U-Isaya 13
1 Umthwalo weBhabhiloni awubonayo uIsaya indodana kaAmozi.
A prophecy concerning Babylon, which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
2 Phakamisani uphawu entabeni eligceke, libaphakamisele ilizwi, liqhwebe ngesandla, ukuze bangene eminyango yeziphathamandla.
Upon the bare mountain lift up a banner; Cry aloud to them, wave the hand, That they may enter the gates of the tyrants!
3 Mina ngibalayile abangcwelisiweyo bami, ngibizile lamaqhawe ami kuntukuthelo yami, abathokozayo ngobukhosi bami.
I have given orders to my consecrated ones, Yea, I have called upon my mighty ones to execute mine anger, My proud exulters!
4 Ukuxokozela kwexuku ezintabeni, kungathi ngokwabantu abanengi, umsindo wokuxokozela kwemibuso, kwezizwe ezibutheneyo; iNkosi yamabandla ibutha ibutho lempi.
The noise of a multitude upon the mountains, like that of a great people! The tumultuous noise of kingdoms, of nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts mustereth his army for battle.
5 Bavela elizweni elikhatshana, emkhawulweni wamazulu, iNkosi kanye lezikhali zentukuthelo yayo, ukuchitha ilizwe lonke.
They come from a distant country, From the end of Heaven, Jehovah and the instruments of his indignation. To lay waste the whole land.
6 Qhinqani isililo, ngoba usuku lweNkosi lusondele; njengokuchitheka okuvela kuSomandla luzafika.
Howl ye, for the day of Jehovah is at hand! Like a destruction from the Almighty, it cometh;
7 Ngenxa yalokhu izandla zonke zizaxega, lenhliziyo yonke yomuntu incibilike;
Therefore shall all hands hang down, And every heart of man shall melt.
8 babesebetshaywa luvalo; imihelo lobuhlungu kubabambe; bafuthelwe njengowesifazana obelethayo; bamangale ngulowo ngomakhelwane wakhe; ubuso babo buyibuso bamalangabi.
They shall be in consternation; Distress and anguish shall lay hold of them; As a woman in travail shall they writhe; They shall look upon one another with amazement: Their faces shall glow like flames.
9 Khangelani, usuku lweNkosi luyeza, lulesihluku lokufutheka lolaka oluvuthayo, ukubeka umhlaba ube yincithakalo; ibhubhise izoni zawo zisuke kuwo.
Behold! the day of Jehovah cometh, Terrible, full of wrath and burning indignation, To make the land a waste, And to destroy the sinners out of it.
10 Ngoba inkanyezi zamazulu lemithala yazo kaziyikukhanyisa ukukhanya kwazo; ilanga lizakuba mnyama ekuphumeni kwalo, lenyanga kayiyikukhanyisa ukukhanya kwayo.
For the stars of heaven, and the constellations thereof, Shall not give their light; The sun shall be darkened at his going forth, And the moon shall withhold her light.
11 Ngoba ngizaphindisela ububi phezu komhlaba, laphezu kwabakhohlakeleyo izono zabo; ngiqede ukuzigqaja kwabazikhukhumezayo; ngithobise ukuzikhukhumeza kwabalesihluku.
For I will punish the world for its guilt, And the wicked for their iniquity. I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, And I will bring down the haughtiness of the tyrants.
12 Ngizakwenza ukuthi indoda ibe ligugu elikhulu kulegolide elicwengekileyo, lomuntu kulegolide leOfiri.
I will make men scarcer than gold; Yea, men than the gold of Ophir.
13 Ngenxa yalokhu ngizazamazamisa amazulu, lomhlaba uzanyikinyeka usuke endaweni yawo, entukuthelweni yeNkosi yamabandla, losukwini lokuvutha kolaka lwayo.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth shall be shaken out of her place, In the anger of Jehovah of hosts, In the day of his burning indignation.
14 Njalo kuzakuba njengomziki oxotshwayo, lanjengezimvu okungelamuntu oziqoqayo; bazaphenduka ngulowo lalowo ebantwini bakibo, babalekele ngulowo lalowo elizweni lakhe.
Then shall they be like a chased doe; Like a flock, which no one gathereth together; Every one shall turn to his own people, And every one flee to his own land.
15 Wonke ozatholakala uzagwazwa, laye wonke ozabanjwa uzakuwa ngenkemba.
Every one that is overtaken shall be thrust through, And every one that is caught shall fall by the sword.
16 Labantwana babo bazachotshozwa phambi kwamehlo abo, izindlu zabo ziphangwe, labomkabo badlwengulwe.
Their children shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses shall be plundered, and their wives ravished.
17 Khangela, ngizabavusela amaMede, angakhathaleli isiliva, legolide, angathokozi ngalo.
Behold, I stir up against them the Medes, Who make no account of silver, And as to gold, they do not regard it.
18 Lamadandili awo azachoboza amajaha; njalo kawayikuba lesihawu ngesithelo sesizalo; ilihlo lawo kaliyikuhawukela abantwana.
Their bows shall strike down the young men, And on the fruit of the womb they shall have no compassion; Their eye shall not pity the children.
19 LeBhabhiloni, udumo lwemibuso, ubuhle bokuziqhenya kwamaKhaladiya, izakuba njengokugenqulwa nguNkulunkulu kweSodoma leGomora.
So shall Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The proud ornament of the Chaldeans, Be like Sodom and Gomorrah, which God overthrew,
20 Kakuyikuba lendawo yokuhlala kuze kube nininini, njalo kayiyikuhlalwa kusizukulwana lesizukulwana; lomArabhiya kayikumisa ithente khona, labelusi kabayikulalisa umhlambi khona.
It shall never more be inhabited; Nor shall it be dwelt in through all generations. Nor shall the Arabian pitch his tent there, Nor shall shepherds make their folds there.
21 Kodwa izilo zeganga zizalala khona, lezindlu zayo zizagcwala izilo ezikhonyayo; lamadodakazi ezintshe azahlala khona, lamagogo aqolotshe khona.
But there shall the wild beasts of the desert lodge, And owls shall fill their houses; And ostriches shall dwell there, And satyrs shall dance there.
22 Lezimpisi zizaphendulana emanxiweni ayo, lemigobho ezigodlweni ezilentokozo. Lesikhathi sayo siseduze ukufika, lezinsuku zayo kaziyikuphuziswa.
Wolves shall howl in their palaces, And jackals in their pleasant edifices. Her time is near, And her days shall not be prolonged.
