U-Isaya 10
1 Maye kwabamisa izimiso ezikhohlakeleyo, lakubabhali ababhala uhlupho;
Terrible things will happen to you judges who are unjust and who make unfair laws.
2 ukuphambula abayanga ekwahlulelweni, lokuphanga ilungelo labahluphekayo babantu bami, ukuze abafelokazi babe yimpango yabo lokuthi baphange izintandane!
You refuse to help poor people, and you do not allow them to get the things that they should get. You [allow people to] steal things from widows and do unfair things to orphans.
3 Kodwa lizakwenzani ngosuku lwempindiselo, lencithakalweni ezavela khatshana? Lizabalekela kubani ukuthi libe losizo? Lizatshiya ngaphi udumo lwenu?
When I punish you by sending people from distant lands to cause you to experience disasters, (to whom will you run to get help?/there will be no one who can help you.) [RHQ] Your valuable possessions will certainly [not be safe] [RHQ] anywhere.
4 Ngaphandle kwami bazakhothama ngaphansi kwezibotshwa, liwele ngaphansi kwababuleweyo. Kukho konke lokhu intukuthelo yayo kayiphenduki, kodwa isandla sayo silokhu seluliwe.
You will be able only to stumble along as you are taken away with other prisoners, or [else] your corpses will lie on the ground with others who have been killed. But even after that happens, Yahweh will still be very angry with you. He will still be ready to strike you again with his fist.
5 Maye kumAsiriya, intonga yentukuthelo yami, lolaka lwami luyinduku esandleni sabo!
[Yahweh says], “Terrible things will happen to Assyria. [It is true that their army] is like a rod/club [DOU] with which I [punish other nations] because I am very angry with those nations [DOU].
6 Ngizamthumela isizwe esizenzisayo, ngizamlaya ukumelana labantu bolaka lwami, ukuphanga impango, lokuthumba okuthunjiweyo, lokukubeka kube ngokunyathelwayo njengodaka lwezitalada.
[Sometimes] I send the armies of Assyria to attack a godless nation, to fight against [other] people who have caused me to be angry. I send them to capture people and to seize and take away their possessions, and to trample them like [SIM] people walk on mud in the streets.
7 Kodwa yena kanakani njalo, lenhliziyo yakhe kayicabangi njalo; kodwa kusenhliziyweni yakhe ukuchitha, lokuquma izizwe ezingenlutshwana.
But the [king of Assyria] does not understand, he does not realize [that he is only like a weapon in my hand]. He wants [only] to destroy people, to get rid of many nations.
8 Ngoba uthi: Iziphathamandla zami zonke kazisimakhosi yini?
He says, ‘All of my army commanders will soon be kings [of these nations that I conquer]!
9 IKalino kayinjengeKarikemishi yini? IHamathi kayinjengeArpadi yini? ISamariya kayinjengeDamaseko yini?
We destroyed Calno [city] like we destroyed Carchemish [city], We destroyed Hamath [city] like we destroyed Arpad [city]; we destroyed Samaria just like we destroyed Damascus.
10 Njengoba isandla sami sithole imibuso yezithombe, ozithombe zayo ezibaziweyo zingcono kulezeJerusalema lakulezeSamariya;
We were able to destroy [all] those kingdoms [that were full] of idols, kingdoms whose idols were greater than the idols in Jerusalem and Samaria.
11 njengalokhu ngenzile kuyo iSamariya lezithombe zayo, kangiyikwenza njalo yini kuyo iJerusalema lezithombe zayo?
So we will defeat Jerusalem and destroy the idols that are there, just like we destroyed Samaria and the idols that were there!’
12 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho iNkosi isiqedile umsebenzi wayo wonke entabeni yeZiyoni laseJerusalema, ngiphindisele isithelo sokuzikhukhumeza kwenhliziyo yenkosi yeAsiriya lobuhle bokuziqhenya kwamehlo ayo.
