< U-Isaya 5 >

1 Ake ngihlabelele othandiweyo wami ingoma yomthandwa wami ngesivini sakhe. Othandiweyo wami ulesivini oqaqeni oluvundileyo.
Let me sing, I pray you, for my beloved, A song of my beloved as to his vineyard: My beloved hath a vineyard in a fruitful hill,
2 Wasibiyela, wakhupha amatshe kiso, wasihlanyela ngevini elikhethiweyo, wakha umphotshongo phakathi kwaso, wagubha lesikhamelo sewayini kiso; walindela ukuthi sizathela izithelo zevini, kodwa sathela izithelo zevini ezimunyu.
And he fenceth it, and casteth out its stones, And planteth it [with] a choice vine, And buildeth a tower in its midst, And also a wine press hath hewn out in it, And he waiteth for the yielding of grapes, And it yieldeth bad ones!
3 Ngakho-ke, bahlali beJerusalema, lani madoda akoJuda, ake lahlulele phakathi kwami lesivini sami.
And now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem, and man of Judah, Judge, I pray you, between me and my vineyard.
4 Ngabe kwenziwani okunye esivinini sami engingakwenzanga kuso? Ngalindelelani ukuthi sizathela izithelo zevini, kodwa sathela izithelo zevini ezimunyu?
What — to do still to my vineyard, That I have not done in it! Wherefore, I waited to the yielding of grapes, And it yieldeth bad ones!
5 Ngakho-ke, ake ngilitshele engizakwenza esivinini sami: Ngizasusa uthango lwaso ukuze sibe lidlelo, ngidilize umduli waso ukuze sibe ngesokugxotshwa.
And now, pray, let me cause you to know, That which I am doing to my vineyard, To turn aside its hedge, And it hath been for consumption, To break down its wall, And it hath been for a treading-place.
6 Ngizasenza sibe liganga, singathenwa, singahlakulwa, kodwa kumile ameva lokhula oluhlabayo. Njalo ngizalaya amayezi ukuthi anganisi izulu phezu kwaso.
And I make it a waste, It is not pruned, nor arranged, And gone up have brier and thorn, And on the thick clouds I lay a charge, From raining upon it rain.
7 Ngoba isivini seNkosi yamabandla yindlu kaIsrayeli, labantu bakoJuda bayisithombo sentokozo zayo. Njalo yayilindele isahlulelo, kodwa khangela, ukuchithwa kwegazi; ukulunga, kodwa khangela, ukukhala.
Because the vineyard of Jehovah of Hosts [Is] the house of Israel, And the man of Judah His pleasant plant, And He waiteth for judgment, and lo, oppression, For righteousness, and lo, a cry.
8 Maye kulabo abahlanganisa indlu lendlu, abasondeza insimu lensimu, kuze kusweleke indawo, lina-ke lihlale lodwa phakathi kwelizwe!
Woe [to] those joining house to house, Field to field they bring near, till there is no place, And ye have been settled by yourselves In the midst of the land!
9 Endlebeni zami iNkosi yamabandla yathi: Isibili izindlu ezinengi zizakuba ngamanxiwa, ezinkulu lezinhle zingabi lamhlali.
By the weapons of Jehovah of Hosts Do not many houses a desolation become? Great and good without inhabitant!
10 Ngoba indima ezilitshumi zesivini zizathela ibhathi elilodwa, lehomeri lenhlanyelo lithele i-efa.
For ten acres of vineyard do yield one bath, And an homer of seed yieldeth an ephah.
11 Maye kwabavuka ekuseni kakhulu, bexotshana lokunathwayo okulamandla, balibale kuze kuhlwe, lize iwayini libalumathise!
Woe [to] those rising early in the morning, Strong drink they pursue! Tarrying in twilight, wine inflameth them!
12 Njalo ichacho lomhubhe, isigubhu lomhlanga, lewayini kusemadilini abo, kodwa kabananzi isenzo seNkosi, bengaboni umsebenzi wezandla zayo.
And harp, and psaltery, tabret, and pipe, And wine, have been their banquets, And the work of Jehovah they behold not, Yea, the work of His hands they have not seen.
13 Ngakho abantu bami bazakuya ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokungabi lolwazi, lamadoda abo odumo alendlala, lenengi labo lizakoma ngumhawu.
Therefore my people removed without knowledge, And its honourable ones are famished, And its multitude dried up of thirst.
14 Ngakho ingcwaba lizazinabulula, livule umlomo walo ube banzi ngokungelasilinganiso, kuze kwehle udumo lwabo lobunengi babo lenxokozelo yabo lothokozayo phakathi kwabo. (Sheol h7585)
Therefore hath Sheol enlarged herself, And hath opened her mouth without limit. And gone down hath its honour, and its multitude, And its noise, and its exulting one — into her. (Sheol h7585)
15 Lomuntukazana uzakwehliselwa phansi, lomuntu ophakemeyo athotshiswe, lamehlo abazikhukhumezayo athotshiswe.
And bowed down is the low, and humbled the high, And the eyes of the haughty become low,
16 Kodwa iNkosi yamabandla izaphakanyiswa ngesahlulelo, loNkulunkulu ongcwele uzangcweliswa ngokulunga.
And Jehovah of Hosts is high in judgment, And the Holy God sanctified in righteousness,
17 Lamawundlu azakudla ngokwendlela yawo, labemzini badle amanxiwa abakhulupheleyo.
And fed have lambs according to their leading, And waste places of the fat ones Do sojourners consume.
