UMikha 3
1 Lapho-ke mina ngathi, “Lalelani lina bakhokheli bakoJakhobe, lina babusi bendlu yako-Israyeli. Ukulunga akumelanga likwazi na,
And I said, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know judgment?
2 lina elizonda okuhle lithande okubi; elixebula isikhumba ebantwini bami lenyama emathanjeni abo;
Ye who hate the good, and love evil; who pluck off their skin from them, and their flesh from off their bones;
3 lina elibadla inyama abantu bami, lihlubule isikhumba sabo lichoboze lamathambo abo abe yizicucu; elibaqumaquma njengenyama yepani, lanjengenyama yembiza?”
and who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron.
4 Lapho-ke bazakhala kuThixo, kodwa kayikubaphendula. Ngalesosikhathi uzabafihlela ubuso bakhe ngenxa yobubi ababenzileyo.
Then shall they cry unto Jehovah, but he will not answer them; and he will hide his face from them at that time, according as they have wrought evil in their doings.
5 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Okunjengabaphrofethi, abedukisa abantu bami, umuntu angabapha ukudla, bamemezela ‘ukuthula’ nxa engabaphi balungisela ukumhlasela ngempi.
Thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that cause my people to err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace! but whoso putteth not into their mouths they prepare war against him:
6 Ngakho ubusuku buzakwehlela phezu kwenu, kungekho mibono, kanye lomnyama, kungekho kuhlahlula. Ilanga lizabatshonela abaphrofethi, losuku luzakuba mnyama kubo.
therefore ye shall have night without a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, without divination; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them.
7 Ababonisayo bazayangeka labahlahluli babe lenhloni. Bonke bazamboza ubuso babo ngoba kungelampendulo evela kuNkulunkulu.”
And the seers shall be ashamed, and the diviners confounded; and they shall all cover their lips, for there will be no answer of God.
8 Kodwa mina ngiphiwe amandla, loMoya kaThixo, lokulunga kanye lesibindi, ukuba ngitshele uJakhobe ukona kwakhe lo-Israyeli isono sakhe.
But truly I am filled with power by the Spirit of Jehovah, and with judgment and with might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
9 Zwanini lokhu lina bakhokheli bendlu kaJakhobe, lani babusi bendlu ka-Israyeli, eleyisa ukulunga lihlanekele konke okuqondileyo;
Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity,
10 elakha iZiyoni ngokuchitha igazi; leJerusalema ngobubi.
that build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with unrighteousness.
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.”
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet do they lean upon Jehovah, and say, Is not Jehovah in the midst of us? no evil shall come upon us.
12 Ngakho-ke ngenxa yenu, iZiyoni izalinywa njengensimu, iJerusalema izakuba yinqwaba yemfucuza, intaba yethempeli ibe yindunduma eyande izixukwana.
Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed [as] a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