[But, I, Yahweh, say that] after I [have used Assyria to] finish what I want to do to punish the people in Jerusalem [DOU], I will punish the king of Assyria because he has been very proud and arrogant/boastful [DOU].
13 Ngoba ithe: Ngamandla esandla sami ngikwenzile, langenhlakanipho yami, ngoba ngiyaqedisisa; njalo ngisusile imikhawulo yezizwe, ngaphanga inotho yazo; lanjengeqhawe ngehlisela phansi abahlali bazo.
He says, ‘By my own great power [MTY] I have done these things. I have been able to do them because I am very wise and very intelligent. My army removed the barriers [at the borders] of nations and carried away all their valuable things. My army has knocked down their kings like [SIM] a ferocious bull would.
14 Isandla sami sesithole inotho yezizwe njengesidleke; lanjengobuthelela amaqanda atshiyiweyo, mina ngibuthelele umhlaba wonke; njalo kwakungekho ophaphazelisa impiko, kumbe ovula umlomo, kumbe otshiyozayo.
Like [MET] a farmer reaches into a bird’s nest [to take away the eggs], we have taken away the treasures of other countries [DOU]. The people were not like birds that would flap their wings or chirp loudly [to protest about their eggs being stolen]; the people did not object at all [to their treasures being stolen].’
15 Ihloka lizazikhukhumeza kuye ogamula ngalo yini? Isaha izazikhulisa kuye oyinyikinyayo yini? Njengokungathi induku ingaziphakamisa, kungathi kayisisigodo.
[But I, Yahweh, say that] an axe certainly cannot [RHQ] boast about being stronger than the person who uses it, and a saw is not greater than the person who uses it. A rod cannot control the one who holds it [RHQ], and a wooden club cannot lift up a person [RHQ]. [So the king of Assyria should not boast that he has done these things with his own wisdom and strength].
16 Ngalokhu iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izathumela ukucaka phakathi kwabazimukileyo bayo; langaphansi kodumo lwayo izaphemba ukutshisa njengokutshisa komlilo.
And [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, will send a plague among the proud soldiers of Assyria; it will be like [MET] a fire that will kill them and get rid of their glory/wealth.
17 Lokukhanya kukaIsrayeli kuzakuba ngumlilo, loNgcwele wakhe abe lilangabi, elizatshisa liqede ameva ayo lokhula lwayo oluhlabayo ngasuku lunye.
[I], Yahweh, who am like [MET] a light for the people of Israel, will be the fire; [I], the Holy One, will be like a flame. [The soldiers of Assyria are like] [MET] thorns and briers, and I will burn them up in one night.
18 Liqede lodumo lwehlathi lwayo, lensimu yayo ethelayo, kusukela emphefumulweni kusiya enyameni, ibe njengokuphela kwamandla womthwalifulegi.
There are glorious forests and fertile farmlands in Assyria, but I will completely destroy them; they will be like [SIM] a [very] sick person who shrivels up and then dies.
19 Lokuseleyo kwezihlahla zehlathi zayo kuzakuba nlutshwana ngenani, ukuze umntwana akubale.
There will be very few trees left in those forests; even a child will be able to count them.”
20 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku insali yakoIsrayeli labaphunyukileyo bendlu kaJakobe kabasayikuqhubeka ukweyama kobatshayileyo; kodwa bazakweyama eNkosini, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, ngeqiniso.
In the future there will be only a few people left in Israel; not many descendants of Jacob will still be alive. [But] they will no longer rely on [the king of Assyria], [the king of the nation] that tried to destroy them. Instead, they will faithfully/sincerely trust in Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.
21 Insali izabuyela, insali kaJakobe, kuNkulunkulu olamandla.
Those Israelis will return to their mighty God.
22 Ngoba lanxa abantu bakho, Israyeli, bengangetshebetshebe lolwandle, kube kanti insali yabo izabuya; ukuchitheka kumisiwe, kuphuphuma ngokulunga.
