U-Isaya 8

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

And the LORD said unto me: 'Take thee a great tablet, and write upon it in common script: The spoil speedeth, the prey hasteth;

2 Ngasengizifakazisela abafakazi abathembekileyo, oUriya umpristi loZekhariya indodana kaJeberekiya.

and I will take unto Me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.'

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

And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bore a son. Then said the LORD unto me: 'Call his name Maher-shalal-hashbaz.

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

For before the child shall have knowledge to cry: My father, and: My mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.'

5 INkosi yasibuya yakhuluma lami futhi isithi:

And the LORD spoke unto me yet again, saying:

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

Forasmuch as this people hath refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoiceth with Rezin and Remaliah's son;

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,

Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the River, mighty and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks;

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

And he shall sweep through Judah overflowing as he passeth through he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

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

Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.

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

Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us.

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

For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, admonishing me 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, concerning all whereof this people do say: A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor account it dreadful.

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

The LORD of hosts, Him shall ye sanctify; 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 for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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

And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.'

16 Bopha ubufakazi, unameke umlayo phakathi kwabafundi bami.

'Bind up the testimony, seal the instruction among My disciples.'

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

And I will wait for the LORD, that hideth 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 the children whom the LORD hath given me shall be for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion.

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 unto you: 'Seek unto the ghosts and the familiar spirits, that chirp and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living unto the dead

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

for instruction and for testimony?' — Surely they will speak according to this word, wherein there is no light. —

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

And they shall pass this way that are sore bestead and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and, whether they turn their faces upward,

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

or look unto the earth, behold distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and outspread thick darkness.