U-Isaya 33
1 Maye kuwe ochithayo, kodwa ungachithwanga! Lowenza ngenkohliso, bengenzanga ngenkohliso kuwe! Lapho usuqedile ukuchitha, uzachithwa; lapho usucinile ukwenza ngenkohliso, bazakwenza ngenkohliso kuwe.
Terrible things will happen to you [people of Assyria]! You have destroyed [others], [but] you have not been destroyed [yet]. You have betrayed/deceived [others], [but] you have not been betrayed/deceived [yet]. When you stop destroying [others], others will destroy you. When you stop betraying/deceiving others, [others] betray you.
2 Nkosi, woba lomusa kithi, sikulindele; woba yingalo yabo ekuseni konke, losindiso lwethu ngesikhathi socindezelo.
Yahweh, be kind to us, because we have patiently waited for you [to help us]. Enable us to be strong every day, and rescue us when we have troubles.
3 Emsindweni wokuhlokoma abantu babaleka; ekuziphakamiseni kwakho izizwe zahlakazeka.
Our enemies run away when they hear your voice. When you stand up and show that you are powerful [IDM], the people of all nations flee.
4 Lempango yenu izabuthwa njengokubutha kwecimbi, njengokugijima kwentethe uzagijima phezu kwayo.
[And after our enemies have been defeated], we, your people, will take away all our enemies’ possessions like [SIM] caterpillars and locusts strip off all the leaves of plants.
5 INkosi iphakeme, ngoba ihlala phezulu; igcwalise iZiyoni ngesahlulelo langokulunga.
Yahweh is greater than anyone else, and he lives in heaven, and he will rule justly and righteously in Jerusalem.
6 Lenhlakanipho lolwazi kuzakuba yikuqina kwezikhathi zakho, amandla ezinsindiso; ukwesaba iNkosi kuligugu lakhe.
[When that happens], he will enable you to live securely/safely; he will fully protect your possessions, he will enable you to be wise and to know [all that you need to know]; and revering Yahweh will be [like] [MET] a valuable treasure for you.
7 Khangela, amaqhawe abo azakhala ngaphandle; izithunywa zokuthula zizakhala inyembezi kabuhlungu.
[But now], look, our brave men are crying out in the streets; our ambassadors [have gone to other countries to make peace treaties], [but they will] cry bitterly [because they will not succeed].
8 Imigwaqo emikhulu ize, owedlula ngendlela kakho; wephule isivumelwano, udelele imizi, kananzi muntu.
No one travels on our roads [DOU]. [The leaders of Assyria] have broken/disregarded their peace treaty [with us]; they despise the people who made those treaties, and they do not respect anyone.
9 Ilizwe liyalila lidangele; iLebhanoni ilenhloni iyabuna; iSharoni injengenkangala; njalo iBashani leKharmeli kuyakhithiza.
The land [of Judah] is dry and barren. The [cedar trees in] Lebanon are drying up and decaying. The Sharon [Plain along the coast] is now a desert. There are no more leaves on the trees in the Bashan and Carmel [areas].
10 Khathesi ngizavuka, kutsho iNkosi; khathesi ngizadunyiswa; khathesi ngizaphakanyiswa.
Yahweh says, “Now I will begin to show that I am very powerful [DOU].
11 Lizakhulelwa ngamakhoba, beselizala izibi; umoya wenu, njengomlilo, uzaliqeda.
You [people of Assyria] make plans that are [as useless as] [MET] chaff and straw. Your breath will become a fire that will burn you up.
12 Njalo abantu bazakuba njengokutshisiweyo kwekalaga; njengameva aqunyiweyo bazatshiswa emlilweni.
[Your] people will be burned until only ashes remain [MET] like [SIM] thornbushes are cut down and burned up in a fire.
13 Zwanini, lina elikhatshana, engikwenzileyo; lani eliseduze, vumani amandla ami.
You people who live far away and you people who live nearby, pay attention to what I have done and realize that I am [very] powerful.”
