UDutheronomi 28
1 Kuzakuthi-ke, uba ulalela lokulalela ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ukugcina ukwenza yonke imilayo yayo engikulaya yona lamuhla, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakumisa phezulu phezu kwazo zonke izizwe zomhlaba.
“If you do what Yahweh our God tells you to do and faithfully obey everything that I am today commanding you to do, he will cause you to become greater than any other nation on the earth.
2 Lalezizibusiso zonke zizakuza phezu kwakho, zikufice, nxa ulalela ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
If you obey Yahweh, this is what he will do to bless you:
3 Uzabusiswa emzini, ubusiswe futhi ensimini.
He will bless everything that you do when you are in the cities and he will bless everything that you do when you are [working] in the fields.
4 Sizabusiswa isithelo sesizalo sakho, lesithelo somhlaba wakho, lenzalo yezifuyo zakho, umqegu wenkomo zakho, lamazinyane ezimvu zakho.
He will bless you by giving you many children [IDM] and by giving you abundant crops, and plenty of cattle and sheep.
5 Kuzabusiswa isitsha sakho, lomganu wakho wokuxovela izinkwa.
He will bless you by causing you to have good harvests with plenty of grain [MTY] to make bread.
6 Uzabusiswa ekungeneni kwakho, ubusiswe ekuphumeni kwakho.
He will bless you [everywhere]—when you go out [of your houses] and when you come into [your houses].
7 INkosi izakwenza izitha zakho ezikuvukelayo zitshaywe phambi kwakho; zizaphuma ukumelana lawe ngandlelanye, zibaleke phambi kwakho ngezindlela eziyisikhombisa.
Yahweh will enable you to defeat [the armies of] your enemies; they will attack you from one direction, but they will run away from you in seven/many directions.
8 INkosi izalaya isibusiso phezu kwakho, eziphaleni zakho lakukho konke obeka kukho isandla sakho, ikubusise elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona.
Yahweh will bless you [by filling] your barns [with grain], and he will bless all the work that you do; he will bless you in the land that he is giving to you.
9 INkosi izazimisela wena ube yisizwe esingcwele, njengokufunga kwayo kuwe, uba ugcina imilayo yeNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, uhambe endleleni zayo.
“If you obey all the commandments that Yahweh our God [has given to you] and if you conduct your lives as he wants you to do, you will continue to be his people, which is what he promised.
10 Labo bonke abantu basemhlabeni bazabona ukuthi ibizo leNkosi libizwa phezu kwakho, bakwesabe.
“When all the people-groups on the earth will realize that you belong to [MTY] Yahweh, and they will be afraid of you.
11 LeNkosi izakwandisela okuhle, esithelweni sesizalo sakho, lenzalweni yezifuyo zakho, lesithelweni somhlaba wakho, elizweni iNkosi eyafungela oyihlo ukukunika lona.
“And Yahweh will cause you to prosper very much. He will give you many children [IDM], many cattle, and abundant crops in the land that he vowed to our ancestors that he would give to you.
12 INkosi izakuvulela okuligugu kwayo okulungileyo, amazulu, ukunika izulu elizweni lakho ngesikhathi salo, lokubusisa umsebenzi wonke wesandla sakho; njalo uzakweboleka izizwe ezinengi, kodwa wena ungeboleki kuzo.
“When rain is needed, Yahweh will send it from where he stores it in the sky, and he will bless all your work, with the result that you [will be able to] lend money to many other nations, but you will not need to borrow [money from them].
13 INkosi izakwenza ube yinhloko, ungabi ngumsila; uzakuba ngaphezulu kuphela, ungabi ngaphansi, uba ulalela imilayo yeNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho engikulaya yona lamuhla ukuyigcina lokuyenza.
If you faithfully obey all of the commands of Yahweh our God that I am giving you today, Yahweh will cause your nation to be a leader among the nations, not inferior to them; you will always be prosperous and never be needy/poor [IDM].
14 Ungaphambuki lakwelilodwa lamazwi engililaya wona lamuhla, ukuya ngakwesokunene langakwesokhohlo, ukulandela abanye onkulunkulu ukubakhonza.
[Yahweh will do all these things for you] if you do not turn away from [obeying] what I am commanding you today, and if you never worship or serve other gods.
15 Kodwa kuzakuthi, uba ungalaleli ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ukugcina ukwenza yonke imilayo yayo lezimiso zayo engikulaya zona lamuhla, leziziqalekiso zonke zize phezu kwakho zikufice.
