U-Amosi 6
1 Maye kubo abonwabileyo eZiyoni, labavikelekileyo entabeni yeSamariya, abakhethekileyo bokuqala bezizwe, abaya kubo abendlu kaIsrayeli!
Sorrow awaits who are carefree in Zion, overconfident on the mountain of Samaria! The elite of this, the best of nations, on whom the people of Israel rest their hopes!
2 Dlulelani eKaline, libone, lisuke lapho liye eHamathi enkulu, lehlele eGathi yamaFilisti. Bangcono yini kulalimibuso? Umngcele wabo mkhulu yini kulomngcele wenu?
You say to the people: Cross over to Calneh and see, go from there to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines: Are they better than these kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?
3 Lina elibeka khatshana usuku olubi, lisondeza eduze isihlalo sodlakela.
You push away all thoughts of the evil day, yet have instituted a rule of violence.
4 Labo abalala phezu kwemibheda yophondo lwendlovu, bacambalale phezu kwamathala abo, badle amawundlu avela emhlanjini, lamankonyana avela phakathi kwesibaya;
They lie on ivory couches, sprawl on their divans, eat choice lambs from the flock, and fattened calves from the stall.
5 abatshotsha ngokukhala kwechacho, beziqambela izinto zokukhaliswa, njengoDavida;
They idly sing to the sound of the lyre, thinking themselves songwriters like David,
6 benatha iwayini ngemiganu, bazigcobe ngamagcobo akhethekileyo, kodwa kabadabukeli ukuchitheka kukaJosefa.
they drink bowlfuls of wine, and anoint themselves with the finest of oil. But they do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
7 Ngakho khathesi bazakuya ekuthunjweni labakuqala abaya ekuthunjweni, ledili labacambalalayo lizasuswa.
Therefore now they must go into exile at the head of the captives, and hushed will be the revelry of the sprawlers.
8 INkosi uJehova ifungile ngayo uqobo, itsho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla: Ngiyakwenyanya ukuziqhenya kukaJakobe, ngizonda izigodlo zakhe; ngakho ngizawunikela umuzi lokugcwala kwawo.
The Lord God, the Lord, the God of hosts, has sworn by himself: I abhor the pride of Jacob, I hate his palaces, therefore I will deliver up the city and all that is in it to their enemies.
9 Kuzakuthi-ke uba kusele amadoda alitshumi endlini eyodwa, azakufa.
If ten people remain in one house, then they will die.
10 Njalo umalume womuntu uzamphakamisa, lalowo omtshisayo, ukukhupha amathambo endlini, abesesithi kosemaceleni endlu: Kusekhona yini olawe? Njalo uzakuthi: Kakho. Khona uzakuthi: Thula, ngoba kakusikokuqamba ibizo leNkosi.
When the uncle and another member of the family of a dead man come to carry the body out of the house for burial, they will call to someone in a corner of the house, ‘Any more there?’ and he will answer, ‘No’, and then he will add, ‘Be quiet!’ – for the name of the Lord must not be mentioned.
11 Ngoba khangela, iNkosi iyalaya, njalo izatshaya indlu enkulu ibe yizihlephu, lendlu encinyane ibe yizicucu.
Look! The Lord is giving the command! He will smash the large house to bits, the small house into fragments.
12 Amabhiza angagijima edwaleni yini? Umuntu angalima khona ngezinkabi yini? Ngoba liphendulele isahlulelo saba yinyongo, lesithelo sokulunga saba ngumhlonyane.
Do horses gallop on crags? Does one plow the sea with oxen? Yet you turn justice into poison weed, and the fruit of righteousness into bitter wormwood.
13 Lina elithokoza ngento engelutho, elithi: Kasizithathelanga izimpondo yini ngamandla ethu?
You who are so proud of capturing Lo-debar, who say, ‘Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?’
14 Ngoba khangelani, ngizalivusela, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, itsho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla, isizwe, esizalihlupha kusukela ekungeneni kweHamathi kuze kube sesifuleni senkangala.
I am now raising up against you, Israel, a nation, says the Lord, the God of hosts. They will oppress you, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah.
