< U-Isaya 7 >

1 Kwathi u-Ahazi indodana kaJothamu, indodana ka-Uziya, eyinkosi yakoJuda, uRezini inkosi yase-Aramu loPhekha indodana kaRemaliya inkosi yako-Israyeli basuka bayahlasela iJerusalema, kodwa kabalinqobanga.
And it happened in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, the king of Judah, that Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, ascended to Jerusalem to battle against it. But they were not able to defeat it.
2 Indlu kaDavida yatshelwa kwathiwa, “I-Aramu isimanyene lo-Efrayimi,” inhliziyo ka-Ahazi lezabantu bakhe zanyikinyeka njengezihlahla zegusu zinyikinywa ngumoya.
And they reported to the house of David, saying: “Syria has withdrawn to Ephraim.” And his heart was shaken, with the heart of his people, just as the trees of the forest are moved by the face of the wind.
3 UThixo wasesithi ku-Isaya, “Hamba wena lendodana yakho uSheyari-Jashubi ukuba lihlangabeze u-Ahazi ekucineni komgelo wamanzi oweChibi Elingaphezulu, emgwaqweni oya Ensimini Yomgezisi.
And the Lord said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son, Jashub, who was left behind, to the end of the aqueduct, at the upper pool, on the road to the fuller’s field.
4 Lithi kuye, ‘Nanzelela, hlala ngokuthula, njalo ungesabi. Inhliziyo yakho kayingadeli ngenxa yolaka olwesabekayo lukaRezini lo-Aramu lolwendodana kaRemaliya.’”
And you shall say to him: “See to it that you are silent. Do not be afraid. And have no dread in your heart over the two tails of these firebrands, nearly extinguished, which are the wrath of the fury of Rezin, king of Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.”
5 U-Aramu lo-Efrayimi lendodana kaRemaliya sebecebe ukukutshabalalisa besithi,
For Syria has undertaken a plan against you, with the evil of Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying:
6 “Kasihlaseleni ilizwe lakoJuda; kasilidabuleni phakathi silabelane, senze indodana kaThabheli ibe yinkosi yalo.”
“Let us ascend to Judah, and stir it up, and tear it away for ourselves, and appoint the son of Tabeel as a king in its midst.”
7 Kodwa-ke lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: “‘Akuyikuphumelela, akuyikwenzakala,
Thus says the Lord God: This shall not stand, and this shall not be.
8 ngoba inhloko ye-Aramu yiDamaseko, inhloko yeDamaseko nguRezini kuphela. Phakathi kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha lanhlanu u-Efrayimi uzakuba esetshabalele engaseyiso sizwe.
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years from now, Ephraim will cease to be a people.
9 Inhloko ka-Efrayimi yiSamariya, inhloko yeSamariya yindodana kaRemaliya kuphela. Nxa lingami liqine okholweni lwenu alisoze livele lime.’”
For the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you will not continue.
10 UThixo wakhuluma njalo ku-Ahazi wathi,
And the Lord spoke further to Ahaz, saying:
11 “Cela isibonakaliso kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, ingabe ekujuleni kwezulu loba phezulu engqongweni.” (Sheol h7585)
Ask for a sign for yourself from the Lord your God, from the depths below, even to the heights above. (Sheol h7585)
12 Kodwa u-Ahazi wathi, “Angiyikucela. Angiyikulinga uThixo.”
And Ahaz said, “I will not ask, for I will not tempt the Lord.”
13 U-Isaya wasesithi, “Khathesi-ke zwana wena lendlu kaDavida. Akwenelanga na ukulinga ukubekezela kwabantu? Uzalinga lokubekezela kukaNkulunkulu wami njalo na?
And he said: “Then listen, O house of David. Is it such a small thing for you to trouble men, that you must also trouble my God?
14 Ngakho-ke iNkosi ngokwayo izanika isibonakaliso: Intombi egcweleyo izakhulelwa izale indodana bayibize ngokuthi ngu-Emanuweli.
For this reason, the Lord himself will grant to you a sign. Behold, a virgin will conceive, and she will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel.
15 Uzakudla amasi loluju lapho eselolwazi olwaneleyo ukuba ale okubi akhethe okulungileyo.
He will eat butter and honey, so that he may know to reject evil and to choose good.
16 Kodwa-ke umfana engakazi okwaneleyo ukuba ale okubi akhethe okulungileyo, ilizwe lamakhosi amabili owesabayo lizachithwa.
But even before the boy knows to refuse evil and to choose good, the land that you detest will be abandoned by the face of her two kings.
17 UThixo uzakwehlisela phezu kwakho laphezu kwabantu bakho, laphezu kwendlu kayihlo, isikhathi esingafani lesinye kusukela u-Efrayimi ebhazuka kuJuda, uzaletha inkosi yase-Asiriya.”
The Lord will lead over you, and over your people, and over the house of your father, such days as have not occurred since the days of the separation of Ephraim from Judah by the king of the Assyrians.
18 Ngalelolanga uThixo uzatshaya ikhwelo ebiza impukane ezisekudabukeni kwezifula zaseGibhithe lezinyosi eziselizweni lase-Asiriya.
And this shall be in that day: the Lord will call for the fly, which is in the most distant parts of the rivers of Egypt, and for the swarm, which is in the land of Assur.
19 Zizakuza zonke zihlale ezingoxweni ezingamawa, ezimbalwini zamadwala, ezihlahleni zonke zameva kuwo wonke amagodi amanzi.
And they will arrive, and they all will rest in the torrents of the valleys, and in the caverns of the rocks, and in every thicket, and in every opening.
20 Ngalolosuku iNkosi izasebenzisa impuco ebolekwe enkosini yase-Asiriya ngaphetsheya koMfula iYufrathe ukuphuca ikhanda lakho loboya obusembaleni yakho, lokugunda indevu zakho lazo.
In that day, the Lord will shave with a razor the ones hired by those who are across the river, by the king of the Assyrians, from the head to the hairs of the feet, with the entire beard.
21 Ngalolosuku umuntu uzafuya ithokazi elilodwa lembuzi ezimbili.
And this shall be in that day: a man will raise a cow among oxen, and two sheep,
22 Ngenxa yobunengi bochago oluzavela kuzo, uzakuba lamasi azawadla. Bonke abazasala elizweni bazakudla amasi loluju.
and, instead of an abundance of milk, he will eat butter. For all who are left behind in the midst of the land will eat butter and honey.
23 Ngalolosuku, ezindaweni zonke lapho okwakulamavini ayinkulungwane alingana amashekeli esiliva ayinkulungwane, kuzakuba lokhula lameva kuphela.
And this shall be in that day: every place, where there were a thousand grapevines worth a thousand pieces of silver, will become thorns and briers.
24 Abantu bazakuya khona belamadandili lemitshoko ngoba ilizwe lizakuba seligcwele ukhula lameva.
They will enter such places with arrows and bows. For briers and thorns will be throughout the entire land.
25 Emaqaqeni wonke ake alinywa ngekhuba kawusayikuya khona ngenxa yokwesaba ukhula lameva, azakuba yindawo yokwelusela inkomo lamadlelo ezimvu.
But as for all the mountains, which will be dug with a hoe, the terror of thorns and briers will not approach those places. And there will be pasture land for oxen, and a range for cattle.”

< U-Isaya 7 >