But if you do not do what Yahweh our God is telling you to do, and if you do not faithfully obey all his rules and regulations that I am giving to you today, this is what he will do to curse you:
16 Uzaqalekiswa emzini, uqalekiswe futhi ensimini.
He will curse you when you are in the cities and he will curse you when you are [working] in the fields.
17 Kuzaqalekiswa isitsha sakho lomganu wakho wokuxovela izinkwa.
He will curse you by not allowing you to have good harvests with plenty of grain [MTY] to make bread.
18 Kuzaqalekiswa isithelo sesizalo sakho, lesithelo somhlaba wakho, umqegu wenkomo zakho, lamazinyane ezimvu zakho.
He will curse you by giving you only a few children [IDM], by causing you to have poor crops, and by not enabling you to have many cattle and sheep.
19 Uzaqalekiswa ekungeneni kwakho, uqalekiswe ekuphumeni kwakho.
He will curse you [everywhere]—when you go out [of your houses] and when you come into [your houses].
20 INkosi izathumela phakathi kwakho isiqalekiso, inhlupheko, lokukhuza, kukho konke obeka isandla sakho kukho ukukwenza, uze uchithwe, njalo uze ubhubhe masinyane, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zakho, ongidele ngazo.
If you do evil things and reject Yahweh, he will curse you by causing you to (be confused/not know what to do), and to be frustrated in everything that you do, until [your enemies] quickly and completely destroy you {you will be quickly and completely destroyed}.
21 INkosi izanamathelisa kuwe umatshayabhuqe wesifo, aze akuqede usuke elizweni oya kulo ukudla ilifa lalo.
Yahweh will cause you to experience terrible diseases, until not one of you remains alive in the land that you are about to enter and occupy.
22 INkosi izakutshaya ngesifo esicakisayo, langoqhuqho, langokuvuvuka komzimba, langokutshisa okukhulukazi, langenkemba, langokuhanguka, langengumane; njalo kuzakuxotsha uze ubhubhe.
Yahweh will strike/afflict you with diseases that shrivel your bodies, with fever, with inflammation/swelling. It will be extremely hot, and it will not rain. There will be scorching winds, and [Yahweh will cause] your crops to rot. All these things will strike you until you die.
23 Lesibhakabhaka sakho esiphezu kwekhanda lakho sizakuba lithusi, lomhlaba ongaphansi kwakho ube yinsimbi.
There will be no rain [MET], [with the result that] the ground will be [as hard as] iron [MET].
24 INkosi izakwenza izulu lelizwe lakho libe lubhuqu lothuli, kwehlele phezu kwakho kuvela emazulwini, uze ubhujiswe.
Instead of sending rain, Yahweh will send strong winds to blow sand and dust over your land, until your land is ruined.
25 INkosi izakwenza utshaywe phambi kwezitha zakho; uzaphuma umelane lazo ngandlelanye, njalo uzabaleka phambi kwazo ngezindlela eziyisikhombisa; uzakuba yinto eyesabekayo kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba.
Yahweh will enable your enemies to defeat you; your soldiers will attack your enemies from one direction, but they will run away from your enemies in seven/many directions, and when the people of other nations see what is happening to you, they will say that it is horrible.
26 Lesidumbu sakho sizakuba yikudla kwenyoni zonke zamazulu lokwezinyamazana zomhlaba, njalo kungabi khona ozethusayo.
[You will die], and birds and wild animals will come and eat your corpses, and there will not be anyone to scare/shoo them away.
27 INkosi izakutshaya ngamathumba eGibhithe, lamaqhubu, loqweqwe, lenkomo, ongelakwelatshwa kukho.
Yahweh will cause you to have boils on your skin, like he caused the people of Egypt to have [many years ago]. He will cause you to have tumors, open sores, and your skin will itch, and there will be nothing that will cure those diseases.
28 INkosi izakutshaya ngobuhlanya langobuphofu langokudideka kwenhliziyo.
Yahweh will cause [some of] you to become insane; he will cause some of you to become blind, and he will cause [some of] your minds to become confused.
29 Njalo uzaphumputha emini njengesiphofu siphumputha emnyameni, ungenzi indlela zakho ziphumelele; ucindezelwe kuphela, uphangwe insuku zonke, kungabi khona osindisayo.
[Because you will not be able to see where you are going], at midday you will (grope/feel your way) around with your hands, like people do in the darkness. You will continually be oppressed and robbed, and no one will help you.
