< 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 came to pass in the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, came up, to Jerusalem, to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2 Indlu kaDavida yatshelwa kwathiwa, “I-Aramu isimanyene lo-Efrayimi,” inhliziyo ka-Ahazi lezabantu bakhe zanyikinyeka njengezihlahla zegusu zinyikinywa ngumoya.
And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria hath settled down upon Ephraim. Then shook his heart, and the heart of his people, as the trees of a forest shake before a 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.
Then said Yahweh, unto Isaiah, Go forth, I pray thee, to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, —unto the end of the channel of the upper pool, unto the highway of the fuller’s field;
4 Lithi kuye, ‘Nanzelela, hlala ngokuthula, njalo ungesabi. Inhliziyo yakho kayingadeli ngenxa yolaka olwesabekayo lukaRezini lo-Aramu lolwendodana kaRemaliya.’”
and say unto him—Take heed and keep thyself calm—do not fear, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two fag-ends of smoking firebrands, —in spite of the glow of the anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah.
5 U-Aramu lo-Efrayimi lendodana kaRemaliya sebecebe ukukutshabalalisa besithi,
Because Syria, hath taken counsel against thee, for mischief, —[with] Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying,
6 “Kasihlaseleni ilizwe lakoJuda; kasilidabuleni phakathi silabelane, senze indodana kaThabheli ibe yinkosi yalo.”
Let us go up against Judah, and besiege it, and break it open, for ourselves, —and set up a king in the midst thereof, even the son of Tabeal,
7 Kodwa-ke lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: “‘Akuyikuphumelela, akuyikwenzakala,
Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, —It shall not stand Neither shall it come to pass!
8 ngoba inhloko ye-Aramu yiDamaseko, inhloko yeDamaseko nguRezini kuphela. Phakathi kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha lanhlanu u-Efrayimi uzakuba esetshabalele engaseyiso sizwe.
For, though the head of Syria is Damascus, And, the head of Damascus, is Rezin, Yet within threescore and five years more, shall Ephraim be broken that it shall not be a people;
9 Inhloko ka-Efrayimi yiSamariya, inhloko yeSamariya yindodana kaRemaliya kuphela. Nxa lingami liqine okholweni lwenu alisoze livele lime.’”
Even though the head of Ephraim is Samaria, And, the head of Samaria, is the son of Remaliah. If ye trust not, Surely, ye cannot be trusted!
10 UThixo wakhuluma njalo ku-Ahazi wathi,
And again spake Yahweh unto Ahaz saying—
11 “Cela isibonakaliso kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, ingabe ekujuleni kwezulu loba phezulu engqongweni.” (Sheol )
Ask thee a sign, of Yahweh thy God, —Go down deep for a request, Or ascend on high! (Sheol )
12 Kodwa u-Ahazi wathi, “Angiyikucela. Angiyikulinga uThixo.”
But Ahaz said, —I will not ask Nor will I put Yahweh to the proof.
13 U-Isaya wasesithi, “Khathesi-ke zwana wena lendlu kaDavida. Akwenelanga na ukulinga ukubekezela kwabantu? Uzalinga lokubekezela kukaNkulunkulu wami njalo na?
Then said he—Hear, I pray you, O house of David! Is it, too little, for you to weary men, that ye must weary even my God?
14 Ngakho-ke iNkosi ngokwayo izanika isibonakaliso: Intombi egcweleyo izakhulelwa izale indodana bayibize ngokuthi ngu-Emanuweli.
Wherefore let My Lord Himself give you a sign, —Lo! a Virgin, being with child and giving birth to a son, thou wilt call his name Immanuel.
15 Uzakudla amasi loluju lapho eselolwazi olwaneleyo ukuba ale okubi akhethe okulungileyo.
Curds and honey, shall he eat, by the time that he knoweth to refuse the bad and choose the good;
16 Kodwa-ke umfana engakazi okwaneleyo ukuba ale okubi akhethe okulungileyo, ilizwe lamakhosi amabili owesabayo lizachithwa.
for before the boy knoweth to refuse the bad and choose the good, forsaken shall be the land, at which, thou, art alarmed, of the presence of both her kings.
17 UThixo uzakwehlisela phezu kwakho laphezu kwabantu bakho, laphezu kwendlu kayihlo, isikhathi esingafani lesinye kusukela u-Efrayimi ebhazuka kuJuda, uzaletha inkosi yase-Asiriya.”
Yahweh will bring upon thee and upon thy people, and upon the house of thy father, days which have not come, from the day when Ephraim departed from Judah, —even the king of Assyria.
18 Ngalelolanga uThixo uzatshaya ikhwelo ebiza impukane ezisekudabukeni kwezifula zaseGibhithe lezinyosi eziselizweni lase-Asiriya.
And it shall come to pass in that day that Yahweh will give a signal—To the fly that is in the uttermost part of the Nile-canals of Egypt, And to the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 Zizakuza zonke zihlale ezingoxweni ezingamawa, ezimbalwini zamadwala, ezihlahleni zonke zameva kuwo wonke amagodi amanzi.
And they shall all of them come and settle down—In the desolate torrent-valleys, And in the rents of the crags, —And on all the thorn-bushes, And on all the pastures,
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, will My Lord shave, with a hired razor, even with them of the lands over the River Euphrates, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet, —yea, even the beard, will it sweep off.
21 Ngalolosuku umuntu uzafuya ithokazi elilodwa lembuzi ezimbili.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall keep alive a young cow and two sheep.
22 Ngenxa yobunengi bochago oluzavela kuzo, uzakuba lamasi azawadla. Bonke abazasala elizweni bazakudla amasi loluju.
Yea it shall come to pass for the abundance of the yield of milk, that he shall eat curds, —for, curds and honey, shall every one eat that is left in the midst of the land.
23 Ngalolosuku, ezindaweni zonke lapho okwakulamavini ayinkulungwane alingana amashekeli esiliva ayinkulungwane, kuzakuba lokhula lameva kuphela.
And it shall some to pass in that day, that, every place wherein there used to be a thousand vines at a thousand pieces of silver, —yea, even for briars and thorns, shall it be.
24 Abantu bazakuya khona belamadandili lemitshoko ngoba ilizwe lizakuba seligcwele ukhula lameva.
With arrows and with a bow, shall one come in thither, —for briars and thorns, shall be all the land.
25 Emaqaqeni wonke ake alinywa ngekhuba kawusayikuya khona ngenxa yokwesaba ukhula lameva, azakuba yindawo yokwelusela inkomo lamadlelo ezimvu.
But all the hills which, with the hoe, can be weeded, —there shall not come thither, the fear of briars and thorns, —but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the tread of lesser cattle.