U-Isaya 8

1 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Zithathele isibhebhe esikhulu, ubhale kiso ngepheni yomuntu ukuthi: Maherishalali-Hashibazi.

And the Lord said to me: Take thee a great book, and write in it with a man’s pen. Take sway the spoils with speed, quickly take the prey.

2 Ngasengizifakazisela abafakazi abathembekileyo, oUriya umpristi loZekhariya indodana kaJeberekiya.

And I took unto me faithful witnesses, Urias the priest, and Zacharias the son of Barachias.

3 Ngasengisondela kumprofethikazi, wasethatha isisu, wazala indodana. INkosi yasisithi kimi: Umuthe ibizo lokuthi uMaherishalali-Hashibazi.

And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. And the Lord said to me: Call his name, Hasten to take away the spoils: Make haste to take away the prey.

4 Ngoba umntwana engakakwazi ukumemeza athi baba, lokuthi, mama, inotho yeDamaseko lempango yeSamariya kuzathwalelwa phambi kwenkosi yeAsiriya.

For before the child know to call his father and his mother, the strength of Damascus, and the spoils of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of the Assyrians.

5 INkosi yasibuya yakhuluma lami futhi isithi:

And the Lord spoke to me again, saying:

6 Ngenxa yokuthi lesisizwe siwalile amanzi eShilowa ahamba kancinyane, njalo kulentokozo kuRezini lendodana kaRemaliya,

Forasmuch as this people hath cast away the waters of Siloe, that go with silence, and hath rather taken Basin, and the son of Romelia:

7 ngakho-ke, khangela, iNkosi izakwenyusela phezu kwabo amanzi omfula amanengi lalamandla, inkosi yeAsiriya labo bonke ubukhosi bayo; azakwenyukela phezu kwaso yonke imigelo yaso, ahambe phezu kwazo zonke inkumbi zaso,

Therefore behold the Lord will bring upon them the waters of the river strong and many, the king of the Assyrians, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and shall overflow all his banks,

8 aze adlulele koJuda; akhukhule, adlule, afinyelele entanyeni; lokweluleka kwempiko zawo kuzagcwalisa ilizwe lakho, Emanuweli.

And shall pass through Juda, overflowing, and going over shall reach even to the neck. And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Emmanuel.

9 Zihlanganiseni, zizwe, kodwa liphahlazwe; bekani indlebe, lina lonke abezizwe ezikhatshana; zibhinceni, kodwa liphahlazwe; zibhinceni, kodwa liphahlazwe.

Gather yourselves together, O ye people, and be overcome, and give ear, all ye lands afar off: strengthen yourselves, and be overcome, gird yourselves, and be overcome.

10 Cebani icebo, kodwa lizafojiswa; khulumani ilizwi, kodwa kaliyikuma; ngoba uNkulunkulu ulathi.

Take counsel together, and it shall be defeated: speak a word, and it shall not be done: because God is with us.

11 Ngoba yatsho njalo iNkosi kimi ngesandla esilamandla, yangifundisa ukuthi ngingahambi endleleni yalababantu, isithi:

For thus saith the Lord to me: As he hath taught me, with a strong arm, that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:

12 Lingatsho ukuthi: Ugobe, kukho konke lababantu abathi ngakho: Ugobe; lingesabi ukwesaba kwabo, lingatshaywa luvalo.

Say ye not: A conspiracy: for all that this people speaketh, is a conspiracy: neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

13 INkosi yamabandla, yona lizayingcwelisa, njalo yona ibe yikwesaba kwenu, njalo yona ibe luvalo lwenu.

Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself: and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

14 Njalo izakuba yindawo engcwele, kodwa ibe yilitshe lokukhubekisa, ibe lidwala lokuwisa kuzo zombili izindlu zakoIsrayeli, ibe ngumjibila ibe yisifu kwabakhileyo eJerusalema.

And he shall be a sanctification to you. But for a stone or stumbling, and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 Labanengi bazakhubeka phakathi kwabo, bawe, bephuke, bathiywe, bathunjwe.

And very many of them shall stumble and fall, and shall be broken in pieces, and shall be snared, and taken.

16 Bopha ubufakazi, unameke umlayo phakathi kwabafundi bami.

Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

17 Ngakho ngizalindela iNkosi efihlela indlu kaJakobe ubuso bayo, ngiyidinge.

And I will wait for the Lord, who hath hid his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

18 Khangela mina labantwana iNkosi enginike bona siyizibonakaliso lezimangaliso koIsrayeli, ezivela eNkosini yamabandla ehlala entabeni yeZiyoni.

Behold I and my children, whom the Lord hath given me for a sign, and for a wonder in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Sion.

19 Lalapho bezakuthi kini: Buzani kwabalamadlozi, lakubathakathi abatshaya imilozwi labanyenyezayo: abantu kabayikubuza yini kuNkulunkulu wabo? Abantu babuze yini bemele abaphilayo kwabafileyo?

And when they shall say to you: Seek of pythons, and of diviners, who mutter in their enchantments: should not the people seek of their God, for the living of the dead?

20 Kuwo umthetho lakubo ubufakazi! Uba bengakhulumi njengalelilizwi, kungokuthi kakukho ukusa kubo.

To the law rather, and to the testimony. And if they speak not according to this word, they shall not have the morning light.

21 Bazadabula kukho, becindezelwe kakhulu belambile; kuzakuthi-ke belambile bezondile, bathuke inkosi yabo loNkulunkulu wabo, bakhangele phezulu.

And they shall pass by it, they shall fall, and be hungry: and when they shall be hungry, they will be angry, and curse their king, and their God, and look upwards.

22 Njalo bazakhangela emhlabeni, khangela-ke, kuzakuba lokuhlupheka lomnyama, ubumnyama benkathazo, njalo axotshelwe emnyameni.

And they shall look to the earth, and behold trouble and darkness, weakness and distress, and a mist following them, and they cannot fly away from their distress.