Isaiah 22
1 A message about the Valley of Vision (Jerusalem). What's happening? Why has everyone gone up onto the rooftops?
Isiphrofethi ngesiGodi soMbono: Kuyini okukukhathazayo khathesi, wena sewakhwela phezu kwezimpahla zezindlu,
2 There are shouts and commotion all over the city with people celebrating. Your dead weren't killed by the sword or in battle.
wena dolobho eligcwele iziphithiphithi, wena dolobho lokuxokozela lokuthokoza? Abafayo bakho ababulawanga ngenkemba, njalo kabafelanga empini.
3 All your leaders ran away together; they were captured without resistance. All your people trying to escape were captured together, even though they had run a long way away.
Bonke abakhokheli bakho babaleke bebonke, bathunjiwe bengazange basebenzise mtshoko. Lonke lina elabanjwayo lathathwa ukuba libe yizibotshwa ndawonye, libalekile isitha sisesekhatshana.
4 That's why I said, “Go away! Let me mourn in peace. Don't insist on comforting me as the daughter of my people is ruined.”
Ngakho ngathi, “Sukani kimi; lingiyekele ngikhale kabuhlungu. Lingazami ukungiduduza ngenxa yokuchithwa kwabantu bakithi.”
5 For the Lord has a day of defeat, of panic and confusion in the Valley of Vision, a day of tearing down walls and crying for help to the mountains.
INkosi, uThixo uSomandla, ulosuku lokuxokozela lokugxoba lokwesaba eSigodini soMbono, usuku lokudiliza imiduli lokumemezela ezintabeni.
6 The Elamites pick up their quivers full of arrows, and prepare their chariots and horsemen, while the people of Kir uncover their shields ready for battle.
I-Elamu ithatha isikhwama semitshoko, labatshayeli balo bezinqola zempi, lamabhiza; iKhiri lambula ihawu.
7 Your most productive valleys are now full of enemy chariots; and their cavalry are at your gates!
Izigodi zakho ezinhle kakhulu zigcwele izinqola zempi, abagadi bamabhiza bamiswe emasangweni edolobho.
8 Judah's defenses have been stripped away and so at that time you went looking for weapons in the Palace of the Forest.
Ukuvikeleka kukaJuda kususiwe, Ngalolosuku wathemba izikhali eziseSigodlweni seHlathi,
9 You examined the breaks in the walls of the City of David and found there were many. You had water collect in the lower pool.
wabona ukuthi iDolobho likaDavida lalilezikhala ezinengi ezivikelweni zalo; wagcina amanzi eSizibeni esingaPhansi.
10 Your reviewed the number of houses in the city and demolished some to provide stone to repair the walls.
Wabala izindlu zaseJerusalema, wazidiliza ukuze kuqiniswe umduli.
11 You built a reservoir inside the walls for the waters from the old pool, but you did not respect its Maker or think about the One who planned it long ago.
Phakathi kwemiduli yomibili wakha indawo yokugcinela amanzi eSiziba esiDala. Kodwa kawukhangelanga kuLowo owasenzayo, kumbe umnake Lowo owaceba ukusenza kudala.
12 At that time the Lord, the Lord Almighty, was calling you to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth.
Ngalolosuku iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, wakubiza ukuba ukhale ulile, usiphune inwele zakho, ugqoke isaka.
13 Instead, you go on happily partying! You slaughter cattle and sheep so you can have your feasts, eating meat and drinking wine, saying, “Let's eat and drink, because we're going to die tomorrow!”
Kodwa khangela, kulokuthaba lokuthokoza, ukuhlatshwa kwezinkomo lokubalwa kwezimvu, ukudliwa kwenyama lokunathwa kwewayini! Lithi, “Kasidleni sinathe, ngoba kusasa sizakufa!”
14 The Lord Almighty has made this clear to me: “I will not forgive this sin till your dying day, says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.”
UThixo uSomandla usekuvezile lokhu ngisizwa: “Lesisono kasiyikuthethelelwa kuze kube lusuku lwakho lokufa,” kutsho iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla.
15 This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, told me to do. “Go to Shebna, the palace manager, and give him this message:
Lokhu yikho okutshiwo yiNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uthi: “Hamba, uthi encekwini le, kuShebhina ongumphathi wesigodlo:
16 ‘What are you doing here? Who do you think you are, cutting out a tomb for yourself high up on a hill, carving out for yourself a place to rest?
Wenzani lapha, njalo ngubani okuphe imvumo ukuba uzimbele ingcwaba lapha, ugubha ingcwaba lakho endaweni ephezulu, ugubha indawo yakho yokuphumula edwaleni?”
17 Watch out, you “great man”! The Lord is about to grab you and violently toss you aside.
Qaphela, sekuseduze ukuthi uThixo akubambe aqinise, akuphosele khatshana, wena ndoda elamandla.
18 He's going to roll you up into a ball, and throw you far away into a vast country. You will die there, and that's where the chariots you were so proud of will remain. You're a disgrace to your lord's royal family.
Uzakugoqa ngokuqinisa akubumbe njengebhola akuphosele elizweni elikhulu. Uzafela khonapho. Lezigqoko zakho zempi ezinhle zizasala khonapho, wenza ihlazo endlini yenkosi yakho!
19 I will push you out of office, I will strip you of your position.
Ngizakususa esikhundleni sakho, njalo uzaxotshwa emsebenzini wakho.
20 After that I will call for my servant, Eliakim, son of Hilkiah.
Ngalolosuku ngizabiza inceku yami, u-Eliyakhimu indodana kaHilikhiya.
21 I will put your robe and place your sash around him, and I will give your authority to him. He will be a father to the people living in Jerusalem and Judah.
Ngizamgqokisa izembatho zakho, ngimbophe ngebhanti lakho, ngimnike amandla akho. Uzakuba nguyise walabo abahlala eJerusalema lakwabendlu kaJuda.
22 I will give him the key to the house of David. What he opens, nobody can shut; what he shuts, nobody can open.
Ngizabeka phezu kwamahlombe akhe isivulo sendlu kaDavida; akuvulayo kakho ongakuvala.
23 I will drive him like a nail hammered securely into a wall. He will bring honor to his family.
Ngizambethela njengesikhonkwane endaweni eqinileyo; uzakuba yisihlalo sobukhosi sasendlini kayise.
24 The heavy burden of his father's family will hang on him—all the descendants and the inlaws—all the little containers, bowls and all kinds of jars.
Lonke udumo lwakwabo luzakuba kuye, inzalo yakhona lezizukulwane zonke, izitsha zakhona ezincinyane, kusukela emiganwini kusiya enkonxeni zonke.
25 So the time will come, declares the Lord Almighty, when the nail will come out of the wall, even though it was hammered in securely. It will break off and fall down, and everything hanging on it will fall down too. The Lord has spoken.
“Ngalolosuku,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla, “isikhonkwane esabethelwa endaweni eqinileyo sizakhumuka; sizaqunywa siwe, umthwalo ophezu kwaso uzawela phansi.” UThixo usekhulumile.
