U-Isaya 14
1 Ngoba iNkosi izamhawukela uJakobe, imkhethe futhi uIsrayeli, ibabeke elizweni lakibo; labezizwe bazahlangana labo, njalo bazanamathela endlini kaJakobe.
But the Lord will be merciful to the descendants of Jacob. Once again he will choose Israel and he will bring them back to live once more in their own land. Foreigners will come and join them there, and they will unite with the descendants of Jacob.
2 Labantu bazabathatha, babase endaweni yabo; lendlu kaIsrayeli izabafuya elizweni leNkosi, babe yizigqili lezigqilikazi; njalo bazathumba abathumbi babo, babuse abacindezeli babo.
Nations will go with them and escort them to their own land. The foreigners who stay in the Lord's land will serve the Israelites. In this way the captors become their captives, and they rule over their former oppressors.
3 Kuzakuthi-ke ngosuku iNkosi ezaliphumuza ngalo ebuhlungwini benu lekuhluphekeni kwenu lemtshikatshikeni onzima ebelisetshenziswa kiwo,
At that time the Lord will give you relief from your pain and trouble, and from the hard labor you were forced to do.
4 lizaphakamisa lesisaga ngenkosi yeBhabhiloni lithi: Uphele njani umcindezeli! Owegolide usuphelile!
You will mock the king of Babylon, saying, “How your oppressive rule has been ended, and your insolence stopped!
5 INkosi ilwephule udondolo lwabakhohlakeleyo, intonga yababusi.
The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the rulers' scepter.
6 Owatshaya abantu entukuthelweni ngokutshaya okungapheliyo, owabusa izizwe ngolaka, wazingelwa kungekho onqandayo.
You kept on furiously hitting foreign peoples without stopping, and aggressively ruled nations with unrestrained persecution.
7 Umhlaba wonke uphumule, ulokuthula; baqhamuka ngokuhlabelela.
Now the whole earth rests peacefully, and everyone starts celebrating!
8 Lezihlahla zefiri ziyathokoza ngawe, imisedari yeLebhanoni, isithi: Selokhu walala phansi, kakulamgamuli owenyukela kithi.
The cypress and cedar trees are glad you're gone. They sing, ‘Since you were cut down no woodcutters are coming to cut us down!’
9 Isihogo ngaphansi siyanyakaziswa ngenxa yakho ukukuhlangabeza ekuzeni kwakho; sikuvusela imimoya efileyo, impongo zonke zomhlaba, sisukumise wonke amakhosi ezizwe ezihlalweni zawo zobukhosi. (Sheol h7585)
Those in the grave beneath are keen to meet you when you arrive. It wakes the spirits of the dead to welcome you, those of all the rulers of the earth. All the kings of the nations stand up from their thrones. (Sheol h7585)
10 Bonke bazaphendula bathi kuwe: Lawe usubuthakathaka njengathi; usufanana lathi.
They will all speak up and tell you, ‘So you too are as weak as we are—you've become just like us!
11 Ubukhosi bakho sebehliselwe esihogweni, lokukhala kwamachacho akho; izimpethu zizakwendlalwa ngaphansi kwakho, lemihlavane ikugubuzele. (Sheol h7585)
Your pride is now buried with you in the grave, along with the harp music you loved. Maggots are the bed you lie on, and worms are your blanket.’ (Sheol h7585)
12 Uwe kanganani uvela emazulwini, wena okhanyayo, ndodana yokusa! Uqunyelwe emhlabathini, wena owawisela phansi izizwe!
Morning star, son of the dawn, how you have fallen from heaven! Destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground!
13 Wena wasusithi enhliziyweni yakho: Ngizakwenyukela emazulwini; ngaphezu kwenkanyezi zikaNkulunkulu ngiphakamise isihlalo sami sobukhosi; ngihlale entabeni yenhlangano ezinhlangothini zenyakatho;
You said to yourself: ‘I will ascend to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit enthroned on the mountain of meeting, the summit of the northern mountain.
14 ngizakwenyukela ngaphezu kwendawo eziphakemeyo zamayezi; ngizenze ngifanane loPhezukonke.
I will ascend to the high places above the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
But you are dragged down to the grave, into the depths of the pit. (Sheol h7585)
16 Abakubonayo bazakujolozela, bakuqaphele, besithi: Nguye lo umuntu yini owenza ukuthi umhlaba uthuthumele, owanyakazisa imibuso,
Those who see you will stare at you, examining you closely, asking, ‘Is this the man who shook the earth, who made kingdoms tremble?
17 owamisa ilizwe laba njengenkangala, wachitha imizi yalo, ongavulelanga izibotshwa zakhe ziye ekhaya?
