< U-Isaya 30 >

1 Maye ebantwaneni abahlamukayo! itsho iNkosi, ukuthi benze icebo, kodwa elingeyisilo elami, lokuthi bembese ngesembeso, kodwa esingesiso somoya wami, ukuze bengezelele isono phezu kwesono.
Alas! for sons who are rebellious, Declareth Yahweh. Executing a purpose, but not from me, And pouring out a libation but not from my spirit, —That they may add sin to sin:
2 Abahamba ukwehlela eGibhithe, njalo bengabuzanga umlomo wami, ukuze baziqinise emandleni kaFaro, bathembele emthunzini weGibhithe!
Who are setting out to go down to Egypt, But at my mouth, have not asked, —Betaking them to the protection of Pharaoh And seeking refuge under the shadow of Egypt.
3 Ngakho amandla kaFaro azakuba lihlazo kini, lokuthembela emthunzini weGibhithe kube yikuyangeka.
Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh become to you a shame, And, the refuge in the shadow of Egypt, an insult;
4 Ngoba iziphathamandla zakhe zaziseZowani lezithunywa zakhe zafika eHanesi.
For their princes have been, in Zoan, —And, their messengers unto Hanes, would draw near.
5 Bonke izabayangisa ngabantu ababengelakubasiza, bangabi luncedo njalo bangabi yinzuzo, kodwa babe luyangiso njalo babe lihlazo.
Every one, hath felt ashamed of a people that could not serve them, —Neither with help, nor with service, But they are a shame, yea even a reproach.
6 Umthwalo wezilo zeningizimu. Elizweni lokucindezelwa lembandezelo, lapho okuvela khona ibhongo lesilwane, ibululu lenyoka ephaphayo elokutshisa, bathwala inotho yabo emhlana wamathole abobabhemi, lokuligugu kwabo phezu kwamalunda amakamela, bekusa ebantwini abangelasizo.
The Oracle on the Beasts of the South, —Through a land of distress and oppression—Lioness and lion coming therefrom, Viper and fiery flying serpent, They would carry, on the shoulders of young asses their wealth And on the humps of camels their treasures Unto a people that cannot serve them.
7 Ngoba amaGibhithe azasiza ngeze langokungelalutho; ngakho ngakhala ngalokhu ngathi: Amandla abo yikuhlala bathule.
But, the Egyptians, with vanity and emptiness, would help, —Therefore have I proclaimed concerning this, Insolent, they sit still!
8 Khathesi hamba, ukubhale phambi kwabo esibhebheni, ukulobe ngokugubha egwalweni, ukuze kube khona kuze kube lusuku lokucina, kuze kube nininini, kuze kube phakade.
Now, enter—Write it upon a tablet before them And upon a scroll, inscribe it, —That it may serve for a later day, For futurity, unto times age-abiding: —
9 Ngoba bangabantu abavukelayo, abantwana abaqamba amanga, abantwana abangathandi ukuzwa umlayo weNkosi;
That it is, a rebellious people, Sons apt at deceiving, —Sons unwilling to hear the law of Yahweh:
10 abathi kubaboni: Lingaboni; lakubakhangeli: Lingasikhangeleli izinto eziqondileyo; khulumani kithi izinto ezibutshelezi, likhangele izinkohliso;
Who have said to the seers, Ye must not see! To the prophets, Ye must not prophesy to us reproofs! Speak to us smooth things, Prophesy delusions:
11 phumani endleleni, liphambuke lisuke emkhondweni, lisuse oNgcwele kaIsrayeli phambi kwethu.
Depart ye from the way, Turn aside from the path, —Desist from setting before us the Holy One of Israel.
12 Ngakho utsho njalo oNgcwele kaIsrayeli uthi: Ngoba lidelele lelilizwi, lathembela kucindezelo lokuphambeneyo, labambelela kukho.
Therefore—Thus, saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye have rejected this word, —And have trusted in oppression and perverseness, And have relied thereon,
13 Ngakho lobububi buzakuba kini njengomkenke osuzakuwa, ukhukhumala emdulini omude, okudilika kwawo kuhle kufike masinyazana.
