UZefaniya 3
1 Maye kulo idolobho labancindezeli, elihlamukayo lelingcolileyo!
Sorrow to her who is uncontrolled and unclean, the cruel town!
2 Kalilaleli muntu, kalivumi kukhuzwa. Kalithembeli kuThixo, kalisondeli kuNkulunkulu walo.
She gave no attention to the voice, she had no use for teaching, she put no faith in the Lord, she did not come near to her God.
3 Izikhulu zalo ziyizilwane ezibhongayo, ababusi balo bazimpisi zakusihlwa, ezingatshiyi lutho lwekuseni.
Her rulers are like loud-voiced lions in her; her judges are wolves of the evening, crushing up the bones before the morning.
4 Abaphrofethi balo bayazazisa; bangabantu bamacebo amabi. Abaphristi balo bangcolisa indawo engcwele bephule lomthetho.
Her prophets are good-for-nothing persons, full of deceit: her priests have made the holy place unclean and have gone violently against the law.
5 UThixo phakathi kwalo ulungile; kenzi okubi, nsuku zonke ekuseni wenza ukulunga kwakhe njalo kaphambanisi ukusa kwamalanga wonke, ikanti abangalunganga kabalanhloni.
The Lord in her is upright; he will not do evil; every morning he lets his righteousness be seen, he is unchanging; but the evil-doer has no sense of shame.
6 “Ngizichithile izizwe; izinqaba zazo zidiliziwe. Ngitshiye imigwaqo yazo ideliwe kungekho odlula khona. Amadolobho azo adiliziwe; kakho ozasala kakho lamunye.
I have had the nations cut off, their towers are broken down; I have made their streets a waste so that no one goes through them: destruction has overtaken their towns, so that there is no man living in them.
7 Ngathi kulo idolobho, ‘Impela uzangesaba uvume ukukhuzwa!’ Lapho-ke indlu yalo yokuhlala yayingayikudilizwa loba isijeziso sami sehlele phezu kwalo. Kodwa babelokhu betshisekela izenzo zokuxhwala kukho konke abakwenzayo.
I said, Certainly you will go in fear of me, and come under my training, so that whatever I may send on her may not be cut off before her eyes: but they got up early and made all their works evil.
8 Ngakho ngilindela,” kutsho uThixo, “lolusuku engizasukuma ngalo ngifakaze. Sengimise ukubuthanisa izizwe, ngiqoqe imibuso, ngehlisele ulaka lwami phezu kwabo konke ukuthukuthela kwami okukhulu. Umhlaba wonke uzaqothulwa ngomlilo womona wentukuthelo yami.”
For this reason, go on waiting for me, says the Lord, till the day when I come up as a witness: for my purpose is to send for the nations and to get the kingdoms together, so that I may let loose on them my passion, even all my burning wrath: for all the earth will be burned up in the fire of my bitter passion.
9 “Lapho-ke ngizahlambulula izindebe zezizwe, ukuze zonke zikhuleke ebizweni likaThixo zimkhonze zimanyane.
For then I will give the people a clean language, so that they may all make prayer to the Lord and be his servants with one mind.
10 Kusukela ngaphetsheya kwemifula yaseKhushi abakhonzi bami, abantu bami abahlakazekileyo, bazangilethela iminikelo.
From over the rivers of Ethiopia, and from the sides of the north, they will come to me with an offering.
11 Ngalolosuku kaliyikuyangiswa ngobubi bonke elabenza kimi, ngoba ngizabasusa kulelidolobho abathokoziswa yikuzigqaja kwabo. Kaliyikuzikhukhumeza futhi entabeni yami engcwele.
In that day you will have no shame on account of all the things in which you did evil against me: for then I will take away from among you those who were lifted up in pride, and you will no longer be lifted up with pride in my holy mountain.
12 Kodwa ngizatshiya phakathi kwenu abathambileyo labathobekileyo, abathembele ebizweni likaThixo.
But I will still have among you a quiet and poor people, and they will put their faith in the name of the Lord.
13 Kabayikwenza okubi; kabayikuqamba amanga, loba kube lenkohliso emilonyeni yabo. Bazakudla balale phansi, kakho ozabenza besabe.”
The rest of Israel will do no evil and say no false words; the tongue of deceit will not be seen in their mouth: for they will take their food and their rest, and no one will be a cause of fear to them.
14 Hlabela wena Ndodakazi yeZiyoni, klabalala kakhulu, wena Israyeli! Thaba uthokoze ngenhliziyo yakho yonke wena ndodakazi yaseJerusalema!
Make melody, O daughter of Zion; give a loud cry, O Israel; be glad and let your heart be full of joy, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15 UThixo usesisusile isijeziso sakho, usesixotshile isitha sakho. UThixo, iNkosi ka-Israyeli, ulawe; akulangozi ozaphinda uyesabe futhi.
The Lord has taken away those who were judging you, he has sent your haters far away: the King of Israel, even the Lord, is among you: you will have no more fear of evil.
16 Ngalolosuku bazakuthi kulo iJerusalema, “Ungesabi, wena Ziyoni; ungavumeli ukuba izandla zakho zibe buthakathaka.
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Have no fear: O Zion, let not your hands be feeble.
17 UThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ulawe, ulamandla okusindisa. Uzathokoza kakhulu ngawe, uzakududuza ngothando lwakhe, uzakuthokozela ngokuhlabelela.”
The Lord your God is among you, as a strong saviour: he will be glad over you with joy, he will make his love new again, he will make a song of joy over you as in the time of a holy feast.
18 “Insizi zemikhosi emisiweyo ngizazisusa kuwe; zingumthwalo lehlazo kuwe.
I will take away your troubles, lifting up your shame from off you.
19 Ngalesosikhathi ngizababona bonke abalincindezelayo; ngizahlenga abaqhulayo ngibuthe lalabo abahlakazwayo, ngizabapha udumo lenhlonipho kuwo wonke amazwe lapho abahlaziswa khona.
See, at that time I will put an end to all who have been troubling you: I will give salvation to her whose steps are uncertain, and get together her who has been sent in flight; and I will make them a cause of praise and an honoured name in all the earth, when I let their fate be changed.
20 Ngalesosikhathi ngizalibutha; ngalesosikhathi ngizalisa ekhaya. Ngizalipha inhlonipho lodumo phakathi kwezizwe zonke zasemhlabeni lapho sengiliphumelelisa futhi phambi kwamehlo enu uqobo,” kutsho uThixo.
At that time I will make you come in, at that time I will get you together: for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth when I let your fate be changed before your eyes, says the Lord.
