UMikha 3
1 Lapho-ke mina ngathi, “Lalelani lina bakhokheli bakoJakhobe, lina babusi bendlu yako-Israyeli. Ukulunga akumelanga likwazi na,
And I said: Listen, leaders of Jacob and chiefs of the house of Israel. Does it not belong to you to know judgment,
2 lina elizonda okuhle lithande okubi; elixebula isikhumba ebantwini bami lenyama emathanjeni abo;
you who hold hatred for good, and love evil, who violently steal their skins from over them and their flesh from over their bones?
3 lina elibadla inyama abantu bami, lihlubule isikhumba sabo lichoboze lamathambo abo abe yizicucu; elibaqumaquma njengenyama yepani, lanjengenyama yembiza?”
They have devoured the flesh of my people, and have stripped their skin from over them, and they have shattered and chopped their bones, as if for the kettle, and like flesh in the middle of the pot.
4 Lapho-ke bazakhala kuThixo, kodwa kayikubaphendula. Ngalesosikhathi uzabafihlela ubuso bakhe ngenxa yobubi ababenzileyo.
Then they will cry out to the Lord, and he will not heed them. And he will hide his face from them in that time, just as they have acted wickedly with their inventions.
5 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Okunjengabaphrofethi, abedukisa abantu bami, umuntu angabapha ukudla, bamemezela ‘ukuthula’ nxa engabaphi balungisela ukumhlasela ngempi.
Thus says the Lord about the prophets who seduce my people: They bite with their teeth and preach peace, and if anyone does not give something to their mouth, they sanctify a battle against him.
6 Ngakho ubusuku buzakwehlela phezu kwenu, kungekho mibono, kanye lomnyama, kungekho kuhlahlula. Ilanga lizabatshonela abaphrofethi, losuku luzakuba mnyama kubo.
Because of this, night will be yours for vision, and darkness yours for divination, and the sun will meet with death over the prophets, and the day will be darkened over them.
7 Ababonisayo bazayangeka labahlahluli babe lenhloni. Bonke bazamboza ubuso babo ngoba kungelampendulo evela kuNkulunkulu.”
And those who see visions will be confounded, and the diviners will be confounded. And they will all cover their faces, because there is no response from God.
8 Kodwa mina ngiphiwe amandla, loMoya kaThixo, lokulunga kanye lesibindi, ukuba ngitshele uJakhobe ukona kwakhe lo-Israyeli isono sakhe.
Nevertheless, truly I have been filled with the strength of the Spirit of the Lord, with judgment and virtue, in order to announce to Jacob his wickedness and to Israel his sin.
9 Zwanini lokhu lina bakhokheli bendlu kaJakhobe, lani babusi bendlu ka-Israyeli, eleyisa ukulunga lihlanekele konke okuqondileyo;
Hear this, leaders of the house of Jacob and judges of the house of Israel, you who abominate judgment and who pervert all that is right.
10 elakha iZiyoni ngokuchitha igazi; leJerusalema ngobubi.
You build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 Abakhokheli bayo bahlulela ngokufunjathiswa, abaphristi bayo bafundisela inhlawulo, labaphrofethi bayo baphrofithela imali; ikanti bathembele kuThixo njalo bathi, “Kanti uThixo kakho phakathi kwethu na? Akulancithakalo engasehlela.”
Her leaders have judged for tributes, and her priests have taught for payment, and her prophets divined for money. And they leaned upon the Lord, saying: “Is not the Lord in our midst? No disaster will overcome us.”
12 Ngakho-ke ngenxa yenu, iZiyoni izalinywa njengensimu, iJerusalema izakuba yinqwaba yemfucuza, intaba yethempeli ibe yindunduma eyande izixukwana.
For this reason, because of you, Zion will be plowed under like a field, and Jerusalem will become like a pile of stones, and the mountain of the temple like the high places of the forests.
