Isaiah 47
1 Go down and sit in the dust, virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, daughter of Babylonia! No longer will people call you gentle and delicate.
Yehla, uhlale othulini, ntombi emsulwa, ndodakazi yeBhabhiloni; hlala emhlabathini; akulasihlalo sobukhosi, ndodakazi yamaKhaladiya; ngoba kawusayikubizwa ngokuthi uthambile njalo ubuthakathaka.
2 Go to work grinding flour with millstones. Remove your veil. Strip off your skirt, bare your legs, wade through rivers.
Thatha amatshe okuchola, uchole impuphu, wembule isimbombozo sakho, ukhwince ilogwe, uveze umlenze, uchaphe imifula.
3 You will be seen naked; what should be kept private will be shamefully exposed. I will take vengeance—I won't spare anyone.
Ubunqunu bakho buzakwembulwa, yebo, ihlazo lakho libonakale. Ngizaphindisela, ngingahlangani lawe njengomuntu.
4 Our Redeemer—his name is the Lord Almighty—is the Holy One of Israel.
UMhlengi wethu, iNkosi yamabandla libizo lakhe, oyiNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
5 Sit quietly, and go into the darkness, daughter of Babylonia. Never again will you be called queen of all kingdoms.
Hlala ngokuthula, ungene emnyameni, ndodakazi yamaKhaladiya; ngoba kawusayikubizwa ngokuthi: Nkosikazi yemibuso.
6 I was angry with my people, and I abandoned those who belonged to me. I handed them over to you. But you didn't show them mercy—you even mistreated old people.
Ngabathukuthelela abantu bami, ngangcolisa ilifa lami, ngabanikela esandleni sakho; kawubenzelanga izihawu; walenza laba nzima kakhulu ijogwe lakho phezu komdala.
7 You said, “I will reign forever as the eternal queen.” But you didn't think about what was coming; you didn't remember what would happen to you in the end.
Wena wathi: Ngizakuba yinkosikazi njalonjalo; kawukabeki lezizinto enhliziyweni yakho, kawukhumbulanga isiphetho sakho.
8 Now listen to this, you sensual woman, sitting there so sure of yourself, saying to yourself, “I am supreme—there's nobody besides me. I shall never be a widow or experience the loss of my children.”
Khathesi-ke zwana lokhu, wena ozithokozisayo, ohlezi uvikelekile, othi enhliziyweni yakho: Yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami; kangiyikuhlala okomfelokazi, kangiyikwazi ukufelwa ngabantwana.
9 But both these things will happen to you in quick succession! In just one day you will lose your children and become a widow. You will have this experience in its totality, in spite of all your witchcraft, in spite of all your magic spells.
Kodwa lezizinto ezimbili zizakwehlela ngokucwayiza kwelihlo ngasuku lunye: Ukufelwa ngabantwana lobufelokazi; kuzakwehlela phezu kwakho ngokuphelela kwakho, ngenxa yobunengi bobuthakathi bakho, ngenxa yobunengi obukhulu bamalumbo akho.
10 You put your trust in your evil actions, saying “No one can see what I'm doing.” Your wisdom and knowledge seduced you, and you told yourself, “I am supreme—there's nobody besides me.”
Ngoba wathembela ebubini bakho, wathi: Kakho ongibonayo. Inhlakanipho yakho lolwazi lwakho khona kwakuphambula, wathi enhliziyweni yakho: Yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami.
11 Evil is going to strike you, and you won't be able to magic it away. Disaster will fall on you that you can't stop by paying a ransom. Destruction will suddenly hit you that you weren't expecting.
Ngakho ububi buzakwehlela, kawusoze wazi lapho obenyuka khona; lengozi izakwehlela, ongelakho ukwenza inhlawulo yokuthula ngayo; lencithakalo ihle yehlele phezu kwakho, ungazi.
12 So keep going with your magic spells and all your witchcraft, which you have worked at since you were young. Maybe you'll be successful, maybe you'll terrify people!
Mana khathesi ngamalumbo akho langobunengi bobuthakathi bakho otshikatshike kukho kusukela ebutsheni bakho; mhlawumbe uzakuba lakho ukuba lenzuzo, mhlawumbe unqobe.
13 All the advice you've received has worn you out! Where are your astrologers, those who look to the stars for guidance, who give you their predictions every month? Let them stand up and save you from what's coming down on you!
Udiniwe ebunengini bamacebo akho; kakuthi basukume khathesi abahloli bamazulu, abakhangela izinkanyezi, abazisa ngezinyanga, bakusindise kwezizakwehlela.
14 But look at them! They're like stubble that fire burns up completely—they can't even save their own lives from the flames. This is no fire to sit beside and grow warm!
Khangela, bazakuba njengamabibi; umlilo uzabatshisa; kabayikuzophula emandleni elangabi; lingabikho ilahle lokotha, umlilo wokuhlala phambi kwawo.
15 All those people you've worked with, all those you've traded with from when you were young—they will all go their own way, nobody will come and save you.
Bazakuba njalo kuwe labo owatshikatshika labo, owathengiselana labo kusukela ebutsheni bakho; bazazulazula, ngulowo lalowo ngendlela yakhe; kakuyikuba lomsindisi wakho.
