U-Amosi 5
1 Zwanini lelilizwi engiliphakamisa phezu kwenu, isililo, ndlu kaIsrayeli.
Hear this word that I take up as a lament over you, house of Israel.
2 Intombi emsulwa yakoIsrayeli iwile, kayiyikuvuka futhi; ideliwe emhlabathini wayo, kakho oyivusayo.
The virgin Israel has fallen; she will rise no more; she is forsaken on her land; there is no one to raise her up.
3 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Umuzi ophuma labayinkulungwane uzasala labalikhulu, lophuma labalikhulu uzasala labalitshumi, kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli.
For this is what the Lord Yahweh says: “The city that went out with a thousand will have a hundred left, and the one that went out with a hundred will have ten left belonging to the house of Israel.”
4 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi endlini kaIsrayeli: Ngidingani liphile.
For this is what Yahweh says to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live!
5 Kodwa lingadingi iBhetheli, lingangeni eGiligali, lingedluleli eBherishebha, ngoba iGiligali izathunjwa lokuthunjwa, leBhetheli izakuba yize.
Do not seek Bethel; nor enter Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into captivity, and Bethel will become nothing.
6 Dingani iNkosi liphile, hlezi ifohlele indlu kaJosefa njengomlilo oqothulayo, kungabi khona owucitshayo eBhetheli.
Seek Yahweh and live, or he will break out like fire in the house of Joseph. It will devour, and there will be no one to quench it in Bethel.
7 Lina eliphendula isahlulelo sibe ngumhlonyane, lilalise ukulunga emhlabathini.
Those people turn justice into a bitter thing and throw righteousness down to the ground!”
8 Owenza isiLimela leziNja, lophendula umthunzi wokufa ube yikusa, lowenza imini ibe mnyama njengobusuku, obiza amanzi olwandle, awathulule ebusweni bomhlabathi; iNkosi libizo lakhe.
God made the Pleiades and Orion; he turns darkness into the morning; he makes the day dark with night and calls for the waters of the sea; he pours them out on the surface of the earth. Yahweh is his name!
9 Okhazimulisa incithakalo phezu kolamandla, ukuze incithakalo ize phezu kwenqaba.
He brings sudden destruction on the strong so that destruction comes on the fortresses.
10 Bayamzonda okhuzayo esangweni, banengwe ngokhuluma ngokuqonda.
They hate anyone who corrects them in the city gate, and they abhor anyone who speaks the truth.
11 Ngenxa yokuthi linyathelela phansi umyanga, limthathele umthwalo wamabele, lakhe izindlu zamatshe abaziweyo, kodwa kaliyikuhlala kuzo; lihlanyele izivini zentokozo, kodwa kaliyikunatha iwayini lazo.
Because you trample down the poor and take portions of wheat from him— although you have built houses of worked stone, you will not live in them. You have delightful vineyards, but you will not drink their wine.
12 Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi iziphambeko zenu zinengi, lokuthi izono zenu zilamandla; lina elihlupha olungileyo, elemukela isivalamlomo, eliphambula abayanga esangweni.
For I know how many are your offenses and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, take bribes, and turn aside the needy in the city gate.
13 Ngakho ohlakaniphileyo uzathula ngalesosikhathi, ngoba kuyisikhathi esibi.
Therefore any prudent person is silent at such a time, for it is an evil time.
14 Dingani okuhle, hatshi-ke okubi, ukuze liphile, ukuze ngokunjalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla ibe lani, njengokutsho kwenu.
Seek good and not evil, so that you may live. So Yahweh, the God of hosts, will really be with you, as you say he is.
15 Zondani ububi, lithande okuhle, limise isahlulelo esangweni; mhlawumbe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla ingaba lesisa kunsali yakoJosefa.
Hate evil, love good, establish justice in the city gate. Perhaps Yahweh, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
16 Ngakho utsho njalo uJehova, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, iNkosi: Kuzakuba khona isililo emidangeni yonke, lakuzo zonke izitalada bazakuthi: Maye! Maye! Njalo bazabizela umlimi ekulileni, lesililo sizakuba labazi ukulila.
Therefore, this is what Yahweh says, the God of hosts, the Lord, “Wailing will be in all the squares, and they will say in all the streets, 'Woe! Woe!' They will call the farmers to mourning and the mourners to wail.
17 Lakuzo zonke izivini kuzakuba lokulila, ngoba ngizadabula phakathi kwenu, itsho iNkosi.
In all vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says Yahweh.
18 Maye kulabo abaloyisa usuku lweNkosi! Luzakuba ngolwani kini usuku lweNkosi? Luzakuba ngumnyama, hatshi ukukhanya.
Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It will be darkness and not light,
19 Kunjengomuntu obaleke phambi kwesilwane, ahlangane lebhere; loba angene endlini abambelele ngesandla sakhe emdulini, lenyoka imlume.
as when a man flees from a lion and a bear meets him, or he goes in a house and puts his hand on the wall and a snake bites him.
20 Usuku lweNkosi kaluyikuba ngumnyama yini, hatshi-ke ukukhanya, lomnyama omkhulu ongelakukhanya kuwo?
Will not the day of Yahweh be darkness and not light? Gloom and no brightness?
21 Ngiyayizonda, ngiyayidelela imikhosi yenu, kangiyikunuka emihlanganweni yenu enzulu.
“I hate, I despise your festivals, I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Ngoba lanxa linikela kimi iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yenu yokudla, kangithokozi, leminikelo yokuthula yezifuyo zenu ezinonileyo kangiyinanzi.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look at the fellowship offerings of your fattened animals.
23 Susani kimi umsindo wezingoma zenu, ngoba kangiyikuzwa ukukhala kwamachacho enu.
Remove from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the sound of your harps.
24 Kodwa isahlulelo kasikhukhule njengamanzi, lokulunga njengesifula esigeleza njalo.
Instead, let justice flow like water, and righteousness like a constantly flowing stream.
25 Lanikela yini kimi imihlatshelo leminikelo yokudla enkangala okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli?
Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel?
26 Kodwa lathwala uSikuthi inkosi yenu, loKhiwuni izithombe zenu, inkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu, elizenzele zona.
You have lifted up the images of Sikkuth, your king, and Kaiwan, your star god, which you made for yourselves.
27 Ngakho ngizalithumbela ngaphetsheya kweDamaseko, itsho iNkosi, obizo layo nguNkulunkulu wamabandla.
Therefore I will exile you beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of hosts.