[Now], the people of Israel are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, but only a few of them will return [from the countries to which they were exiled]. Yahweh has decided to destroy [most of the Israelis] and that is what [he must do because he is completely] just/righteous.
23 Ngoba ukubhujiswa okupheleleyo okumisiweyo iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izakwenza phakathi komhlaba wonke.
[Yes, ] the Commander of the armies of angels has [already] decided to destroy the entire land [of Israel].
24 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova wamabandla: Bantu bami, elihlala eZiyoni, lingesabi iAsiriya lapho ilitshaya ngenduku, iliphakamisela intonga yayo njengendlela yamaGibhithe.
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: “My people in Jerusalem, do not be afraid of the army of Assyria when they beat you with rods and clubs, like the men of Egypt did [to your ancestors long ago].
25 Ngoba kuseyisikhatshana nje ukuthukuthela kuzaphela, lolaka lwami ekuchithweni kwabo.
Soon I will no longer be angry with you, and [then] I will be angry with the people of Assyria and destroy them!”
26 Njalo iNkosi yamabandla izabavusela isiswepu, njengokuhlatshwa kweMidiyani edwaleni leOrebi; lanjengentonga yayo phezu kolwandle ezayiphakamisa njengendlela yeGibhithe.
The Commander of the armies of angels will whip them. He will do to them like he did when he helped Gideon [and his 300 soldiers] to defeat the [army of the] Midian people-group, and like he did when he showed his mighty power [MTY] [by causing the army of Egypt to drown] in the [Red] Sea.
27 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku umthwalo wayo usuke ehlombe lakho, lejogwe layo entanyeni yakho, lejogwe lizakwephulwa ngenxa yokugcotshwa.
Some day, Yahweh will cause the army of Assyria to stop oppressing you, [his people]; he will end your suffering and your being slaves of the people of Assyria [MET]; he will take away the load that you people of Judah have been carrying, and cause things to go well for you.
28 Uyeza eAyathi, udabula phakathi kweMigironi; eMikimashi wethula impahla yakhe.
[The army of Assyria will enter northern Judah] near Aiath [town], they will go through Migron [town] and store their supplies at Micmash [town north of Jerusalem].
29 Badlula esikhaleni, ebusuku bayalala eGeba; iRama iyathuthumela; iGibeya kaSawuli iyabaleka.
They will cross through a mountain pass and set up their tents at Geba [town]. [People in] Ramah [town] will tremble [because of being afraid]. [The people of] Gibeah [town], where King Saul [was born], will [all] run away.
30 Hlaba umkhosi ngelizwi lakho, ndodakazi kaGalimi! Lizwakalise eLayishi, Anathothi elusizana!
You people of Gallim [town] will cry out [for help]. You will shout to [the people of] Laish [city near Jerusalem] to warn them! [The people of] Anathoth [town] will suffer a lot.
31 IMadimena iyabaleka, abahlali beGebimi badinga isiphephelo.
[The people of] Madmenah [town north of Jerusalem will all] be running away, and [the people of] Gebim [town close to Jerusalem] will be trying to hide.
32 Kuselamuhla uzakuma eNobi, anyikinye isandla sakhe emelene lentaba yendodakazi yeZiyoni, uqaqa lweJerusalema.
The soldiers of Assyria will stop at Nob [city outside Jerusalem]. They will shake their fists [as they threaten the people] on Zion Hill in Jerusalem.
33 Khangela, iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izaquma ingatsha ngamandla esabekayo, lalabo abaphakeme ngobude bazaganyulelwa phansi, labazikhukhumezayo bazathotshiswa.
But listen to this! The Commander of the armies of angels with his great power will destroy [MET] the mighty army of Assyria. [It is as though they are] a huge tree [MET] that he will cut down.
34 Njalo izagamula izixuku zehlathi ngensimbi, leLebhanoni izakuwa ngolamandla.
He will destroy the [soldiers of Assyria] like men use big axes to cut down the tall trees in the forests of Lebanon.
