< U-Isaya 22 >

1 Umthwalo wesigodi sombono. Kutheni kuwe khathesi, ukuthi ngulowo lalowo wakho akhwele empahleni zezindlu?
The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?
2 Wena ogcwele imisindo, muzi oxokozelayo, dolobho elilentokozo, ababuleweyo bakho kababulawanga ngenkemba, kabafelanga empini.
You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town, your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.
3 Bonke ababusi bakho babaleke kanyekanye, babotshwe ngabatshoki, bonke abatholakala kuwe, babotshiwe kanyekanye, babaleke besuka khatshana.
All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.
4 Ngenxa yalokhu ngathi: Susani amehlo kimi; kangikhale kabuhlungu; ungaphangisi ukungiduduza ngenxa yokuchitheka kwendodakazi yabantu bakithi.
Therefore I said, “Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Don’t labour to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
5 Ngoba kulusuku lokusanganiseka, lolokunyathelela phansi, lolokuphithizela kweNkosi uJehova wamabandla esigodini sombono, lokudilizela phansi umduli, lolokuhlaba umkhosi kuze kube sentabeni.
For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity from the Lord, GOD of Armies, in the valley of vision, a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.”
6 IElamu yathatha-ke isikhwama semitshoko, kanye lenqola, abantu, abagadi bamabhiza; leKiri yembula isihlangu.
Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.
7 Kuzakuthi-ke izigodi zakho ezikhethekileyo zigcwala izinqola, labagadi bamabhiza bazihlele lokuzihlela ngasesangweni.
Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.
8 Njalo yena uzakwembula isimbombozo sakoJuda; langalolosuku wena uzakhangela izikhali zendlu yehlathi.
He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armour in the house of the forest.
9 Njalo lizabona imikenke yomuzi kaDavida, ukuthi minengi, liqoqe amanzi echibini elingaphansi.
You saw the breaches of David’s city, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
10 Lizabala izindlu zeJerusalema, lidilize izindlu ukuze liqinise umduli.
You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.
11 Lizakwenza ichibi phakathi kwemiduli yomibili lisenzela amanzi omgodi omdala. Kodwa kaliyikukhangela kowakwenzayo, kalimnanzanga owakubumbayo kudala.
You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you didn’t look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who planned it long ago.
12 Langalolosuku iNkosi uJehova wamabandla izamemezela ukulila, lokukhala, lokuphucwa kwamakhanda, lokugqokwa kwesaka.
In that day, the Lord, GOD of Armies, called to weeping, to mourning, to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth;
13 Kodwa khangela, injabulo lokuthaba, ukubulawa kwenkomo, lokuhlatshwa kwezimvu, ukudliwa kwenyama, lokunathwa kwewayini; lathi: Asidleni sinathe, ngoba kusasa sizakufa.
and behold, there is joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.”
14 Kodwa iNkosi yamabandla yembula endlebeni zami isithi: Isibili lesisono kaliyikusenzelwa inhlawulo yokuthula lize life, kutsho iNkosi uJehova wamabandla.
The LORD of Armies revealed himself in my ears, “Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,” says the Lord, GOD of Armies.
15 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova wamabandla: Hamba uye kulo umphathi, kuShebina, ophezu kwendlu, uthi:
The Lord, GOD of Armies says, “Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,
16 Ulani lapha, njalo ulobani lapha, ukuthi uzigebhele ingcwaba lapha, njengozigebhela ingcwaba lakhe phezulu, ozigubhela indawo yokuhlala edwaleni?
‘What are you doing here? Who has you here, that you have dug out a tomb here?’ Cutting himself out a tomb on high, chiselling a habitation for himself in the rock!”
17 Khangela, iNkosi izakujikijela khatshana ngokujika kwendoda; izakugoqela ngokukugoqela,
Behold, the LORD will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.
18 ikuthandele lokukuthandela njengebhola eligoqelwayo; njengebhola izakuphosela elizweni elibanzi; lalapho uzafela, lalapho izinqola zodumo lwakho zizakuba lihlazo, olwendlu yenkosi yakho!
He will surely wind you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a large country. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be, you disgrace of your lord’s house.
19 Njalo ngizakusunduza usuke esikhundleni sakho, ikuwise ekumeni kwakho.
I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station.
20 Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku ngibize inceku yami uEliyakhimi indodana kaHilikhiya;
It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
21 ngizamgqokisa isigqoko sakho, ngimqinise ngebhanti lakho, nginikeze umbuso wakho esandleni sakhe; njalo yena uzakuba nguyise kubahlali beJerusalema lendlini yakoJuda.
and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
22 Ngizabeka-ke isihluthulelo sendlu kaDavida ehlombe lakhe; yena uzavula kungavali muntu, avale kungavuli muntu.
I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.
23 Ngizambethela njengesikhonkwane endaweni eqinileyo; njalo uzakuba yisihlalo sobukhosi esilodumo endlini kayise.
I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house.
24 Njalo bazaphanyeka phezu kwakhe udumo lonke lwendlu kayise, inzalo lembewu, zonke izitsha ezincinyane, kusukela ezitsheni zenkezo kusiya kuzo zonke izitsha zeziphiso.
They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers.
25 Ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, isikhonkwane esabethelwa endaweni eqinileyo sizasuswa, siganyulwe siwe; lomthwalo obuphezu kwaso uzaqunywa; ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile.
“In that day,” says the LORD of Armies, “the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken it.”

< U-Isaya 22 >