< U-Obhadiya 1 >

1 Umbono kaObhadiya. Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova mayelana leEdoma: Sizwile umbiko ovela eNkosini, njalo kuthunywe isithunywa phakathi kwezizwe: Sukumani, kasimvukele empini!
The prophecy of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning Edom. We have heard a message from Jehovah, And an ambassador hath been sent among the nations “Arise ye, and let us rise up against her to war.”
2 Khangela, ngikwenze waba mncinyane phakathi kwezizwe, udelelwe kakhulu.
Behold, I will make thee small among the nations; Thou shalt be greatly despised.
3 Ukuziqhenya kwenhliziyo yakho kukukhohlisile, wena ohlala ezingoxweni zamadwala, ondawo yakhe yokuhlala iphakeme, othi enhliziyweni yakhe: Ngubani ozangehlisela emhlabathini?
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high, Who sayest in thine heart, “Who shall bring me down to the ground?”
4 Loba uphakeme njengokhozi, njalo loba ubeka isidleke sakho phakathi kwezinkanyezi, ngizakwethula khona, itsho iNkosi.
Though thou lift thyself up as the eagle, And though thou set thy nest among the stars, Thence will I bring thee down, saith Jehovah.
5 Uba amasela efika kuwe, loba abaphangi ebusuku (uqunywe kangakanani!) bebengayikuntshontsha baze banele yini? Uba abavuni bezithelo zevini bebengafika kuwe, bebengayikutshiya umkhothozo yini?
If thieves had come upon thee, Or robbers by night, Would they not have ceased stealing when they had enough? How art thou utterly destroyed! If grape-gatherers had come upon thee, Would they not have left gleanings of the grapes?
6 Yeka ukuhlolwa kwezinto zikaEsawu, ukudingisiswa kokuligugu kwakhe okufihliweyo!
How is Esau searched through! How are his hidden places explored!
7 Wonke amadoda esivumelwano sakho akuthumele emngceleni; amadoda okuthula kwakho akukhohlisile, akwehlule, adla isinkwa sakho abeke imbule ngaphansi kwakho; kakukho ukuqedisisa kuye.
All thine allies have brought thee to the border; They that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; They that ate thy bread have spread a snare under thee; There is no understanding in thee.
8 Kakuyikuba njalo yini ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, ukuthi ngizachitha abahlakaniphileyo eEdoma lokuqedisisa entabeni kaEsawu.
In that day, saith Jehovah, I will destroy the wise men from Edom, And understanding from the mount of Esau.
9 Lamaqhawe akho azatshaywa luvalo, Themani, ukuze ngulowo lalowo aqunywe entabeni kaEsawu ngokubulawa.
Thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed; Every one shall be cut off from the mount of Esau.
10 Ngenxa yodlakela lwakho umelene lomfowenu uJakobe inhloni zizakusibekela, uqunywe kuze kube phakade.
For slaughter and for oppression of thy brother Jacob shall shame cover thee, And thou shalt be destroyed forever.
11 Ngosuku owema ngalo uqondene labo, ngosuku abezizweni abathumba ngalo amabutho akhe, abezizwe abangena emasangweni akhe, abenza inkatho yokuphosa ngeJerusalema, lawe wawunjengomunye wabo.
In the day when thou stoodest over against him, In the day when strangers carried away captive his forces, And when foreigners entered his gates, And when they cast lots upon Jerusalem, Thou also wast as one of them.
12 Kodwa wawungafanelanga ukukhangela ngosuku lomfowenu ngosuku lwenhlupheko yakhe; njalo wawungafanelanga uthokoze ngabantwana bakoJuda ngosuku lokuchitheka kwabo; njalo wawungafanelanga ukhulume ngokuziqhenya ngosuku lokuhlupheka.
But thou shouldst not have looked with delight on the day of thy brother in the day of his calamity; Nor shouldst thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction, Nor have spoken haughtily in the day of his distress.
13 Ngabe kawungenanga ngesango labantu bami osukwini lwenhlupheko yabo; ngabe kawukhangelanga, lawe, ebubini babo osukwini lwenhlupheko yabo; njalo ngabe kawelulelanga isandla sakho enothweni yabo osukwini lwenhlupheko yabo.
Thou shouldst not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity, Nor have looked with delight on their affliction in the day of their calamity, Nor have laid hand on their substance in the day of their calamity,
14 Ngabe kawumanga emehlukanweni endlela ukuquma abaphunyukayo bakhe; njalo ngabe kawunikelanga abasalayo bakhe osukwini losizi.
Nor have stood in the cross-way to cut off their fugitives, Nor have delivered up those that remained in the day of distress!
15 Ngoba usuku lweNkosi lusondele ezizweni zonke. Njengokwenza kwakho kuzakwenziwa kuwe; umvuzo wakho uzabuyela ekhanda lakho.
For the day of Jehovah is near upon all the nations: As thou hast done, so shall it be done to thee; Thy dealing shall return upon thine own head.
16 Ngoba njengoba linathile entabeni yami engcwele, ngokunjalo zonke izizwe zizanatha njalonjalo, yebo, zizanatha, ziginye, zibe kungathi kazizanga zibe khona.
For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, So shall all the nations drink perpetually, Yea, they shall drink and swallow it down, And they shall be as though they had not been.
17 Kodwa entabeni yeZiyoni kuzakuba khona ukuphunyuka, kube lobungcwele; lendlu kaJakobe izakudla ilifa lamafa ayo.
But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and it shall be holy; And the house of Jacob shall regain their possessions.
18 Lendlu kaJakobe izakuba ngumlilo, lendlu kaJosefa ibe lilangabi, lendlu kaEsawu ibe libibi; njalo bazazitshisa bazidle; njalo kakuyikuba khona oseleyo endlini kaEsawu; ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile.
And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame, And the house of Esau stubble, And they shall kindle them and devour them. And there shall be none remaining of the house of Esau; For Jehovah hath spoken it.
19 Labeningizimu bazakudla ilifa lentaba kaEsawu, lalabo abemagcekeni amaFilisti, yebo bazakudla ilifa lensimu yakoEfrayimi lensimu yeSamariya, loBhenjamini iGileyadi.
And they of the south shall possess the mountain of Esau, And they of the plain, the Philistines; And they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, And the fields of Samaria; And Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20 Labathunjiweyo bale inqaba yabantwana bakoIsrayeli bazakudla ilifa elalingelamaKhanani, kuze kufike eZarefathi; labathunjiweyo beJerusalema abaseSefaredi bazakudla ilifa lemizi yeningizimu.
And the captives of this host of the sons of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites unto Sarepta, And the captives of Jerusalem which are at Sepharad shall possess the cities of the south.
21 Labasindisi bakhwele entabeni yeZiyoni ukwahlulela intaba kaEsawu; lombuso uzakuba ngoweNkosi.
And saviors shall go up to mount Zion, To rule the mount of Esau. And the kingdom shall be Jehovah's.

< U-Obhadiya 1 >