U-Obhadiya 1
1 Umbono Ka-Obhadaya. Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi nge-Edomi: Sesizwe ilizwi elivela kuThixo: Kuthunywe isithunywa ezizweni ukuba sithi, “Phakamani, asihambeni silwe laye impi”:
Obadiah's vision. This is what the Lord says about the land of Edom. We have heard from the Lord that a messenger was sent to tell the nations: Get ready! Let's go to war against Edom!
2 “Khangela, ngizakwenza ube mncinyane phakathi kwezizwe; uzakweyiswa kakhulu.
I will make you insignificant among the nations. You will be totally despised.
3 Ukuzigqaja kwenhliziyo yakho sekukukhohlisile, wena ohlala ezingoxweni zamadwala wakhe umuzi wakho eziqongweni, wena ozitshela uthi, ‘Ngubani ongangiwisela phansi enhlabathini na?’
Your heart's pride has deceived you—you who live in a secure fortress of rock in the high mountains, saying to yourselves, “Who can ever bring us down?”
4 Lanxa uqonga njengengqungqulu wakhe isidleke sakho phakathi kwezinkanyezi, ngizakwethula khonale,” kutsho uThixo.
But even though you soar like an eagle, even though you make your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there, declares the Lord.
5 “Nxa amasela efike kuwe, nxa abaphangi ebusuku, Awu, yeka ubukhulu bomonakalo okulindeleyo, kabayikuntshontsha kuphela lokho okwanele abakufunayo na? Nxa abavuni bamavini befike kuwe, kabangeke batshiye amalutshwana na?
You will be completely destroyed! If thieves came to you, if robbers came at night, wouldn't they steal only what they wanted? If those who harvest grapes came to you, wouldn't they leave some behind?
6 Kodwa yeka ukuphangwa okuzakwenziwa u-Esawu, inotho yakhe efihliweyo izathunjwa!
But how Esau will be plundered and their hidden treasures looted!
7 Bonke abamanyane lawe bazakuxotshela emngceleni; abangane bakho bazakukhohlisa bakunqobe; labo abadla ukudla kwakho bazakuthiya ngomjibila, kodwa wena kawuyikuwubona.
All your allies will drive you out, past the borders of your land. Those who were at peace with you will deceive you, and conquer you. Those who ate with you have ambushed you. You don't understand a thing!
8 Ngalolosuku,” kutsho uThixo, “kangiyikuwabhubhisa yini amadoda ahlakaniphileyo ase-Edomi, amadoda aqedisisayo ezintabeni zako-Esawu na?
On that day, declares the Lord, I will destroy the wise men of Edom—there will be no more wisdom in the mountains of Esau.
9 Amabutho akho, wena Themani, azathuthumela, njalo bonke abasezintabeni zako-Esawu bazacakazelwa phansi ekubulaweni kwabanengi.
Teman, your fighting men will be terrified, so that everyone of the mountains of Esau will be cut down in the massacre.
10 Ngenxa yodlakela kumfowenu uJakhobe, uzakwembeswa lihlazo; uzachithwa nini lanini.
Because of the violence you committed against your brothers, the descendants of Jacob, you will be totally ashamed of yourselves, and destroyed forever.
11 Ngosuku owema ngalo khatshana mhla izihambi zithumba inotho yakhe labezizweni bengena emasangweni akhe bephosa inkatho ngeJerusalema, wawunjengomunye wabo.
On that day you stood aside, on that day strangers plundered their wealth and foreigners entered their gates, and divided up Jerusalem by casting lots—and you were like one of them.
12 Akumelanga weyise umfowenu ngosuku lokuhlupheka kwakhe, loba uthokoze ngabantu bakoJuda ngosuku lokubhujiswa kwabo, loba uklamase kangaka ngosuku lokuhlupheka kwabo.
You should not have gloated over your brother's day of disaster. You should not have rejoiced over the day of destruction of the sons of Judah. You should not have boasted over the day of their distress.
13 Akumelanga ungene ngamasango abantu bami ngosuku lomonakalo wabo, loba ubeyise osizini lwabo ngosuku lomonakalo wabo, loba uthumbe inotho yabo ngosuku lomonakalo wabo.
You should not have marched through the city gates of my people on their day of disaster. You should not have gloated over them on the day of their disaster. You should not have looted their wealth on the day of their disaster.
14 Akumelanga ume emahlukanandlela ukuba ubulale ababalekayo babo, loba unikele abaphephileyo babo ngosuku lokuhlupheka kwabo.
You should not have stood at the crossroads, cutting down those trying to escape. You should not have handed over those who survived on the day of their distress.
15 Usuku lukaThixo selusondele ezizweni zonke. Njengalokho okwenzileyo, yikho okuzakwenziwa kuwe; izenzo zakho zizaphendukela phezu kwekhanda lakho.
For the day of the Lord is near for all nations. What you have done will be done to you; your actions will fall back on your own heads.
16 Njengokunatha elakwenzayo entabeni yami, ngokunjalo izizwe zonke zizanatha njalonjalo; zizanatha, zinathe kuze kube angathi kazizange zivele zibe khona.
For as you drank on my holy mountain, so will all the nations continually drink, and swallow, and they shall be as if they never existed.
17 Kodwa phezu kweNtaba iZiyoni kuzakuba lokusindiswa; kuzakuba ngcwele, lendlu kaJakhobe izazuza ilifa layo.
But on Mount Zion there will be a place of escape, a holy place, and the descendants of Jacob will reclaim their inheritance.
18 Indlu kaJakhobe izakuba ngumlilo lendlu kaJosefa ibe lilangabi; indlu ka-Esawu izakuba libibi, njalo bazayithungela ngomlilo ozayiqothula. Akuyikuba khona abasilayo endlini ka-Esawu.” UThixo usekhulumile.
The descendants of Jacob will become a fire, and the descendants of Joseph a flame, and they shall burn up the descendants of Esau like stubble, consuming them completely, so that there will be not a single survivor of the descendants of Esau. For the Lord has spoken.
19 Abantu abavela eNegebi bazathumba izintaba zako-Esawu, labantu abavela emawatheni ezintaba bazathumba ilizwe lamaFilistiya. Bazathumba amasimu ako-Efrayimi lawaseSamariya, loBhenjamini uzathumba iGiliyadi.
Those living in the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau; those from the foothills of Judah will occupy the land of the Philistines, and possess the fields of Ephraim and Samaria; those from the tribe of Benjamin will occupy Gilead.
20 Lelibutho labako-Israyeli abathunjwayo abaseKhenani lizalithatha ilizwe kusiyafika eZarefathi; abathunjwa eJerusalema abaseSefaradi bazathatha amadolobho aseNegebi.
The army of exiles of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem from Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negev.
21 Abakhululi bazakhwela iNtaba iZiyoni ukuba babuse izintaba zako-Esawu. Njalo umbuso uzakuba ngokaThixo.
Those who have been saved will go up Mount Zion and rule the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom shall be the Lord's.
