< U-Isaya 5 >

1 Ake ngihlabelele othandiweyo wami ingoma yomthandwa wami ngesivini sakhe. Othandiweyo wami ulesivini oqaqeni oluvundileyo.
Let me sing, I pray you, for a well-beloved of mine, The song of my beloved concerning his vineyard: —A vineyard, had my well-beloved on a very fruitful hill;
2 Wasibiyela, wakhupha amatshe kiso, wasihlanyela ngevini elikhethiweyo, wakha umphotshongo phakathi kwaso, wagubha lesikhamelo sewayini kiso; walindela ukuthi sizathela izithelo zevini, kodwa sathela izithelo zevini ezimunyu.
And he thoroughly digged it, And gathered out the stones thereof, And planted it with a precious vine, And built a tower in the midst thereof, Moreover also a wine-press, hewed he therein, —Then waited he that it should bring forth grapes. And it brought forth wild grapes:
3 Ngakho-ke, bahlali beJerusalema, lani madoda akoJuda, ake lahlulele phakathi kwami lesivini sami.
Now, therefore, O inhabitant of Jerusalem, And men of Judah, —Judge, I pray you, betwixt me, and my vineyard: —
4 Ngabe kwenziwani okunye esivinini sami engingakwenzanga kuso? Ngalindelelani ukuthi sizathela izithelo zevini, kodwa sathela izithelo zevini ezimunyu?
What could have been done further to my vineyard, That I had not done in it? Why then—When I had waited that it should bring forth grapes, Brought it forth, wild grapes?
5 Ngakho-ke, ake ngilitshele engizakwenza esivinini sami: Ngizasusa uthango lwaso ukuze sibe lidlelo, ngidilize umduli waso ukuze sibe ngesokugxotshwa.
Now, therefore, I pray you, let me tell, you, what I am about to do to my vineyard, —To take away the fence thereof And it shall be eaten up, To destroy the wall thereof And it shall be trodden down;
6 Ngizasenza sibe liganga, singathenwa, singahlakulwa, kodwa kumile ameva lokhula oluhlabayo. Njalo ngizalaya amayezi ukuthi anganisi izulu phezu kwaso.
And I will make it a waste; —It shall be neither pruned nor hoed, But there shall come up briars and thorns, —And upon the clouds, will I lay a charge, That they rain thereon no rain.
7 Ngoba isivini seNkosi yamabandla yindlu kaIsrayeli, labantu bakoJuda bayisithombo sentokozo zayo. Njalo yayilindele isahlulelo, kodwa khangela, ukuchithwa kwegazi; ukulunga, kodwa khangela, ukukhala.
Surely the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts, is the house of Israel, And, the men of Judah, are the plantation in which he dearly delighted, —And he waited, For equity but lo! murderous iniquity, For the rule of right but lo the cry of the wronged.
8 Maye kulabo abahlanganisa indlu lendlu, abasondeza insimu lensimu, kuze kusweleke indawo, lina-ke lihlale lodwa phakathi kwelizwe!
Alas for them who join house to house, Field to field, bring they near, —Until there is no room, But ye are left to dwell alone in the midst of the land.
9 Endlebeni zami iNkosi yamabandla yathi: Isibili izindlu ezinengi zizakuba ngamanxiwa, ezinkulu lezinhle zingabi lamhlali.
In mine ears, [said] Yahweh of hosts, —Verily, houses in abundance, shall become, a desolation, Large and fair, without inhabitant;
10 Ngoba indima ezilitshumi zesivini zizathela ibhathi elilodwa, lehomeri lenhlanyelo lithele i-efa.
For, ten yokes of vineyard, shall yield one bath, —And the seed of a homer, shall yield an ephah,
11 Maye kwabavuka ekuseni kakhulu, bexotshana lokunathwayo okulamandla, balibale kuze kuhlwe, lize iwayini libalumathise!
Alas, for them who rise early in the morning that strong drink, they may pursue, —Who follow on in the evening cool [until] with wine, they are heated;
12 Njalo ichacho lomhubhe, isigubhu lomhlanga, lewayini kusemadilini abo, kodwa kabananzi isenzo seNkosi, bengaboni umsebenzi wezandla zayo.
And it cometh to pass—that lyre and harp, timbrel and flute and wine are in their banquets, —But, the doing of Yahweh, they do not discern, And the work of his hands, have they not seen.
13 Ngakho abantu bami bazakuya ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokungabi lolwazi, lamadoda abo odumo alendlala, lenengi labo lizakoma ngumhawu.
Therefore, are my people taken away captive before they know it, —And their honourable men are famished with hunger, And, their multitude, do gape for thirst.
14 Ngakho ingcwaba lizazinabulula, livule umlomo walo ube banzi ngokungelasilinganiso, kuze kwehle udumo lwabo lobunengi babo lenxokozelo yabo lothokozayo phakathi kwabo. (Sheol h7585)
Therefore, hath hades enlarged her desire, And opened her mouth to its widest, —And their glory, and their multitude and their pomp. and he that is uproarious shall descend thereinto. (Sheol h7585)
15 Lomuntukazana uzakwehliselwa phansi, lomuntu ophakemeyo athotshiswe, lamehlo abazikhukhumezayo athotshiswe.
And the mean man hath been bowed down And the mighty man hath been humbled, —Yea the looks of the haughty shall be humbled.
