UJoweli 3
1 Ngoba khangela, ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi lapho ngibuyisa ukuthunjwa kukaJuda leJerusalema,
Behold, in those days and at that time, when I return the exiles of Judah 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 gather all the nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will judge them there, because of my people and my inheritance Israel, whom they scattered among the nations, and because they divided up my land.
3 zenza inkatho yokuphosa ngabantu bami, zanika umfana ngewule, zathengisa inkazana ngewayini, ukuze zinathe.
They cast lots for my people, traded a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine so they could drink.
4 Yebo-ke, lilani kimi, Tire leSidoni, lani lonke mingcele yeFilisti? Lizangibuyisela umvuzo yini? Uba-ke lingibuyisela, masinyane ngokuphangisa ngizabuyisela umvuzo wenu ekhanda lenu.
Now, why are you angry at me, Tyre, Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? Even if you do repay me, I will immediately return your retribution on your own head.
5 Ngoba lithethe isiliva sami legolide lami, laletha izinto zami eziloyisekayo ezinhle emathempelini enu.
For you took my silver and my gold, and you brought my precious treasures into your temples.
6 Lathengisa abantwana bakoJuda labantwana beJerusalema ebantwaneni bamaGriki, ukuze libasusele khatshana lomngcele wabo.
You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, in order to remove them far from their territory.
7 Khangelani, ngizabavusa endaweni elabathengisa kiyo, ngibuyisele umvuzo wenu ekhanda lenu.
Look, I am about to stir them up, out of the place where you sold them, and will return payment on your own head.
8 Njalo ngizathengisa amadodana enu lamadodakazi enu esandleni sabantwana bakoJuda, abazabathengisa kumaSabeya esizweni esikhatshana; ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile.
I will sell your sons and your daughters, by the hand of the people of Judah. They will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off, for Yahweh has spoken.”
9 Memezelani lokhu phakathi kwezizwe; lingcwelise impi; livuse amaqhawe; kawasondele enyuke wonke amadoda empi.
Proclaim this among the nations, “Prepare yourselves for war, rouse the mighty men, let them come near, let all the men of battle come up.
10 Khandani amakhuba enu abe yizinkemba, lengqamu zenu zokuthena zibe yimikhonto; obuthakathaka athi: Ngiliqhawe.
Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning knives into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'
11 Phangisani lize, lina zizwe zonke ezizingelezeleyo, libuthane; Nkosi, yehlisa amaqhawe akho kuleyondawo.
Hurry and come, all you nearby nations, gather yourselves together there. Yahweh, bring down your mighty warriors.
12 Kazizivuse izizwe zenyukele esihotsheni sikaJehoshafathi; ngoba kulapho engizahlala khona ukugweba zonke izizwe inhlangothi zonke.
Let the nations wake themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. For there will I sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
13 Fakani isikela, ngoba isivuno sivuthiwe; wozani lehlele phansi, ngoba isikhamelo sewayini sigcwele, amafatshi ewayini ayaphuphuma, ngoba ububi babo bukhulu.
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, crush the grapes, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is enormous.”
14 Amaxuku, amaxuku esihotsheni sesinqumo; ngoba usuku lweNkosi luseduze esihotsheni sesinqumo.
There is a tumult, a tumult in the Valley of Judgment. For the day of Yahweh is near in the Valley of Judgment.
15 Ilanga lenyanga kuzakuba mnyama, lezinkanyezi zigodle ukukhanya kwazo.
The sun and the moon become dark, the stars keep back their brightness.
16 INkosi izabhonga-ke iseZiyoni, ikhuphe ilizwi layo iseJerusalema, kunyikinyeke amazulu lomhlaba. Kodwa iNkosi ibe yisiphephelo sabantu bayo, lamandla abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
Yahweh will roar from Zion, and raise his voice from Jerusalem. The heavens and earth will shake, but Yahweh will be a shelter for his people, and a fortress for the people of Israel.
17 Ngalokho lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, uNkulunkulu wenu, ohlala eZiyoni, intaba yobungcwele bami. Njalo iJerusalema izakuba yibungcwele, labezizwe kabasayikudlula phakathi kwayo.
“So you will know that I am Yahweh your God who lives in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no army will march through her again.
18 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku izintaba zithontise iwayini elimnandi, lamaqaqa ageleze uchago, lazo zonke izifula zakoJuda zigeleze amanzi, lomthombo uphume endlini yeNkosi, uthelele isihotsha seShithimi.
It will come about on that day that the mountains will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the brooks of Judah will flow with water, and a fountain will come from the house of Yahweh and water the Valley of Shittim.
19 IGibhithe izakuba lunxiwa, leEdoma ibe yinkangala elunxiwa, ngenxa yodlakela olumelene labantwana bakoJuda, ngoba bachithe igazi elingelacala elizweni labo.
Egypt will become an abandoned devastation, and Edom will become an abandoned wilderness, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, because they shed innocent blood in their land.
20 Kodwa uJuda uzahlala kuze kube nininini, leJerusalema kuze kube yisizukulwana lesizukulwana.
But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem will be inhabited from generation to generation.
21 Ngoba ngizahlanza igazi labo, engangingalihlanzanga; ngoba iNkosi ihlala eZiyoni.
I will avenge their blood that I have not yet avenged, for Yahweh lives in Zion.”
