U-Isaya 34

1 Sondelani, zizwe, ukuze lizwe; lani bantu, lilalele; umhlaba kawuzwe, lokugcwala kwawo; ilizwe, lakho konke okuvela kilo.

Come near, ye nations, to hear; and ye people, hearken: let the earth hear, and all that filleth it; the world, and all things that spring forth of it.

2 Ngoba intukuthelo yeNkosi iphezu kwazo zonke izizwe, lolaka phezu kwawo wonke amabutho azo; izitshabalalisile, izinikele ekubulaweni.

For the indignation of the Lord is [enkindled] over all the nations, and his fury over all their army: he hath devoted them, he hath given them up to the slaughter:

3 Ababuleweyo bazo labo bazaphoselwa phandle, levumba labo lizakwenyuka ezidunjini zabo, lezintaba zizancibilika ngegazi labo.

And their slain also shall be cast out, and as regardeth their carcasses their stench shall ascend upward, and the mountains shall be melted through their blood.

4 Lalo lonke ibutho lamazulu lizabola; lamazulu agoqwe njengomqulu; lalo lonke ibutho labo liwele phansi, njengehlamvu liwohloka evinini, lanjengomkhiwa owohlokayo esihlahleni somkhiwa.

And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together like a book: and all their host shall wither, as the leaf withereth from the vine, and as withering fruit from the fig-tree.

5 Ngoba inkemba yami izacwila emazulwini; khangela, izakwehlela phezu kukaEdoma laphezu kwabantu bokutshabalalisa kwami ngesigwebo.

For my sword is sated in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and upon the people I have devoted to punishment.

6 Inkemba yeNkosi igcwele igazi, inoniswe ngamafutha, ngegazi lamawundlu lelezimbuzi, ngamahwahwa ezinso zezinqama; ngoba iNkosi ilomhlatshelo eBhozira, lokubulala okukhulu elizweni leEdoma.

The sword of the Lord is full of blood, it is enriched with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

7 Lezinyathi zizakwehla kanye lazo, lamajongosi kanye lezinkunzi. Njalo ilizwe labo lizacwila egazini, lothuli lwabo lunoniswe ngamahwahwa.

And wild oxen shall sink down with them, and steers with bullocks; and their land shall be sated with blood, and their dust enriched with fat.

8 Ngoba kulusuku lwempindiselo yeNkosi, umnyaka wokubuyiselwa kwempikisano yeZiyoni.

For it is the day of vengeance unto the Lord, and the year of recompense for the controversy of Zion.

9 Lezifula zabo zizaphendulwa zibe yingcino, lothuli lwabo lube yisibabule; lelizwe labo lizakuba yingcino etshayo.

And its brooks shall be changed into pitch, and its dust into sulfur, and its land shall become burning pitch.

10 Kaliyikucitshwa ubusuku lemini; intuthu yalo izakwenyuka laphakade; kusukela esizukulwaneni kusiya kusizukulwana lizakuba yinkangala; kakho ozadabula phakathi kwalo kuze kube nini lanini.

Night and day shall it not be quenched; for ever shall ascend the smoke thereof: from generation to generation shall it lie waste; no one shall for ever and ever pass through it.

11 Kodwa iwunkwe lenhloni kuzakudla ilifa lalo; isikhova laso lewabayi kuzahlala kulo. Njalo izakwelula phezu kwalo intambo yencithakalo, lamatshe onxiwa.

But pelican and hedgehog shall take possession of it; night-owl also and raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out over it the line of destruction, and the weights of desolation.

12 Bazabizela izikhulu zalo embusweni, kodwa kakho ozakuba khona, leziphathamandla zalo zonke zizakuba yinto engelutho.

Their nobles—no one is there they could call [to] the kingdom, and all its princes shall be no more.

13 Lameva azakhula ezigodlweni zalo, imbabazane lokhula oluhlabayo ezinqabeni zalo; njalo libe yindawo yokuhlala yemigobho, umuzi wamadodakazi ezintshe.

And thorns shall spring up in its palaces, nettles and brambles in its fortresses: and it shall be a habitation of monsters, and a court for ostriches.

14 Izilo zenkangala lazo zizahlangana lezilo ezihlaba umkhulungwane, legogo lizakhalela umngane walo; lesikhova esikhalayo sizaphumula khona, sizitholele indawo yokuphumula.

And the martens shall meet with the jackals, and one goat shall call to his fellow; only the screech-owl shall rest there, and find for herself a place of repose.

15 Lapho isikhova esikhulu sizakwakha isidleke, sibekele, sichamisele, sifukamele ngaphansi komthunzi waso; amanqe lawo azabuthana lapho, yilelo lalelo lomngane walo.

There shall nestle the arrow-snake, and lay eggs, and hatch, and gather its young under its shadow: only vultures shall assemble there, every one with her mate.

16 Dingani egwalweni lweNkosi, lifunde; kakukho lokukodwa kwalokhu okuzasilela, kakukho okuzaswela umngane wakho; ngoba umlomo wami ngokwawo ulayile, lomoya wayo ngokwawo ukubuthanisile.

Inquire out of the book of the Lord, and read: not one of these shall be absent, not one shall miss her mate; for my mouth it is that hath ordained it, and its breath it is that hath gathered them.

17 Ngoba yona ibenzele inkatho yokuphosa, lesandla sayo sibehlukanisele ngentambo; lizakuba yilifa labo kuze kube phakade, kusukela kusizukulwana kuze kube sesizukulwaneni bazahlala kulo.

And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it out unto them by the measuring line: for ever shall they possess it, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.