UZekhariya 9
1 Umthwalo welizwi leNkosi elizweni leHadiraki, leDamaseko indawo yakho yokuphumula, lapho ilihlo lomuntu lelazo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli lizakuba seNkosini.
An oracle: The message of the Lord concerns the land of Hadrach, it rests upon Damascus. For the capital of Aram belongs to the Lord, as the tribes of Israel do,
2 LeHamathi layo izakhawula kiyo; iTire leSidoni, lanxa ihlakaniphile kakhulu.
and also Hamath which borders on it. Tyre and Sidon, for all their wisdom.
3 LeTire yazakhela inqaba, yabuthelela isiliva njengothuli, legolide njengodaka lwezitalada.
Tyre built for herself a fortress. Heaped up silver as dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 Khangela, iNkosi izayixotsha, itshaye amandla ayo elwandle; yona idliwe ngumlilo.
But now the Lord will dispossess her, cast down her rampart into the sea. She will be consumed in fire.
5 IAshikeloni izabona, yesabe; leGaza, ibe lusizi kakhulu; leEkhironi; ngoba ebikulindele kuzayangisa; njalo inkosi yeGaza izabhubha, leAshikeloni kayiyikuhlalwa.
Ashkelon will see and fear, and Gaza writhe in anguish, Ekron, also for her hope will be put to shame. The king will perish from Gaza, Ashkelon will remain uninhabited.
6 Njalo ozelwe ngobufebe uzahlala eAshidodi; njalo ngizaquma ukuzigqaja kwamaFilisti.
A foreign people will settle in Ashdod, and I will humble the pride of the Philistines.
7 Ngizasusa igazi lakhe emlonyeni wakhe, lezinengiso zakhe phakathi kwamazinyo akhe; kodwa oseleyo, ngitsho yena, uzakuba ngokaNkulunkulu wethu, abe njengenduna koJuda, leEkhironi njengomJebusi.
I will take their blood from their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth. They also will be a remnant for our God, like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8 Besengimisa inkamba ngasendlini yami ngenxa yebutho, ngenxa yowedlulayo, langenxa yophendukayo, njalo kakusayikudlula umcindezeli kubo; ngoba khathesi sengibonile ngamehlo ami.
But I will encamp as a guard about my house, so that none will pass through or return, and no oppressor will pass through them again, for now I have seen with my own eyes.
9 Thokoza kakhulu, wena ndodakazi yeZiyoni! Memeza wena ndodakazi yeJerusalema! Khangela, iNkosi yakho iyeza kuwe, ilungile, njalo ilosindiso; ithobekile, igade ubabhemi, lethole, inkonyana kababhemikazi.
Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your king comes to you. Vindicated and victorious is he, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 Njalo ngizaquma inqola isuke koEfrayimi, lebhiza eJerusalema; ledandili lempi lizaqunywa; njalo izakhuluma ukuthula kwabezizwe; lombuso wayo uzasukela elwandle usiya elwandle, njalo kusukela emfuleni kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba.
He will cut off chariots from Ephraim, and war horses from Jerusalem. The battle bow will be cut off, and he will speak peace to the nations. His rule will be from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.
11 Lawe, ngegazi lesivumelwano sakho ngikhuphile izibotshwa zakho emgodini ongelamanzi.
And you, too – because of your blood covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12 Phendukelani enqabeni, lina zibotshwa ezilethemba; lalamuhla ngiyamemezela ukuthi ngizabuyisela kuwe ngokuphindwe kabili;
To the stronghold will the prisoners of hope return. This day I declare, I will restore double to you.
13 lapho sengizigobisele uJuda, ngagcwalisa idandili ngoEfrayimi, ngavusa amadodana akho, wena Ziyoni, amelana lamadodana akho, wena Girisi, ngakwenza ube njengenkemba yeqhawe.
For I have bent Judah to me, like a bow which I have filled with Ephraim like an arrow. I will urge your sons, Zion, against the sons of Greece, I will make you like the sword of a hero.
14 Njalo iNkosi izabonakala phezu kwabo, lomtshoko wayo uzaphuma njengombane; iNkosi uJehova izavuthela uphondo, ihambe lezivunguzane zeningizimu.
Then the Lord will be seen above them and his arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord will blow a blast upon a trumpet, and travel on the whirlwinds of the south.
15 INkosi yamabandla izabavikela; njalo bazakudla, behlisele phansi amatshe esavutha; banathe, benze umsindo njengewayini; bagcwale njengomganu, njengamagumbi elathi.
The Lord of hosts will defend them. They will devour and tread down the slingstones, they will drink their blood like wine, they will be full like a bowl, like the crevices of the altar.
16 Njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo izabasindisa ngalolosuku njengomhlambi wabantu bayo; ngoba bazakuba ngamatshe omqhele, bephakanyisiwe phezu kwelizwe lakhe.
And the Lord their God will save them on that day, as the flock of his people, as the jewel of a crown shining in his land.
17 Ngoba kungakanani ukulunga kwakhe, njalo bungakanani ubuhle bakhe! Amabele azathokozisa amajaha, lewayini elitsha izintombi.
How good and how beautiful will it be! Corn will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women!