Therefore, shall this iniquity become to you As a breach ready to fall, A bulging in a high wall, —Whose breaking down cometh, suddenly in a twinkling.
14 Yebo, uzawephula njengokwephulwa kwembiza yababumbi ephahaziweyo; kayikuyekela, ukuze kungatholakali ezicucwini zayo udengezi lokokha umlilo eziko, kumbe ukukha amanzi emthonjeni.
Yea he will break it—as the breaking of the pitcher of a potter, crushed, he will not spare; So that there shall not be found when it is smashed, A sherd wherewith to snatch fire from a hearth, Or to skim off water out of a cistern.
15 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli: Ngokuphenduka lokuphumula lizasindiswa; ngokuthula langokwethemba kuzakuba ngamandla enu; kodwa kalifunanga.
For thus, said my Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel—By returning and resting, shall ye be saved, In keeping quiet and trusting, shall be your strength, —Howbeit ye would not!
16 Kodwa lathi: Hatshi, ngoba sizabaleka ngamabhiza; ngakho-ke lizabaleka; njalo: Sizagada amabhiza alejubane; ngakho-ke abalixotshayo bazakuba lejubane.
But ye said, —Nay! but on horses, will we flee For this cause, shall ye indeed flee, —And on the swift, will we ride, For this cause, swift, shall be your pursuers:
17 Inkulungwane eyodwa izabaleka ngokukhalima koyedwa; ngokukhalima kwabahlanu lizabaleka, lize lisale njengensika phezu kwengqonga yentaba, lanjengesiboniso phezu koqaqa.
One thousand, before the war-cry of one—before the war-cry of five, shall ye flee, —Until ye have been left, As a pole on the top of a mountain, And as an ensign upon a hill.
18 Ngakho-ke iNkosi izalinda, ukuze ibe lomusa kini, ngakho-ke izaphakanyiswa ukuthi ibe lesihawu kini; ngoba iNkosi inguNkulunkulu wesahlulelo; babusisiwe bonke abalindela kuyo.
And, therefore, will Yahweh wait, That he may grant you favour, And, therefore, will he lift himself up, That he may show you compassion, —For A God of justice, is, Yahweh, How happy all they who are waiting for him
19 Ngoba abantu bazahlala eZiyoni eJerusalema; kaliyikukhala lokukhala inyembezi; izakuba lomusa omkhulu kuwe elizwini lokukhala kwakho; lapho ilizwa izakuphendula.
For, a people, In Zion, shall dwell, In Jerusalem, —As for weeping, thou shalt not weep! As for favour, he will grant thee favour, at the sound of thine outcry, —As soon as he heareth, he hath answered thee!
20 Loba iNkosi ilinika isinkwa sosizi lamanzi okuhlupheka, kanti abafundisi bakho kabasayikususelwa engonsini, kodwa amehlo akho azabona abafundisi bakho.
Though My Lord, should give you bread in short measure and water in scant allowance Yet will thy Teacher not hide himself any more, But thine eyes shall ever be looking on thy Teacher.
21 Lendlebe zakho zizakuzwa ilizwi emva kwakho lisithi: Le yiyo indlela, hambani ngayo, lapho liphambukela ngakwesokunene lalapho liphambukela ngakwesokhohlo.
So shall, thine own ears, hear a word from behind thee saying, —This, is the way, walk ye therein, When ye would turn to the right hand Or when ye would turn to the left.
22 Lizangcolisa lokuhuqiweyo kwezithombe zakho ezibaziweyo zesiliva, lokunanyekiweyo kwezithombe zakho zegolide ezibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa; lizihlakaze njengelembu losesikhathini, lithi kuzo: Phumani!
Then will ye defile—The overlaying of thy graven images of silver, And the coating of thy molten image, of gold, —Thou wilt cash them away, as a woman the token of her sickness, Begone! shalt thou say thereto,
23 Khona izanika izulu lenhlanyelo yakho ozayihlanyela emhlabathini, lesinkwa sesivuno somhlaba; uzavunda ucicime. Ngalolosuku izifuyo zenu zizakudla emadlelweni abanzi;
Then will he give—Rain for thy seed—wherewith thou shalt sow thy ground and Bread as the increase of thy ground, which shall be fertile and fat, —Thy cattle, in that day, shall feed in broad pasture:
24 lezinkabi labobabhemi abatsha okulima umhlabathi kuzakudla umncantsha, oweliweyo ngefotsholo langefologwe.