30 Uzagana umfazi, kodwa enye indoda ilale laye; uzakwakha indlu, kodwa ungahlali kuyo; uhlanyele isivini, kodwa ungakhi izithelo zaso.
Some of you men will be engaged/promised to marry a young woman, but someone else will rape her. You will build houses, but you will never live in them. You will plant grapevines, but you will not eat the grapes; [someone else will eat them].
31 Inkabi yakho izahlatshwa phambi kwamehlo akho, ungadli okwayo; ubabhemi wakho athathwe ngodlakela phambi kobuso bakho, angabuyiselwa kuwe; izimvu zakho zizanikwa izitha zakho, kungabi khona okusindiselayo.
Your enemies will butcher your cattle while you watch them, and you will not get any of the meat to eat. They will drag away your donkeys while you watch them do it, and they will not give them back to you. They will take away your sheep; and no one will help you [rescue them].
32 Amadodana akho lamadodakazi akho azanikelwa kwesinye isizwe, lamehlo akho azakhangela abalangathe usuku lonke; kodwa kungabi lamandla esandleni sakho.
While you watch, your sons and daughters will be given to foreigners to become their slaves. Every day you will very sadly watch for your children to return, but (you will watch in vain/they will never return).
33 Isithelo somhlaba wakho, lomsebenzi wakho wonke, isizwe ongasaziyo sizakudla. Uzacindezelwa kuphela, uchotshozwe insuku zonke,
People from a foreign nation will take all the crops that you worked hard to produce, and they will constantly treat you harshly and cruelly [DOU].
34 uze uhlanye ngenxa yokubona kwamehlo akho ozakubona.
The result will be that all these terrible things that you see/experience will cause you to become insane.
35 INkosi izakutshaya emadolweni lemilenzeni ngamathumba amabi angelakwelatshwa, kusukela kungaphansi yonyawo lwakho kuze kube senkanda yakho.
Yahweh will cause your legs [to be covered with] painful boils that cannot be healed, and you will have boils from the bottoms of your feet to the tops of your heads.
36 INkosi izakusa wena lenkosi yakho owayibeka phezu kwakho esizweni ongasaziyo wena laboyihlo, ukhonze lapho abanye onkulunkulu, isigodo lelitshe.
Yahweh will cause your king and the rest of you to be taken to another country, to a place in which you and your ancestors have never lived before, and there you will worship and serve gods that are made of wood or stone.
37 Uzakuba yinto eyesabekayo, isaga, lenhlekisa phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe, lapho iNkosi ezakusa khona.
When the people-groups in nearby countries see what has happened to you, they will be shocked/horrified; they will make fun [DOU] of you.
38 Uzaphuma lenhlanyelo enengi uye ensimini, kodwa ubuthelele okulutshwana, ngoba isikhonyane sizakudla.
You will plant plenty of seeds in your fields, but you will reap only a small harvest, because locusts will eat the crops.
39 Uzahlanyela izivini, uzisebenze, kodwa kawuyikunatha iwayini, kawuyikubutha lutho, ngoba imihogoyi izazidla.
You will plant grapevines and take care of them, but you will not pick any grapes to make wine, because worms will eat the vines.
40 Uzakuba lezihlahla zemihlwathi phakathi kwemingcele yakho yonke, kodwa kawuyikugcoba ngamafutha, ngoba imihlwathi izawohloka.
Olive trees will grow everywhere in your land, but you will not get any olive oil to rub on your skin because the olives will drop [on the ground before they are ripe].
41 Uzazala amadodana lamadodakazi, kodwa kawayikuba ngawakho, ngoba azakuya ekuthunjweni.
You will have sons and daughters, but they will not stay with you, because they will be captured and taken away.
42 Zonke izihlahla zakho lezithelo zomhlaba wakho zizakuba ngezesikhonyane.
Swarms of locusts/insects will eat your crops and [the leaves of] all your trees.
43 Owemzini ophakathi kwakho uzaphakama phezu kwakho aqonge phezulu, wena-ke uzakwehlela phansi phansi.
Foreigners who live in your land will become more and more [powerful], and you will become less and less [powerful].
44 Yena uzakweboleka, kodwa wena ungameboleki; yena uzakuba yinhloko, kodwa wena ube ngumsila.
They will [have money to] lend to you, but you will not [have any money to] lend to them. They will be superior [IDM] to you, and you will be inferior to them [IDM].
