ʻIsaia 28

1 Malaʻia ki he tatā ʻoe laukau, ki he kau konā ʻo ʻIfalemi, ʻakinautolu ʻoku hangē ko e fisiʻiʻakau mae ʻa ʻenau toulekeleka ongoongolelei! Kiate kinautolu ʻoku nofo ʻi he ʻulu ʻoe vanu kelekele moʻui ʻonautolu ʻoku konā ʻi he uaine!

Terrible things will happen to [Samaria city, the capital of Israel]! It is on a hill above a fertile valley; the people who live there, who get drunk by drinking too much wine, are very proud; it is a beautiful and glorious city, but some day that beauty will disappear like [MET] a flower that wilts and dries up.

2 Vakai, ʻoku ʻi he ʻEiki ha tokotaha māfimafi mo mālohi, ʻo hangē ko e taufa ʻuha maka, ʻo hangē ko e afā fulikele, ʻo hangē ko e tafe hifo ʻae ngaahi vai lahi ʻoku tafe mālohi, te ne tā hifo ki he kelekele ʻaki hono nima.

Listen to this: Yahweh will cause a great army to attack Samaria. Their soldiers will be like [SIM] a huge hailstorm [or] a very strong wind; they will be everywhere, like the water of a huge flood, and they will smash to the ground [the buildings in Samaria].

3 Ko e tatā ʻoe laukau, ʻae kakai konā ʻo ʻIfalemi, ʻe molomoloki ʻi he lalo vaʻe:

The people of Samaria are proud, but everything that the drunks who live there think is wonderful/glorious will be trampled on by their enemies.

4 Pea ko e toulekeleka ongoongolelei, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he ʻulu ʻoe vanu kelekele moʻui, ʻe hoko ia ko e fisiʻiʻakau mae, pea hangē ko e fua tupu vave ʻi he teʻeki hoko ʻae faʻahitaʻu mafana: ʻaia ʻoku toli leva ʻe ia ʻoku mamata ki ai, pea ʻi heʻene ʻi hono nima ʻoku ne kai leva ia ʻo ʻosi.

[Yes], Samaria is beautiful, set on a hill above a fertile valley, but that beauty will disappear like [MET] a flower that wilts and dries up. Whenever someone sees a good fig at the beginning of the season [when figs become ripe], he quickly picks and eats it; [similarly, when the enemies of Israel see all the beautiful things in Samaria], [they will quickly conquer the city and take away all those things].

5 ʻI he ʻaho ko ia ʻe hoko ʻa Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau ko e tatā ongoongolelei, pea ko e pale fakasanisani, ki hono toe ʻo hono kakai,

At that time, the Commander of the armies of angels will be [like] a glorious wreath of flowers for [us] Israeli people who are still alive [after being exiled].

6 Pea ko e laumālie ʻoe fakamaau kiate ia ʻoku nofo ke fakamaau, pea ko e mālohi kiate kinautolu ʻoku fakafoki ʻae tau ki he matapā.

He will cause our judges to want to do what is fair/just when they decide people’s cases. He will enable the soldiers who stand at the city gates to strongly defend [the city when our enemies attack it].

7 Ka kuo nau hē ʻi he uaine, pea koeʻuhi ko e inu mālohi kuo nau hē mei he hala; kuo hē ʻae taulaʻeiki pea mo e palōfita ʻi he inu mālohi, ʻoku nau moʻua ki he uaine, kuo nau hē mei he hala ko e meʻa ʻi he inu mālohi; ʻoku ninimo honau mata, ʻoku nau humu ʻi he fakamaau.

[But now, ] our leaders stagger/stumble because they have drunk a lot of wine and [other] alcoholic drinks. The priests and prophets also stagger because of drinking a lot of wine and other alcoholic drinks. They are not able to think right; they see visions but they cannot understand what they mean; they are unable to decide things correctly.

8 He ʻoku fonu ʻae ngaahi keinangaʻanga kotoa pē ʻi he lua mo e fakalielia, ko ia ʻoku ʻikai ha potu ʻoku maʻa.

All their tables are covered with [their] vomit; filth is everywhere.

9 Te ne ako kia hai ʻae ʻilo? Pea ko hai te ne akonakiʻi ke ne ʻilo ʻa ʻene akonaki? Ko kinautolu kuo fakamavae mei he huʻahuhu, pea kuo toʻo mei he huhu.

They ridicule Yahweh saying, “Who does he think that he is teaching? Why is he talking to us like this? [Does he think that] we are little children who have recently been weaned?

