U-Isaya 19
1 Umthwalo weGibhithe. Khangela, iNkosi igade eyezini elilejubane, izakuza eGibhithe; lezithombe zeGibhithe zizathuthumela phambi kwayo, lenhliziyo yamaGibhithe incibilike phakathi kwawo.
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Egypt: “Listen to this! I, Yahweh, am coming to Egypt, riding on a fast-moving cloud. The idols in Egypt will tremble when [I appear], and the people of Egypt will be extremely afraid [IDM].
2 Njalo ngizacija amaGibhithe amelane lamaGibhithe, ukuthi alwe, ngulowo lalowo emelene lomfowabo, langulowo lalowo emelene lomakhelwane wakhe, umuzi umelene lomuzi, umbuso umelene lombuso.
I will cause the people of Egypt to fight against each other: men will fight against their brothers, neighbors will fight against each other, people of one city will fight against the people of another city, people of one province will fight against the people of another province.
3 Lomoya wamaGibhithe uzathululwa phakathi kwawo, njalo ngizaginya icebo lawo; babesebebuza izithombe zawo, labathakathi, labalamadlozi, labalumbayo.
The people of Egypt will become very discouraged, and I will cause their plans not to be successful. They will plead with idols and sorcerers and those who talk with spirits of dead people to tell them what they should do.
4 Sengizavalela amaGibhithe esandleni samakhosi alukhuni; lenkosi elolaka izabusa phezu kwawo, kutsho iNkosi uJehova wamabandla.
Then I will enable someone who will treat them very cruelly to become their king [DOU].” That is what I, the Commander of the armies of angels, say.
5 Lamanzi elwandle azacitsha, lomfula wome utshe.
[Some day] the water in the [Nile] River will dry up, and the riverbed will become very dry [DOU].
6 Njalo bazakwala imifula, lezifudlana zeGibhithe zetshe zicitshe; imihlanga lebhuma kubune.
The branches of the river will all dry up [DOU] The canals along the river will stink because of the rotting reeds and (bulrushes/tall grass).
7 Imihlanga ezifuleni, emilonyeni yezifula, lakho konke okuhlanyelweyo kwezifula kuzakoma, kuphetshethwe, kungabe kusaba khona.
All the plants along the river and all the crops will dry up; then they will blow away and disappear.
8 Njalo abagoli benhlanzi bazakhala, labo bonke abaphosa ingwegwe zokuthiya inhlanzi esifuleni bazalila; labendlala imbule ebusweni bamanzi bazaphela amandla.
The fishermen will throw into the river lines with hooks on them and nets, and then they will groan and be very discouraged; they will be sad [because there will be no fish in the river].
9 Labasebenzi ngefikalisi elicolekileyo labeluka okumhlophe bazakuba lenhloni.
Those who weave cloth from flax will not know what to do, because there will be no thread for them to weave.
10 Lezisekelo zayo zonke zizachotshozwa, lamadoda ayiziqatshwa azadana emphefumulweni.
They will all despair and be very discouraged.
11 Isibili, iziphathamandla zeZowani ziyizithutha, iseluleko sabeluleki abahlakaniphileyo bakaFaro siyibuthutha. Litsho njani kuFaro lithi: Ngiyindodana yabahlakaniphileyo, indodana yamakhosi endulo?
The officials in Zoan [city in northern Egypt] are foolish. The advice that they gave to the king was worthless. Why do they continue to tell the king that they are wise, that they are descendants of wise kings who lived long ago [RHQ]?
12 Pho, bangaphi abahlakaniphileyo bakho? Yebo, ake bakutshele, kabakwazi lokho iNkosi yamabandla ekucebileyo ngeGibhithe.
King, (where are your wise counselors now?/You have no wise counselors now!) [RHQ] If you had any wise counselors, they could tell you what the Commander of the armies of angels has planned to do to Egypt [SAR]!
13 Iziphathamandla zeZowani sezibe yizithutha, iziphathamandla zeNofi zikhohlisiwe; bazaduhisa iGibhithe, insika yezizwe zayo.
[Yes], the officials of Zoan have become foolish, and the leaders in Memphis [city in northern Egypt] have deceived themselves. [All] leaders of the people have (caused their people to do wrong things/led their people astray).
14 INkosi ithulule umoya ophambeneyo phakathi kwayo; baduhise iGibhithe kukho konke ukwenza kwayo, njengodakiweyo ediyazela ekuhlanzeni kwakhe.
