U-Isaya 22
1 Umthwalo wesigodi sombono. Kutheni kuwe khathesi, ukuthi ngulowo lalowo wakho akhwele empahleni zezindlu?
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Jerusalem, about the valley where [Yahweh showed me] this vision. Why is everyone foolishly running up to their [flat] rooftops?
2 Wena ogcwele imisindo, muzi oxokozelayo, dolobho elilentokozo, ababuleweyo bakho kababulawanga ngenkemba, kabafelanga empini.
Everyone in the city [seems to] be shouting. [There are a lot of] corpses [in the city], [but they] were not killed by [their enemies’] swords. They did not die in battles; [instead, they died from diseases and hunger].
3 Bonke ababusi bakho babaleke kanyekanye, babotshwe ngabatshoki, bonke abatholakala kuwe, babotshiwe kanyekanye, babaleke besuka khatshana.
All the leaders of the city fled. [But then] they were captured because they did not have bows [and arrows to defend themselves]. Your [soldiers tried to] flee while the enemy [army] was still far away, but they also were captured.
4 Ngenxa yalokhu ngathi: Susani amehlo kimi; kangikhale kabuhlungu; ungaphangisi ukungiduduza ngenxa yokuchitheka kwendodakazi yabantu bakithi.
That is why I said, “Allow me to cry alone; do not try to comfort me [about my people being slaughtered].”
5 Ngoba kulusuku lokusanganiseka, lolokunyathelela phansi, lolokuphithizela kweNkosi uJehova wamabandla esigodini sombono, lokudilizela phansi umduli, lolokuhlaba umkhosi kuze kube sentabeni.
The Commander of the armies of angels has [chosen] a time when there will be a great uproar, [soldiers] marching, and people being terrified in the valley [where I received this] vision. [It will be a time when our city] walls will be battered down and [the people’s] cries [for help] will be heard in the mountains.
6 IElamu yathatha-ke isikhwama semitshoko, kanye lenqola, abantu, abagadi bamabhiza; leKiri yembula isihlangu.
The armies from Elam and Kir [in Media] will attack, driving chariots and carrying shields.
7 Kuzakuthi-ke izigodi zakho ezikhethekileyo zigcwala izinqola, labagadi bamabhiza bazihlele lokuzihlela ngasesangweni.
Our beautiful valleys will be filled with [our enemies’] chariots and the men who drive the chariots will stand outside [our city] gates.
8 Njalo yena uzakwembula isimbombozo sakoJuda; langalolosuku wena uzakhangela izikhali zendlu yehlathi.
The walls that protect [the cities in] Judah will fall down. You [people of Jerusalem] will run to get the weapons [that are stored in the building called] “the Hall of the Forest”.
9 Njalo lizabona imikenke yomuzi kaDavida, ukuthi minengi, liqoqe amanzi echibini elingaphansi.
You will see that there are many breaks/holes in the walls of Jerusalem. You will store water in the lower pool [in the city].
10 Lizabala izindlu zeJerusalema, lidilize izindlu ukuze liqinise umduli.
You will inspect the houses in Jerusalem, and [some of] them you will tear down to use the stones to repair the [city] wall.
11 Lizakwenza ichibi phakathi kwemiduli yomibili lisenzela amanzi omgodi omdala. Kodwa kaliyikukhangela kowakwenzayo, kalimnanzanga owakubumbayo kudala.
Between the walls [of the city] you will build a reservoir to [store] water from the old pool. But you will never request help from the one who made the city; you have never depended on Yahweh, who planned this city long ago.
12 Langalolosuku iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izamemezela ukulila, lokukhala, lokuphucwa kwamakhanda, lokugqokwa kwesaka.
The Commander of the armies of angels told you to weep and mourn; he told you to shave your heads and to wear rough sackcloth to show that you were sorry for the sins that you had committed.
13 Kodwa khangela, injabulo lokuthaba, ukubulawa kwenkomo, lokuhlatshwa kwezimvu, ukudliwa kwenyama, lokunathwa kwewayini; lathi: Asidleni sinathe, ngoba kusasa sizakufa.
