UMikha 2
1 Maye kulabo abaceba ububi, kulabo abaceba ukwenza okubi emibhedeni yabo! Ekudabukeni kokusa bayakwenza ngoba kusemandleni abo ukukwenza.
Terrible things will happen to you who lie awake at night, planning to do wicked things. You get up at dawn, and you do those things, [as soon as] you are able to do them.
2 Bahawukela amasimu bawathumbe, kanye lezindlu, bazithathe. Badlelezela umuntu ngomuzi wakhe, lomuntu wakibo ngelifa lakhe.
You want fields [that belong to other people], so you seize them; you also take their houses. You cheat people to get their homes, taking away the property that belongs to their families.
3 Ngakho uThixo uthi: “Ngiceba ukwenza umonakalo kulababantu, elingeke liziphephise kuwo. Kalisayikuhamba ngokuziqhenya, ngoba kuzakuba yisikhathi sencithakalo.
Therefore, this is what Yahweh says: “I will cause you people to experience disasters, and you will not be able to escape [MTY] from them. You will no [longer] walk around proudly, because when those things happen, it will be a time of much trouble for you.
4 Ngalolosuku abantu bazalihleka; bazaliklolodela ngale ingoma yokulila bathi: ‘Thina sichithwe okupheleleyo; ilifa labantu bami labiwe. Uyangithathela! Amasimu ethu uwanika abathengisi.’”
At that time, [your enemies] will make fun of you; they will ridicule you by singing this sad song about you: ‘We are completely ruined; Yahweh is taking our land/fields from us, and he will give it to those who will capture us.’”
5 Ngakho-ke kawuzukuba laye ebandleni likaThixo ozalabela ilizwe ngenkatho.
So [when it is the time for the land to be given back to you] people who belong to Yahweh, there will be no one [MTY] who will be able to (cast lots/throw marked stones) to determine which land belongs to whom.
6 Abaphrofethi babo bathi, “Lingaphrofethi. Lingaphrofethi ngalezizinto; ihlazo kaliyikusehlela.”
The people [who heard me say that] replied to me, “Do not prophesy such things! Do not say that [Yahweh] is going to humiliate us [by causing us to experience disasters]!”
7 Wena ndlu kaJakhobe, kufanele yini ukuba kuthiwe, “UMoya kaThixo uzondile na? Uyazenza izinto ezinje na?” “Amazwi ami kawenzi okulungileyo kuye ozindlela zakhe ziqondile na?
But you people [MTY] of Israel should not [RHQ] talk like that! The Spirit of Yahweh will certainly not [RHQ] be patient [with people who say such things]! People who continually do things that are righteous will certainly [RHQ] like/appreciate what I say.
8 Okwamanje abantu bami sebehlamuke njengesitha. Lihlubula ingubo eligugu kulabo abedlulayo linganakile, njengabantu abavela empini.
[But Yahweh says], “[Recently] my people have been acting toward me like an enemy. When soldiers return from fighting [against their enemies], you [rich people refuse to return the coats of those poor soldiers who have borrowed money from you] [and given you their coats to guarantee that they will pay back the money that they borrowed from you]. [It is as though] you are waiting to forcefully take their coats off their backs!
9 Abesifazane babantu bami liyabaxotsha emizini yabo emihle. Lisusa isibusiso sami kokuphela ebantwaneni babo.
You have forced women to leave their nice homes, and you have stolen from their children forever the (blessings/good things) that I wanted to give them.
10 Sukani lihambe! Ngoba le akusindawo yenu yokuphumula, ngoba ingcolile, ichithekile, okungeke kulungiswe.
[So] get up and leave [here]! This is not a place where you can rest [and be safe/protected], because you have (defiled it/caused it to be a place that I hate); it will be completely destroyed.
11 Nxa umqambi wamanga lomkhohlisi efika athi, ‘Ngizaliphrofethela iwayini elinengi lotshwala,’ uyabe engumphrofethi walababantu nje kuphela!”
[You people want] a prophet who will lie to you, saying ‘I will preach [that you should drink] plenty of wine and [other] alcoholic drinks!’ That is the [kind of] prophet who [would please] you.”
12 “Impela ngizalibutha lonke, wena Jakhobe; impela ngizabaqoqela ndawonye abako-Israyeli abasalayo. Ngizabaqoqela ndawonye njengezimvu esibayeni, njengomhlambi wezimvu emadlelweni awo; indawo ibe lokuphithizela kwabantu.
“[But some day], you descendants of Jacob, you Israeli people who have survived, I will bring you back [from (exile/other countries)], I will gather you together like [SIM] [a shepherd gathers his] sheep from the pasture into a pen [DOU]; there will be many of you in your land/country.
13 Lowo ozavula indlela uzahamba phambi kwabo; bazafohla isango baphume. Inkosi yabo izadlulela phambi kwabo, uThixo abe phambi kwabo.”
Your leader will enable them to leave the countries where they have been exiled; he will lead them out of the gates [of their enemies’ cities], [back to your own country]. Your king will lead them; [it is I], Yahweh, who will be their king!”
