U-Isaya 29
1 Maye kuyo iAriyeli, kuyo iAriyeli umuzi uDavida amisa kuwo inkamba! Yengezelelani umnyaka emnyakeni; kayibhode imikhosi.
Woe to Ariel, to Ariel the city against which David fought: year has been added to year, the solemnities have unfolded.
2 Kanti ngizayicindezela iAriyeli, njalo kube khona ukulila losizi; njalo kuzakuba njengeAriyeli kimi.
And I will surround Ariel with siege works, and it will be in sorrow and mourning, and it will be like Ariel to me.
3 Njalo ngizamisa inkamba inhlangothi zakho zonke, ngikuvimbezele ngedundulu, ngikumisele izinqaba ezimelene lawe.
And I will surround you like a sphere all around you, and I will raise up a rampart against you, and I will set up fortifications to blockade you.
4 Njalo uzakwehliselwa phansi, ukhulume usemhlabathini, lenkulumo yakho izakuba phansi ethulini, lelizwi lakho lizakuba njengeloledlozi liphuma emhlabathini, lenkulumo yakho ibe ngumlozwi ophuma othulini.
You will be brought low. You will speak from the ground, and your eloquence will be heard from the dirt. And, from the ground, your voice will be like that of the python, and your eloquence will mumble from the dirt.
5 Njalo ixuku labezizwe bakho lizakuba njengothuli olucholekileyo, lexuku labalesihluku njengamakhoba adlulayo. Yebo, kuzahle kube masinyane.
And the multitude of those who fan you will be like fine dust. And the multitude of those who have prevailed against you will be like embers fading away.
6 Uzakwethekelelwa yiNkosi yamabandla ngomdumo, langokuzamazama komhlaba, lomsindo omkhulu, isivunguzane, lesiphepho, lelangabi lomlilo oqothulayo.
And this will happen suddenly and swiftly. It will be visited from the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquakes, and with the great noise of a whirlwind and a storm, and with a flame of devouring fire.
7 Lexuku lezizwe zonke elilwa limelene leAriyeli, ngitsho zonke ezilwa zimelene layo lezinqaba zayo, leziyicindezelayo, zizakuba njengephupho, umbono wobusuku.
And the multitude of all the nations that have struggled against Ariel will be like the dream of a vision by night, along with all who have battled, and besieged, and prevailed against it.
8 Kuzakuba lanjengolambileyo ephupha, khangela-ke, uyadla, kodwa aphaphame, lomphefumulo wakhe ungelalutho; loba njengowomileyo ephupha, khangela-ke, uyanatha, kodwa aphaphame, khangela-ke uphelelwa ngamandla, lomphefumulo wakhe uyalangatha; lizakuba njalo ixuku lazo zonke izizwe ezilwa zimelene lentaba iZiyoni.
And it will be like one who is hungry and dreams of eating, but, when he has been awakened, his soul is empty. And it will be like one who is thirsty and dreams of drinking, but, after he has been awakened, he still languishes in thirst, and his soul is empty. So shall the multitude of all the nations be, who have struggled against Mount Zion.
9 Manini, lithithibale; zithokoziseni liphumputheke; badakiwe, kodwa hatshi ngewayini; bayadiyazela, kodwa hatshi ngenxa yokunathwayo okulamandla.
Be stupefied and in wonder! Shake and quiver! Be inebriated, but not from wine! Stagger, but not from drunkenness!
10 Ngoba iNkosi ithululele phezu kwenu umoya wobuthongo obunzima, yavala amehlo enu; abaprofethi lezinhloko zenu, ababoni, ibagubuzele.
For the Lord has mixed for you a spirit of deep sleep. He will close your eyes. He will cover your prophets and leaders, who see visions.
11 Lawo wonke umbono usube kini njengamazwi ogwalo olunanyekiweyo okuthi balunika owazi umbhalo, besithi: Bala lokhu siyakuncenga; yena athi: Ngingeke, ngoba lunanyekiwe.
And the vision of all will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which, when they have given it to someone who knows how to read, they will say, “Read this,” but he will respond, “I cannot; for it has been sealed.”
