Micah 5
1 ‘Now cut yourself in bitter grief, daughter besieged by soldiers. They have set a wall around you. They strike the ruler of Israel, in the face with a rod.
Hlomisa amabutho akho, wena dolobho lamabutho, ngoba sesivinjezelwe. Bazatshaya umbusi wako-Israyeli esihlathini ngomqwayi.
2 ‘Bethlehem in Ephrathah, small among the tribes of Judah, from you will come a king who will rule for me over Israel, whose family line goes back to the distant past.’
“Kodwa wena Bhethilehema Efrathi, lanxa umncinyane phakathi kwezizwana zakoJuda, kuwe kuzavela ozakuba ngumbusi wako-Israyeli, omdabuko wakhe ngowasekadeni, kusukela ezikhathini zendulo.”
3 So the Lord will only abandon Israel to its enemies until the woman in labour gives birth. Then the survivors will be reunited with their own people.
Ngakho u-Israyeli uzadelwa kuze kube yisikhathi sokuthi lowo ohelelwayo abelethe, laba abafowabo bonke baphenduke ukuzahlangana labako-Israyeli.
4 And he will stand and shepherd by the strength of the Lord, In the exalted name of the Lord his God; And they will live in security, for now he will be great, even to the ends of the earth.
Uzakuma eluse umhlambi wakhe ngamandla kaThixo, ngobukhosi bebizo likaThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe. Bazahlala ngokuvikeleka, ngoba lapho udumo lwakhe luzafika emikhawulweni yomhlaba.
5 This will be our peace: when Assyria comes into our land and treads on our soil, we will raise up against him seven shepherds, eight leaders of men.
Uzakuba yikuthula kwabo. Lapho umʼAsiriya ehlasela ilizwe lethu edabula phakathi kwezinqaba zethu, sizamvusela abelusi abayisikhombisa, kanye labakhokheli babantu abayisificaminwembili.
6 They will shepherd Assyria with a sword, and the land of Nimrod with bared blades. They will deliver us from Assyria, when they come into our land, and tread within our borders.
Bazabusa ilizwe lase-Asiriya ngenkemba, ilizwe likaNimrodi behlome ngenkemba, uzasikhulula kumʼAsiriya lapho ehlasela ilizwe lethu engena phakathi kwemingcele yethu.
7 And the survivors of Jacob will be disbursed among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which don’t wait for people to come or linger for mortals.
Insalela zabakoJakhobe zizakuba phakathi kwezizwe ezinengi njengamazolo avela kuThixo, lanjengemkhizo phezu kotshani, okungalindeli muntu kumbe kuhlalele abantu.
8 And the survivors of Jacob will be disbursed among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the sheep-folds, who, when he passes through, pounces. He savages his prey. There is no rescuer.
Insalela zabakoJakhobe zizakuba phakathi kwezizwe, phakathi kwabantu abanengi, njengesilwane phakathi kwezinyamazana zegusu, lanjengeguqa lesilwane phakathi komhlambi wezimvu, esidlithizayo sidabule ekuhambeni kwaso, kungekho ongahlenga.
9 Let your hand triumph over your adversaries, let all your enemies be cut off.
Isandla sakho sizaphakanyiselwa phezulu ngokunqoba izitha zakho, njalo zonke izitha zakho zizachithwa.
10 On that day, says the Lord: ‘I will slaughter your horses from your midst, and destroy your chariots.
“Ngalolosuku,” kutsho uThixo, “ngizabhubhisa amabhiza enu phakathi kwenu ngibhidlize lezinqola zenu zempi.
11 I will devastate the cities in your land, and tear down your fortresses.
Ngizachitha amadolobho elizwe lenu ngibhidlize lezinqaba zenu zonke.
12 I will destroy your magic charms, and you will have no soothsayers.
Ngizachitha ubuthakathi benu njalo kalisayikukhunkula futhi.
13 I will cut down your idols and sacred pillars, and you will not worship any more the work of your hands.
Ngizachitha izithombe zenu ezabazwayo lamatshe enu okukhonza phakathi kwenu; kalisayi kuwukhothamela futhi umsebenzi wezandla zenu.
14 I will uproot your sacred poles, and destroy your idols.
Ngizasiphula phakathi kwenu izinsika zenu zika-Ashera, ngidilize lamadolobho enu.
15 In my wrath and my anger I will seek vengeance on the nations that ignore me.’
Ngizaphindisela ngentukuthelo langolaka ezizweni ezingangilalelanga.”
