UHabakhukhi 2
1 Ngizakuma endaweni yami yokulinda, ngizimise enqabeni, ngilinde, ukuze ngibone ukuthi izakuthini kimi, lokuthi ngizaphendula ngithini ekusolweni kwami.
[After I said that, I said to myself, ] “I will climb up into my watchtower, and stand there at my guard post. I will wait there to find out what Yahweh will say, what he will reply to what I have complained about.”
2 INkosi yasingiphendula yathi: Bhala umbono, uwenze ucace phezu kwezibhebhe, ukuze ogijimayo awufunde.
Then Yahweh replied to me, “Write plainly on tablets [what I am revealing to you in] this vision, [and then read it to a messenger] in order that he can run with it [to tell it to] other people.
3 Ngoba umbono usezakuba ngowesikhathi esimisiweyo; kodwa uzakhuluma ekucineni, ungaqambi amanga; lanxa uphuza, uwulindele; ngoba isibili uzafika, kawuyikuphuza.
In this vision [I will be talking about things that will happen] in the future. Now is not the time when those things will happen, but they certainly will happen, and when they occur, they will occur quickly, and they will not be delayed. Now you [want those things to happen immediately, but] they are not happening. But wait patiently for them [to happen]!
4 Khangela, uzikhukhumeza, umphefumulo wakhe kawuqondanga kuye; kodwa olungileyo uzaphila ngokholo lwakhe.
Think about the proud [people of Babylonia]! They are certainly not doing what is righteous. But people who are righteous will live because they faithfully [do what I want them to do].
5 Yebo futhi, ngoba ekhohlisa ngewayini, engumuntu ozikhukhumezayo, engahlali ekhaya, ekhulisa isiloyiso sakhe njengesihogo, futhi unjengokufa, kasuthiseki, kodwa ubuthelela kuye zonke izizwe, aziqoqele bonke abantu. (Sheol h7585)
If people [trust in their wealth], they will deceive themselves, and proud people are never able to rest. [It is as though] the greedy people [of Babylonia open their mouths] as wide as the place where dead people are, and they never have enough, like [the place where] dead people go never has enough dead people [PRS]. The [armies of Babylonia] conquer many nations for themselves, and capture all their people. (Sheol h7585)
6 Bonke laba kabayikuphakamisa umzekeliso ngaye yini, lesaga esiyinhlekisa ngaye? Njalo bazakuthi: Maye kuye owandisa okungeyisikho okwakhe! Koze kube nini? Lozethwesa ngezibambiso.
But [soon] all those [whom they have captured] will ridicule [the soldiers from Babylonia]! They will make fun of them, saying, ‘Terrible things will happen to you who have stolen things [from other countries]! You got many things by forcing people to give them to you. [But you certainly will not keep those things] for a long time [RHQ]!’
7 Kabayikuhle basukume bakulume yini, bavuke abazakuthuthumelisa yini? Njalo uzakuba yizimpango kubo.
Suddenly those whom you (oppressed/treated cruelly) will cause you to tremble, and they will take away all the things that you have stolen from them.
8 Ngoba wena uziphangile izizwe ezinengi, yonke insali yabantu izakuphanga; ngenxa yegazi elinengi labantu, lodlakela lwelizwe, umuzi, labo bonke abahlala kiwo.
You stole things from the people of many nations. You murdered [MTY] people of many people-groups, and you destroyed their land and their cities. So those who are still alive will steal valuable things from you.
9 Maye kozuzela indlu yakhe inzuzo embi, ukuze abeke isidleke sakhe ngaphezulu, ukuze akhululwe esandleni sobubi.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who build big houses with money that you got by forcing others to give it to you. You are proud and you think that your houses will be safe because you have built them in places where you can easily defend them.
10 Indlu yakho usuyicebele ihlazo, ngokuquma abantu abanengi; wonile umelene lomphefumulo wakho.
But because you have destroyed others, you have caused your family [MTY] to be shamed/disgraced, and you yourselves will be killed.
11 Ngoba ilitshe lizakhala lisemdulini, lothungo luliphendule lusesigodweni.
[It is as though] the stones in the walls [of your houses] cry out to accuse you, and [it is as though] the beams [in your ceilings] also say the same things.
12 Maye kowakha umuzi ngegazi elinengi, amise idolobho ngesiphambeko.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who kill people [MTY] in order to build cities, cities that you build by using money that you have gotten by committing crimes.
13 Khangela, kakuveli eNkosini yamabandla yini ukuthi izizwe zizatshikatshikela umlilo, labantu bazidinise ngeze?
But the Commander of the armies of angels has [RHQ] declared that everything that is built by people who do things like that [will be destroyed by] fire; they will have worked hard uselessly.
14 Ngoba umhlaba uzagcwala ngolwazi lwenkazimulo yeNkosi, njengamanzi esibekela ulwandle.
But [in contrast], like [SIM] the oceans are filled with water, the earth will be filled with [people who] know that Yahweh is very great.
15 Maye konathisa umakhelwane wakhe, othulula imbodlela yakho, omdakisa laye, ukuze ubukele ubunqunu babo!
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Babylonia] who cause people who live in nearby countries to become drunk. You force them to drink a lot of wine from wineskins [until they are drunk and then they walk around] naked, in order that you can see that.
16 Uzasutha ngehlazo kulodumo; natha lawe, wembule ijwabu laphambili! Inkezo yesandla seNkosi sokunene izaphendukela kuwe, lehlazo libe phezu kodumo lwakho.
But you are the ones who [soon] will be disgraced instead of being honored. [It will be as though you are forced to] drink [a lot of wine] in order that you will also stagger [around, drunk]. You will drink the wine [that symbolizes that Yahweh will punish you], and he will cause you to be disgraced instead of being greatly respected [any more].
17 Ngoba udlakela lweLebhanoni luzakusibekela, lokuchitheka kwezinyamazana kubethuse, ngenxa yegazi elinengi labantu, lodlakela lwelizwe, umuzi, labo bonke abahlala kiwo.
You did violent [PRS] things to [the people in] Lebanon, and you killed the wild animals [there], but you will be punished severely for doing that. You have killed [MTY] many people and you have destroyed their lands and their cities.
18 Sisizani isithombe esibaziweyo lokhu umbumbi waso esibazile? Kumbe isithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa, lomfundisi wamanga, ukuthi umbumbi athembe kokubunjiweyo kwakhe, ukwenza izithombe eziyizimungulu?
[You people of Babylonia need to know that your] idols are completely [RHQ] useless, because it is people who made them. Statues that have been carved or made in a mold deceive you. Those who trust in idols are trusting in things that they themselves created, things that cannot speak!
19 Maye kuye otsho kuso isigodo: Phaphama! Lelitsheni eliyisimungulu: Vuka, lona lizafundisa! Khangela, kunanyekwe ngegolide lesiliva, njalo kungekho moya phakathi kwakho.
Terrible things will happen to you who say to lifeless idols that are made of wood, ‘Wake up!’ Idols certainly cannot [RHQ] tell you what you should do; they [look nice/beautiful because] they are covered with silver and gold, but they are not alive.
20 Kodwa iNkosi isethempelini layo elingcwele; thula phambi kwayo, mhlaba wonke.
But Yahweh is in his holy temple; everyone on the earth should be silent in his presence.”