And the oxen and the young asses that till the ground, salted provender, shall eat, which hath been winnowed with shovel or fan.
25 Laphezu kwayo yonke intaba ende laphezu kwalo lonke uqaqa oluphakemeyo kuzakuba lemifula lezifudlana zamanzi ngosuku lokubulawa okukhulu, lapho kusiwa imiphotshongo.
Then shall there be, On every lofty mountain and On every lifted hill, Channels, Conduits of water, —In the great day of slaughter, When the towers fall.
26 Futhi ukukhanya kwenyanga kuzakuba njengokukhanya kwelanga, lokukhanya kwelanga kuphindwe kasikhombisa, njengokukhanya kwensuku eziyisikhombisa, mhla iNkosi ibopha ukwephuka kwabantu bayo, ipholisa umvimvinya wesilonda sabo.
Then shall the light of the moon, be as the light of the sun, And, the light of the sun, shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, —In the day—When Yahweh, bindeth up, the laceration of his people, and When the severe wound caused by smiting them, he healeth.
27 Khangela, ibizo leNkosi livela khatshana, livutha ulaka lwayo, lomthwalo unzima; indebe zayo zigcwele intukuthelo, lolimi lwayo lunjengomlilo oqothulayo;
Lo! the Name of Yahweh, coming in from afar, His anger kindling, A heavy storm, —His lips, are full of indignation, And, his tongue, is like a fire that devoureth;
28 lokuphefumula kwayo kunjengesifula esiphuphumayo size sifike phakathi kwentamo, ukuhlungula izizwe ngesihlungulo sobuze; njalo kuzakuba letomu eliduhisayo emihlathini yabantu.
And, his breath like an overflowing torrent, even unto the neck, doth reach, To sift nations with a sieve of calamity, —A bridle leading to ruin, being upon the jaws of the peoples.
29 Lizakuba lengoma, njengeyobusuku bokwehlukaniswa komkhosi, lokuthokoza kwenhliziyo, njengohamba lomhubhe esiya entabeni yeNkosi, eDwaleni lakoIsrayeli.
A song, shall ye have, As in the night of hallowing a festival, —And gladness of heart, As when one goeth with the flute to enter Into the mountain of Yahweh Unto the Rock of Israel.
30 INkosi izazwakalisa-ke ilizwi layo elilodumo, ibonakalise ukwehla kwengalo yayo, ngentukuthelo yolaka, lelangabi lomlilo oqothulayo, isivunguvungu, lezulu lesiphepho, lesiqhotho.
Then will Yahweh cause to be heard—the resounding of his voice And the bringing down of his arm, shall be seen, In a rage of anger, And with the flame of a devouring fire, —A burst and a downpour, and a hailstone!
31 Ngoba ngelizwi leNkosi amaAsiriya azaphahlazwa, itshaya ngenduku.
For at the voice of Yahweh, shall Assyria be crushed, —With his rod, will he smite.
32 Kuzakuthi loba ngaphi okwedlula khona induku emisiweyo, iNkosi eyibeka phezu kwayo, kube ngezigubhu langamachacho, langezimpi zokunyikinya ilwe labo.
And it shall come to pass, —that, every stroke of the staff of doom which Yahweh shall lay upon him, shall be with timbrels and with lyres, —when, with battles of brandished weapons, he hath fought against them.
33 Ngoba iThofethi yahlelwa endulo, layo yamiselwa inkosi; yayenza yatshona, yaba banzi, inqumbi yayo ingumlilo lenkuni ezinengi; ukuphefumula kweNkosi kuyayithungela njengesifula sesolufa.
For there hath been set in order, beforehand a Topheth, Yea, the same, for the king, hath been prepared He hath made it deep—made it large, —The circumference thereof is for fire and wood in abundance, the breath of Yahweh, like a torrent of brimstone, is ready to kindle it.

< U-Isaya 30 >