Is this the one who turned the world into a desert, destroyed cities, and never let his prisoners return home?’
18 Wonke amakhosi ezizwe, wonke alala phansi ngodumo, ileyo laleyo endlini yayo;
All the other kings of the nations lie in splendor in their great mausoleums.
19 kodwa wena uphoselwe ngaphandle kwengcwaba lakho, njengehlumela elinengekayo, njengelembu lababuleweyo, begwazwe ngenkemba, abehlela phansi ematsheni omgodi, njengesidumbu esinyathelelwe phansi.
But you are thrown out of your grave like a branch nobody wants, buried underneath the bodies of those killed by the sword. You are like a corpse trodden underfoot. You are tossed into a pit full of rocks—
20 Kawuyikuhlanganiswa kanye labo ekungcwatshweni, ngoba ulichithile ilizwe lakini, wabulala abantu bakini. Inzalo yabenzi bobubi kayiyikubizwa kuze kube nininini.
you will not be buried like those other kings because you destroyed your own land and killed your own people. The descendants of those who do evil will never survive.
21 Lungiselani ukubulawa kwabantwana babo ngenxa yobubi baboyise, ukuze bangavuki badle ilifa lelizwe, bagcwalise ubuso bomhlaba ngemizi.
Get ready to execute his sons because of their fathers' sins. Don't let them take over the earth; don't let them fill the whole world with their cities.
22 Ngoba ngizabavukela, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, ngiqume kusuke eBhabhiloni ibizo, lensali, lendodana, lomzukulu, itsho iNkosi.
I will come and attack them, declares the Lord Almighty. I will destroy everything: their reputation, those who remain, their children, and their descendants, says the Lord.
23 Ngizayimisa ibe yindawo yezinhloni lamatete amanzi, ngiyithanyele ngomthanyelo wencithakalo, kutsho iNkosi yamabandla.
I will make Babylon into a place for water birds and into marshland. I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction, declares the Lord Almighty.”
24 INkosi yamabandla ifungile isithi: Isibili, njengokucabanga kwami kuzakuba njalo, lanjengokweluleka kwami khona kuzakuma!
The Lord Almighty has sworn an oath: It will be as I have planned. It will happen as I have decided.
25 Ukuthi ngimephule umAsiriya elizweni lami, ngimnyathele phezu kwezintaba zami; beselisuka ijogwe lakhe phezu kwabo, lomthwalo wakhe usuke ehlombe labo.
I will smash the Assyrians when they are in my country Israel; I will trample them underfoot on my mountains. I will remove their yoke from my people, and take away the burdens they place on my people's shoulders.
26 Lesi yiseluleko eselulekwe ngomhlaba wonke, njalo lesi yisandla eselulelwe izizwe zonke.
This is the plan I have made regarding the whole earth; my hand stretches out to control all the nations.
27 Ngoba iNkosi yamabandla ikucebile, ngubani-ke ongakuphuthisa? Lesandla sayo seluliwe, njalo ngubani ongasibuyisela emuva?
The Lord Almighty has made his plan, and who will block it? His hand stretches out, and who will push back against it?
28 Ngomnyaka wokufa kwenkosi uAhazi kwaba lalo umthwalo:
The following message came in the year King Ahaz died.
29 Ungathokozi, wena wonke Filisti, ngokuthi intonga ekutshayileyo yephukile; ngoba empandeni yenyoka kuzavela ibululu, lesithelo sabo sibe yinyoka ephaphayo etshisayo.
All you Philistines, don't celebrate the fact that the rod that was hitting you is broken, because from the root of that snake will grow up a viper, its fruit will be a flying serpent.
30 Lamazibulo abayanga azakwelusela, labaswelayo balale bevikelekile; kodwa ngizabulala impande yakho ngendlala, njalo abulale insali yakho.
The poor will have food, and the needy will live in safety, but you Philistines will die in a famine, and I will kill those who survive.
31 Qhinqa isililo, sango, ukhale, muzi. Uncibilike, Filisti, wonke. Ngoba enyakatho kuvela intuthu, njalo kakho ozakuba yedwa ngezikhathi zakhe ezimisiweyo.
Howl, gates! Weep, town! Melt away in feat, all you Philistines! For a cloud of smoke is approaching from the north—an army with no soldier hanging back.
32 Lezithunywa zesizwe zizaphendulwa ngokuthini? Ngokuthi: INkosi iyisekele iZiyoni, labahluphekayo babantu bayo bazathembela kuyo.
What will be the answer given to the messengers from that nation? “The Lord was the one who laid the foundations of Zion, and that's where his suffering people will be kept safe.”