But instead of doing that, you were happy and celebrating; you slaughtered cattle and sheep, [in order to cook their] meat and eat it and drink wine. You said, “Let’s eat and drink [all that we want to], because [it is possible that] we will die tomorrow!”
14 Kodwa iNkosi yamabandla yembula endlebeni zami isithi: Isibili lesisono kaliyikusenzelwa inhlawulo yokuthula lize life, kutsho iNkosi uJehova wamabandla.
[So] the Commander of the armies of angels revealed this to me: “I will never forgive my people for sinning like this!”
15 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova wamabandla: Hamba uye kulo umphathi, kuShebina, ophezu kwendlu, uthi:
The Commander of the armies of angels said this [to me]: “Go to Shebna, the official who supervises the workers in the palace, and give this message to him:
16 Ulani lapha, njalo ulobani lapha, ukuthi uzigebhele ingcwaba lapha, njengozigebhela ingcwaba lakhe phezulu, ozigubhela indawo yokuhlala edwaleni?
'[Who do you think you are?] Who gave you the authority to build a beautiful tomb where you will be buried, chiseling it out of the rocky cliff high above this valley?
17 Khangela, iNkosi izakujikijela khatshana ngokujika kwendoda; izakugoqela ngokukugoqela,
You [think that you are] [IRO] a great man, but Yahweh is about to hurl you away. [It will be as though] he will seize you,
18 ikuthandele lokukuthandela njengebhola eligoqelwayo; njengebhola izakuphosela elizweni elibanzi; lalapho uzafela, lalapho izinqola zodumo lwakho zizakuba lihlazo, olwendlu yenkosi yakho!
and roll/crumple you into a ball and throw you away into a large distant land. You will die [and be buried] there, and your beautiful chariots will stay there [in the hands of your enemies]. And [because of what happens to you], your master, [the king], will be [very] ashamed/disgraced.
19 Njalo ngizakusunduza usuke esikhundleni sakho, ikuwise ekumeni kwakho.
Yahweh will force you to quit working in the palace; you will be demoted from your important position.
20 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku ngibize inceku yami uEliyakhimi indodana kaHilikhiya;
Then I will summon Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who has served serve me [well], to replace you.
21 ngizamgqokisa isigqoko sakho, ngimqinise ngebhanti lakho, nginikeze umbuso wakho esandleni sakhe; njalo yena uzakuba nguyise kubahlali beJerusalema lendlini yakoJuda.
I will allow him to wear your robe, and to fasten your sash around him, and I will give to him the authority that you had. He will be like [MET] a father to the people of Jerusalem and [all the other] towns in Judah.
22 Ngizabeka-ke isihluthulelo sendlu kaDavida ehlombe lakhe; yena uzavula kungavali muntu, avale kungavuli muntu.
I will give to him authority [MTY] over [what happens in] the palace where King David [lived]; when he decides something [MET], no one will be able to oppose it; when he refuses to do something, no one will be able to force him to do it.
23 Ngizambethela njengesikhonkwane endaweni eqinileyo; njalo uzakuba yisihlalo sobukhosi esilodumo endlini kayise.
I will cause his family to be greatly respected, because I will put him firmly in his position [as supervisor of the workers in the palace], like [SIM] a nail that is firmly hammered into a wall.
24 Njalo bazaphanyeka phezu kwakhe udumo lonke lwendlu kayise, inzalo lembewu, zonke izitsha ezincinyane, kusukela ezitsheni zenkezo kusiya kuzo zonke izitsha zeziphiso.
Others will enable him to have much responsibility, with the result that all the members of his family, even the most insignificant ones, will be honored.'”
25 Ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, isikhonkwane esabethelwa endaweni eqinileyo sizasuswa, siganyulwe siwe; lomthwalo obuphezu kwaso uzaqunywa; ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile.
[But] the Commander of the armies of angels also says, “[Shebna is like] [MET] a peg that is firmly fastened to the wall. But there will be a time when I will [remove him from his position]; he will lose his power/influence, and everything that he promoted [MET] will fail. [That will surely happen] because [I], Yahweh, have said it.”
