UJoweli 3

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

For, behold, in those days and at that time, when I shall have turned the captivity of Juda and Jerusalem,

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

I will also gather all the Gentiles, and bring them down to the valley of Josaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and my heritage Israel, who have been dispersed amongst the Gentiles; and [these Gentiles] have divided my land,

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

and cast lots over my people, and have given [their] boys to harlots, and sold [their] girls for wine, and have drunk.

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 what have you to do with me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles? do you render me a recompense? or do you bear malice against me? quickly and speedily will I return your recompense on your own heads:

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

because you have taken my silver and my gold, and you have brought my choice ornaments into your temples;

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

and you have sold the children of Juda and the children of Jerusalem to the children of the Greeks, that you might expel them from their coasts.

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

Therefore, behold, I [will] raise them up out of the place whither you have sold them, and I will return your recompense on your own heads.

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

And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Juda, and they shall sell them into captivity to a far distant nation: for the Lord has spoken [it].

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

Proclaim these things amongst the Gentiles; declare war, arouse the warriors, draw near and go up, all you men of war.

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

Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your sickles into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

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

Gather yourselves together, and go in, all you nations round about, and gather yourselves there; let the timid become a warrior.

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

Let them be aroused, let all the nations go up to the valley of Josaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the Gentiles round about.

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

Bring forth the sickles, for the vintage is come: go in, tread [the grapes], for the press is full: cause the vats to overflow; for their wickedness is multiplied.

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

Noises have resounded in the valley of judgement: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of judgement.

15 Ilanga lenyanga kuzakuba mnyama, lezinkanyezi zigodle ukukhanya kwazo.

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their light.

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

And the Lord shall cry out of Sion, and shall utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heaven and the earth shall be shaken, but the Lord shall spare his people, and shall strengthen 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 shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwell in Sion my holy mountain: and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall not pass through her anymore.

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 shall come to pass in that day [that] the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the fountains of Juda shall flow with water, and a fountain shall go forth of the house of the Lord, and water the valley of flags.

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

Egypt shall be a desolation, and Idumea shall be a desolate plain, because of the wrongs of the children of Juda, because they have shed righteous blood in their land.

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

But Judea shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem to all generations.

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

And I will make inquisition for their blood, and will by no means leave it unavenged: and the Lord shall dwell in Sion.