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.
Yahweh says, “Terrible things will happen to you, my people who rebel against me. You make plans, but what you plan is not what I want. You have made an alliance [with the rulers of Egypt], but you did not ask my Spirit [if that was what you should do]. By doing that, you have increased the number of your sins.
2 Abahamba ukwehlela eGibhithe, njalo bengabuzanga umlomo wami, ukuze baziqinise emandleni kaFaro, bathembele emthunzini weGibhithe!
You went to Egypt [to ask their rulers for help], without asking for my advice. You have trusted in [the army of] the king of Egypt to protect you; you have [trusted in them] [like] people sit in the shade [to protect themselves from the sun] [MET].
3 Ngakho amandla kaFaro azakuba lihlazo kini, lokuthembela emthunzini weGibhithe kube yikuyangeka.
[But] the result of your trusting in the king of Egypt is that you will be [disappointed and] disgraced; because of trusting in him, you will be humiliated.
4 Ngoba iziphathamandla zakhe zaziseZowani lezithunywa zakhe zafika eHanesi.
Officials/ambassadors [from Judah] have gone to Zoan and Hanes [cities in Egypt to make treaties],
5 Bonke izabayangisa ngabantu ababengelakubasiza, bangabi luncedo njalo bangabi yinzuzo, kodwa babe luyangiso njalo babe lihlazo.
but all those [who trust in the King of Egypt] will be humiliated, because that nation will not be able to help you; the treaty that you have made [requesting help from them] will be useless; instead, the result will be that you will be humiliated and disgraced [DOU].”
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.
[I received from Yahweh] this message about the animals in the southern part of Judah: That area is one where [people experience a lot of] troubles and difficulties, an area where there are male and female lions and various kinds of poisonous snakes. Caravans go through that area taking donkeys and camels loaded with valuable goods. [They are taking them] to Egypt to seek for protection [by the army of Egypt], [but] it will be useless.
7 Ngoba amaGibhithe azasiza ngeze langokungelalutho; ngakho ngakhala ngalokhu ngathi: Amandla abo yikuhlala bathule.
The promises made by [the king of] Egypt are worthless; therefore I call Egypt ‘the sea monster/dragon that does nothing’.
8 Khathesi hamba, ukubhale phambi kwabo esibhebheni, ukulobe ngokugubha egwalweni, ukuze kube khona kuze kube lusuku lokucina, kuze kube nininini, kuze kube phakade.
Yahweh told me to write on a scroll a message, in order that it would be a witness [to the people of Judah] that would endure forever.
9 Ngoba bangabantu abavukelayo, abantwana abaqamba amanga, abantwana abangathandi ukuzwa umlayo weNkosi;
[It would remind them] that they are deceitful and always rebelling against Yahweh; they refuse to pay attention to what he tells/teaches them.
10 abathi kubaboni: Lingaboni; lakubakhangeli: Lingasikhangeleli izinto eziqondileyo; khulumani kithi izinto ezibutshelezi, likhangele izinkohliso;
They tell the people who see/receive visions [from Yahweh], “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Do not reveal to us what is right! Tell us pleasant things; do not tell us visions about things that are true!
11 phumani endleleni, liphambuke lisuke emkhondweni, lisuse oNgcwele kaIsrayeli phambi kwethu.
Stop doing what you have been doing [DOU]; stop telling us what the Holy One of Israel [says to us]!”
12 Ngakho utsho njalo oNgcwele kaIsrayeli uthi: Ngoba lidelele lelilizwi, lathembela kucindezelo lokuphambeneyo, labambelela kukho.
Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “You have rejected my message, and you are relying on those who oppress and deceive others.
13 Ngakho lobububi buzakuba kini njengomkenke osuzakuwa, ukhukhumala emdulini omude, okudilika kwawo kuhle kufike masinyazana.
Therefore, the result of your sin [of rejecting me] will be that you will [suddenly experience disasters]; what will happen to you will be like [SIM] a cracked wall that suddenly collapses [DOU].
14 Yebo, uzawephula njengokwephulwa kwembiza yababumbi ephahaziweyo; kayikuyekela, ukuze kungatholakali ezicucwini zayo udengezi lokokha umlilo eziko, kumbe ukukha amanzi emthonjeni.
