U-Isaya 23
1 Umthwalo weTire. Qhinqani isililo, mikhumbi yeTarshishi, ngoba ichithiwe, ukuze kungabi lendlu, ukuthi kungabi lokungena. Kuvela elizweni leKitimi kwembuliwe kubo.
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Tyre [city]: You [sailors on] [APO] ships from Tarshish, weep, because [the harbor of] Tyre and all the houses [in the city] have been destroyed. The reports that you heard in Cyprus [island] about Tyre [are true].
2 Thulani, bahlali besihlenge; wena abakugcwalisileyo abathengiselani beSidoni abachapha ulwandle.
You people who live along the coast [near Tyre], and merchants of Sidon [city], mourn silently. Your sailors went across the seas [to many places like Tyre].
3 Langamanzi amakhulu, inzalo yeShihori, isivuno somfula yinzuzo yayo; njalo iyindawo yezizwe yokuthengiselana.
They sailed across deep seas to buy grain in Egypt and [other] crops that are grown along the Nile [River]. Tyre became the city where people from [all] nations bought and sold goods.
4 Woba lenhloni, Sidoni; ngoba ulwandle lukhulumile, amandla olwandle, lusithi: Kangihelelwa, kangibelethanga, kangikhulisanga amajaha, kangondlanga izintombi ezimsulwa.
But now you people in Sidon should be ashamed, because [you trusted in Tyre], which has been a strong fortress [on an island] in the sea. [Tyre is like a woman who is saying], “[Now it is as though] I have not given birth to [any] children, or raised [any] sons or daughters.”
5 Njengasembikweni ngeGibhithe bazahelelwa ngombiko weTire.
When [the people of] Egypt hear what has happened to Tyre, they will grieve very much.
6 Chaphelani eTarshishi, qhinqani isililo, bahlali besihlenge.
Sail to Tarshish [and tell them what happened]; weep, you people who live along the coast.
7 Yiwo lo yini umuzi wenu ojabulayo, obudala bawo busukela ensukwini zendulo? Inyawo zawo zizawuthwalela khatshana ukuyahlala njengowezizwe.
[The people in] the very old city [of Tyre] were [RHQ] previously joyful. Traders [PRS] from Tyre established colonies in many distant nations.
8 Ngubani oweluleke lokhu ngeTire, omethesi womqhele, obathengisi bayo bayiziphathamandla, obathengiselani bayo ngabadumileyo emhlabeni?
People from Tyre appointed kings [over other places]; their traders were wealthy; they were [as powerful and wealthy as] [MET] kings. [So], who [RHQ] caused the people of Tyre to experience this disaster?
9 INkosi yamabandla ikucebisile lokhu, ukonakalisa ukuzigqaja kodumo lonke, ukwenza badeleleke bonke abadumileyo bomhlaba.
It was the Commander of the armies of angels who did it; he did it in order to cause [you people in] Tyre not to be proud any more, to humiliate you men who are honored all over the world.
10 Dabula ilizwe lakho njengomfula, ndodakazi yeTarshishi; akuselamandla.
You people of Tarshish, you must grow crops in your land [instead of trading]; spread out over your land like [SIM] the Nile [River] spreads over the land [of Egypt] when it floods, because there is no harbor [in Tyre for your ships] now.
11 Yelulele isandla sayo phezu kolwandle, inyikinye imibuso; iNkosi ilayezile imelene leKhanani, ukuchitha inqaba zayo.
[It is as though] Yahweh stretched out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He commanded that in Phoenicia/Canaan all its fortresses must be destroyed.
12 Yasisithi: Kawusayikuphinda ujabule, ntombi emsulwa ecindezelweyo, ndodakazi yeSidoni; eKhithimu sukuma uchaphe; lakhona kakuyikuba lokuphumula kuwe.
He said to the people of Sidon, “You will never rejoice again, because you will be crushed; even if you flee to Cyprus [island], you will not escape destruction.”
13 Khangela ilizwe lamaKhaladiya; lesisizwe sasingekho; amaSiriya asisekelela bona abahlala enkangala; amisa imiphotshongo yawo yokuvimbezela, abhidliza izigodlo zalo; alenza laba lunxiwa.
Think about what happened in Babylonia: the people who were in that land have disappeared. [The armies of] Assyria have caused that land to become a place where wild animals from the desert live. The Assyrians built dirt ramps to the top of the walls [of the city of Babylon]; [then they entered the city and] tore down the palaces and caused the city to become [a heap of] rubble.
14 Qhinqani isililo, mikhumbi yeTarshishi, ngoba inqaba yenu ichithekile.
[So] wail, you [sailors on the] ships of Tarshish, because the harbor [in Tyre where your ships stop] is destroyed!
15 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku iTire ikhohlakale okweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa, njengokwensuku zenkosi eyodwa. Ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa kuzakuba khona eTire okunjengengoma yewule.
For seventy years, which is as long as kings usually live, people will forget about Tyre. [But then it will be rebuilt]. What will happen there will be like what happened to a prostitute in this song:
16 Thatha ichacho, ubhode umuzi, wule elikhohlakeleyo, utshaye kamnandi, uhlabele ingoma ezinengi, ukuze ukhunjulwe.
“You harlot, whom people had forgotten, play your harp well, and sing many songs, in order that people will remember you again.”
17 Kuzakuthi-ke ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa iNkosi iyihambele iTire; njalo izabuyela ekuqhatshweni kobuwule bayo; izawula layo yonke imibuso yomhlaba phezu kobuso bomhlaba.
[It is true that] after seventy years Yahweh will restore Tyre. Their merchants will again earn a lot of money by buying things from and selling things to many [other] nations [HYP].
18 Lokuthengiselana kwayo lokuqhatshwa kwayo kuzakuba yibungcwele eNkosini; kakuyikulondolozwa kumbe kubuthelelwe, ngoba inzuzo yayo yokuthengiselana izakuba ngeyabahlala phambi kweNkosi, ukuze badle basuthe, babe lezigqoko ezinhle.
[But] their profits will be given to Yahweh. [The merchants] will not hoard their money; instead, they will give it to Yahweh’s priests in order that they [can] buy food and nice clothes.
