ʻIsaia 18

1 ‌ʻE ʻa koe! Ko e fonua ʻoku lolofa ai ʻae kapakau, ʻaia ʻoku tuʻu kituʻa ʻi he vaitafe ʻo ʻItiopea:

Tragedy is coming to the land of whirring wings that lies along the rivers of Ethiopia,

2 ‌ʻA koe ʻoku kouna atu ʻene kau talafekau ʻi he tahi, ʻi he ngaahi vaka papailusi ʻi he fukahi vai, ʻo pehē, ʻAlu, ʻakimoutolu ʻae kau talafekau veʻe vave, ki he puleʻanga lōloa mo lafalafa, ki he kakai fakamanavahē talu mei honau kamataʻanga ʻo aʻu ki heni; ko e puleʻanga kuo fua ʻaki ʻae afo pea faʻa molomoloki, ʻaia kuo maumau ʻe he ngaahi vaitafe!

They send messengers downriver in papyrus boats. Swift messengers, go and take a message to a tall and smooth-skinned people, to a people feared by everyone, to a very powerful nation of conquerors, whose land is washed away by rivers.

3 ‌ʻAkimoutolu ʻae kakai kotoa pē ʻo māmani, mo kimoutolu ʻoku nofo ʻi he funga fonua, mou vakai, ʻoka fokotuʻu ʻe ia ha fuka ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga; pea ʻi he ifi ʻe ia ʻae kelea, mou fanongo.

All you people of the world, everyone who lives on earth—you will see when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will hear when a trumpet sounds.

4 He naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate au, “Te u mālōlō, pea te u tokangaʻi hoku fale ʻo hangē ko e mafana hili ʻae ʻuha, pea hangē ko ha ʻao ʻoe hahau ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe ututaʻu.”

For this is what the Lord has told me: I will watch quietly from where I live, quiet as heat haze in sunlight, quiet as a mistcloud in the heat of harvest.

5 ‌ʻI he teʻeki ai hoko ʻae ututaʻu, ʻaia ʻoku haohaoa ai hono fua, pea ʻoku fakaʻaʻau ke momoho ʻae kālepi mei hono fisi, te ne fakatou tuʻusi ʻae ngaahi huli ʻaki ʻae hele tuʻusi, pea ʻave mo tuʻusi hifo ʻae ngaahi vaʻa.

For before the harvest, after the flower is gone and becomes an unripe grape, he prunes the vine with a knife to take out the shoots and branches.

6 ‌ʻE tuku fakataha ia ki he manupuna ʻoe ngaahi moʻunga, pea ki he fanga manu fekai ʻoe kelekele: ko e ngaahi manupuna te nau kai ai ʻi he faʻahitaʻu mafana, pea ʻe kai ai ʻae manu fekai kotoa pē ʻoe kelekele ʻi he faʻahitaʻu momoko.

They will all be left as carrion for the birds of prey of the mountains, and for the wild animals. The birds will eat them in summer, and all the wild animals in winter.

7 ʻI he kuonga ko ia ʻe ʻomi kia Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ʻae meʻa foaki mei he fonua lōloa mo lafalafa, pea mei he kakai fakamanavahē talu mei honau tupuʻanga ʻo aʻu mai; ko e puleʻanga kuo fua ʻaki ʻae afo pea faʻa molomoloki, ʻaia kuo maumauʻi ʻe he ngaahi vaitafe; ki he potu ʻoe huafa ʻo Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ki he moʻunga ko Saione.”

At that time a gift will be brought to the Lord Almighty from a tall and smooth-skinned people, from a people feared by everyone, from a very powerful nation of conquerors, whose land is washed away by rivers. It will be brought to Mount Zion, the place identified with the Lord Almighty.