< UMikha 4 >
1 Kodwa kuzakuthi ekupheleni kwezinsuku, intaba yendlu yeNkosi iqiniswe phezu kwengqonga yezintaba, njalo iphakanyiswe ngaphezu kwamaqaqa; lezizwe zizagelezela kuyo.
Yahweh [says that] some day his temple will be on top of a mountain, and that mountain will be the most important [MET] one on the earth; it will be [as though it is] higher than all the hills, and huge groups of people from all over the world will come there [to worship].
2 Lezizwe ezinengi zizahamba, zithi: Wozani, senyukele entabeni yeNkosi, lendlini kaNkulunkulu kaJakobe, njalo uzasifundisa ngezindlela zakhe, sihambe emikhondweni yakhe. Ngoba umlayo uzaphuma eZiyoni, lelizwi leNkosi eJerusalema.
[People from] many nations will say [to each other], “Let’s go to the mountain where Yahweh is, to the temple where we can worship the God whom Jacob [worshiped]. There God will teach us how he wants us to conduct our lives, and we will do what he wants us to do.” Zion [Hill] is the place where he will teach [people]; and [people will go] out from Jerusalem [to tell others] his messages.
3 Njalo izakwahlulela phakathi kwezizwe ezinengi, ikhuze izizwe ezilamandla ezikhatshana; njalo zizakhanda inkemba zazo zibe yizikali zamakhuba, lemikhonto yazo ibe zingqamu zokuthena izihlahla; isizwe kasiyikuphakamisela isizwe inkemba, kazisayikufunda impi futhi.
Yahweh will settle disputes between many people, and he will [also] settle disputes between powerful nations that are far away. Then people will hammer their swords to cause them to become plow blades, and [hammer] their spears to cause them to become pruning knives. [Armies of] nations will no [longer] fight against [armies of other] nations, and they will no longer train [men how to fight] in wars.
4 Kodwa bazahlala ngulowo lalowo ngaphansi kwesihlahla sakhe sevini, langaphansi kwesihlahla sakhe somkhiwa; njalo kakho ozabesabisa; ngoba umlomo weNkosi yamabandla ukhulumile.
Everyone will sit [peacefully] under his own grapevines, and under his own fig trees; no one will cause them to be afraid. [That is what will surely happen] because the Commander of the armies of angels has said it.
5 Ngoba zonke izizwe zizahamba yileso laleso ebizweni likankulunkulu waso, kodwa thina sizahamba ebizweni leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu kuze kube phakade laphakade.
Many [HYP] [of the people of other] nations will worship [IDM] their own gods, but we will worship Yahweh our God always, forever.
6 Ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, ngizabuthanisa lowo oqhulayo, ngiqoqe lowo oxotshiweyo, lalowo engimhluphileyo.
Yahweh says, “There will soon be a time when I will gather the people whom I have punished, who have been (exiled/forced to go to other countries), all those whom [I have caused to] suffer much.
7 Ngizakwenza oqhulayo abe yinsali, loxotshelwe khatshana abe yisizwe esilamandla; njalo iNkosi izabusa phezu kwabo entabeni yeZiyoni kusukela khathesi kuze kube nininini.
My people who did not die while they were exiled will become a strong nation [again]. Then [I], Yahweh, will be their king, and I will rule from Jerusalem forever.
8 Ngakho wena, mphotshongo weEderi, inqaba yendodakazi yeZiyoni, kuzafika kuwe, yebo, kuzafika ukubusa kwakuqala, umbuso kundodakazi yeJerusalema.
As for you people of Jerusalem [MET], you who [guard all of my people] like [MET] [a shepherd guards his sheep] from a tower, you [who live on] Zion [Hill], will have great power again. You people who live in Jerusalem will again rule like you did previously.
9 Khathesi ukhalelani kakhulu? Inkosi kayikho kuwe yini? Umeluleki wakho usebhubhile yini? Ngoba umhelo ukubambile njengowesifazana obelethayo.
[So] why [RHQ] are you wailing now? Is it because you have no king? Have all your wise people died? You are groaning loudly like [SIM] a woman who is giving birth to a baby.
10 Bana lobuhlungu, uhelelwe ukuze ubelethe, wena ndodakazi yeZiyoni, njengowesifazana obelethayo; ngoba khathesi uzaphuma emzini, uhlale egangeni, ubusufika eBhabhiloni; khona uzakhululwa; khona iNkosi izakuhlenga esandleni sezitha zakho.
[Well], you people of Jerusalem should writhe and groan like [SIM] a woman who is having birth pains, because now you must leave this city, and [while you are traveling], you will set up tents in open fields [at night]; you will go to [live in] Babylon. [But while you are] there, [I], Yahweh, will rescue you; I will free you from the power/control [MTY] of your enemies.
11 Khathesi-ke izizwe ezinengi zibuthene zimelene lawe, ezithi: Kangcoliswe, lelihlo lethu kalikhangele eZiyoni.
Now [the armies of] many nations have gathered to attack you. They are saying, ‘Jerusalem must be destroyed! We want to see this city [when it becomes ruins]!’
12 Kodwa bona kabayazi imicabango yeNkosi, kabaliqedisisi icebo layo; ngoba uzababuthelela njengezithungo ebaleni lokubhulela.
But they do not know what [I], Yahweh, think, and they do not understand what I plan: I will gather them [and punish them] like [SIM] [farmers] thresh grain on the ground.
13 Sukuma ubhule, wena ndodakazi yeZiyoni; ngoba ngizakwenza uphondo lwakho lube yinsimbi, ngenze amasondo akho abe lithusi. Njalo uzachoboza izizwe ezinengi; njalo ngizakwehlukanisela iNkosi inzuzo yazo, lenotho yazo kuyo iNkosi yomhlaba wonke.
So, you people of Jerusalem, rise up and punish [MET] [the nations who oppose you]. I will cause you [to be very strong], [as if] [MET] you had horns made of iron, [as if] [MET] you had hoofs made of bronze; and you will crush many nations. And [then you will take] from your enemies the valuable things that they have taken [from other countries], and you will dedicate those things to [me, the one who is] the Lord of all [the people on] the earth.”