U-Isaya 8
1 UThixo wathi kimi, “Thatha isibhebhedu selitshe esikhulu ulobe kuso ngolimi olujwayelekileyo ukuthi: Maheri-Shalali-Hashi-Bhazi (okutsho ukuthi: abaphanga ukuhuquluza okuphangiweyo).
And the Lord said to me: Take thee a great book, and write in it with a man’s pen. Take sway the spoils with speed, quickly take the prey.
2 Ngizabiza u-Uriya umphristi loZakhariya indodana kaJebherekhiya njengabofakazi bami abathembekileyo.”
And I took unto me faithful witnesses, Urias the priest, and Zacharias the son of Barachias.
3 Ngemva kwalokho ngaya kumphrofethikazi, wathatha isisu, wazala indodana. UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Mbize ngokuthi nguMaheri-Shalali-Hashi-Bhazi.
And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. And the Lord said to me: Call his name, Hasten to take away the spoils: Make haste to take away the prey.
4 Kuzakuthi umfana engakakwazi ukuthi ‘Ubaba’ loba ‘Umama,’ inotho yaseDamaseko lempahla ethunjwe eSamariya kuzathathwa yinkosi yase-Asiriya.”
For before the child know to call his father and his mother, the strength of Damascus, and the spoils of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of the Assyrians.
5 UThixo wakhuluma kimi futhi wathi:
And the Lord spoke to me again, saying:
6 “Ngenxa yokuthi abantu laba sebewalile amanzi ageleza kuhle aseShilowa bethokozela uRezini lendodana kaRemaliya,
Forasmuch as this people hath cast away the waters of Siloe, that go with silence, and hath rather taken Basin, and the son of Romelia:
7 ngakho-ke iNkosi isiseduze ukubalethela izikhukhula zamanzi ezilamandla, eziyinkosi yase-Asiriya lobukhosi bayo bonke, zivela eYufrathe. Azachithekela ngaphandle kwayo yonke imigelo yawo, ageleze phezu kwamakhumbi ayo wonke,
Therefore behold the Lord will bring upon them the waters of the river strong and many, the king of the Assyrians, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and shall overflow all his banks,
8 afohlele koJuda, agcwale kulo, adlule phakathi kwalo efika entanyeni. Impiko zawo ezeluliweyo zizakwembesa ububanzi belizwe lakho, Awu, Emanuweli!”
And shall pass through Juda, overflowing, and going over shall reach even to the neck. And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Emmanuel.
9 Hlabani umkhosi wempi lina zizwe, lichithwe! Lalelani lonke lina mazwe akude. Lungiselani impi, lichithwe! Lungiselani impi lichithwe!
Gather yourselves together, O ye people, and be overcome, and give ear, all ye lands afar off: strengthen yourselves, and be overcome, gird yourselves, and be overcome.
10 Lungisani icebo lenu, kodwa kalisoze liphumelele: bumbani isu lenu, kodwa kaliyikuma, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulathi.
Take counsel together, and it shall be defeated: speak a word, and it shall not be done: because God is with us.
11 UThixo wakhuluma kimi isandla sakhe esilamandla siphezu kwami, engixwayisa ukuba ngingalandeli indlela yalababantu. Wathi:
For thus saith the Lord to me: As he hath taught me, with a strong arm, that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:
12 “Ungabokuthi kungamacebo amabi konke abantu laba abathi kungamacebo amabi; ungakwesabi abakwesabayo njalo ungakuqhuqhi.
Say ye not: A conspiracy: for all that this people speaketh, is a conspiracy: neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
13 UThixo uSomandla nguye okumele limazi engongcwele, nguye okumele limesabe, nguye okumele limqhuqhe.
Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself: and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 Uzakuba yisiphephelo; kodwa kuzo zombili izindlu zako-Israyeli uzakuba yilitshe elikhubekisa abantu ledwala elibenza bawe. Ebantwini baseJerusalema uzakuba yisifu lomjibila.
And he shall be a sanctification to you. But for a stone or stumbling, and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 Inengi labo lizakhubeka; bazakuwa bephuke, bazathiywa bathunjwe.”
And very many of them shall stumble and fall, and shall be broken in pieces, and shall be snared, and taken.
16 Bopha ubufakazi besixwayiso, uqinise umthetho phakathi kwabafundi bakaNkulunkulu.
Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 Ngizamlindela uThixo, ofihlela indlu kaJakhobe ubuso bakhe. Ngizabeka ithemba lami kuye.
And I will wait for the Lord, who hath hid his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Mina ngilapha, kanye labantwana uThixo angiphe bona. Siyizibonakaliso lempawu ku-Israyeli ezivela kuThixo uSomandla, ohlala entabeni iZiyoni.
Behold I and my children, whom the Lord hath given me for a sign, and for a wonder in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Sion.
19 Nxa abantu bekutshela ukuthi buza abalamadlozi labalemimoya yobuthakathi, labanyenyezayo bengunguza, kambe abantu akumelanga babuzisise uNkulunkulu wabo na? Kungani abaphilayo libabuzela kwabafayo na?
And when they shall say to you: Seek of pythons, and of diviners, who mutter in their enchantments: should not the people seek of their God, for the living of the dead?
20 Emthethweni lakubo ubufakazi! Nxa bengakhulumi ngokumayelana lelizwi leli, kabalakho ukukhanya kokusa.
To the law rather, and to the testimony. And if they speak not according to this word, they shall not have the morning light.
21 Bazazula lelizwe behlulukelwe, belambile. Lapho sebephalwe yindlala, bazathukuthela, bathuke inkosi yabo loNkulunkulu wabo bekhangele phezulu.
And they shall pass by it, they shall fall, and be hungry: and when they shall be hungry, they will be angry, and curse their king, and their God, and look upwards.
22 Emva kwalokho bazakhangela emhlabeni babone usizi kuphela, lomnyama owesabekayo, njalo bazaphoselwa emnyameni opheleleyo.
And they shall look to the earth, and behold trouble and darkness, weakness and distress, and a mist following them, and they cannot fly away from their distress.