10 He kuo ʻai ʻae fekau ki he fekau, ʻae fekau ki he fekau; ʻae ʻotu lea ki he ʻotu lea, ʻae ʻotu lea ki he ʻotu lea; ko e siʻi ʻi heni pea siʻi ʻi hena:

[He continually tells us], ‘Do this, do that;’ first he tells us one rule, then another rule, he tells us only one line at a time.”

11 He te ne lea moʻoni ʻaki ki he kakai ni ʻae loungutu fakaleʻoleʻovale pea mo e ʻelelo kehe.

So now, Yahweh will need to force them to listen to [Assyrians] speaking to them in a language that they do not understand.

12 ‌ʻAia naʻa ne pehē kiate kinautolu, Ko eni ʻae mālōlō te ke fakamālōlō ʻaki ʻae kakai ongosia; pea ko eni ʻae fakafiemālie; ka naʻa nau fakaongotuli.

Yahweh told his people [long ago], “[This is] a place where you can rest; you are exhausted [from all your travels through the desert], but you will be able to rest [in this land].” But they refused to pay attention to what he said.

13 Ka naʻe ʻiate kinautolu ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova ko e fekau ki he fekau, ko e fekau ki he fekau; ko e ʻotu lea ki he ʻotu lea, ko e ʻotu lea ki he ʻotu lea; ko e siʻi ʻi heni, pea siʻi ʻi hena; koeʻuhi ke nau ʻalu ai, pea hinga fakaholomui, pea mafesifesi pea tauheleʻi, pea moʻua ai ʻakinautolu.

So Yahweh continues to tell the people of Samaria, one line at a time, “Do this, do that,” first one rule and then another rule. But because [of their ignoring what God said], they will be attacked and defeated; they will be wounded and snared and captured.

14 Ko ia mou fanongo ki he folofola ʻa Sihova, ʻakimoutolu ʻae kau tangata paetaku ʻoku pule ʻae kakai ni ʻoku ʻi Selūsalema.

Because of [what will happen in Samaria], you rulers in Jerusalem who make fun of me, listen to this message from Yahweh:

15 Koeʻuhi kuo mou pehē, “Kuo mau fuakava mo e mate, pea kuo mau feʻofoʻofani mo heli; ʻoka hā mai ʻae tautea fakaʻauha, ʻe ʻikai aʻu mai ia kiate kimautolu: he kuo mau hūfanga ʻaki ʻae loi, pea kuo mau fufū ʻakimautolu ʻi he kākā:” (Sheol h7585)

You [boast] saying, “We have made an alliance with [the leaders of Egypt], so we will not be killed [in battles]; we will never go to the place where the dead people are. When the [army of Assyria] attacks us, they will never defeat us, because we have made [an agreement with Egypt] to protect us!” [But that agreement consists of] a lot of lies [DOU]. (Sheol h7585)

16 Ko ia ʻoku pehē ʻe he ʻEiki ko Sihova, “Vakai, ʻoku ou ʻai ʻi Saione ʻae maka tuʻunga; ʻae maka kuo ʻahiʻahiʻi, ko e fungani maka tuliki, ko e tuʻunga maʻu: ko ia ʻoku tui kiate ia ʻe ʻikai puputuʻu ia.

Therefore, Yahweh [our] Lord says this: “Listen to this! I am going to place in Jerusalem [someone who is like] [MET] a foundation stone, [he is like] a stone that has been tested [to determine if it is solid]. [He will be like] a valuable cornerstone around which it will be safe to build a house; and whoever trusts in him will never be disappointed.

17 Te u ʻai foki ʻae fakamaau ki he afo fua, mo e māʻoniʻoni ki he meʻa fakatotonu: pea ko e ʻuha maka te ne tafi ke mole ʻae hūfanga ʻoe loi, pea ʻe lōmakiʻi ʻe he ngaahi vai ʻae toitoiʻanga.

I will test you [people of Jerusalem] to find out if you will act justly and righteously [like] [MET] someone uses a plumb line [to determine if a wall is straight and vertical]. But because your agreement [with Egypt] to protect you [was made by leaders] lying to each other and deceiving each other, you will be defeated and taken away [from your country] by [an army that will come against you like] [MET] a flood.

