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
21 Maye kulabo abahlakaniphileyo emehlweni abo njalo besile ekuboneni kwabo.
Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes, And — before their own faces — intelligent!
22 Maye kulabo abangamaqhawe ekunatheni iwayini njalo bezintshantshu ekuhlanganiseni okunathwayo,
Woe [to] the mighty to drink wine, And men of strength to mingle strong drink.
23 abakhulula abalamacala ngenxa yokufunjathiswa. Kodwa banqabele abamsulwa imfanelo yabo.
Declaring righteous the wicked for a bribe, And the righteousness of the righteous They turn aside 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.
Therefore, as a tongue of fire devoureth stubble, And flaming hay falleth, Their root is as muck, And their flower as dust goeth up. Because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of Hosts, And the saying of the Holy One of Israel despised.
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.
Therefore hath the anger of Jehovah burned among His people, And He stretcheth out His hand against it, And smiteth it, and the mountains tremble, And their carcase is as filth in the midst of the out-places. With all this His anger did not turn back, And still His hand is stretched out!
26 Uphakamisela izizwe ezikude uphawu, ubatshayela ikhwelo abasemaphethelweni omhlaba. Nampa besiza ngokuphangisa langejubane!
And He lifted up an ensign to nations afar off, And hissed to it from the end of the earth, And lo, with haste, swift 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 in it, It doth not slumber, nor sleep, Nor opened hath been the girdle of its loins, Nor drawn away the latchet of its sandals.
28 Imitshoko yabo ibukhali, wonke amadandili abo agotshisiwe; amasondo amabhiza abo afana lelitshe elilukhuni, amavili ezinqola zabo zokulwa anjengesivunguzane.
Whose arrows [are] sharp, and all its bows bent, Hoofs of its horses as flint have been reckoned, And its wheels as a hurricane!
29 Ukubhonga kwabo kufana lokwesilwane, babhonga njengezilwane ezikhulayo, bayabhavuma lapho bebamba inyamazana edliwayo, babaleke layo kungekho ongabemuka.
Its roaring [is] like a lioness, It roareth like young lions, And it howleth, and seizeth prey, And carrieth away safely, and there is none delivering.
30 Ngalolosuku bazabhavumela phezu kwayo njengokubhavuma kolwandle. Njalo nxa umuntu ekhangela ilizwe, uzabona umnyama losizi; lelanga lizakwenziwa libe mnyama ngamayezi.
And it howleth against it in that day as the howling of a sea, And it hath looked attentively to the land, And lo, darkness — distress, And light hath been darkened by its abundance!