Yahweh has caused them to be very foolish, with the result that in everything that they do, [it is as though the people of] Egypt stagger like [SIM] a drunken person staggers [and slips] in his own vomit.
15 Njalo kakuyikuba khona umsebenzi weGibhithe okungawenza inhloko kumbe umsila, ugatsha loba umhlanga.
There is no one in Egypt, rich or poor, important or unimportant, [who will be able to help them].
16 Ngalolosuku iGibhithe izakuba njengabesifazana; izathuthumela yesabe ngenxa yokuzunguza kwesandla seNkosi yamabandla esizunguza phezu kwayo.
At that time, the people of Egypt will be [as helpless] as [SIM] women. They will tremble, being terrified [because they know that] the Commander of the armies of angels has raised his fist, [ready to strike/punish them].
17 Lelizwe lakoJuda lizakuba yisesabiso eGibhithe; wonke ozakhuluma ngalo uzakwethuka yena ngokwakhe ngenxa yecebo leNkosi yamabandla elicebileyo imelene layo.
The people of Egypt will be afraid of the people of Judah, and anyone who mentions Judah to them will cause them to be terrified, because [that will remind them] of what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, is planning to do to them.
18 Ngalolosuku kuzakuba lemizi emihlanu elizweni leGibhithe ekhuluma ulimi lweKhanani, lefungayo eNkosini yamabandla. Omunye uzakuthiwa ngumuzi wokubhujiswa.
At that time, [people in] five cities in Egypt will solemnly declare that they will serve Yahweh. They will [learn to] speak the Hebrew language. One of those cities will be called ‘City of the Sun’.
19 Ngalolosuku iNkosi izakuba lelathi phakathi kwelizwe leGibhithe, lensika yeNkosi emngceleni wayo.
At that time, there will be an altar for worshiping Yahweh in the center of Egypt, and there will be a (pillar/large rock) to honor Yahweh at the border [between Egypt and Israel].
20 Njalo izakuba yisibonakaliso ibe yibufakazi beNkosi yamabandla elizweni leGibhithe, ngoba bazakhala eNkosini ngenxa yabacindezeli, njalo izathuma kubo umsindisi lomkhulu ozabakhulula.
That will be a sign to indicate that the Commander of the armies of angels is worshiped in the land of Egypt. And when the people cry out to Yahweh to help them because others are (oppressing them/causing them to suffer), he will send to them someone who will defend and rescue them.
21 LeNkosi izakwaziwa kumaGibhithe; njalo amaGibhithe azayazi iNkosi ngalolosuku, azakwenza umhlatshelo lomnikelo, afunge isifungo eNkosini, asikhokhe.
Yahweh will enable the people of Egypt to know who he is, and at that time they will have a close relationship with Yahweh and worship him and bring to him offerings of grain and other sacrifices. They will solemnly promise to do things for Yahweh, and they will do what they promise.
22 LeNkosi izatshaya iGibhithe, itshaye ibuye isilise; njalo bazaphendukela eNkosini, ezancengeka ngabo, ibasilise.
After Yahweh has punished Egypt, he will cause their troubles to end. The people of Egypt will turn to Yahweh, and he will listen when they plead to him [for help], and he will cause their troubles to cease.
23 Ngalolosuku kuzakuba lomgwaqo omkhulu osuka eGibhithe usiya eAsiriya, ukuze amaAsiriya eze eGibhithe, lamaGibhithe eAsiriya; lamaGibhithe akhonze kanye lamaAsiriya.
At that time, there will be a highway between Egypt and Assyria. [As a result], the people of Egypt will [be able to] travel [easily] to Assyria, and the people of Assyria [will be able to travel easily] to Egypt. And the people of both countries will worship [Yahweh].
24 Ngalolosuku uIsrayeli uzakuba ngowesithathu leGibhithe leAsiriya, isibusiso phakathi komhlaba,
And Israel will be their ally. All three nations will be [friendly to] each other, and the people of Israel will be a blessing to the people of the entire world.
25 ezababusisa iNkosi yamabandla isithi: Ibusisiwe iGibhithe abantu bami, leAsiriya umsebenzi wezandla zami, loIsrayeli ilifa lami.
The Commander of the armies of angels will bless them, saying, “[You people of] Egypt are now my people. You people of Assyria, I have established your country. You people of Israel are the people whom I have chosen to belong to me.”