45 Lazo zonke leziziqalekiso zizakwehlela, zixotshane lawe, zikufice, uze ubhujiswe, ngoba ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ukugcina imilayo yayo lezimiso zayo eyakulaya zona.
“You will experience all these disasters, and you will continue to experience them you until you are destroyed, if you do not do what Yahweh your God told you to do, and do not obey all the rules and regulations that he gave to you.
46 Njalo zizakuba phezu kwakho ukuba yisibonakaliso lokuba yisimangaliso, laphezu kwenzalo yakho kuze kube nininini.
“These disasters will warn [DOU] you and your descendants forever [about what happens to groups who disobey Yahweh].
47 Njengoba ungayikhonzanga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ngentokozo langokuhle kwenhliziyo, ngenxa yobunengi bakho konke,
“Because Yahweh blessed you abundantly in many ways, you should have served him very joyfully [DOU], but you did not do that.
48 ngakho uzakhonza izitha zakho iNkosi ezazithuma ukumelana lawe, endlaleni, lekomeni, lekuhambenize, lekusweleni konke. Njalo izabeka ijogwe lensimbi entanyeni yakho, ize ikubhubhise.
“Therefore, you will work for the enemies whom Yahweh will send to attack you. You will be hungry and thirsty; you will not have clothes to wear; and you will lack everything else that you need. And Yahweh will cause you to become slaves [MET] and work hard until he gets rid of you.
49 INkosi izakuvusela isizwe esivela khatshana, emkhawulweni womhlaba, njengokuphapha kokhozi, isizwe olimi lwaso ongayikuluzwa,
“Yahweh will cause an army from very far away [HYP] to attack you, whose soldiers speak a language that you do not know/understand. They will swoop down on you [quickly] like an eagle [SIM] attacks its prey.
50 isizwe esilobuso obesabekayo, esingemukeli ubuso bomdala, esingelamusa komutsha.
They will be fierce looking. They will not act mercifully toward anyone, not even young children and old people.
51 Sizakudla isithelo sezifuyo zakho lesithelo somhlaba wakho, uze ubhujiswe; okungayikukutshiyela amabele, iwayini elitsha, lamafutha, umqegu wenkomo zakho, lamazinyane ezimvu zakho, size sikuchithe.
They will [kill and] eat your livestock, and they will eat your crops, and you will (starve/die because you do not have anything to eat). They will not leave for you any grain or wine or [olive] oil or cattle or sheep; and you will all die [from hunger].
52 Sizakuvimbezela emasangweni akho wonke, ize idilike imiduli yakho ephakemeyo lebiyelwe ngemithangala obuthembela kuyo, elizweni lonke lakho; njalo sizakuvimbezela emasangweni akho wonke elizweni lonke lakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunike lona.
Your enemies will surround your towns throughout the land that Yahweh your God is about to give to you, and they will break down the high and strong walls [around your towns], walls which you trusted/thought would protect you.
53 Njalo uzakudla isithelo sesizalo sakho, inyama yamadodana leyamadodakazi akho, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunike wona, ekuvinjezelweni lekucindezelweni, izitha zakho ezizakucindezela ngakho.
“When your enemies are surrounding [your towns], you will be extremely hungry, with the result that you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters that Yahweh your God has given to you.
54 Indoda ebuthakathaka phakathi kwakho letotoziweyo kakhulu, ilihlo layo lizakuba libi kumfowabo, lakumkayo wesifuba sayo, lakunsali yabantwana bayo ezabatshiya;
When your enemies have surrounded your towns, even the most gentle and sensitive men among you will want food very desperately, with the result that they will [kill their own children and] eat their flesh, because they will not have anything else to eat. They will not even share any of it with their brothers or wives whom they love very much or with any of their children who are still alive.
55 ukuze inganiki lamunye wabo okwenyama yabantwana bayo ebadlayo, ngoba ingasalelwanga lutho ekuvinjezelweni lekucindezelweni, izitha zakho ezizakucindezela ngakho emasangweni akho wonke.
56 Owesifazana obuthakathaka lototoziweyo phakathi kwakho ongazamanga ukubeka ingaphansi yonyawo lwakhe emhlabathini ngenxa yokutotozwa lobuthakathaka, ilihlo lakhe lizakuba libi endodeni yesifuba sakhe, lasendodaneni yakhe, lasendodakazini yakhe,
Even the most gentle and sensitive/kind women among you, who are very refined/rich with the result that they have never had to walk anywhere [HYP], will do the same thing. When your enemies have surrounded your towns, those women will be extremely hungry, with the result that after they give birth to a baby, they will secretly [kill it and] eat its flesh and also eat its afterbirth. And they will not share any of it with their husbands whom they love very much or with any of their other children.
