Isaiah 24
1 Watch out! The Lord is going to destroy the earth, to make it totally devastated. He's going to rip up the surface of the earth and scatter its inhabitants.
Khangela, iNkosi yenza umhlaba ube yize, iwenze ube yincithakalo, yone ubuso bawo, ihlakaze abahlali bawo.
2 It will happen the same for everybody—whether people or priests, servants or their masters, maids or their mistresses, buyers or sellers, lenders or borrowers, creditors or debtors.
Kuzakuthi njengabantu kube njalo umpristi; njengesisebenzi kube njalo inkosi yaso; njengencekukazi kube njalo inkosikazi yayo; njengomthengi kube njalo umthengisi; njengombolekisi kube njalo obolekayo; njengomniki wesikwelede kube njalo okweledayo.
3 The earth will be completely laid waste and looted. This is what the Lord has said.
Umhlaba uzachitheka lokuchitheka, uphangwe lokuphangwa; ngoba iNkosi ilikhulumile lelilizwi.
4 The earth dries up and withers away; the world shrivels up and withers away, the high and mighty people shrivel up along with the earth.
Umhlaba uyalila, ubune, ilizwe liyadangala, libune; abantu bomhlaba abaphakemeyo bayadangala.
5 The earth is polluted by its people; they have flouted God's laws, violated his regulations, and broken the eternal agreement with him.
Umhlaba lawo ungcolisiwe ngaphansi kwabahlali bawo; ngoba beqile imilayo, baguqula isimiso, bephula isivumelwano esilaphakade.
6 That is why a curse is destroying the earth. The people suffer because of their guilt. The inhabitants of the earth are burned up and only a few survive.
Ngenxa yalokho isiqalekiso siwuqedile umhlaba, labahlala kuwo bayachitheka; ngakho-ke abahlali bomhlaba batshisiwe, njalo kusale abantu abalutshwana.
7 The new wine dries up, and the vine withers. All the people celebrating groan.
Iwayini elitsha liyalila, ivini lidangale, bonke abanhliziyo ethokozayo bayabubula.
8 The happy sound of tambourines is over; the noise of the party-goers has stopped; the delightful harp music has finished,
Injabulo yezigubhu iphelile, umsindo wabajabulayo uphelile, intokozo yechacho iphelile.
9 People don't sing any more as they drink wine, and the beer tastes bitter.
Kabayikunatha iwayini ngengoma; okunathwayo okulamandla kuzababa kwabakunathayo.
10 The chaotic city is falling apart; every house is barred shut to keep others out.
Umuzi wencithakalo ubhidlikile, yonke indlu ivaliwe ukuze kungangenwa.
11 Crowds on the street are shouting, demanding to have wine. Joy turns into darkness. There's no happiness left on earth.
Kukhalelwa iwayini ezitaladeni; intokozo yonke ifiphele, injabulo yomhlaba inyamalele.
12 The city is in a horrible state of ruin; its gates have been broken down.
Emzini kusele incithakalo, lesango litshayiwe lachithwa.
13 This is the way it's going to be all throughout the earth among the nations—only a few olives are left after the tree is shaken, only a few grapes are left to be gleaned after the harvest.
Ngoba kuzakuba njalo phakathi kwelizwe, phakathi kwabantu, njengokunyikinywa kwesihlahla somhlwathi, njengokukhothoza sesiphelile isivuno sezithelo zevini.
14 These survivors shout aloud and sing for joy. From the west they praise the Lord's majesty.
Bona bazaphakamisa ilizwi labo, bazahlabelela ubukhosi beNkosi, bamemeze beselwandle.
15 From the east they glorify the Lord; from the sea shores they praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
Ngenxa yalokhu dumisani iNkosi emililweni, ibizo leNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ezihlengeni zolwandle.
16 We hear songs coming from the ends of the earth, singing, “Glory to the God who does right.” But I'm miserable, miserable. Pity me! Deceitful people go on betraying, again and again.
Sizwile amahubo avela emkhawulweni womhlaba, udumo kolungileyo. Kodwa ngathi: Ukucaka kwami, ukucaka kwami! Maye kimi! Abenzi benkohliso benze ngokukhohlisa; yebo abenzi benkohliso benze ngokukhohlisa okukhulu.
17 Terrors and pit-traps and snares are waiting for you, people of the earth.
Ukwesaba lomgodi lomjibila kuphezu kwakho, wena mhlali womhlaba.
18 Those who run away in terror will fall into a pit-trap, and those who escape from the pit-trap will be caught in a snare. Heaven's windows are opened; earth's foundations shake.
Kuzakuthi-ke obalekela umsindo wokwesaba awele emgodini; lowenyuka phakathi komgodi abanjwe ngumjibila; ngoba amawindi aphezulu avulekile, lezisekelo zomhlaba ziyaqhaqhazela.
19 The earth is completely broken up; the earth is ripped apart, the earth is violently shaken.
Umhlaba wephukile lokwephuka, umhlaba udatshudatshuliwe, umhlaba uyanyikinyeka kakhulu.
20 The earth staggers to and fro like a drunk, and sways this way and that like a shelter. The guilt of its rebelliousness weighs heavily on it, and it collapses—it won't rise again.
Umhlaba uzadiyazela lokudiyazela njengesidakwa, uzunguzeke njengedumba; lesiphambeko sawo sizakuba nzima phezu kwawo; uzakuwa, ungabe usavuka futhi.
21 At that time the Lord will punish all the high heavenly beings and the kings of the earth.
Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku iNkosi ijezise ibutho labaphakemeyo abaphezulu, lamakhosi omhlaba phezu komhlaba.
22 They will be brought together, prisoners in a pit. They will be imprisoned, and eventually they will be punished.
Bazabuthelwa ndawonye njengezibotshwa zibuthelwa emgodini, bavalelwe entolongweni, langemva kwensuku ezinengi bethekelelwe.
23 The moon will be embarrassed and the sun will be ashamed, for the Lord Almighty will reign in glory on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem in the presence of its leaders.
Khona inyanga izayangeka, lelanga libe lenhloni, ngoba iNkosi yamabandla iyabusa entabeni iZiyoni laseJerusalema, laphambi kwabadala kuzakuba khona inkazimulo.
