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.
Woe to you who destroy, but you weren’t destroyed, and who betray, but nobody betrayed you! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betrayal, you will be betrayed.
2 Nkosi, woba lomusa kithi, sikulindele; woba yingalo yabo ekuseni konke, losindiso lwethu ngesikhathi socindezelo.
LORD, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3 Emsindweni wokuhlokoma abantu babaleka; ekuziphakamiseni kwakho izizwe zahlakazeka.
At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered.
4 Lempango yenu izabuthwa njengokubutha kwecimbi, njengokugijima kwentethe uzagijima phezu kwayo.
Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap.
5 INkosi iphakeme, ngoba ihlala phezulu; igcwalise iZiyoni ngesahlulelo langokulunga.
The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 Lenhlakanipho lolwazi kuzakuba yikuqina kwezikhathi zakho, amandla ezinsindiso; ukwesaba iNkosi kuligugu lakhe.
There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is your treasure.
7 Khangela, amaqhawe abo azakhala ngaphandle; izithunywa zokuthula zizakhala inyembezi kabuhlungu.
Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
8 Imigwaqo emikhulu ize, owedlula ngendlela kakho; wephule isivumelwano, udelele imizi, kananzi muntu.
The highways are desolate. The traveling man ceases. The covenant is broken. He has despised the cities. He doesn’t respect man.
9 Ilizwe liyalila lidangele; iLebhanoni ilenhloni iyabuna; iSharoni injengenkangala; njalo iBashani leKharmeli kuyakhithiza.
The land mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded and withers away. Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.
10 Khathesi ngizavuka, kutsho iNkosi; khathesi ngizadunyiswa; khathesi ngizaphakanyiswa.
“Now I will arise,” says the LORD. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.
11 Lizakhulelwa ngamakhoba, beselizala izibi; umoya wenu, njengomlilo, uzaliqeda.
You will conceive chaff. You will give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you.
12 Njalo abantu bazakuba njengokutshisiweyo kwekalaga; njengameva aqunyiweyo bazatshiswa emlilweni.
The peoples will be like the burning of lime, like thorns that are cut down and burned in the fire.
13 Zwanini, lina elikhatshana, engikwenzileyo; lani eliseduze, vumani amandla ami.
Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and, you who are near, acknowledge my might.”
14 Izoni zeZiyoni ziyesaba, ukuthuthumela kubabambile abazenzisi. Ngubani phakathi kwethu ongahlala lomlilo oqothulayo? Ngubani phakathi kwethu ongahlala lokutshisa okuphakade?
The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning?
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;
He who walks righteously and speaks blamelessly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil—
16 yena uzahlala ezindaweni eziphakemeyo; izinqaba zamadwala zibe yisivikelo sakhe; isinkwa sakhe asinikwe; amanzi akhe athembeke.
he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.
17 Amehlo akho azabona iNkosi ebuhleni bayo; abone ilizwe elikhatshana kakhulu.
Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. They will see a distant land.
18 Inhliziyo yakho izazindla ukwesabisa. Ungaphi umbhali? Ungaphi umlinganisi? Ungaphi obala imiphotshongo?
Your heart will meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers?
19 Kawuyikubona abantu abayiziqholo, abantu abenkulumo ejule okokuthi ungeyizwisise, abolimi olugagasayo ongeluqedisise.
You will no longer see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can’t comprehend, with a strange language that you can’t understand.
20 Khangela iZiyoni, umuzi wemikhosi yethu emisiweyo; amehlo akho azabona iJerusalema, indawo yokuhlala elokonwaba, ithente elingayikusuka, ozikhonkwane zalo ezizasitshulwa phakade, kakuyikuqamuka leyodwa yezintambo zalo.
Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.
21 Kodwa lapho iNkosi izakuba ngelobukhosi kithi, indawo yemifula, yezifula ezibanzi; umkolo olamaphini okugwedla ongahambi khona, lomkhumbi olamandla ongedluli khona.
But there the LORD will be with us in majesty, a place of wide rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will go, neither will any gallant ship pass by there.
22 Ngoba uJehova ungumahluleli wethu, uJehova ungumnikumthetho wethu, uJehova uyinkosi yethu, yena uzasisindisa.
For the LORD is our judge. The LORD is our lawgiver. The LORD is our king. He will save us.
23 Ingoda zakho ziyaxega; kaziyikuqinisa iqonde insika yazo yomkolo, zingeyelule iseyili; khona kuzakwabiwa impango yempango enengi, abaqhulayo baphange impango.
Your rigging is untied. They couldn’t strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn’t spread the sail. Then the prey of a great plunder was divided. The lame took the prey.
24 Lomhlali kayikuthi: Ngiyagula. Abantu abahlala kuyo bazathethelelwa iziphambeko.
The inhabitant won’t say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell therein will be forgiven their iniquity.
