< UMikha 7 >
1 Maye ngosizi lwami! Nginjengomuntu obutha izithelo zehlobo senginjengevini eselivunwe laphela; akuselasixha samavini okudliwa, kayisekho lemikhiwa yakuqala engiyikhanukayo.
Woe to me, for I have become just like one who gleans the clusters of the vintage in autumn. There is no cluster of grapes to consume; my soul desired figs out of season.
2 Abathembekileyo babhujisiwe elizweni, kakho lamunye umuntu olungileyo oseleyo. Abantu bonke bacathamela ukuchitha igazi; lowo lalowo uzingela umfowabo ngombule.
The holy ones pass away from the land, and there is no one righteous among men. All wait in ambush for blood; a man hunts his brother to death.
3 Izandla zombili zizingcitshi ekwenzeni okubi; umbusi ufuna izipho ngamandla, umahluleli wamukela isivalamlomo, abalamandla babiza abakufisayo, bonke baceba okubi bendawonye.
The evil of their hands, they call good. The leader is demanding, and the judge is yielding, and the great is speaking the desire of his soul, and they have confused it.
4 Ongcono wabo unjengesihlahla sameva, oqotho kakhulu mubi kulothango lwameva. Usuku uNkulunkulu alethekelela ngalo selufikile, usuku lokukhala kophondo lwabalindi. Manje sekuyisikhathi sokuphumputheka kwabo.
Whoever is best among them is like a thorny plant, and he who is righteous is like a thorny hedge. The day of your inspection, your visitation, arrives. Now will be their ruination.
5 Ungamethembi umakhelwane; ungagwabi ngomngane wakho. Lalowo olala umgonile, qaphela amazwi akho.
Do not be willing to believe a friend. And do not be willing to confide in a commander. From her, who sleeps in your bosom, keep the doors of your mouth closed.
6 Ngoba indodana idumaza uyise, indodakazi ivukela unina, umalukazana avukele uninazala, izitha zomuntu ngamalunga endlu yakhe.
For the son acts with contempt for the father, and the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies are those of his own household.
7 Kodwa mina ngilindele uThixo ngethemba, ngilindele uNkulunkulu uMsindisi wami; uNkulunkulu wami uzangizwa.
But I will look towards the Lord. I will wait for God, my Savior. My God will hear me.
8 Ungaklolodi wena sitha sami! Lanxa ngiwile, ngizavuka. Lanxa ngihlezi emnyameni, uThixo uzakuba yikukhanya kwami.
You, my enemy, should not rejoice over me because I have fallen. I will rise up, when I sit in darkness. The Lord is my light.
9 Ngenxa yokuba ngonile kuye, ngizalumela ulaka lukaThixo, aze angincengele endabeni yami, aveze ukungabi lacala kwami. Uzangikhuphela phandle ekukhanyeni; ngizabona ukulunga kwakhe.
I will carry the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he may judge my case and execute judgment for me. He will lead me into the light. I will behold his justice.
10 Lapho-ke isitha sami sizakubona, njalo sibanjwe zinhloni, lowo owathi kimi, “Ungaphi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho?” Lakhathesi uzagxotshwa ngezinyawo njengodaka emigwaqweni.
And my enemy will look, and she will be covered with confusion, she who says to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her. Now she will be trampled underfoot like the mud of the streets.
11 Usuku lokwakhiwa kwemiduli yakho luzafika, usuku lokuqhelisa imingcele yakho.
The day that your walls will be rebuilt, in that day the law will be far away.
12 Ngalolosuku abantu bazakuza kuwe bevela e-Asiriya lasemadolobheni aseGibhithe, njalo kusukela eGibhithe kusiya kuYufrathe, kusukela olwandle kusiya olwandle, lakusukela entabeni kusiya entabeni.
In that day also, they will come towards you even from Assur, and even to the fortified cities, and from the fortified cities even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13 Umhlaba uzachitheka ngenxa yabahlezi kuwo, ngenxa yezenzo zabo.
And the land will be in desolation, because of its inhabitants and because of the fruit of their intentions.
14 Beluse abantu bakho ngentonga yakho, umhlambi welifa lakho, ohlala wodwa ehlathini emadlelweni avundileyo. Kawudle eBhashani laseGiliyadi njengasezinsukwini zokuphuma.
With your rod, pasture your people, the flock of your inheritance, living alone in the narrow forest, in the midst of Carmel. They will graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the ancient days.
15 “Njengasezinsukwini zokuphuma kwenu eGibhithe, ngizabatshengisa izimangaliso zami.”
As in the days of your departure from the land of Egypt, I will reveal miracles to him.
16 Izizwe zizabona ziyangeke, zemukwe wonke amandla azo. Zizabamba imilomo yazo ngezandla, lezindlebe zazo zingabe zisezwa.
The nations will look, and they will be confounded at the strength of them all. They will place hand over mouth; their ears will be deaf.
17 Zizakhotha uthuli njengenyoka, njengezinanakazana ezihuquzela emhlabathini. Zizakuza ziqhaqhazela ziphuma emihomeni yazo; zizaphendukela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ngokwesaba, njalo lawe zizakwesaba.
They will lick the dust like serpents, and, like the creeping things of the earth, they will be disturbed in their houses. They will dread the Lord our God, and they will fear you.
18 Ngubani onguNkulunkulu njengawe, oxolela izono athethelele iziphambeko zensalela zelifa lakhe na? Kawuthukutheli kokuphela kodwa uthokoza ngokutshengisa isihawu.
What God is like you, who takes away iniquity and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? No longer will he send forth his fury, because he is willing to be merciful.
19 Uzakuba lesihawu kithi futhi; uzanyathela izono zethu ngezinyawo uphosele bonke ububi bethu ezinzikini zolwandle.
He will turn back and have mercy on us. He will put away our iniquities, and he will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Uzakuba qotho kuJakhobe, ubonakalise isihawu sakho ku-Abhrahama, njengokuthembisa kwakho ngesifungo kubokhokho bethu ensukwini zasendulo.
You will give the truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which you swore to our fathers from the ancient days.