14 Izoni zeZiyoni ziyesaba, ukuthuthumela kubabambile abazenzisi. Ngubani phakathi kwethu ongahlala lomlilo oqothulayo? Ngubani phakathi kwethu ongahlala lokutshisa okuphakade?
The sinners in Jerusalem will tremble because of being very afraid; godless people will be terrified. [They say], “None of us can [RHQ] remain alive because this fire is burning everything; it is like the fire on Yahweh’s altar that will burn forever!”
15 Yena ohamba ngokulunga, akhulume ngobuqotho, odelela inzuzo yezincindezelo, othintitha izandla zakhe ekubambeni isivalamlomo, ovala indlebe yakhe ekuzweni ngamacala legazi, ocimeza amehlo akhe ukuze angaboni okubi;
Those who act honestly and say what is right, those who do not try to become rich by (extortion/forcing people to give them money), those who do not try to get bribes, those who refuse to listen to people who are planning to murder someone, those who do not join others who urge them to do what is wrong,
16 yena uzahlala ezindaweni eziphakemeyo; izinqaba zamadwala zibe yisivikelo sakhe; isinkwa sakhe asinikwe; amanzi akhe athembeke.
they are the people who will live safely [MTY]; they will find places to be safe in the caves in the mountains. They will have plenty of food and water.
17 Amehlo akho azabona iNkosi ebuhleni bayo; abone ilizwe elikhatshana kakhulu.
You [SYN] [people of Judah] will see the king wearing all his beautiful [robes], and you will see that he rules a land that extends far away.
18 Inhliziyo yakho izazindla ukwesabisa. Ungaphi umbhali? Ungaphi umlinganisi? Ungaphi obala imiphotshongo?
When you see that, you will think about when you were previously terrified, [and you will say], “[The officers of Assyria] who counted the tax money that we were forced to pay to them [have disappeared] [RHQ]! Those men who counted our towers [are gone] [RHQ]!
19 Kawuyikubona abantu abayiziqholo, abantu abenkulumo ejule okokuthi ungeyizwisise, abolimi olugagasayo ongeluqedisise.
Those arrogant people who spoke a language that we could not understand are no longer here!”
20 Khangela iZiyoni, umuzi wemikhosi yethu emisiweyo; amehlo akho azabona iJerusalema, indawo yokuhlala elokonwaba, ithente elingayikusuka, ozikhonkwane zalo ezizasitshulwa phakade, kakuyikuqamuka leyodwa yezintambo zalo.
[At that time], you will see Zion Hill, the place where we celebrate our festivals; you will see that Jerusalem has become a place that is calm and safe. It will be [secure], [like] [SIM] a tent [that cannot be moved because] its ropes are tight and its stakes are firmly in the ground.
21 Kodwa lapho iNkosi izakuba ngelobukhosi kithi, indawo yemifula, yezifula ezibanzi; umkolo olamaphini okugwedla ongahambi khona, lomkhumbi olamandla ongedluli khona.
Yahweh will be our mighty God; he will be [like] [SIM] a mighty river that will protect us because [our enemies] will not be able to cross it; no one will be able to row across it and no ships will be able to sail across it.
22 Ngoba uJehova ungumahluleli wethu, uJehova ungumnikumthetho wethu, uJehova uyinkosi yethu, yena uzasisindisa.
Yahweh is our judge; he is the one who gives us laws, and he is our king. He will rescue us.
23 Ingoda zakho ziyaxega; kaziyikuqinisa iqonde insika yazo yomkolo, zingeyelule iseyili; khona kuzakwabiwa impango yempango enengi, abaqhulayo baphange impango.
The ropes on our enemies’ boats will hang loose, their masts will not be fastened firmly, and their sails will not be spread out. The treasures that they have seized will be divided [among us, God’s people], and even lame [people among us] will get some.
24 Lomhlali kayikuthi: Ngiyagula. Abantu abahlala kuyo bazathethelelwa iziphambeko.
And the people in Jerusalem will no [longer] say, “We are sick,” [because Yahweh] will forgive the sins that have been committed by the people who live there.