57 lakumnakwabo ophuma phakathi kwenyawo zakhe, lebantwaneni azabazala; ngoba uzabadla ensitha ngenxa yokuswela konke, ekuvinjezelweni lekucindezelweni, isitha sakho esizakucindezela ngakho emasangweni akho.
58 Uba ungayikugcina ukwenza wonke amazwi alumlayo abhaliweyo egwalweni lolu, ukwesaba lelibizo elilodumo lelesabekayo, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho,
“If you do not faithfully obey all of the laws that I am writing, and if you do not revere Yahweh our glorious God [MTY],
59 iNkosi izakwenza-ke inhlupheko zakho zimangalise, lenhlupheko zenzalo yakho, inhlupheko ezinkulu leziqhubekayo, lemikhuhlane emibi leqhubekayo.
he will [punish you by] causing you and your descendants to experience great afflictions and plagues which will last for many years.
60 Njalo izabuyisela kuwe zonke izifo zeGibhithe owawuzesaba, zizanamathela kuwe,
He will cause you to experience the plagues that he sent on the people of Egypt, and you will never be healed.
61 lawo wonke umkhuhlane layo yonke inhlupheko engabhalwanga egwalweni lwalumlayo, iNkosi izakwehlisela zona uze ubhujiswe.
He will also cause you to experience many other sicknesses and diseases that I have not talked about in these laws, until you all will die.
62 Njalo lizasala lilabantu abalutshwana, endaweni yokuthi lalinjengenkanyezi zamazulu ngobunengi, ngoba kawulalelanga ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
You became as numerous as the stars in the sky, but only a few of you will remain alive, if you do not obey Yahweh your God.
63 Kuzakuthi-ke, njengalokhu iNkosi yathokoza ngani ukulenzela okuhle lokulandisa, ngokunjalo iNkosi izajabula ngani ukulichitha lokuliqeda, lihluthunwe elizweni ongena kulo ukudla ilifa lalo.
Yahweh was very happy to do good things for you and to cause you to become very numerous, but now he will be happy to ruin you and get rid of you. [Those of] you [who do not die from these plagues] will be snatched away from the land that you will soon be entering to possess.
64 INkosi izakuhlakazela-ke phakathi kwezizwe zonke, kusukela komunye umkhawulo womhlaba kuze kube komunye umkhawulo womhlaba, ukhonze lapho abanye onkulunkulu, wena laboyihlo elingabazanga, isigodo lelitshe.
“Yahweh will scatter you among many people-groups, all over the earth, and in those areas/places you will serve other gods that are made of wood or stone, gods which you and your ancestors have never known/worshiped.
65 Laphakathi kwalezozizwe kawuyikuphumula, lengaphansi yonyawo lwakho kayiyikuba lendawo yokuphumula; kodwa lapho iNkosi izakupha inhliziyo ethuthumelayo, lokufiphala kwamehlo, lokudangala komphefumulo.
In those places you will be restless. Yahweh will cause you to be constantly worried/anxious, feel hopeless, and discouraged.
66 Lempilo yakho izahlala isevalweni phambi kwakho; uzatshaywa luvalo ebusuku lemini, ungabi lethemba lempilo yakho.
You will always be afraid that your enemies will kill you. You will be very fearful, all day and all night.
67 Ekuseni uzakuthi: Kungathi kungahlwa! Lakusihlwa uzakuthi: Kungathi kungasa! ngenxa yokwesaba kwenhliziyo ozakwesaba ngakho, langenxa yokubona kwamehlo akho ozakubona.
Because you will be very fearful/afraid because of the [terrible] things that you see, each morning you will say ‘I wish it were evening already!’ and each evening you will say ‘I wish it were morning already!’
68 LeNkosi izakubuyisela eGibhithe ngemikhumbi, ngendlela engatsho ngayo kuwe ukuthi: Kawusayikuyibona futhi. Lapho lizazithengisa ezitheni zakho libe yizigqili lezigqilikazi, kodwa kakuyikuba lomthengi.
Yahweh will send [some of] you back to Egypt in ships, even though he promised that you would never [be forced to] go there again. There in Egypt you will try to sell yourselves to become slaves of your enemies [in order to have food to eat], but no one will buy you. [All those things will happen to you if you do not obey the laws that Yahweh is giving to you].”
