< U-Isaya 10 >
1 Maye kwabamisa izimiso ezikhohlakeleyo, lakubabhali ababhala uhlupho;
Woe to those who enact unjust laws and write unfair decrees.
2 ukuphambula abayanga ekwahlulelweni, lokuphanga ilungelo labahluphekayo babantu bami, ukuze abafelokazi babe yimpango yabo lokuthi baphange izintandane!
They deprive the needy of justice, rob the poor of my people of their rights, plunder widows, and make the fatherless their prey!
3 Kodwa lizakwenzani ngosuku lwempindiselo, lencithakalweni ezavela khatshana? Lizabalekela kubani ukuthi libe losizo? Lizatshiya ngaphi udumo lwenu?
What will you do on judgment day when the destruction comes from far away? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth?
4 Ngaphandle kwami bazakhothama ngaphansi kwezibotshwa, liwele ngaphansi kwababuleweyo. Kukho konke lokhu intukuthelo yayo kayiphenduki, kodwa isandla sayo silokhu seluliwe.
Nothing remains, and you crouch among the prisoners or fall among the killed. In all these things, his anger does not subside; instead, his hand is still stretched out.
5 Maye kumAsiriya, intonga yentukuthelo yami, lolaka lwami luyinduku esandleni sabo!
Woe to the Assyrian, the club of my anger, the rod by whom I wield my fury!
6 Ngizamthumela isizwe esizenzisayo, ngizamlaya ukumelana labantu bolaka lwami, ukuphanga impango, lokuthumba okuthunjiweyo, lokukubeka kube ngokunyathelwayo njengodaka lwezitalada.
I send him against an arrogant nation and against the people who bear my overflowing wrath. I order him to take the spoil, to take the prey, and to trample them like mud in the streets.
7 Kodwa yena kanakani njalo, lenhliziyo yakhe kayicabangi njalo; kodwa kusenhliziyweni yakhe ukuchitha, lokuquma izizwe ezingenlutshwana.
But this is not what he intends, nor does he think this way. It is in his heart to destroy and eliminate many nations.
8 Ngoba uthi: Iziphathamandla zami zonke kazisimakhosi yini?
For he says, “Are not all my princes kings?
9 IKalino kayinjengeKarikemishi yini? IHamathi kayinjengeArpadi yini? ISamariya kayinjengeDamaseko yini?
Is not Kalno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 Njengoba isandla sami sithole imibuso yezithombe, ozithombe zayo ezibaziweyo zingcono kulezeJerusalema lakulezeSamariya;
As my hand has overcome idolatrous kingdoms, whose carved figures were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 njengalokhu ngenzile kuyo iSamariya lezithombe zayo, kangiyikwenza njalo yini kuyo iJerusalema lezithombe zayo?
just as I did to Samaria and her worthless idols, will I not also do the same to Jerusalem and to her idols?”
12 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho iNkosi isiqedile umsebenzi wayo wonke entabeni yeZiyoni laseJerusalema, ngiphindisele isithelo sokuzikhukhumeza kwenhliziyo yenkosi yeAsiriya lobuhle bokuziqhenya kwamehlo ayo.
When the Lord has finished his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and his prideful looks.
13 Ngoba ithe: Ngamandla esandla sami ngikwenzile, langenhlakanipho yami, ngoba ngiyaqedisisa; njalo ngisusile imikhawulo yezizwe, ngaphanga inotho yazo; lanjengeqhawe ngehlisela phansi abahlali bazo.
For he says, “By my strength and by my wisdom I acted. I have understanding, and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples. I have stolen their treasures, and like a bull I have brought down the inhabitants.
14 Isandla sami sesithole inotho yezizwe njengesidleke; lanjengobuthelela amaqanda atshiyiweyo, mina ngibuthelele umhlaba wonke; njalo kwakungekho ophaphazelisa impiko, kumbe ovula umlomo, kumbe otshiyozayo.
My hand has seized, as from a nest, the wealth of nations, and as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth. None fluttered their wings or opened their mouth or chirped.”
15 Ihloka lizazikhukhumeza kuye ogamula ngalo yini? Isaha izazikhulisa kuye oyinyikinyayo yini? Njengokungathi induku ingaziphakamisa, kungathi kayisisigodo.
Will the ax boast about itself against the one who wields it? Will the saw praise itself more than the one who cuts with it? It is as if a rod could lift up those who raise it, or as if a wooden club could lift up a person.
