U-Isaya 8
1 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Zithathele isibhebhe esikhulu, ubhale kiso ngepheni yomuntu ukuthi: Maherishalali-Hashibazi.
Then Yahweh said to me, “Make a large signboard. And write clearly on it, ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’ [which means ‘quickly (plunder/take by force) and steal everything’].”
2 Ngasengizifakazisela abafakazi abathembekileyo, oUriya umpristi loZekhariya indodana kaJeberekiya.
[So] I requested Uriah the [Supreme] Priest and Jeberekiah’s son Zechariah, men who were both honest/trustworthy witnesses, to watch me as I was doing that.
3 Ngasengisondela kumprofethikazi, wasethatha isisu, wazala indodana. INkosi yasisithi kimi: Umuthe ibizo lokuthi uMaherishalali-Hashibazi.
Then I had sex with [EUP] [my wife, who was] a prophetess, and she became pregnant and [then] gave birth to a son. Then Yahweh said to me, “Give him the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (which means ‘suddenly attacked, quickly conquered’),
4 Ngoba umntwana engakakwazi ukumemeza athi baba, lokuthi, mama, inotho yeDamaseko lempango yeSamariya kuzathwalelwa phambi kwenkosi yeAsiriya.
because before he is old enough to say ‘papa’ or ‘mama’, the King of Assyria will [come with his army and] quickly take away all the valuable things in Damascus and in Samaria.”
5 INkosi yasibuya yakhuluma lami futhi isithi:
Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “[Tell the people of Judah, ]
6 Ngenxa yokuthi lesisizwe siwalile amanzi eShilowa ahamba kancinyane, njalo kulentokozo kuRezini lendodana kaRemaliya,
‘[I have taken good care of] you people, but you have rejected that, [thinking that] my help was very little, like [MET] the little canal through which water flows from the Gihon Spring into Jerusalem. Instead, you have been happy [to request help from] King Rezin and King Pekah.
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, I will cause the people of Judah to be attacked by [the powerful army of] the King of Assyria, which will be [like] a great flood from the [Euphrates] River. Their soldiers will [be everywhere in your country, like] a river that overflows all its banks.
8 aze adlulele koJuda; akhukhule, adlule, afinyelele entanyeni; lokweluleka kwempiko zawo kuzagcwalisa ilizwe lakho, Emanuweli.
Those soldiers will go all over Judah— [like a river whose water] [MET] rises as high as a person’s neck. Their army will spread over the land [quickly], like an eagle, and they will cover your entire land! But I will be with you!’”
9 Zihlanganiseni, zizwe, kodwa liphahlazwe; bekani indlebe, lina lonke abezizwe ezikhatshana; zibhinceni, kodwa liphahlazwe; zibhinceni, kodwa liphahlazwe.
Listen, all you [people in] distant countries! [You can] prepare to attack Judah. [You can] prepare [for battle, and shout your] war-cries, but your [armies will] be crushed/shattered!
10 Cebani icebo, kodwa lizafojiswa; khulumani ilizwi, kodwa kaliyikuma; ngoba uNkulunkulu ulathi.
[You can] prepare for what you will do [to attack Judah], but what you plan to do will not happen! You will not succeed, because God is with us!
11 Ngoba yatsho njalo iNkosi kimi ngesandla esilamandla, yangifundisa ukuthi ngingahambi endleleni yalababantu, isithi:
Yahweh strongly warned me [MTY] not to act like the [other] people in Judah did. He said to me,
12 Lingatsho ukuthi: Ugobe, kukho konke lababantu abathi ngakho: Ugobe; lingesabi ukwesaba kwabo, lingatshaywa luvalo.
“Do not say that everything that people do is conspiring/rebelling [against the government], like [other] people say, and do not (be afraid of/worry about) the things that other people are afraid of.
13 INkosi yamabandla, yona lizayingcwelisa, njalo yona ibe yikwesaba kwenu, njalo yona ibe luvalo lwenu.
[I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, am the one you should consider to be holy. And I am the one you should fear, the one you should revere.
14 Njalo izakuba yindawo engcwele, kodwa ibe yilitshe lokukhubekisa, ibe lidwala lokuwisa kuzo zombili izindlu zakoIsrayeli, ibe ngumjibila ibe yisifu kwabakhileyo eJerusalema.
I will protect you(sg). [But as for] the [other] people [MTY] in Israel and Judah, I will be [like] [MET] a stone that causes people to stumble, a rock that causes them to fall down. [And as for] the people of Jerusalem, I will be [like] [MET] a trap or a snare [DOU].
15 Labanengi bazakhubeka phakathi kwabo, bawe, bephuke, bathiywe, bathunjwe.
Many [people] will stumble and fall down and never get up again. They will experience great troubles; they will be captured [by their enemies].”
16 Bopha ubufakazi, unameke umlayo phakathi kwabafundi bami.
[So, I say to you who are my disciples], seal up this scroll on which I have written the messages that God has given to me, and give his instructions to [others] who have accompanied me.
17 Ngakho ngizalindela iNkosi efihlela indlu kaJakobe ubuso bayo, ngiyidinge.
I will wait to see what Yahweh [will do]. He has rejected the descendants [MTY] of Jacob, but I will confidently expect him to help me.
18 Khangela mina labantwana iNkosi enginike bona siyizibonakaliso lezimangaliso koIsrayeli, ezivela eNkosini yamabandla ehlala entabeni yeZiyoni.
I and the children that Yahweh has given to me are [like] signs to warn [the people of] Israel; we are warnings from the Commander of the armies of angels the one who lives [in his temple] on Zion Hill [in Jerusalem].
19 Lalapho bezakuthi kini: Buzani kwabalamadlozi, lakubathakathi abatshaya imilozwi labanyenyezayo: abantu kabayikubuza yini kuNkulunkulu wabo? Abantu babuze yini bemele abaphilayo kwabafileyo?
Some people may urge you(pl) to (consult/go and talk with) those who talk with the spirits of dead people or with those who say that they receive messages from those spirits. They whisper and mutter [about what we should do in the future]. But God is [RHQ] the one whom we should ask to guide us! It is ridiculous [RHQ] for people who are alive to request spirits of dead people to tell us [what we should do]!
20 Kuwo umthetho lakubo ubufakazi! Uba bengakhulumi njengalelilizwi, kungokuthi kakukho ukusa kubo.
Pay attention to God’s instructions and teaching! If people do not say things that agree with what God teaches us, [what they say is worthless]. [It is as though] those people are in darkness.
21 Bazadabula kukho, becindezelwe kakhulu belambile; kuzakuthi-ke belambile bezondile, bathuke inkosi yabo loNkulunkulu wabo, bakhangele phezulu.
They will wander through the land, worried/discouraged and hungry. And when they become [very] hungry, they will become very angry. They will look up [toward heaven] and curse God and [will also] curse their king.
22 Njalo bazakhangela emhlabeni, khangela-ke, kuzakuba lokuhlupheka lomnyama, ubumnyama benkathazo, njalo axotshelwe emnyameni.
They will look around the land and see only trouble/distress and darkness and things that cause them to despair. And [then] they will be thrown into the very black darkness [of hell]. (questioned)
