UJoweli 3

1 Ngoba khangela, ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi lapho ngibuyisa ukuthunjwa kukaJuda leJerusalema,

For in those days and in that time, when I let the fate of Judah and Jerusalem be changed,

2 ngizabutha zonke izizwe, ngizehlisele esigodini sikaJehoshafathi, ngizigwebe khona ngenxa yabantu bami lelifa lami uIsrayeli, ezibahlakaze phakathi kwezizwe, zalaba ilizwe lami,

I will get together all the nations, and make them come down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and there I will take up with them the cause of my people and of my heritage Israel, whom they have sent wandering among the nations, and of my land which has been parted by them.

3 zenza inkatho yokuphosa ngabantu bami, zanika umfana ngewule, zathengisa inkazana ngewayini, ukuze zinathe.

And they have put the fate of my people to the decision of chance: giving a boy for the price of a loose woman and a girl for a drink of wine.

4 Yebo-ke, lilani kimi, Tire leSidoni, lani lonke mingcele yeFilisti? Lizangibuyisela umvuzo yini? Uba-ke lingibuyisela, masinyane ngokuphangisa ngizabuyisela umvuzo wenu ekhanda lenu.

And further, what are you to me, O Tyre and Zidon and all the circle of Philistia? will you give me back any payment? and if you do, quickly and suddenly I will send it back on your head,

5 Ngoba lithethe isiliva sami legolide lami, laletha izinto zami eziloyisekayo ezinhle emathempelini enu.

For you have taken my silver and my gold, putting in the houses of your gods my beautiful and pleasing things.

6 Lathengisa abantwana bakoJuda labantwana beJerusalema ebantwaneni bamaGriki, ukuze libasusele khatshana lomngcele wabo.

And the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem you have given for a price to the sons of the Greeks, to send them far away from their land:

7 Khangelani, ngizabavusa endaweni elabathengisa kiyo, ngibuyisele umvuzo wenu ekhanda lenu.

See, I will have them moved from the place where you have sent them, and will let what you have done come back on your head;

8 Njalo ngizathengisa amadodana enu lamadodakazi enu esandleni sabantwana bakoJuda, abazabathengisa kumaSabeya esizweni esikhatshana; ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile.

I will give your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah for a price, and they will give them for a price to the men of Sheba, a nation far off: for the Lord has said it.

9 Memezelani lokhu phakathi kwezizwe; lingcwelise impi; livuse amaqhawe; kawasondele enyuke wonke amadoda empi.

Give this out among the nations; make ready for war: get the strong men awake; let all the men of war come near, let them come up.

10 Khandani amakhuba enu abe yizinkemba, lengqamu zenu zokuthena zibe yimikhonto; obuthakathaka athi: Ngiliqhawe.

Get your plough-blades hammered into swords, and your vine-knives into spears: let the feeble say, I am strong.

11 Phangisani lize, lina zizwe zonke ezizingelezeleyo, libuthane; Nkosi, yehlisa amaqhawe akho kuleyondawo.

Come quickly, all you nations round about, and get yourselves together there: make your strong ones come down, O Lord.

12 Kazizivuse izizwe zenyukele esihotsheni sikaJehoshafathi; ngoba kulapho engizahlala khona ukugweba zonke izizwe inhlangothi zonke.

Let the nations be awake, and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there I will be seated as judge of all the nations round about.

13 Fakani isikela, ngoba isivuno sivuthiwe; wozani lehlele phansi, ngoba isikhamelo sewayini sigcwele, amafatshi ewayini ayaphuphuma, ngoba ububi babo bukhulu.

Put in the blade, for the grain is ready: come, get you down, for the wine-crusher is full, the vessels are overflowing; for great is their evil-doing.

14 Amaxuku, amaxuku esihotsheni sesinqumo; ngoba usuku lweNkosi luseduze esihotsheni sesinqumo.

Masses on masses in the valley of decision! for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

15 Ilanga lenyanga kuzakuba mnyama, lezinkanyezi zigodle ukukhanya kwazo.

The sun and the moon have become dark, and the stars keep back their shining.

16 INkosi izabhonga-ke iseZiyoni, ikhuphe ilizwi layo iseJerusalema, kunyikinyeke amazulu lomhlaba. Kodwa iNkosi ibe yisiphephelo sabantu bayo, lamandla abantwana bakoIsrayeli.

And the Lord will be thundering from Zion, and his voice will be sounding from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will be shaking: but the Lord will be a breastplate for his people and a strong place for the children of Israel.

17 Ngalokho lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, uNkulunkulu wenu, ohlala eZiyoni, intaba yobungcwele bami. Njalo iJerusalema izakuba yibungcwele, labezizwe kabasayikudlula phakathi kwayo.

And you will be certain that I am the Lord your God, living in Zion, my holy mountain: and Jerusalem will be holy, and no strange person will ever again go through her.

18 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku izintaba zithontise iwayini elimnandi, lamaqaqa ageleze uchago, lazo zonke izifula zakoJuda zigeleze amanzi, lomthombo uphume endlini yeNkosi, uthelele isihotsha seShithimi.

And it will come about in that day that the mountains will be dropping sweet wine, and the hills will be flowing with milk, and all the streams of Judah will be flowing with water; and a fountain will come out from the house of the Lord, watering the valley of acacia-trees.

19 IGibhithe izakuba lunxiwa, leEdoma ibe yinkangala elunxiwa, ngenxa yodlakela olumelene labantwana bakoJuda, ngoba bachithe igazi elingelacala elizweni labo.

Egypt will be a waste and Edom a land of destruction, because of the evil done to the children of Judah, because they have let blood be drained out in their land without cause.

20 Kodwa uJuda uzahlala kuze kube nininini, leJerusalema kuze kube yisizukulwana lesizukulwana.

But Judah will be peopled for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

21 Ngoba ngizahlanza igazi labo, engangingalihlanzanga; ngoba iNkosi ihlala eZiyoni.

And I will send punishment for their blood, for which punishment has not been sent, for the Lord is living in Zion.