Amos 5
1 Listen to the words of the funeral song I am singing for you, Israel:
Zwana ilizwi leli, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, isililo lesi engisenzayo ngani:
2 Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel! Hurled down upon her own soil she lies, with no one to lift her up!
“Iwile iNtombi u-Israyeli, kayiphindi ivuke futhi, ideliwe elizweni layo, kungekho ongayiphakamisela phezulu.”
3 For the Lord God says this: The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers has only a hundred left, and the one that marches out with a hundred has only ten left.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Idolobho lenu elikhupha inkulungwane eziqinileyo lizasala labalikhulu kuphela; idolobho elikhupha abalikhulu abaqinileyo lizasala labalitshumi kuphela.”
4 For the Lord says this to Israel: Seek me and live,
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo endlini ka-Israyeli: “Dingani mina, liphile;
5 But do not seek Bethel, do not enter Gilgal, do not go over to Beer-sheba. For Gilgal will enter exile, and Bethel will go to destruction.
lingadingi iBhetheli, lingayi eGiligali, lingayi eBherishebha. Ngoba impela iGiligali izakuya ekuthunjweni, leBhetheli izadliwa iphele nya.”
6 Seek the Lord and live, or he will cast fire on the house of Joseph, and it will devour and there will be no one to quench it for Bethel.
Dingani uThixo liphile hlezi adabule phakathi kwendlu kaJosefa njengomlilo; uzatshisa uqothule, njalo iBhetheli kayiyikuba lomuntu ozawucitsha.
7 You who turn judgment to bitter wormwood, and cast righteousness into the dirt:
Lina eliguqula ukulunga kube yibuhlungu, lilahlele ubuqotho emhlabathini.
8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns deep darkness into dawn, who darkens day again into night, who summons the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the earth’s surface, the Lord is his name!
Yena owenza iSilimela loMthala, oguqula umnyama ube yikusa enze imini ibe yibusuku obumnyama, yena obiza amanzi olwandle, awathele phezu kobuso belizwe, uThixo yilo ibizo lakhe,
9 He causes destruction to burst over the strong. He brings devastation on the fortress.
wehlisela incithakalo phezu kwenqaba atshabalalise idolobho elivikelweyo.
10 You who hate the arbiters at the city gate, and abhor anyone who speaks the truth:
Liyamzonda okhuzayo emthethwandaba limeyise lalowo okhuluma iqiniso.
11 Because you trample on the weak, and tax their grain, although you have built houses of hewn stone, you will not live in them, although you have planted charming vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
Linyathezela umyanga limncindezele ukuba aliphe amabele. Ngakho-ke, lanxa lakhe izindlu ezinkulukazi zamatshe kaliyikuhlala kuzo; lanxa lihlanyele izivini ezinhle, iwayini lazo kaliyikulinatha.
12 For I know how many are your crimes, and how great are your sins! You persecutors of the righteous, takers of bribes! You deny the poor their justice at the city gate.
Ngoba iziphambeko zenu ngiyazazi ukuthi zingaki kanye lokuthi izono zenu zinkulu okunganani. Lincindezela abalungileyo lamukele isivalamlomo, njalo emithethwandaba linqabela abayanga imfanelo.
13 It would be wise to keep quiet in such an evil time.
Ngakho ezikhathini ezinjalo umuntu ohlakaniphileyo uyazithulela, ngoba izikhathi zimbi.
14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live, so the Lord, God of hosts, may be with you, as you have claimed he is.
Dingani okuhle, hatshi okubi, ukuze liphile. Lapho-ke uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uzakuba lani njengoba lisithi ulani.
15 Hate evil and love good, establish justice at the city gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to a surviving remnant of Joseph.
Zondani okubi lithande okuhle; qinisani ukulunga emithethwandaba. Mhlawumbe uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uzakuba lomusa kuzinsalela zakoJosefa.
16 Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, says: In all the public squares there will be wailing, in every street the sound of mourning. They will summon the farmers to mourning, and professional mourners to wailing.
Ngakho nanku okutshiwo yiNkosi, uThixo, uNkulunkulu uSomandla, “Kuzakuba lokulila emigwaqweni yonke lokukhala kabuhlungu ezinkundleni zonke zikazulu. Abalimi bazabizwa ukuba bakhale, labakhalayo ukuba balile.
17 In all vineyards there will be lamenting, when I pass through your midst, says the Lord.
Kuzakuba lokulila ezivinini zonke, ngoba ngizadlula phakathi kwenu,” kutsho uThixo.
18 Fools who long for the day of the Lord! What does the day of the Lord mean to you? It is darkness, and not light.
Maye kini lina elilangazelela usuku lukaThixo! Kungani lilangazelela lolosuku lukaThixo na? Lolosuku luzakuba ngumnyama, hatshi ukukhanya.
19 It is as when one flees from a lion, and is attacked by a bear, as when one reaches home, leans his hand on the wall, and a snake bites him.
Kuzafana lokuthi umuntu ubalekele isilwane wahlangana lebhele, njengangathi ungene endlini yakhe wabambelela emdulini ngesandla waselunywa yinyoka.
20 Won’t the Lord’s day be darkness and not light, murky darkness without a ray of light in it?
Usuku lukaThixo kaluyikuba ngumnyama na, hatshi ukukhanya, lumnyama bhuqe, kungekho nhlansi yokukhanya?
21 I hate, I despise your feasts, I will not smell the savour of your festivals,
“Ngiyayizonda, ngiyayeyisa imikhosi yokholo lwenu; angingeke ngiyimele imbuthano yenu.
22 I will not be pleased with your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, I will not accept the peace offerings of your fattened calves.
Lanxa lingangilethela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yamabele kangiyikuyamukela. Lanxa liletha iminikelo emihle kakhulu yobuzalwane, lokunonisiweyo kangiyikuyinanza.
23 Spare me the noise of your songs, I will not listen to the melody of your lyres.
Sukani lomsindo wezingoma zenu! Kangiyikuwulalela umculo wamachacho enu.
24 But let justice roll on as a flood of waters, and righteousness like an unfailing stream.
Kodwa ukulunga kakugeleze njengamanzi, lobuqotho njengesifula esingatshiyo!
25 Was it only sacrifices and grain offerings you brought me during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel?
Kanje wake wangilethela imihlatshelo leminikelo eminyakeni engamatshumi amane enkangala, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli na?
26 But now you will lift up your “king” Sikkuth and “star god” Kiyyun, your idols which you have made for yourselves,
Seliphakamise indawo yokukhonzela izithombe zenu, isenabelo senkosi unkulunkulu wenu uSakhuthi, lenkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu uKhayiwani, elazenzela khona lina ngokwenu.
27 as I drive you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.
Ngakho ngizalisa ekuthunjweni ngale kweDamaseko,” kutsho uThixo obizo lakhe nguNkulunkulu uSomandla.
