U-Isaya 10
1 Maye kwabamisa izimiso ezikhohlakeleyo, lakubabhali ababhala uhlupho;
Tragedy is coming to those who pass evil decrees and who write laws to harm people.
2 ukuphambula abayanga ekwahlulelweni, lokuphanga ilungelo labahluphekayo babantu bami, ukuze abafelokazi babe yimpango yabo lokuthi baphange izintandane!
They pervert the legal rights of the needy, and rob justice from the poor of my people. They steal from widows and cheat orphans.
3 Kodwa lizakwenzani ngosuku lwempindiselo, lencithakalweni ezavela khatshana? Lizabalekela kubani ukuthi libe losizo? Lizatshiya ngaphi udumo lwenu?
What are you going to do on the day you're punished, when disaster falls on you from far away? Who are you going to run to so you can get help? Where are you going to leave all your wealth?
4 Ngaphandle kwami bazakhothama ngaphansi kwezibotshwa, liwele ngaphansi kwababuleweyo. Kukho konke lokhu intukuthelo yayo kayiphenduki, kodwa isandla sayo silokhu seluliwe.
All you'll be able to do is to bow down as prisoners, or lie among the dead! In all of this he is still angry and his hand is still raised.
5 Maye kumAsiriya, intonga yentukuthelo yami, lolaka lwami luyinduku esandleni sabo!
Tragedy is coming to the Assyrians, even though the rod they use represents my anger and the stick they hold in their hands represents my fury!
6 Ngizamthumela isizwe esizenzisayo, ngizamlaya ukumelana labantu bolaka lwami, ukuphanga impango, lokuthumba okuthunjiweyo, lokukubeka kube ngokunyathelwayo njengodaka lwezitalada.
I am sending the Assyrians against a nation that has given up on its God, against a people that make me angry. I order the Assyrians to loot them, to take their possessions, and to trample them down like mud in the street.
7 Kodwa yena kanakani njalo, lenhliziyo yakhe kayicabangi njalo; kodwa kusenhliziyweni yakhe ukuchitha, lokuquma izizwe ezingenlutshwana.
But this isn't what is behind the thinking of the king of Assyria. This isn't the plan he has in mind. What he wants to do is to destroy and eliminate many nations.
8 Ngoba uthi: Iziphathamandla zami zonke kazisimakhosi yini?
He says: “All my commanders are kings!
9 IKalino kayinjengeKarikemishi yini? IHamathi kayinjengeArpadi yini? ISamariya kayinjengeDamaseko yini?
We conquered Calno like we did Carchemish; Hamath like Arpad; Samaria like Damascus.
10 Njengoba isandla sami sithole imibuso yezithombe, ozithombe zayo ezibaziweyo zingcono kulezeJerusalema lakulezeSamariya;
I was the one who conquered these kingdoms along with the idols of their gods. These kingdoms had images of their gods that were better than those of Jerusalem and Samaria.
11 njengalokhu ngenzile kuyo iSamariya lezithombe zayo, kangiyikwenza njalo yini kuyo iJerusalema lezithombe zayo?
Why shouldn't I do to Jerusalem and her idols just what I did to Samaria and her idols?”
12 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho iNkosi isiqedile umsebenzi wayo wonke entabeni yeZiyoni laseJerusalema, ngiphindisele isithelo sokuzikhukhumeza kwenhliziyo yenkosi yeAsiriya lobuhle bokuziqhenya kwamehlo ayo.
Once the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for his terrible arrogance and for the conceited look in his eyes.
13 Ngoba ithe: Ngamandla esandla sami ngikwenzile, langenhlakanipho yami, ngoba ngiyaqedisisa; njalo ngisusile imikhawulo yezizwe, ngaphanga inotho yazo; lanjengeqhawe ngehlisela phansi abahlali bazo.
For the king of Assyria says: “I have done this in my own strength. It was through my wisdom, because I'm clever. I have wiped out the boundaries of nations and looted their treasures. Like a bull I knocked their rulers off their thrones.
14 Isandla sami sesithole inotho yezizwe njengesidleke; lanjengobuthelela amaqanda atshiyiweyo, mina ngibuthelele umhlaba wonke; njalo kwakungekho ophaphazelisa impiko, kumbe ovula umlomo, kumbe otshiyozayo.
Like robbing a bird's nest, I took the wealth of the nations. Like collecting abandoned eggs, I collected the whole the earth. There wasn't a fluttering wing or an open beak, not even a chirp!”
15 Ihloka lizazikhukhumeza kuye ogamula ngalo yini? Isaha izazikhulisa kuye oyinyikinyayo yini? Njengokungathi induku ingaziphakamisa, kungathi kayisisigodo.
Does an ax say it's more important than the person swinging it? Does a saw boast that it's greater than the person sawing with it? It would be as if a rod waved the person holding it, or a walking stick lifted up a person—who certainly wasn't wood!