16 Kodwa iNkosi yamabandla izaphakanyiswa ngesahlulelo, loNkulunkulu ongcwele uzangcweliswa ngokulunga.
But Yahweh of hosts, hath been exalted, in justice, —And the GOD that is holy hath been hallowed in righteousness;
17 Lamawundlu azakudla ngokwendlela yawo, labemzini badle amanxiwa abakhulupheleyo.
Then shall the young rams feed where they please, —And, the wastes of the wealthy, shall strangers consume.
18 Maye kwabadonsa isiphambeko ngentambo zeze, lesono njengamagoda enqola!
Alas! for them Who draw on themselves punishment with cords of falsehood, —And as with waggon-bands, penalty:
19 Labo abathi: Kaphangise, aphangisise umsebenzi wakhe, ukuze siwubone; lecebo loNgcwele kaIsrayeli kalisondele lize, ukuze silazi.
Who say—Let his work quicken—let it hasten, That we may see, —And let the purpose of Israel’s Holy One, draw near and come. That we may know!
20 Maye kwabathi kokubi kuhle, lakokuhle kubi, ababeka umnyama ube yikukhanya, lokukhanya kube ngumnyama, ababeka okubabayo kube mnandi, lokumnandi kube ngokubabayo!
Alas! for them Who call evil good and good evil, —Who put darkness for light and light for darkness, Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
21 Maye kwabahlakaniphileyo emehlweni abo, labaqedisisayo phambi kobuso babo!
Alas for them Who are wise in their own eyes, —And in their own sight, are prudent.
22 Maye kwabangamaqhawe okunatha iwayini, lamadoda alamandla okuhlanganisa okunathwayo okulamandla;
Alas for them Who are heroes to drink wine, —And men of valour to mingle strong drink,
23 abalungisisa okhohlakeleyo ngenxa yomvuzo, basuse ukulunga kwabalungileyo kubo!
Who justify the lawless, for a bribe, —Whereas the righteousness of the righteous, they take from him.
24 Ngakho njengolimi lomlilo lusidla isidindi sotshani, lamakhoba edilika ngelangabi, ngokunjalo impande yabo izakuba njengokubola, lempoko yabo iphephuke njengothuli; ngoba bewalile umlayo weNkosi yamabandla, balidelela ilizwi loNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
Therefore, As a tongue of fire, eateth up straw, And a flame reduceth, dry grass, to powder, Their root, like rottenness, shall become, And their blossom, like dust shall ascend, —Because they refused the law of Yahweh of hosts, And the utterance of the Holy One of Israel, they despised.
25 Ngenxa yalokho ulaka lweNkosi lubavuthele abantu bayo, yelula isandla sayo imelene labo, yabatshaya, izintaba zaze zazamazama, lezidumbu zabo zaba njengengcekeza phakathi kwezitalada. Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu ulaka lwayo kaluphenduki, kodwa isandla sayo silokhu seluliwe.
For this cause, did the anger of Yahweh kindle upon his own people, And he stretched out his hand against them and smote them—So that the mountains, trembled, And, their dead bodies, served, for fuel in the midst of the streets. For all this, hath his anger, not turned back, But still, is his hand outstretched,
26 Njalo izasiphakamisela isizwe isiboniso ikhatshana, isitshayele ikhwelo isekucineni komhlaba; khangela-ke, sizakuza masinyane ngejubane.
Therefore will he lift up an ensign to the nations afar off, And signal for him from the end of the earth, —And lo! with hot haste, will he come:
27 Kakho ozadinwa, njalo kakho ozakhubeka phakathi kwaso, kakho ozawozela, njalo kakho ozalala, njalo kakho ozakhululelwa ibhanti lokhalo lwakhe, njalo kakho ozaqanyukelwa ngumchilo wamanyathela akhe.
None shall be weary, and none shall stumble in his midst, He shall neither slumber nor sleep, —Nor shall be loosened, the girdle of his loins, Nor snapped, the thong of his sandals:
28 Omitshoko yakhe ibukhali, lomadandili akhe wonke agotshiwe; amasondo amabhiza akhe azabalwa njengelitshe elilukhuni, lamavili akhe njengesivunguzane.
Whose arrows, are sharpened, and all his bows, bent, —The hoofs of his horses, like flint, are accounted, And, his wheels, [are] like a storm-wind:
29 Ukubhonga kwakhe kuzakuba njengokwesilwane, njalo uzabhonga njengamabhongo esilwane, abhavume abambe impango, ayilethe ekuvikelekeni, njalo kungekho umemuki.
A roar, hath he, like a lioness, —He will roar like wild lions—And will growl, and lay hold on prey, and carry into safety, and there be none to deliver.
30 Bazakubhavumela ngalolosuku njengokubhavuma kolwandle. Uba umuntu ekhangela emhlabeni, khangela-ke, umnyama, usizi, lokukhanya kwenziwe kwaba mnyama ngamayezi aso.
Yea he will growl at him in that day, like the growling of the sea, —Though he look hard for the land, lo! the darkness of distress, Yea the light, hath grown dark in its clouds!

< U-Isaya 5 >