UMikha 2
1 Maye kwabaceba ububi, benze okubi emibhedeni yabo! Ekukhanyeni kokusa bayakwenza, ngoba kusemandleni esandla sabo.
Terrible things will happen to you who lie awake at night, planning to do wicked things. You get up at dawn, and you do those things, [as soon as] you are able to do them.
2 Njalo bahawukela amasimu, bawaphange; lezindlu, bazithathe; ngokunjalo bayacindezela indoda lendlu yayo, yebo, umuntu lelifa lakhe.
You want fields [that belong to other people], so you seize them; you also take their houses. You cheat people to get their homes, taking away the property that belongs to their families.
3 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngiyacabanga okubi ngimelene lalolusendo, elingayikukhupha intamo zenu kukho, futhi kaliyikuhamba ngokuzikhukhumeza, ngoba kuyisikhathi esibi.
Therefore, this is what Yahweh says: “I will cause you people to experience disasters, and you will not be able to escape [MTY] from them. You will no [longer] walk around proudly, because when those things happen, it will be a time of much trouble for you.
4 Ngalolosuku kuzaphakanyiswa umzekeliso ngani, bakhale isililo esilosizi, bathi: Sichithiwe ngokupheleleyo; uguqulile isabelo sabantu bami; usisuse kangakanani kimi! Ehlehlela emuva, uwabile amasimu ethu.
At that time, [your enemies] will make fun of you; they will ridicule you by singing this sad song about you: ‘We are completely ruined; Yahweh is taking our land/fields from us, and he will give it to those who will capture us.’”
5 Ngakho kawuyikuba lophosela intambo ngenkatho ebandleni leNkosi.
So [when it is the time for the land to be given back to you] people who belong to Yahweh, there will be no one [MTY] who will be able to (cast lots/throw marked stones) to determine which land belongs to whom.
6 Lingaprofethi, bayaprofetha; uba bengayikuprofetha lezizinto, amahlazo kawayikusuka.
The people [who heard me say that] replied to me, “Do not prophesy such things! Do not say that [Yahweh] is going to humiliate us [by causing us to experience disasters]!”
7 Wena obizwa ngokuthi uyindlu kaJakobe, umoya weNkosi ufinyeziwe yini? Lezi yizenzo zayo yini? Amazwi ami kawenzi okuhle yini kohamba ngobuqotho?
But you people [MTY] of Israel should not [RHQ] talk like that! The Spirit of Yahweh will certainly not [RHQ] be patient [with people who say such things]! People who continually do things that are righteous will certainly [RHQ] like/appreciate what I say.
8 Kodwa mandulo abantu bami basukume baba yisitha; maqondana lesigqoko lihlubula isembatho kulabo abedlulayo bevikelekile befulathele ukulwa.
[But Yahweh says], “[Recently] my people have been acting toward me like an enemy. When soldiers return from fighting [against their enemies], you [rich people refuse to return the coats of those poor soldiers who have borrowed money from you] [and given you their coats to guarantee that they will pay back the money that they borrowed from you]. [It is as though] you are waiting to forcefully take their coats off their backs!
9 Abesifazana babantu bami libaxotshile, ngulowo lalowo endlini yentokozo yakhe; lisuse ebantwaneni bakhe udumo lwami kuze kube phakade.
You have forced women to leave their nice homes, and you have stolen from their children forever the (blessings/good things) that I wanted to give them.
10 Sukumani, lihambe, ngoba le kayisiyo indawo yokuphumula; ngenxa yokuthi ingcolile, izalichitha, ngitsho ngencithakalo ebuhlungu.
[So] get up and leave [here]! This is not a place where you can rest [and be safe/protected], because you have (defiled it/caused it to be a place that I hate); it will be completely destroyed.
11 Uba umuntu ohamba ngomoya lenkohliso eqamba amanga esithi: Ngizaprofetha kuwe ngewayini langokunathwayo okulamandla; yena uzakuba ngumprofethi walababantu.
[You people want] a prophet who will lie to you, saying ‘I will preach [that you should drink] plenty of wine and [other] alcoholic drinks!’ That is the [kind of] prophet who [would please] you.”
12 Isibili ngizakubuthanisa, Jakobe, wena wonke; isibili ngizaqoqa insali yakoIsrayeli; ngizababeka ndawonye njengezimvu zeBhozira, njengomhlambi phakathi kwedlelo lawo; bazabanga umsindo ngenxa yobunengi babantu.
“[But some day], you descendants of Jacob, you Israeli people who have survived, I will bring you back [from (exile/other countries)], I will gather you together like [SIM] [a shepherd gathers his] sheep from the pasture into a pen [DOU]; there will be many of you in your land/country.
13 Umfohli ukhuphukile phambi kwabo; bafohlile, bedlula esangweni, baphuma ngalo. Njalo inkosi yabo izadlula phambi kwabo, leNkosi esihlokweni sabo.
Your leader will enable them to leave the countries where they have been exiled; he will lead them out of the gates [of their enemies’ cities], [back to your own country]. Your king will lead them; [it is I], Yahweh, who will be their king!”