18 “Pea ʻe maumauʻi hoʻomou fuakava mo e mate, pea ʻe ʻikai tuʻu homou loto taha mo heli; ʻoka hā mai ʻae tautea fakaʻauha, ʻe toki malaki hifo ai ʻakimoutolu. (Sheol h7585)

I will annul/destroy the agreement that you made [with the leaders of Egypt]. You thought that [because of that agreement] you would not be killed, and you would not go to the place where the dead are. [But] when the vast [army of Assyria] overwhelms you like a flood, they will trample you into the ground. (Sheol h7585)

19 Pea ʻi heʻene hā atu te mou moʻua ai; he te ne ʻalu atu ʻi he pongipongi mo e pongipongi, ʻio, ʻi he ʻaho mo e pō: pea naʻa mo ʻene ʻuʻulu mai pe ʻe tupu ai ʻae ilifia.

Their soldiers will come during the morning, at noontime, and at night, and they will carry you all away.” And when you understand this message, you will be terrified.

20 He ʻoku nounou ʻae mohenga ki he tokoto ʻi ai: pea ʻoku lausiʻi ʻae kafu ke ne fakakafu ʻaki ia.

[You have heard people say], “Your bed is very short, you will not be able to sleep in it; your blankets are very narrow; they will not cover you!” [That means for you that your agreement with Egypt is not going to save you].

21 ‌ʻE tuʻu hake ʻa Sihova ʻo hangē ko ʻene ʻi he moʻunga ko Pilasimi, te ne houhau ʻo hangē ko ia ʻi he teleʻa ʻo Kipione, koeʻuhi ke ne fai ʻene ngāue, ʻa ʻene ngāue fakaofo; ke ne fakahoko ʻa ʻene ngāue, ko ʻene ngāue foʻou.

Yahweh will come [and cause you to be defeated]; he will do to you like he did to the army of Philistia at Perizim Mountain and like he did to the Amor people-group at Gibeon Valley. What he will do will be [very] strange and unusual [DOU].

22 Ko ia ke ʻoua naʻa mou manuki, telia naʻa ngaohi homou haʻi ke mālohi: he kuo u fanongo ʻi he ʻEiki ko Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ʻe fai ʻae fakaʻauha, ʻio, kuo tuʻutuʻuni ki māmani kotoa pē.

The Commander of the armies of angels has told me that he is going to destroy the entire land. So do not ridicule [what I say any more], because if you do that he will punish you [even] more severely.

23 “Mou fakatokanga, pea fanongo ki hoku leʻo; fanongo, pea fakaongo ki heʻeku lea.

Listen [IDM] to what I say; pay attention carefully.

24 He ʻoku fakahinohino ʻae huo toho ʻe he tangata kelingoue ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ke tūtuuʻi? ʻOku ne langaʻi pea fakamolū ʻae ngaahi konga ʻoe kelekele?

When a farmer plows some ground, does he never plant seeds [RHQ]? Does he continue to plow it and never plant anything [RHQ]?

25 ‌ʻOka fakamolemole ʻae funga ʻo ia, ʻikai ʻoku ne tūtuuʻi mamaʻo ʻae ngaahi tili, pea tūtuuʻi ʻae kumino, pea ai mo e uite lelei, mo e paʻale kuo tuʻutuʻuni, pea mo e lae ʻi honau potu?

No, he makes the ground very level, and then he plants seeds— dill and cumin and wheat and barley. He plants each kind of seed in the correct manner.

26 He ʻoku ako ia ke poto ʻe hono ʻOtua, pea ʻoku ne akonakiʻi ia.

[He does that] because God has taught him the correct way to do it.

27 He ʻoku ʻikai haha ʻae tili ʻaki ʻae meʻa haha, pea ʻoku ʻikai fakatakamilo ʻae saliote ki he kumino; ka ʻoku tā ke ngangana ʻae tili ʻaki ʻae ʻakau, pea mo e kumino ʻaki ʻae tokotoko.

[Farmers] never thresh caraway/dill with a heavy sledge/club; instead, they beat it only with a stick. [Farmers] never thresh cumin by driving a cart over it; instead, they hit it [only] with a rod.

28 ‌ʻOku fakavolu ʻae uite ki he mā koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai te ne fie haha maʻuaipē ia, pe momosi ia ʻaki ʻae teka ʻo hono saliote, pe fakavolu ia ʻaki hono kau tangata heka hoosi.

And grain for baking bread is crushed easily, so the farmers do not continue to pound it for a long time. They sometimes cause their horses to pull a cart over it [to thresh it], [but] doing that does not grind the grain.

29 ‌ʻOku haʻu foki eni meia Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ʻaia ʻoku fakamanavahē ʻi he fakahinohino, pea lelei lahi ʻi he ngāue.”

The Commander of the armies of angels gives [us] wonderful advice [about how to do things]; he causes [us] to be very wise. [So what the farmers do is very smart/wise, but what your leaders are doing is very stupid].