16 Ngalokhu iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izathumela ukucaka phakathi kwabazimukileyo bayo; langaphansi kodumo lwayo izaphemba ukutshisa njengokutshisa komlilo.
So the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a disease on the king of Assyria's strong warriors that will make them waste away; a flaming fire will be set under everything he's so proud of.
17 Lokukhanya kukaIsrayeli kuzakuba ngumlilo, loNgcwele wakhe abe lilangabi, elizatshisa liqede ameva ayo lokhula lwayo oluhlabayo ngasuku lunye.
Israel's light will become a fire, and his Holy One will become a flame. It will burn up his thorns and brambles in just one day.
18 Liqede lodumo lwehlathi lwayo, lensimu yayo ethelayo, kusukela emphefumulweni kusiya enyameni, ibe njengokuphela kwamandla womthwalifulegi.
It will totally destroy its splendid forests and orchards. Assyria will waste away, staggering off like someone sick.
19 Lokuseleyo kwezihlahla zehlathi zayo kuzakuba nlutshwana ngenani, ukuze umntwana akubale.
The trees left in its forests will be so few that a child could count them.
20 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku insali yakoIsrayeli labaphunyukileyo bendlu kaJakobe kabasayikuqhubeka ukweyama kobatshayileyo; kodwa bazakweyama eNkosini, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, ngeqiniso.
At that time those who are left in Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer trust in those who turn on them, but they will truly trust in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
21 Insali izabuyela, insali kaJakobe, kuNkulunkulu olamandla.
A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will come back to the Mighty God.
22 Ngoba lanxa abantu bakho, Israyeli, bengangetshebetshebe lolwandle, kube kanti insali yabo izabuya; ukuchitheka kumisiwe, kuphuphuma ngokulunga.
Israel, even though your people are as numerous as sand on the seashore, only a remnant will return. The Lord has rightly decided to destroy his people.
23 Ngoba ukubhujiswa okupheleleyo okumisiweyo iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izakwenza phakathi komhlaba wonke.
The Lord God Almighty has rightly decided to bring destruction throughout the whole country.
24 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova wamabandla: Bantu bami, elihlala eZiyoni, lingesabi iAsiriya lapho ilitshaya ngenduku, iliphakamisela intonga yayo njengendlela yamaGibhithe.
So this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says, My people living in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrians who beat you with rods and hit you with clubs, just like the Egyptians did.
25 Ngoba kuseyisikhatshana nje ukuthukuthela kuzaphela, lolaka lwami ekuchithweni kwabo.
Very shortly I will stop being angry with you. Then I will turn my anger on them and I will destroy them.
26 Njalo iNkosi yamabandla izabavusela isiswepu, njengokuhlatshwa kweMidiyani edwaleni leOrebi; lanjengentonga yayo phezu kolwandle ezayiphakamisa njengendlela yeGibhithe.
The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, just as he did when he attacked the Midianites at the rock of Oreb. He will hold up his rod over the sea, just as he did in Egypt.
27 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku umthwalo wayo usuke ehlombe lakho, lejogwe layo entanyeni yakho, lejogwe lizakwephulwa ngenxa yokugcotshwa.
At that time he will remove the burden from your shoulders and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because of the anointing with oil.
28 Uyeza eAyathi, udabula phakathi kweMigironi; eMikimashi wethula impahla yakhe.
The Assyrians came to Aiath, passed through Migron, and stored their supplies at Michmash.
29 Badlula esikhaleni, ebusuku bayalala eGeba; iRama iyathuthumela; iGibeya kaSawuli iyabaleka.
They cross the pass, saying, “We'll stay overnight at Geba.” The people of Ramah tremble in fear; the inhabitants of Gibeah of Saul run away.
30 Hlaba umkhosi ngelizwi lakho, ndodakazi kaGalimi! Lizwakalise eLayishi, Anathothi elusizana!
Shout out a warning, people of Gallim! Pay attention, those living in Laishah! You poor people of Anathoth!
31 IMadimena iyabaleka, abahlali beGebimi badinga isiphephelo.
The people of Madmenah, are all running away. The inhabitants of Gebim are looking for somewhere safe.
32 Kuselamuhla uzakuma eNobi, anyikinye isandla sakhe emelene lentaba yendodakazi yeZiyoni, uqaqa lweJerusalema.
Today the invaders stop at Nob, shaking their fists at the mountain of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Khangela, iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izaquma ingatsha ngamandla esabekayo, lalabo abaphakeme ngobude bazaganyulelwa phansi, labazikhukhumezayo bazathotshiswa.
Look how the Lord Almighty is going to chop off the branches with great force. The tall trees will be cut down, the proud trees will be brought crashing down.
34 Njalo izagamula izixuku zehlathi ngensimbi, leLebhanoni izakuwa ngolamandla.
He will cut down the thick forest with an ax, and Lebanon will fall at the hand of the Mighty One.
