UDutheronomi 32
1 Bekani indlebe, mazulu, ngizakhuluma, njalo zwana, mhlaba, amazwi omlomo wami.
Heaven, listen as I speak; Earth, hear what I'm saying.
2 Imfundiso yami izathonta njengezulu, inkulumo yami izathonta njengamazolo, njengomkhizo phezu kohlaza, lanjengemifefezo emibhideni.
May my teaching fall gently like the rain; may my words drop lightly like the dew, like soft rain on new grass, like spring showers on growing plants.
3 Ngoba ngizamemezela ibizo leNkosi. Mnikeni ubukhulu uNkulunkulu wethu.
I will praise the Lord's character. Tell everyone how great he is!
4 UliDwala, umsebenzi wakhe uphelele, ngoba zonke indlela zakhe ziyizahlulelo. UNkulunkulu weqiniso, ongelabubi, ulungile, uqondile.
He is the Rock. Everything he does is perfect, for all his ways are right. He is the trustworthy God who is never unjust; he is fair and honest.
5 Bonile kuye, kabasibo abantwana bakhe, isici ngesabo, bayisizukulwana esigobileyo lesiphambeneyo.
His children have acted immorally towards him; so they are no longer his children because of their sinful stains. They are a perverse and corrupt people.
6 Lingahlawula lokho eNkosini yini, bantu abayizithutha labangahlakaniphanga? Kayisuye yini uyihlo owakuthengayo, wakwenza, wakumisa?
Is this any way to repay the Lord, you foolish, stupid people? Isn't he your Father who created you? Isn't he the one who turned you into a nation and made you strong?
7 Khumbula insuku zendulo, unakane iminyaka yesizukulwana ngesizukulwana. Buza uyihlo, uzakulandisela, abadala bakho, bazakutshela.
Remember the olden days; think about times long ago. God and ask your father, and he will explain them to you. Talk to your elders, and they will let you know.
8 Lapho oPhezukonke enika izizwe ilifa, lapho esehlukanisa amadodana kaAdamu, wamisa imingcele yezizwe njengenani labantwana bakoIsrayeli.
The Most High gave the nations their lands when he divided the human race; he fixed their borders depending on their gods.
9 Ngoba isabelo seNkosi ngabantu bayo, uJakobe uyinkatho yelifa layo.
But the Lord's people are his, Israel is his chosen one.
10 Wamfica elizweni eliyinkangala, lenkangala engelalutho ebhongayo. Wamkhokhela wambhodisa, wamfundisa, wamgcina njengenhlamvu yelihlo lakhe.
He found you in a desert land, in a desolate wasteland of whirlwinds. He protected you; he cared for you; he looked after you as the one he loved the most.
11 Njengokhozi olunyakazisa isidleke salo, lundiza phezu kwamaphuphu alo, luselula impiko zalo, luwathatha, luwathwale ngezimpaphe zalo,
Like an eagle watching over its nest, hovering over its chicks, he spread his wings and picked you up and carried you along.
12 iNkosi yodwa yamkhokhela, njalo kwakungekho layo unkulunkulu wabezizwe.
The Lord was the only one who led you; no foreign god was with him.
13 Yamgadisa endaweni eziphakemeyo zomhlaba, ukuze adle izithelo zensimu. Yamondla ngoluju oluvela edwaleni, lamafutha aphuma elitsheni elilukhuni ledwala,
The Lord gave you the high country to rule, and fed you with the crops of the field to eat. He sustained you with honey from the rock and olive oil from the flinty crag,
14 izankefu zenkomo, lochago lwembuzi, kanye lamafutha amawundlu, lezinqama zohlobo lweBashani, lezimpongo, kanye lamahwahwa ezinso zengqoloyi; wena wasunatha igazi lezithelo zesivini, iwayini.
with yogurt from the herd and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs, with rams from Bashan, and goats, along with the best wheat. You drank the wine made from the best grapes.
15 Kodwa uJeshuruni wazimuka wakhaba. Usuzimukile, wakhuluphala, wembeswa ngamahwahwa. Yena wadela uNkulunkulu owamenzayo, wadelela iDwala losindiso lwakhe.
But Israel, you grew fat and rebelled—fat, overweight, and bloated with food. You abandoned the God who made you and despised the Rock of your salvation.
16 Bambangela ubukhwele ngokwezizwe, bamthukuthelisa ngezinengiso.
You made the Lord jealous by worshiping foreign gods; you made him angry with such disgusting practices.
17 Bahlabela amadimoni, hatshi uNkulunkulu, onkulunkulu ababengabazi, abatsha abavela eduze, oyihlo abangabesabanga.
You offered sacrifices to demons instead of God, to gods you didn't know anything about, to brand-new gods that your forefathers didn't worship.
