U-Isaya 7
1 Kwasekusithi ensukwini zikaAhazi indodana kaJothamu, indodana kaUziya inkosi yakoJuda, uRezini inkosi yeSiriya kanye loPheka indodana kaRemaliya inkosi yakoIsrayeli wenyukela eJerusalema ukuya empini emelene layo, kodwa kabangalakho ukulwa layo ngokuphumelelayo.
Ahaz was the son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah. During the time that Ahaz was the king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel marched [with their armies] to attack Jerusalem. But they could not conquer it.
2 Kwasekubikwa endlini kaDavida ukuthi iSiriya ihlangene loEfrayimi; inhliziyo yakhe lenhliziyo yabantu bakhe zasezinyikinyeka njengezihlahla zegusu zinyikinywa ngumoya.
[But before they attacked], everyone in the palace heard a report that the armies of Syria and Israel were [now] (allies/joined [to attack Jerusalem)]. So Ahaz and the people over whom he ruled were extremely afraid; they were shaking from fear like trees shake in a windstorm.
3 INkosi yasisithi kuIsaya: Ake uphume uyehlangabeza uAhazi, wena loSheyari-Yashubi indodana yakho, ekucineni komfolo wechibi elingaphezulu, emgwaqweni omkhulu wensimu yomwatshi,
Then Yahweh said to me, “Take your son Shear-Jashub, and go to talk with [King] Ahaz. He is at the end of the (aqueduct/water channel) that brings water into the upper reservoir, near the road to the place where women wash clothes.
4 uthi kuye: Nanzelela, uthule, ungesabi, lenhliziyo yakho ingabi buthakathaka ngenxa yemisila emibili yalezizikhuni ezithunqayo, ngenxa yokuvutha kolaka lukaRezini leSiriya, lendodana kaRemaliya.
Tell Ahaz to stop worrying [DOU]. Tell him that he does not need to be afraid of those two kings, Rezin and Pekah. They are very angry [with Judah], but they are [unable to harm his country any more than] completely burned-out coals [can harm him].
5 Ngenxa yokuthi iSiriya, uEfrayimi, lendodana kaRemaliya, bacebise okubi ngawe, besithi:
Yes, they are planning to attack this land and saying,
6 Asenyukele koJuda, simesabise, sizifohlelele kuye, sibeke inkosi phakathi kwakhe, indodana kaTabeyeli.
‘We will attack Judah and conquer it. Then we will appoint Tabeel’s son to be the king of Judah.’
7 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kakuyikuma, njalo kakuyikwenzeka.
But this is what Yahweh, the Lord, says: ‘It will not happen; they will not [conquer Jerusalem]!
8 Ngoba inhloko yeSiriya yiDamaseko, lenhloko yeDamaseko nguRezini; laphakathi kuseleminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha lanhlanu uEfrayimi uzakwephulwa, angabi yisizwe.
The capital of Syria is Damascus, but Damascus is ruled [only] by its [unimportant/insignificant] king king Rezin. And as for Israel, within 65 years it will be conquered and completely destroyed.
9 Njalo inhloko kaEfrayimi yiSamariya, lenhloko yeSamariya yindodana kaRemaliya. Uba lingakholwa, isibili kaliyikuqiniswa.
Israel’s capital is Samaria, and Samaria is ruled only by its [insignificant/unimportant] king king Pekah. [So you do not need to be afraid of those two countries]! [But you must trust me, because] if you do not trust me fully, you will be defeated.’”
10 INkosi yasiqhubeka ikhuluma kuAhazi isithi:
[Later], Yahweh gave [me another message to tell to] King Ahaz.
11 Zicelele isibonakaliso eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho; cela ekujuleni loba ekuphakameni phezulu. (Sheol h7585)
[He said to tell him], “Request me, Yahweh your God, to do something that will enable you to be sure [that I will help/protect you]. What you request can be [from a place that is] as high as the sky or as low as the place where the dead people are.” (Sheol h7585)
12 Kodwa uAhazi wathi: Kangiyikucela, kangiyikulinga iNkosi.
But [when I told that to the king, he refused]. He said, “[No], I will not request Yahweh to do something to prove [that he will help/protect us]!”
13 Wasesithi: Zwana-ke, ndlu kaDavida; kuyinto encinyane kakhulu kuwe yini ukuthi udinise abantu, ukuthi udinise loNkulunkulu wami?
