Isaiah 16
1 Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela through the desert, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.
Thumelani izimvu njengendlela yokuhlonipha kumbusi welizwe evela eSela, edabula enkangala, esiya entabeni yeNdodakazi yeZiyoni.
2 The Moabite women at the fords of the Arnon are like birds fluttering around when their nest is destroyed.
Njengenyoni ephaphazelayo isuswe esidlekeni, banjalo abesifazane baseMowabi emazibukweni ase-Arinoni.
3 Think about it and make a decision. Make your shadow as invisible at midday as during the night. Hide the refugees; don't betray them as they run away.
UMowabi uthi, “Zinzisani ingqondo zenu lenze isinqumo. Yenzani isithunzi senu sibe njengobusuku emini enkulu; bafihleni ababalekayo, linganikeli iziphepheli.
4 Let my refugees stay among you, Moab. Hide them from our enemies until the destroyer is no more, the destruction is over, and the aggressive invaders have gone.
Vumelani iziphepheli zamaMowabi zihlale kini; libe yisiphephelo sazo kubachithi.” Umncindezeli uzakufa, ukuchitheka kuzaphela, umhlaseli uzanyamalala elizweni.
5 Then a kingdom will be set up based on trustworthy love, and on its throne will sit a faithful king from the line of David. He will judge fairly, and will be passionately committed to doing what is right.
Ngothando, kuzamiswa isihlalo sobukhosi; ngokwethembeka, indoda izahlala kuso, ivela endlini kaDavida, yona ethi ekwahluleleni ifune imfanelo, njalo iphangisisa indlela yokulunga.
6 We know all about the pride of the Moabites, how terribly vain and conceited they are, completely arrogant! But their boasting is false.
Sizwile ngokuzigqaja kukaMowabi. Ukuzigqaja kwakhe kokuzikhukhumeza lokuzazisa, ukuzigqaja kwakhe lobuqholo bakhe, kodwa ukuzikhukhumeza kwakhe kuyize.
7 All the Moabites grieve for Moab. They all mourn the loss of the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, all of them destroyed.
Ngakho-ke abaseMowabi bayalila, balilela iMowabi bonke. Khalani libubulele izinkwa ezilezithelo zevini eKhiri-Haresethi.
8 Heshbon's fields have dried up, as have Sibmah's grapevines. The rulers of the nations have trampled down the vines that once branched out to Jazer and east towards the desert, and west as far as the sea.
Amasimu aseHeshibhoni ayabuna, anjalo lamavini aseSibhima. Ababusi bezizwe sebewanyathelele phansi amavini amahle kuqala ayefika eJazeri, njalo anda kusiya ngasenkangala. Amahlumela awo anaba aze ayafika ngasolwandle.
9 So I cry with Jazer for Sibmah's vines; I soak Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears. Nobody shouts in celebration over your summer fruit and your harvest any more.
Ngakho ngiyakhala njengalokhu iJazeri ikhala, ngikhalela amavini aseSibhima. Awu Heshibhoni lawe Eliyale, ngilithambisa ngezinyembezi. Ukuklabalalela izithelo zenu esezivuthiwe ngentokozo lezivuno zenu sekuphelile.
10 Joy and happiness are gone. Nobody celebrates in the harvest fields or the vineyards; nobody shouts happily. Nobody treads grapes in the winepresses. I have stopped their cheering.
Ukuthokoza lokuthaba akusekho ezivinini; kakho ohlabelayo loba amemeze ezivinini; kakho onyathela iwayini ezikhamelweni ngoba umsindo sengiwuqedile.
11 Heartbroken I cry for Moab like sad music on a harp; deep inside I weep for Kir-hareseth.
Inhliziyo yami ikhalela uMowabi njengechacho, ingaphakathi yami ikhalela iKhiri-Haresethi.
12 The Moabites go and wear themselves out worshiping at their high places. They go to their shrines to pray, but it does them no good.
Lapho uMowabi evela endaweni yakhe ephakemeyo uyazidinisa nje kuphela; lalapho esiya endaweni yakhe yokukhonzela ukuba akhuleke akusizi lutho.
13 This is the message that the Lord has already delivered about Moab.
Leli yilizwi uThixo avele eselikhulumile ngoMowabi.
14 But now the Lord speaks again, and says, In three years, just as a contract worker precisely counts years, Moab's glory will turn into something to be laughed at. Despite there being so many Moabites now, soon there will only be a few feeble people left.
Kodwa khathesi uThixo uthi: “Phakathi kweminyaka emithathu, njengesisebenzi esibotshwe yisivumelwano singayibala, udumo lukaMowabi labantu bakhe bonke abanengi kuzakweyiswa, njalo abazasinda bakhona bazakuba balutshwana kakhulu njalo bengelamandla.”
