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).
Then the Lord told me, “Get a large tablet and write on it in with an ordinary pen, ‘Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’
2 Ngizabiza u-Uriya umphristi loZakhariya indodana kaJebherekhiya njengabofakazi bami abathembekileyo.”
I will need Uriah the priest and Zechariah, son of Jeberekiah, to be my trustworthy witnesses.”
3 Ngemva kwalokho ngaya kumphrofethikazi, wathatha isisu, wazala indodana. UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Mbize ngokuthi nguMaheri-Shalali-Hashi-Bhazi.
Then I slept with my wife the prophetess, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. The Lord told me, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
4 Kuzakuthi umfana engakakwazi ukuthi ‘Ubaba’ loba ‘Umama,’ inotho yaseDamaseko lempahla ethunjwe eSamariya kuzathathwa yinkosi yase-Asiriya.”
For even before the boy knows how to say ‘Daddy’ or ‘Mommy,’ the king of Assyria will carry off Damascus' wealth and Samaria's possessions.”
5 UThixo wakhuluma kimi futhi wathi:
Then the Lord spoke to me again, saying,
6 “Ngenxa yokuthi abantu laba sebewalile amanzi ageleza kuhle aseShilowa bethokozela uRezini lendodana kaRemaliya,
“Because this people has rejected the waters of Shiloah that gently flow and instead have rejoiced with Rezin and Remaliah's son,
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,
the Lord is going to bring the powerful floodwaters of the Euphrates River against them—the king of Assyria with all his glorious army. It will flood all its channels and overflow all its banks.
8 afohlele koJuda, agcwale kulo, adlule phakathi kwalo efika entanyeni. Impiko zawo ezeluliweyo zizakwembesa ububanzi belizwe lakho, Awu, Emanuweli!”
It will sweep on into Judah, overflowing and flooding through, reaching up to the neck. Like outspread wings it will engulf the whole of your land, Immanuel!
9 Hlabani umkhosi wempi lina zizwe, lichithwe! Lalelani lonke lina mazwe akude. Lungiselani impi, lichithwe! Lungiselani impi lichithwe!
Pay attention, you nations, and be smashed! Listen, all you distant lands, get ready, but you will be smashed. Get ready, but you will be smashed.
10 Lungisani icebo lenu, kodwa kalisoze liphumelele: bumbani isu lenu, kodwa kaliyikuma, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulathi.
You can plan your strategy, but it will be foiled; you can say what you're intending, but it won't happen, for God is with us.”
11 UThixo wakhuluma kimi isandla sakhe esilamandla siphezu kwami, engixwayisa ukuba ngingalandeli indlela yalababantu. Wathi:
For this is what the Lord told me, holding me with a strong hand, instructing me not to follow the way of this people. He said,
12 “Ungabokuthi kungamacebo amabi konke abantu laba abathi kungamacebo amabi; ungakwesabi abakwesabayo njalo ungakuqhuqhi.
Don't call a conspiracy everything that these people call a conspiracy. Don't fear what they fear. Don't be overawed!
13 UThixo uSomandla nguye okumele limazi engongcwele, nguye okumele limesabe, nguye okumele limqhuqhe.
The Lord Almighty is the one you should see as holy. He is the one you should fear, he is the one you should be in awe of.
14 Uzakuba yisiphephelo; kodwa kuzo zombili izindlu zako-Israyeli uzakuba yilitshe elikhubekisa abantu ledwala elibenza bawe. Ebantwini baseJerusalema uzakuba yisifu lomjibila.
He will be a sanctuary for you. But to the royal families of both Israel and Judah he will be a stone they trip over and a rock that makes them stumble, a trap and a snare to the people who live in Jerusalem.
15 Inengi labo lizakhubeka; bazakuwa bephuke, bazathiywa bathunjwe.”
Many people will stumble over them. They will fall and be broken. They will be trapped and caught.
16 Bopha ubufakazi besixwayiso, uqinise umthetho phakathi kwabafundi bakaNkulunkulu.
Safeguard this testimony, seal these instructions—they are for my disciples.
17 Ngizamlindela uThixo, ofihlela indlu kaJakhobe ubuso bakhe. Ngizabeka ithemba lami kuye.
I will wait for the Lord, the one who is hiding his face from Jacob's descendants. I will wait in hope for him.
18 Mina ngilapha, kanye labantwana uThixo angiphe bona. Siyizibonakaliso lempawu ku-Israyeli ezivela kuThixo uSomandla, ohlala entabeni iZiyoni.
Look, I'm here, together with the children the Lord has given me. They are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who lives on Mount Zion.
19 Nxa abantu bekutshela ukuthi buza abalamadlozi labalemimoya yobuthakathi, labanyenyezayo bengunguza, kambe abantu akumelanga babuzisise uNkulunkulu wabo na? Kungani abaphilayo libabuzela kwabafayo na?
When someone suggests to you, “Go and ask mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter,” shouldn't people ask their God? Why should they ask the dead on behalf of the living?
20 Emthethweni lakubo ubufakazi! Nxa bengakhulumi ngokumayelana lelizwi leli, kabalakho ukukhanya kokusa.
Go and examine God's law and his instructions! If what they say doesn't correspond with God's word, there will be no dawn for them.
21 Bazazula lelizwe behlulukelwe, belambile. Lapho sebephalwe yindlala, bazathukuthela, bathuke inkosi yabo loNkulunkulu wabo bekhangele phezulu.
They will wander round the country, depressed and hungry. When they are starving they will become furious, and looking up they will curse their king and their God.
22 Emva kwalokho bazakhangela emhlabeni babone usizi kuphela, lomnyama owesabekayo, njalo bazaphoselwa emnyameni opheleleyo.
Then they will look towards the earth and see only misery and gloom and agonizing depression, and they will be thrown out into the darkness.