18 IDwala elakuzalayo ulikhohliwe, wamkhohlwa uNkulunkulu owakuzalayo.
You dismissed the Rock who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave birth to you.
19 Kwathi iNkosi ikubona, yanengwa yibo, ngenxa yentukuthelo yamadodana ayo lamadodakazi ayo.
The Lord rejected them when he saw this; his sons and daughters made him angry.
20 Yasisithi: Ngizabafihlela ubuso bami, ngibone ukuthi ukuphela kwabo kuzakuba yini; ngoba bayisizukulwana esiphambeneyo, abantwana okungelakuthembeka kibo.
He said: “I will turn away from them. Then I'll see what happens to them! They are a perverse people, unfaithful children.
21 Bona bangenze ngaba lobukhwele ngokungesuye uNkulunkulu; bangithukuthelisile ngezinto zabo eziyize. Ngakho ngizabenza babe lobukhwele ngabangeyisibo abantu; ngibathukuthelise ngesizwe esiyisithutha.
They have made me jealous by worshiping things that are not God; they have made me angry with their useless idols. So I will make them jealous using a people that aren't really a nation; I will make them angry using ignorant foreigners.
22 Ngoba umlilo usubasiwe entukuthelweni yami, uyavutha kuze kube sesihogweni esingaphansi kakhulu; uzaqeda umhlaba lezithelo zawo, ulumathise izisekelo zezintaba. (Sheol h7585)
My anger has been set on fire, burning down to the depths of the grave, destroying the earth and all it produces, even setting fire to the foundations of the mountains. (Sheol h7585)
23 Ngizabuthelela ububi phezu kwabo, ngiqedele imitshoko yami kubo.
I will pile disasters on them; I will use up my arrows shooting at them.
24 Bazamunywa yindlala, baqedwe yikutshisa lencithakalo ebabayo; njalo ngizathumela phakathi kwabo amazinyo ezilo, lobuhlungu bezihuquzelayo zothuli.
They will waste away from hunger, destroyed by disease and poisonous plague. I will send wild animals to bite them with their teeth, the fangs of snakes that slide along the ground.
25 Ngaphandle inkemba izabenza bafelwe, ngokunjalo uvalo ezindlini ezingaphakathi, ijaha lalo lentombi emsulwa, omunyayo kanye lendoda eyimpunga.
Outside in the streets the sword kills their children, inside their homes, they die from fright; young men and young women, children and old people.
26 Ngathi: Ngizabahlakaza, ngenze ukukhunjulwa kwabo kuphele phakathi kwabantu;
I would have told them I was going to cut them to pieces and wipe out even the memory of them;
27 uba bengingesabi intukuthelo yesitha, hlezi abazondi babo bahlanekele, hlezi bathi: Isandla sethu siphakeme; leNkosi kakusiyo eyenze konke lokhu.
but I didn't want to hear their conquerors jeering, their enemies misunderstanding what had happened and saying, ‘We won all by ourselves, the Lord didn't have anything to do with it.’
28 Ngoba bayisizwe esingelakwelulekwa, njalo kakukho ukuqedisisa kubo.
Israel is a nation that doesn't think straight; none of them understand anything.
29 Kwangathi ngabe bebehlakaniphile, bebengaqedisisa lokhu, bazwisise isiphetho sabo!
How I wish they were wise, so they could understand it; they would recognize what was going to happen to them.
30 Oyedwa angaxotsha njani abayinkulungwane, lababili babalekise abayizinkulungwane ezilitshumi, ngaphandle kokuthi iDwala labo libathengisile, leNkosi ibanikele?
How on earth could one man chase after a thousand, or two make ten thousand run away, unless their Rock of protection had sold them, unless the Lord had surrendered them?
31 Ngoba idwala labo kalinjengeDwala lethu; njengoba izitha zethu zingabahluleli.
The rock they rely on is not like our Rock, as even our enemies admit.
32 Ngoba ivini labo livela evinini leSodoma, lemasimini eGomora; izithelo zabo zesivini ziyizithelo zesivini zenyongo; zilamahlukuzo ababayo.
But their vine comes from the vine of Sodom, from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous; they are bitter bunches.
33 Iwayini labo liyibuhlungu bemigobho, lobuhlungu obulesihluku bamabululu.
Their wine is the poison of serpents, deadly snake venom.
34 Lokho kakubekiwe kimi yini, kunanyekiwe emagugwini ami?
I've stored this all up; it's sealed in my vaults.
35 Ngeyami impindiselo lokubuyisela, ngesikhathi sokutshelela konyawo lwabo; ngoba usuku lwengozi yabo selusondele, lezinto abazilungiselweyo ziyaphangisa.