12 Ugwalo beselunikwa ongazi umbhalo, besithi: Bala lokhu, siyakuncenga; yena athi: Kangiwazi umbhalo.
But if the book is given to someone who does not know how to read, and it is said to him, “Read,” then he will respond, “I do not know how to read.”
13 INkosi yasisithi: Ngenxa yokuthi lababantu besondela ngomlomo wabo langezindebe zabo bengihlonipha, kodwa babeka inhliziyo yabo khatshana lami, lokungesaba kwabo kufundiswa ngumlayo wabantu;
And the Lord said: Since this people have drawn near to me only with their mouth, and their lips glorify me while their heart is far from me, and their fear of me is based on the commandments and doctrines of men,
14 ngakho, khangela, ngizaqhubeka ukukwenza ngokumangalisayo lalababantu, umsebenzi omangalisayo lesimanga; ngoba inhlakanipho yabahlakaniphileyo babo izaphela, lokuqedisisa kwabaqedisisayo babo kucatshe.
for this reason, behold, I will proceed to accomplish a wonder for this people, a great and mystifying miracle. For wisdom will perish from their wise, and the understanding of their prudent will be concealed.
15 Maye kulabo abajula besuka eNkosini ukuze bafihle icebo labo, lemisebenzi yabo isemnyameni, bathi: Ngubani osibonayo? Njalo ngubani osaziyo?
Woe to you who use the depths of the heart, so that you may hide your intentions from the Lord. Their works are done in darkness, and so they say: “Who sees us?” and “Who knows us?”
16 Ukugonqomisa kwenu kuthiwa kunjengebumba lombumbi! Ngoba umsebenzi uzakutsho yini ngaye owenzileyo ukuthi: Kangenzanga? Kumbe okubunjiweyo kungatsho yini ngombumbi wakho ukuthi: Kaqedisisi?
This intention of yours is perverse. It is as if the clay were to plan against the potter, or as if the work were to say to its maker: “You did not make me.” Or it is as if what has been formed were to say to the one who formed it, “You do not understand.”
17 Kakuseyisikhatshana esifitshane yini, ukuthi iLebhanoni iphendulwe ibe yinsimu ethelayo, lensimu ethelayo ithiwe injengehlathi?
In not more than a little while and a brief time, Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field, and a fruitful field will be considered to be a forest.
18 Njalo ngalolosuku izacuthe zizakuzwa amazwi ogwalo, lamehlo eziphofu abone ekufiphaleni lemnyameni.
And in that day, the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of darkness and obscurity the eyes of the blind will see.
19 Abathobekileyo labo bazakwandisa intokozo eNkosini, labangabayanga ebantwini bathokoze koNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
And the meek will increase their rejoicing in the Lord, and the poor among men will exult in the Holy One of Israel.
20 Ngoba olesihluku uzaphela, lodelelayo uqediwe, labo bonke abalindele okubi baqunyiwe;
For the one who was prevailing has failed, the one who was mocking has been consumed, and all those who were standing guard over iniquity have been cut down.
21 abenza umuntu one ngelizwi, bambekele umjibila okhuzayo esangweni, baphambule olungileyo ngento engelutho.
For they caused men to sin by a word, and they supplanted him who argued against them at the gates, and they turned away from justice in vain.
22 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi eyahlenga uAbrahama, ngendlu kaJakobe: Khathesi uJakobe kayikuba lanhloni, lobuso bakhe khathesi kabuyikuhloba.
Because of this, thus says the Lord, he who has redeemed Abraham, to the house of Jacob: From now on, Jacob will not be confounded; from now on his countenance will not blush with shame.
23 Ngoba lapho ebona abantwana bakhe, umsebenzi wezandla zami, phakathi kwakhe, bazangcwelisa ibizo lami; bangcwelise oNgcwele kaJakobe, besabe uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
Instead, when he sees his children, they will be the work of my hands in his midst, sanctifying my name, and they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and they will preach the God of Israel.
24 Lalabo abaduhayo emoyeni bazakwazi ukuqedisisa, labangungunayo bazafunda imfundiso.
And those who had gone astray in spirit will know understanding, and those who had murmured will learn the law.