Then I said [to him], “You people who are descendants of King David, listen! You are causing me to be tired of being patient. Are you also going to cause my God to stop being patient with you [RHQ]?
14 Ngakho iNkosi uqobo izalinika isibonakaliso: Khangela, intombi emsulwa izathatha isisu, ibelethe indodana, ibize ibizo layo ngokuthi nguEmanuweli.
Yahweh himself will do something for you [to prove that he will help/protect you]. Listen to this: A young woman will become pregnant and give birth to a son. She will name him Immanuel, [which means ‘God is with us’].
15 Uzakudla amasi loluju, aze azi ukwala okubi lokukhetha okuhle.
And by the time that child is old enough to eat curds/yogurt and honey, he will be able to reject what is evil and choose what is good.
16 Ngoba umntwana engakakwazi ukwala okubi lokukhetha okuhle, ilizwe onengwa yilo lizatshiywa ngamakhosi alo amabili.
And before that child is old enough to do that, the lands of the two kings that you(sg) are very (afraid of/worried about) will be deserted.
17 INkosi izaletha phezu kwakho laphezu kwabantu bakho laphezu kwendlu kayihlo insuku ezingezanga kusukela osukwini uEfrayimi asuka ngalo koJuda; yinkosi yeAsiriya.
[But then] Yahweh will cause you and your family and your entire nation to experience [terrible disasters]. Those disasters will be worse than any disasters that have occurred since the country of Israel separated from Judah. Yahweh will cause [the army of] the king of Assyria to attack you!”
18 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku iNkosi itshaye ikhwelo empukaneni esephethelweni lwemifula yeGibhithe, lenyosini eselizweni leAsiriya.
At that time, [it will be as though] Yahweh will whistle to summon the army from the south of Egypt as well as the army of Assyria. They will [come and surround your country like] [MET] flies and bees.
19 Zizakuza-ke, ziphumule zonke ezigodini zamawa, lezingoxweni zamadwala, lezihlahleni zonke zameva, lemadlelweni wonke.
They will all come and settle/live [everywhere]—in the narrow valleys and caves in the rock cliffs, on land where there are thornbushes as well as on the fertile land.
20 Ngalolosuku iNkosi izaphuca ngensingo eyebolekwe, phetsheya komfula, ngenkosi yeAsiriya, ikhanda loboya bezinyawo, futhi ihluthune lendevu.
At that time Yahweh will hire the king of Assyria to come [with his army] from east of the [Euphrates] River. [They will get rid of everything in your land—the crops and the people. They will destroy everything thoroughly]; it will be like [MET] a barber shaving not only a man’s hair but his beard and the hair on his legs.
21 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku umuntu uzagcina kuphila ithokazi lezimvu ezimbili;
When that happens, a farmer will be able to have only one cow and two goats/sheep.
22 kuzakuthi-ke ngenxa yobunengi bochago ezilwehlisayo adle amasi; yebo, wonke oseleyo phakathi kwelizwe uzakudla amasi loluju.
[However], those animals will give plenty of milk, with the result that the farmer will have curds/yogurt to eat. And [because there will not be many people left] in the land, all the people who remain there will have plenty of milk and honey.
23 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku, yonke indawo lapho okwakukhona amavini ayinkulungwane ngenhlamvu zesiliva eziyinkulungwane, kube ngokwameva lokhula oluhlabayo.
Now there are many areas where there are vineyards that are worth 1,000 pieces of silver, but at that time there will be only briers and thorns [DOU] in those fields.
24 Bazakuya khona ngemitshoko langedandili, ngoba ilizwe lonke lizakuba ngameva lokhula oluhlabayo.
There will be only briers and thorns in the entire land, [and wild animals], with the result that men will take their bows and arrows and go there [to hunt and kill animals].
25 Lazo zonke izintaba ezazilinywa ngekhuba kabayikuya kuzo ngokwesaba ameva lokhula oluhlabayo; kodwa kuzakuba ngokokungenisa inkabi lokokunyathelwa yizimvu.
No one will go to where there previously were gardens on fertile hillsides, because briers and thorns will cover those hillsides. They will be areas where [only a few] cattle and sheep and goats wander around [searching for something to eat].