16 Ngalokhu iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izathumela ukucaka phakathi kwabazimukileyo bayo; langaphansi kodumo lwayo izaphemba ukutshisa njengokutshisa komlilo.
Therefore the Lord Yahweh of hosts will send emaciation among his elite warriors; and under his glory there will be kindled a burning like fire.
17 Lokukhanya kukaIsrayeli kuzakuba ngumlilo, loNgcwele wakhe abe lilangabi, elizatshisa liqede ameva ayo lokhula lwayo oluhlabayo ngasuku lunye.
The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.
18 Liqede lodumo lwehlathi lwayo, lensimu yayo ethelayo, kusukela emphefumulweni kusiya enyameni, ibe njengokuphela kwamandla womthwalifulegi.
Yahweh will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful land, both soul and body; it will be like when a sick man's life wastes away.
19 Lokuseleyo kwezihlahla zehlathi zayo kuzakuba nlutshwana ngenani, ukuze umntwana akubale.
The remnant of the trees of his forest 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.
On that day, the remnant of Israel, the family of Jacob that has escaped, will no longer rely on the one who defeated them, but will indeed depend on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.
21 Insali izabuyela, insali kaJakobe, kuNkulunkulu olamandla.
A remnant of Jacob will return to the mighty God.
22 Ngoba lanxa abantu bakho, Israyeli, bengangetshebetshebe lolwandle, kube kanti insali yabo izabuya; ukuchitheka kumisiwe, kuphuphuma ngokulunga.
For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the seashore, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, as overflowing righteousness demands.
23 Ngoba ukubhujiswa okupheleleyo okumisiweyo iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izakwenza phakathi komhlaba wonke.
For the Lord Yahweh of hosts, is about to carry out the destruction determined throughout the land.
24 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova wamabandla: Bantu bami, elihlala eZiyoni, lingesabi iAsiriya lapho ilitshaya ngenduku, iliphakamisela intonga yayo njengendlela yamaGibhithe.
Therefore the Lord Yahweh of hosts says, “My people who live in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian. He will strike you with the rod and raise his staff against you, as the Egyptians did.
25 Ngoba kuseyisikhatshana nje ukuthukuthela kuzaphela, lolaka lwami ekuchithweni kwabo.
Do not fear him, for in a very short time my anger against you will end, and my anger will lead to his destruction.”
26 Njalo iNkosi yamabandla izabavusela isiswepu, njengokuhlatshwa kweMidiyani edwaleni leOrebi; lanjengentonga yayo phezu kolwandle ezayiphakamisa njengendlela yeGibhithe.
Then Yahweh of hosts will wield a whip against them, as when he defeated Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise his rod over the sea and lift it up as he did in Egypt.
27 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku umthwalo wayo usuke ehlombe lakho, lejogwe layo entanyeni yakho, lejogwe lizakwephulwa ngenxa yokugcotshwa.
On that day, his burden is lifted from your shoulder and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of fatness.
28 Uyeza eAyathi, udabula phakathi kweMigironi; eMikimashi wethula impahla yakhe.
The enemy has come to Aiath and has passed through Migron; at Michmash he has stored his provisions.
29 Badlula esikhaleni, ebusuku bayalala eGeba; iRama iyathuthumela; iGibeya kaSawuli iyabaleka.
They have crossed over the pass and they lodge at Geba. Ramah trembles and Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Hlaba umkhosi ngelizwi lakho, ndodakazi kaGalimi! Lizwakalise eLayishi, Anathothi elusizana!
Cry aloud, daughter of Gallim! Give attention, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!
31 IMadimena iyabaleka, abahlali beGebimi badinga isiphephelo.
Madmenah is fleeing, and the inhabitants of Gebim run for safety.
32 Kuselamuhla uzakuma eNobi, anyikinye isandla sakhe emelene lentaba yendodakazi yeZiyoni, uqaqa lweJerusalema.
This very day he will halt at Nob and shake his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Khangela, iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izaquma ingatsha ngamandla esabekayo, lalabo abaphakeme ngobude bazaganyulelwa phansi, labazikhukhumezayo bazathotshiswa.
Behold, the Lord Yahweh of hosts will lop off the boughs with a terrifying crash; the tallest trees will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.
34 Njalo izagamula izixuku zehlathi ngensimbi, leLebhanoni izakuwa ngolamandla.
He will chop down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon in his majesty will fall.