I make sure justice is done, I will repay. The time is coming when they will fall, their day of disaster is approaching, their doom will soon arrive.”
36 Ngoba iNkosi izabahlulela abantu bayo, izisole ngenceku zayo, lapho ibona ukuthi amandla asehambile, lokuthi kakho ovalelweyo lokhululekileyo.
The Lord is going to vindicate his people; he will be merciful to his servants when he sees that they have no strength left, and that everyone is gone, whether slave or free.
37 Khona izakuthi: Bangaphi onkulunkulu babo, idwala ababephephela kulo,
He'll ask, “What happened to your gods, the rock where your went for protection?
38 abadla amafutha emihlatshelo yabo, banatha iwayini lomnikelo wabo wokuthululwa? Kabavuke, balisize, babe yisivikelo senu.
Who ate the fat of your sacrifices and drank the wine of your drink offerings? Have them come and help you; have them come and protect you!
39 Bonani khathesi ukuthi mina, nginguye, njalo kakho unkulunkulu olami; mina ngiyabulala, njalo ngiphilise; ngiyatshaya, njalo mina ngelaphe; njalo kakho ongahluthuna esandleni sami.
Listen! I am the only God! There is no other God except me! I bring death, and I give life; I wound, and I heal. No one can be rescued from my power.
40 Ngoba ngiphakamisela isandla sami emazulwini, ngithi: Ngiyaphila kuze kube phakade,
I hold up my hand to heaven and solemnly declare on my eternal life,
41 nxa ngilola inkemba yami ephazimayo, lesandla sami sibambelela ekwahluleleni, ngizabuyisela impindiselo ezitheni zami, ngibavuze abangizondayo.
when I sharpen my shining sword and pick it up to execute judgment, I will repay my enemies and punish those who hate me as they deserve.
42 Ngizadakisa imitshoko yami ngegazi, lenkemba yami izakudla inyama, ngegazi labagwaziweyo labathunjiweyo, ekuqaliseni kwezimpindiselo ngimelene lesitha.
My arrows will become drunk with blood, as my sword eats flesh; the blood of those who are killed and captured, the heads of the enemy's leaders.”
43 Thokozani zizwe, bantu bayo; ngoba izaphindisela igazi lenceku zayo, ibuyisele impindiselo kuzitha zayo, yenzele ilizwe layo, abantu bayo, inhlawulo yokuthula.
Celebrate with him! Let all God's angels worship him! Celebrate, foreigners, with his people; because he will pay back those who killed his children. He will punish his enemies, and repay those who hate him; he will purify his land and his people.
44 UMozisi wasesiza, wakhuluma wonke amazwi alingoma endlebeni zabantu, yena loHoseya indodana kaNuni.
Then Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and recited all the words of this song for the people to hear.
45 UMozisi eseqedile ukukhuluma wonke lamazwi kuIsrayeli wonke,
After Moses finished reciting the whole song to all the Israelites,
46 wathi kubo: Bekani inhliziyo yenu kuwo wonke amazwi engiwafakaza phakathi kwenu lamuhla, ukuthi libalaye abantwana benu bagcine ukuwenza wonke amazwi alumlayo.
he told them, “Think about all these words I've declared to you today, so you can order your children to follow carefully everything in this law.
47 Ngoba kakusiyo into eyize kini, ngoba kuyimpilo yenu; ngalinto lizakwelula izinsuku elizweni elichapha iJordani ukuya kulo ukudla ilifa lalo.
Don't treat these words as trivial because they are your life, and by them you will have long lives in the country that you will own after crossing the Jordan.”
48 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi ngalona lolosuku isithi:
That same day the Lord told Moses,
49 Yenyukela kule intaba yeAbarimi, intaba yeNebo, eselizweni lakoMowabi emaqondana leJeriko, ubone ilizwe leKhanani engilinika abantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuba yilifa,
“Climb up into the Abarim mountains to Mount Nebo, in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look over the country of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites for them to own.
50 ufele entabeni owenyukela kuyo, ubuthelwe ebantwini bakini, njengoAroni umnewenu efela entabeni yeHori, wabuthelwa ebantwini bakibo.
There on the mountain you've climbed, you will die and join your people in death, in the same way your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and joined his people.
51 Ngenxa yokuthi laphambana lami phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli emanzini eMeriba-Kadeshi enkangala yeZini; ngoba kalingingcwelisanga phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
For there at the waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Desert of Zin, you both were unfaithful to me. You misrepresented me to the Israelites when you didn't treat me as holy in their presence.
52 Ngoba unganeno uzalibona ilizwe, kodwa kawuyikungena khona, elizweni engilinika abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
Though you will see the country that I am giving the Israelites from a distance, you won't enter it.”
