UMikha 7
1 Maye kimi! Ngoba nginjengokuvunwa kwezithelo zasehlobo, njengokukhothozwa kwesivini; kakulahlukuzo lokudliwa; umphefumulo wami uloyisa isithelo sokuqala esivuthiweyo.
Woe is me! I have become like the gathering of summer fruit, and like the grapes that have been gleaned; there is no grape cluster to eat, no ripe early fig that my soul desires.
2 Olungileyo ubhubhile esuka emhlabeni; njalo kakho oqotho phakathi kwabantu; bonke bacathamele igazi, bayazingela ngulowo lalowo umfowabo ngembule.
Faithful people have disappeared from the land; there is no upright person in all mankind. They all lie in wait to shed blood; each one hunts his own brother with a net.
3 Ukuze benze okubi ngezandla zombili ngokutshiseka, isiphathamandla siyacela, lomahluleli uyacela umvuzo; lomkhulu ukhuluma inkanuko yomphefumulo wakhe, bayakwelukanisa.
Their hands are very good at doing harm: the ruler asks for money, the judge is ready for bribes, and the powerful man is saying to others what he wants to obtain. Thus they plot together.
4 Ongcono wabo unjengameva; oqotho kubo mubi kulothango; usuku lwabalindi bakho, ukuhanjelwa kwakho sekufikile; khathesi kuzakuba khona ukudideka kwabo.
The best of them is like a brier, the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. It is the day foretold by your watchmen, the day of your punishment. Now is the time of their confusion.
5 Lingabeki ithemba kumngane, lingakholwa umhlobo; gcina iminyango yomlomo wakho kuye umfazi olala esifubeni sakho.
Do not trust any neighbor; put no confidence in any friend. Be careful about what you say even to the woman who lies in your arms.
6 Ngoba indodana idelela uyise, indodakazi ivukela unina, umalokazana avukele uninazala; izitha zomuntu ngabantu bendlu yakhe.
For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the people of his own house.
7 Ngakho mina ngizakhangela eNkosini, ngilindele uNkulunkulu wosindiso lwami; uNkulunkulu wami uzangizwa.
But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
8 Ungathokozi ngami, sithakazi sami; lapho ngisiwa, ngizavuka; lapho ngihlezi emnyameni, iNkosi izakuba yikukhanya kimi.
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy. After I fall, I will rise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light for me.
9 Ngizaluthwala ulaka lweNkosi, ngoba ngonile kuyo, ize imele udaba lwami, ingenzele isahlulelo. Izangikhuphela ekukhanyeni, ngibone ukulunga kwayo.
Because I sinned against Yahweh, I will bear his rage until he pleads my cause, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me to the light, and I will see him rescue me in his justice.
10 Ngakho isithakazi sami sizabona, lehlazo limembese yena owathi kimi: Ingaphi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho? Amehlo ami azambona; khathesi uzanyathelelwa phansi njengodaka lwezitalada.
Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover the one who said to me, “Where is Yahweh your God?” My eyes will look at her; she will be trampled down like the mud in the streets.
11 Ngosuku imiduli yakho ezakwakhiwa ngalo, ngalolosuku isimiso sizakuba khatshana.
A day to build your walls will come; on that day the boundaries will be extended very far.
12 Ngalolosuku uzafika lakuwe evela eAsiriya, lemizini ebiyelweyo; njalo kusukela ezinqabeni kuze kube semfuleni, kusukela elwandle kusiya elwandle, kusukela entabeni kusiya entabeni.
On that day your people will come to you, from Assyria and the cities in Egypt, from Egypt to the River, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13 Lanxa kunjalo ilizwe lizakuba yincithakalo ngenxa yabahlali balo, ngenxa yesithelo sezenzo zabo.
But the land will be desolate because of the people who are living there, because of the fruit of their actions.
14 Yelusa abantu bakho ngentonga yakho, umhlambi welifa lakho, ohlala wodwaehlathini, phakathi kweKharmeli. Kabadle eBashani leGileyadi, njengensukwini zasendulo.
Shepherd your people with your rod, the flock of your inheritance. They live alone in a thicket, in the midst of a pastureland. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the old days.
15 Njengezinsukwini zokuphuma kwakho elizweni leGibhithe, ngizamtshengisa izimangaliso.
As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders.
16 Izizwe zizabona ziyangeke ngamandla azo wonke; zizabeka isandla phezu komlomo; indlebe zazo zibe yizacuthe.
The nations will see and be ashamed of all their power. They will put their hands on their mouths; their ears will be deaf.
17 Zizakhotha uthuli njengenyoka, njengezihuquzelayo zomhlaba zizathuthumela ekuvalekeni kwazo, zizamesaba uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, zesabe ngenxa yakho.
They will lick the dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the earth. They will come out of their dens with fear; they will come with fear to you, Yahweh our God, and they will be afraid because of you.
18 Ngubani onguNkulunkulu njengawe, othethelela isono, adlule esiphambekweni sensali yelifa lakhe? Kagcini ulaka lwakhe kuze kube phakade, ngoba ethokoza emuseni.
Who is a God like you— who takes away sin, who passes over the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? He does not keep his anger forever, because he delights in his covenant faithfulness.
19 Uzaphenduka, asihawukele; uzanyathelela phansi iziphambeko zethu; wena uzaphosela zonke izono zabo ezinzikini zolwandle.
You will again have compassion on us; you will trample our iniquities under your feet. You will throw all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Uzanika iqiniso kuJakobe, umusa kuAbrahama, owakufungela obaba bethu kusukela ensukwini zendulo.
You will give truth to Jacob and covenant faithfulness to Abraham, as you swore to our ancestors in ancient days.