You will be smashed like a clay jar is smashed [when it is dropped], and it shatters completely, with the result that there is not one piece big enough to carry some coals from a stove or to carry a little bit of water from a well.”
15 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli: Ngokuphenduka lokuphumula lizasindiswa; ngokuthula langokwethemba kuzakuba ngamandla enu; kodwa kalifunanga.
Yahweh, [our] God, the Holy One of Israel, [also] says this: “You will be rescued [from your enemies only] if you repent and trust [in what I will do for you]; you will be strong [only] if you quit worrying and trust in me. But you do not want [to do that].
16 Kodwa lathi: Hatshi, ngoba sizabaleka ngamabhiza; ngakho-ke lizabaleka; njalo: Sizagada amabhiza alejubane; ngakho-ke abalixotshayo bazakuba lejubane.
You said, ‘No, we will escape on horses [that the army of Egypt will give us]!’ So, you will [try to] flee. You said, ‘We will [escape from the army of Assyria] by riding on swift horses!’ [But] those who pursue you will [also ride] swiftly.
17 Inkulungwane eyodwa izabaleka ngokukhalima koyedwa; ngokukhalima kwabahlanu lizabaleka, lize lisale njengensika phezu kwengqonga yentaba, lanjengesiboniso phezu koqaqa.
[As a result], 1,000 [of you] will flee when [only] one of them pursues you! When only five [of their soldiers] threaten [to kill you], [all of] will flee. [Only a few of] you will be left, like [SIM] a [single] flagpole on top of a mountain with one signal flag on the pole.”
18 Ngakho-ke iNkosi izalinda, ukuze ibe lomusa kini, ngakho-ke izaphakanyiswa ukuthi ibe lesihawu kini; ngoba iNkosi inguNkulunkulu wesahlulelo; babusisiwe bonke abalindela kuyo.
[But] wants to be kind to you; he desires to show you that he is merciful. [Do not forget that] Yahweh is a God who acts justly; he is pleased with those who patiently trust in him.
19 Ngoba abantu bazahlala eZiyoni eJerusalema; kaliyikukhala lokukhala inyembezi; izakuba lomusa omkhulu kuwe elizwini lokukhala kwakho; lapho ilizwa izakuphendula.
You people who live in Jerusalem [DOU], [some day] you will not cry any more. Yahweh will be kind to you when you call out to him for help. He will answer/help you as soon as he hears you call.
20 Loba iNkosi ilinika isinkwa sosizi lamanzi okuhlupheka, kanti abafundisi bakho kabasayikususelwa engonsini, kodwa amehlo akho azabona abafundisi bakho.
Although [now] Yahweh has caused you to [daily] experience [MET] great troubles and suffer much, [he], your teacher, will not hide himself from you. He [SYN] will teach you many things clearly.
21 Lendlebe zakho zizakuzwa ilizwi emva kwakho lisithi: Le yiyo indlela, hambani ngayo, lapho liphambukela ngakwesokunene lalapho liphambukela ngakwesokhohlo.
And you will hear him speak to you to guide you. [Right] behind you he will say, “This is the road on which you should walk; walk on this road!”
22 Lizangcolisa lokuhuqiweyo kwezithombe zakho ezibaziweyo zesiliva, lokunanyekiweyo kwezithombe zakho zegolide ezibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa; lizihlakaze njengelembu losesikhathini, lithi kuzo: Phumani!
When that happens, you will destroy [all] your idols that are covered with silver or gold. You will throw them away like you throw away a filthy rag, and you will say to them, “We do not need you any more!”
23 Khona izanika izulu lenhlanyelo yakho ozayihlanyela emhlabathini, lesinkwa sesivuno somhlaba; uzavunda ucicime. Ngalolosuku izifuyo zenu zizakudla emadlelweni abanzi;
[If you do that], Yahweh will bless you by giving you good rain at the time that you plant your crops. You will have good harvests, and plenty of pasture with grass for your cattle to eat.
24 lezinkabi labobabhemi abatsha okulima umhlabathi kuzakudla umncantsha, oweliweyo ngefotsholo langefologwe.