18 Maye kwabadonsa isiphambeko ngentambo zeze, lesono njengamagoda enqola!
Woe [to] those drawing out iniquity with cords of vanity, And as [with] thick ropes of the cart — sin.
19 Labo abathi: Kaphangise, aphangisise umsebenzi wakhe, ukuze siwubone; lecebo loNgcwele kaIsrayeli kalisondele lize, ukuze silazi.
Who are saying, 'Let Him hurry, Let Him hasten His work, that we may see, And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel Draw near and come, and we know.'
20 Maye kwabathi kokubi kuhle, lakokuhle kubi, ababeka umnyama ube yikukhanya, lokukhanya kube ngumnyama, ababeka okubabayo kube mnandi, lokumnandi kube ngokubabayo!
Woe [to] those saying to evil 'good,' And to good 'evil,' Putting darkness for light, and light for darkness, Putting bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
21 Maye kwabahlakaniphileyo emehlweni abo, labaqedisisayo phambi kobuso babo!
Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes, And — before their own faces — intelligent!
22 Maye kwabangamaqhawe okunatha iwayini, lamadoda alamandla okuhlanganisa okunathwayo okulamandla;
Woe [to] the mighty to drink wine, And men of strength to mingle strong drink.
23 abalungisisa okhohlakeleyo ngenxa yomvuzo, basuse ukulunga kwabalungileyo kubo!
Declaring righteous the wicked for a bribe, And the righteousness of the righteous They turn aside from him.
24 Ngakho njengolimi lomlilo lusidla isidindi sotshani, lamakhoba edilika ngelangabi, ngokunjalo impande yabo izakuba njengokubola, lempoko yabo iphephuke njengothuli; ngoba bewalile umlayo weNkosi yamabandla, balidelela ilizwi loNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
Therefore, as a tongue of fire devoureth stubble, And flaming hay falleth, Their root is as muck, And their flower as dust goeth up. Because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of Hosts, And the saying of the Holy One of Israel despised.
25 Ngenxa yalokho ulaka lweNkosi lubavuthele abantu bayo, yelula isandla sayo imelene labo, yabatshaya, izintaba zaze zazamazama, lezidumbu zabo zaba njengengcekeza phakathi kwezitalada. Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu ulaka lwayo kaluphenduki, kodwa isandla sayo silokhu seluliwe.
Therefore hath the anger of Jehovah burned among His people, And He stretcheth out His hand against it, And smiteth it, and the mountains tremble, And their carcase is as filth in the midst of the out-places. With all this His anger did not turn back, And still His hand is stretched out!
26 Njalo izasiphakamisela isizwe isiboniso ikhatshana, isitshayele ikhwelo isekucineni komhlaba; khangela-ke, sizakuza masinyane ngejubane.
And He lifted up an ensign to nations afar off, And hissed to it from the end of the earth, And lo, with haste, swift it cometh.
27 Kakho ozadinwa, njalo kakho ozakhubeka phakathi kwaso, kakho ozawozela, njalo kakho ozalala, njalo kakho ozakhululelwa ibhanti lokhalo lwakhe, njalo kakho ozaqanyukelwa ngumchilo wamanyathela akhe.
There is none weary, nor stumbling in it, It doth not slumber, nor sleep, Nor opened hath been the girdle of its loins, Nor drawn away the latchet of its sandals.
28 Omitshoko yakhe ibukhali, lomadandili akhe wonke agotshiwe; amasondo amabhiza akhe azabalwa njengelitshe elilukhuni, lamavili akhe njengesivunguzane.
Whose arrows [are] sharp, and all its bows bent, Hoofs of its horses as flint have been reckoned, And its wheels as a hurricane!
29 Ukubhonga kwakhe kuzakuba njengokwesilwane, njalo uzabhonga njengamabhongo esilwane, abhavume abambe impango, ayilethe ekuvikelekeni, njalo kungekho umemuki.
Its roaring [is] like a lioness, It roareth like young lions, And it howleth, and seizeth prey, And carrieth away safely, and there is none delivering.
30 Bazakubhavumela ngalolosuku njengokubhavuma kolwandle. Uba umuntu ekhangela emhlabeni, khangela-ke, umnyama, usizi, lokukhanya kwenziwe kwaba mnyama ngamayezi aso.
And it howleth against it in that day as the howling of a sea, And it hath looked attentively to the land, And lo, darkness — distress, And light hath been darkened by its abundance!

< U-Isaya 5 >