U-Isaya 29
1 Maye kuyo iAriyeli, kuyo iAriyeli umuzi uDavida amisa kuwo inkamba! Yengezelelani umnyaka emnyakeni; kayibhode imikhosi.
Tragedy is coming to you Ariel, Ariel the city where David lived! Year after year you have your festivals.
2 Kanti ngizayicindezela iAriyeli, njalo kube khona ukulila losizi; njalo kuzakuba njengeAriyeli kimi.
But I'm going to cause trouble for Ariel; the city will cry and mourn, it will be like an altar hearth to me.
3 Njalo ngizamisa inkamba inhlangothi zakho zonke, ngikuvimbezele ngedundulu, ngikumisele izinqaba ezimelene lawe.
I will surround you, I will besiege you with towers and build ramps to attack 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 down, you will speak from where you're lying on the ground, mumbling in the dust. Your words will come like a ghost from the grave; your voice will be a whisper from the dust.
5 Njalo ixuku labezizwe bakho lizakuba njengothuli olucholekileyo, lexuku labalesihluku njengamakhoba adlulayo. Yebo, kuzahle kube masinyane.
But then all your enemies will become like fine dust; all your cruel oppressors like chaff that's blown away. Then suddenly, in no time at all,
6 Uzakwethekelelwa yiNkosi yamabandla ngomdumo, langokuzamazama komhlaba, lomsindo omkhulu, isivunguzane, lesiphepho, lelangabi lomlilo oqothulayo.
the Lord Almighty will arrive with thunder, earthquake, and tremendous noise, with whirlwind, storm, and flames of fire that burn everything up.
7 Lexuku lezizwe zonke elilwa limelene leAriyeli, ngitsho zonke ezilwa zimelene layo lezinqaba zayo, leziyicindezelayo, zizakuba njengephupho, umbono wobusuku.
The nations besieging Ariel, attacking its fortifications and tormenting the people, they will all disappear as if it was a dream!
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.
It will be like someone hungry dreaming that they're eating but who wakes up still hungry. It will be like someone thirsty dreaming of drinking but who wakes up still weak and thirsty. This is what it will be like for all your enemies, the ones attacking Mount Zion.
9 Manini, lithithibale; zithokoziseni liphumputheke; badakiwe, kodwa hatshi ngewayini; bayadiyazela, kodwa hatshi ngenxa yokunathwayo okulamandla.
Be shocked and amazed! Make yourselves blind so you can't see! Get drunk, but not from wine! Stagger around, but not from beer!
10 Ngoba iNkosi ithululele phezu kwenu umoya wobuthongo obunzima, yavala amehlo enu; abaprofethi lezinhloko zenu, ababoni, ibagubuzele.
For the Lord has made you very sleepy, and he has shut the eyes and covered the heads of those who speak for God and see visions.
11 Lawo wonke umbono usube kini njengamazwi ogwalo olunanyekiweyo okuthi balunika owazi umbhalo, besithi: Bala lokhu siyakuncenga; yena athi: Ngingeke, ngoba lunanyekiwe.
This entire vision is like words in a scroll that is sealed shut. If you give it to someone who knows how to read and say, “Please read it,” they'll say, “I can't read it because it's sealed shut.”
12 Ugwalo beselunikwa ongazi umbhalo, besithi: Bala lokhu, siyakuncenga; yena athi: Kangiwazi umbhalo.
If you give it to someone who doesn't know how to read and say, “Please read it,” they'll say, “I don't 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;
The Lord says, “These people come and praise me with their words, and honor me with lip service, but their thoughts are miles away. Their worship of me only consists of them following rules people have taught them.
14 ngakho, khangela, ngizaqhubeka ukukwenza ngokumangalisayo lalababantu, umsebenzi omangalisayo lesimanga; ngoba inhlakanipho yabahlakaniphileyo babo izaphela, lokuqedisisa kwabaqedisisayo babo kucatshe.
So once again I will surprise these people with miracle upon miracle. The wisdom of the wise will die, and the insight of the insightful will disappear.”
15 Maye kulabo abajula besuka eNkosini ukuze bafihle icebo labo, lemisebenzi yabo isemnyameni, bathi: Ngubani osibonayo? Njalo ngubani osaziyo?
Tragedy is coming to people who take such trouble to hide their plans from the Lord. They work in the dark and say to themselves, “Nobody can see us, can they? Nobody will know, will they?”
16 Ukugonqomisa kwenu kuthiwa kunjengebumba lombumbi! Ngoba umsebenzi uzakutsho yini ngaye owenzileyo ukuthi: Kangenzanga? Kumbe okubunjiweyo kungatsho yini ngombumbi wakho ukuthi: Kaqedisisi?
How perverse you are! It's as if the clay was thought of as making the potter! Should something made say to its maker, “You didn't make me”? Can the pot tell the potter, “You don't understand anything”?
17 Kakuseyisikhatshana esifitshane yini, ukuthi iLebhanoni iphendulwe ibe yinsimu ethelayo, lensimu ethelayo ithiwe injengehlathi?
It won't be long and the forests of Lebanon will be turned into a productive field, and a productive field will seem like a forest.
18 Njalo ngalolosuku izacuthe zizakuzwa amazwi ogwalo, lamehlo eziphofu abone ekufiphaleni lemnyameni.
At that time the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and the eyes of the blind will see through the gloomy darkness what's written there.
19 Abathobekileyo labo bazakwandisa intokozo eNkosini, labangabayanga ebantwini bathokoze koNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
The humble will be even happier in the Lord, and the poor will find their joy in the Holy One of Israel.
20 Ngoba olesihluku uzaphela, lodelelayo uqediwe, labo bonke abalindele okubi baqunyiwe;
Cruel people will no longer exist, the scornful will vanish, and those looking to do evil will be destroyed—
21 abenza umuntu one ngelizwi, bambekele umjibila okhuzayo esangweni, baphambule olungileyo ngento engelutho.
those who say things to trick others into sin, those who trap people by legal arguments in court, those who lie to mislead the innocent.
22 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi eyahlenga uAbrahama, ngendlu kaJakobe: Khathesi uJakobe kayikuba lanhloni, lobuso bakhe khathesi kabuyikuhloba.
So this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob: “You don't need to be ashamed anymore; your faces won't grow pale with fright any longer.
23 Ngoba lapho ebona abantwana bakhe, umsebenzi wezandla zami, phakathi kwakhe, bazangcwelisa ibizo lami; bangcwelise oNgcwele kaJakobe, besabe uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
When you see all your children and everything I've done for you, then you will regard my character as holy, and you will respect the Holy One of Jacob. You will have reverence for the God of Israel.
24 Lalabo abaduhayo emoyeni bazakwazi ukuqedisisa, labangungunayo bazafunda imfundiso.
Those who've gone astray will understand their mistakes; those who grumble will learn how to receive instruction.”