After the wind [blows away the chaff], the oxen and donkeys that [pull the plow to] plow your ground will have good grain to eat.
25 Laphezu kwayo yonke intaba ende laphezu kwalo lonke uqaqa oluphakemeyo kuzakuba lemifula lezifudlana zamanzi ngosuku lokubulawa okukhulu, lapho kusiwa imiphotshongo.
At that time, when [your enemies] have been slaughtered and their towers have (collapsed/been destroyed), there will be streams flowing down every hill and mountain [in Judah].
26 Futhi ukukhanya kwenyanga kuzakuba njengokukhanya kwelanga, lokukhanya kwelanga kuphindwe kasikhombisa, njengokukhanya kwensuku eziyisikhombisa, mhla iNkosi ibopha ukwephuka kwabantu bayo, ipholisa umvimvinya wesilonda sabo.
The moon will seem to shine as brightly as the sun, and the sun will seem to shine seven times as brightly as previously. That is what it will be like when Yahweh causes [the suffering of] his people [to cease; it will be as though] [MET] he will be putting bandages on their wounds and healing them.
27 Khangela, ibizo leNkosi livela khatshana, livutha ulaka lwayo, lomthwalo unzima; indebe zayo zigcwele intukuthelo, lolimi lwayo lunjengomlilo oqothulayo;
[It is as though] we see Yahweh coming from far away; he is extremely angry, and there are thick clouds of smoke around him. By what he says [MTY] he shows that he is angry; what he says is like [SIM] a devastating/destructive fire.
28 lokuphefumula kwayo kunjengesifula esiphuphumayo size sifike phakathi kwentamo, ukuhlungula izizwe ngesihlungulo sobuze; njalo kuzakuba letomu eliduhisayo emihlathini yabantu.
His breath is like [SIM] a flood that covers [his enemies] up to their necks. He will separate [MET] the nations in order to destroy [some of them]; [it is as though] he will put hooks in their mouths and take them away.
29 Lizakuba lengoma, njengeyobusuku bokwehlukaniswa komkhosi, lokuthokoza kwenhliziyo, njengohamba lomhubhe esiya entabeni yeNkosi, eDwaleni lakoIsrayeli.
But [his people] will sing joyfully like they sing during the nights when they celebrate a holy festival. They will be very joyful, like [SIM] [a large group of his people] are joyful when they go up to Zion Hill in Jerusalem, along with men playing flutes [when they are all going there to worship Yahweh]. He is [like] [MET] a huge rock under which [we] Israeli people [are safe].
30 INkosi izazwakalisa-ke ilizwi layo elilodumo, ibonakalise ukwehla kwengalo yayo, ngentukuthelo yolaka, lelangabi lomlilo oqothulayo, isivunguvungu, lezulu lesiphepho, lesiqhotho.
And Yahweh will enable [us] to hear him speaking powerfully/majestically. He will show us that he [SYN] is very powerful. [We] will see him [SYN] smash [his enemies]. Being very angry, he will descend with a big rainstorm and thunder and hail [to punish them].
31 Ngoba ngelizwi leNkosi amaAsiriya azaphahlazwa, itshaya ngenduku.
[The soldiers of] Assyria will be terrified when they hear the voice of Yahweh and when he strikes them with his rod.
32 Kuzakuthi loba ngaphi okwedlula khona induku emisiweyo, iNkosi eyibeka phezu kwayo, kube ngezigubhu langamachacho, langezimpi zokunyikinya ilwe labo.
And while Yahweh strikes them to punish them, [his people] will [celebrate by] playing tambourines and harps. [It will be as though] Yahweh will lift up his powerful hand/arm and defeat the Assyrian army in battle.
33 Ngoba iThofethi yahlelwa endulo, layo yamiselwa inkosi; yayenza yatshona, yaba banzi, inqumbi yayo ingumlilo lenkuni ezinengi; ukuphefumula kweNkosi kuyayithungela njengesifula sesolufa.
[The valley of] Topheth [outside Jerusalem] has been prepared for a long time; it is ready for the king [of Assyria]; the (funeral pyre/pile of wood) [for burning his body] is wide and high, and [it will be as though] Yahweh will light the fire with his breath, which will come out like a stream of burning sulfur.
