U-Isaya 47
1 Yehla, uhlale othulini, ntombi emsulwa, ndodakazi yeBhabhiloni; hlala emhlabathini; akulasihlalo sobukhosi, ndodakazi yamaKhaladiya; ngoba kawusayikubizwa ngokuthi uthambile njalo ubuthakathaka.
Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin, daughter of Babylon! Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldaeans! For thou shalt no longer be called the tender and delicate!
2 Thatha amatshe okuchola, uchole impuphu, wembule isimbombozo sakho, ukhwince ilogwe, uveze umlenze, uchaphe imifula.
Take the mill-stones and grind meal; Raise thy veil, lift up thy train; Make bare the leg, wade through the streams!
3 Ubunqunu bakho buzakwembulwa, yebo, ihlazo lakho libonakale. Ngizaphindisela, ngingahlangani lawe njengomuntu.
Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, And thy shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance; I will make peace with none.
4 UMhlengi wethu, iNkosi yamabandla libizo lakhe, oyiNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
Our Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts is his name, The Holy One of Israel.
5 Hlala ngokuthula, ungene emnyameni, ndodakazi yamaKhaladiya; ngoba kawusayikubizwa ngokuthi: Nkosikazi yemibuso.
Sit thou in silence; go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldaeans! For thou shalt no more be called the mistress of kingdoms.
6 Ngabathukuthelela abantu bami, ngangcolisa ilifa lami, ngabanikela esandleni sakho; kawubenzelanga izihawu; walenza laba nzima kakhulu ijogwe lakho phezu komdala.
I was angry with my people; I profaned my inheritance, And gave them into thy hand; Thou didst show them no mercy; Even upon the aged didst thou lay a very grievous yoke.
7 Wena wathi: Ngizakuba yinkosikazi njalonjalo; kawukabeki lezizinto enhliziyweni yakho, kawukhumbulanga isiphetho sakho.
Thou saidst, “I shall be mistress forever”; So that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, Nor consider what would be the end of them.
8 Khathesi-ke zwana lokhu, wena ozithokozisayo, ohlezi uvikelekile, othi enhliziyweni yakho: Yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami; kangiyikuhlala okomfelokazi, kangiyikwazi ukufelwa ngabantwana.
But hear thou this, thou that art given to pleasure! That sittest in security, And sayest in thy heart, “I am, and there is none besides me; I shall not be a widow, Nor see myself childless!”
9 Kodwa lezizinto ezimbili zizakwehlela ngokucwayiza kwelihlo ngasuku lunye: Ukufelwa ngabantwana lobufelokazi; kuzakwehlela phezu kwakho ngokuphelela kwakho, ngenxa yobunengi bobuthakathi bakho, ngenxa yobunengi obukhulu bamalumbo akho.
Behold, both these things shall come upon thee suddenly, in one day, Loss of children, and widowhood; In full measure shall they come upon thee, In spite of thy many sorceries, And the great abundance of thy enchantments.
10 Ngoba wathembela ebubini bakho, wathi: Kakho ongibonayo. Inhlakanipho yakho lolwazi lwakho khona kwakuphambula, wathi enhliziyweni yakho: Yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami.
Thou didst trust in thy wickedness, and saidst, “No one seeth me”; Thy wisdom and thy knowledge have led thee astray; Thou saidst in thy heart, “I am, and there is none besides me”;
11 Ngakho ububi buzakwehlela, kawusoze wazi lapho obenyuka khona; lengozi izakwehlela, ongelakho ukwenza inhlawulo yokuthula ngayo; lencithakalo ihle yehlele phezu kwakho, ungazi.
Therefore shall evil come upon thee, of which thou shalt not know the dawn; And mischief shall fall upon thee, which thou shalt not be able to expiate; Suddenly shall desolation come upon thee, when thou thinkest not of it.
12 Mana khathesi ngamalumbo akho langobunengi bobuthakathi bakho otshikatshike kukho kusukela ebutsheni bakho; mhlawumbe uzakuba lakho ukuba lenzuzo, mhlawumbe unqobe.
Persevere now in thy enchantments; In the multitude of thy sorceries, in which thou hast labored from thy youth; Perhaps thou mayst be profited by them! Perhaps thou mayst make thyself feared!
13 Udiniwe ebunengini bamacebo akho; kakuthi basukume khathesi abahloli bamazulu, abakhangela izinkanyezi, abazisa ngezinyanga, bakusindise kwezizakwehlela.
Art thou wearied with thy many devices? Let them stand up, then, and save thee, The observers of the heavens, the star-gazers, They that prognosticate at every new moon The things that shall come upon thee!
14 Khangela, bazakuba njengamabibi; umlilo uzabatshisa; kabayikuzophula emandleni elangabi; lingabikho ilahle lokotha, umlilo wokuhlala phambi kwawo.
Behold, they shall be like stubble; the fire shall burn them up; They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; Not a coal shall be left of them to warm one, Nor a spark of fire to sit by.
15 Bazakuba njalo kuwe labo owatshikatshika labo, owathengiselana labo kusukela ebutsheni bakho; bazazulazula, ngulowo lalowo ngendlela yakhe; kakuyikuba lomsindisi wakho.
Thus shall it be with them with whom thou hast labored; Thus with them with whom thou hast trafficked from thy youth; They shall go every one his own way; None shall help thee.
