< Isaiah 14 >

1 [But] Yahweh will act mercifully toward the Israeli people; he will choose [the people of] Israel [to be his people again], and he will allow them to [return here and] live in their own land again. Then people from [many] other countries will come here and unite with the Israeli people.
UThixo uzakuba lesihawu kuJakhobe; uzamkhetha njalo u-Israyeli, abahlalise elizweni labo. Abezizwe bazahlangana labo bamanyane lendlu kaJakhobe.
2 People of other nations will help them to return to their [own] land, and those who come from other countries will (work for/become the servants of) the Israeli people. Those who captured people of Israel will be captured by Israeli soldiers, and the people of Israel will rule over the people who [previously] oppressed them.
Izizwe zizabathatha zibase endaweni yabo. Indlu ka-Israyeli izathumba izizwe zibe yizisebenzi zesilisa lezesifazane elizweni likaThixo. Bazakwenza abathumbi babo babe yizigqili, babuse abancindezeli babo.
3 Some day Yahweh will free you [Israeli people] from suffering and trouble and from being afraid, and from being cruelly treated as slaves [MTY].
Ngosuku uThixo azaliphumuza ngalo ekuhluphekeni, ekutshikatshikeni, lasebugqilini obulesihluku,
4 When that happens, you will make fun of the King of Babylon by saying this: “You treated us cruelly, but that has ended! Your insolently causing others to suffer is finished!
lizakutsho la amazwi okukloloda enkosini yaseBhabhiloni lithi: Umncindezeli usefikile ekucineni, ukuthukuthela kwakhe sekuphelile!
5 You evil ruler, Yahweh will get rid of your power, and you will oppress people no longer!
UThixo useyephule intonga yababi, induku yobukhosi eyababusi,
6 You attacked people many times because you were very angry with them, and you subdued/conquered [other] nations by causing them to suffer endlessly.
abatshaya abantu ngokuthukuthela, langokugalela okungapheliyo, banqoba izizwe ngentukuthelo langokuncindezela okungapheliyo.
7 [But soon] everything will be quiet and peaceful on the earth. Everyone [PRS] will sing [again]!
Amazwe wonke alokuphumula lokuthula; aphahluka ahlabelele izingoma.
8 [It will be as though] even the trees in the forests will joyfully sing this song, the cyprus/pine [trees] and the cedar [trees] in Lebanon will sing it: ‘You (have been overthrown/are no longer a ruler), and now no one comes to get rid of us [MET].’
Lezihlahla zamaphayini lemisedari yaseLebhanoni ziyathokoza ngawe zithi, “Njengoba khathesi usuwiselwe phansi akula ozakuzasigamula.”
9 The dead people are [PRS] are eagerly waiting for you to come to the place where they are. The spirits of the world leaders will be delighted to welcome you; those who were kings of many nations [before they died] will stand up [to welcome you]. (Sheol h7585)
Ithuna ngaphansi liyanyakaza ukuba likuhlangabeze ekufikeni kwakho. Livusa imimoya yabafayo ukuba ikubingelele, bonke labo ababengababusi emhlabeni; libenza basukume ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi, bonke labo ababengamakhosi ezizwe. (Sheol h7585)
10 They will all shout to you [together], ‘Now you are as weak as we are!’
Bazaphendula bonke, bazakuthi kuwe, “Lawe usubuthakathaka njengathi, usube njengathi.”
11 You were very proud and powerful, [but all] that ended when you died, along with the sounds of harps [being played in your palace]. [Now in your grave] maggots will be under you [like a sheet] [MET], and worms will cover you [like a blanket] [MET]. (Sheol h7585)
Bonke ubukhosi bakho sebehliselwe phansi ethuneni, kanye lomsindo wamachacho akho. Impethu zendlaliwe ngaphansi kwakho, inhlavane zikwembesile. (Sheol h7585)
12 You have [disappeared from the earth like] [MET] a star which has fallen from the sky; you [were very well-known] [like] [MET] the morning star [which is seen by everyone]; you destroyed [many] nations, but now you have been destroyed.
Yeka ukuwa kwakho uvela ezulwini, wena nkanyezi yekuseni, ndodana yokusa! Uphoselwe phansi emhlabeni, wena owake wehlisela izizwe phansi!
13 You [proudly] said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven, to my throne above God’s stars. I will rule on the mountain where [the gods] gather together, far in the north.
Wathi enhliziyweni yakho, “Ngizakwenyukela ezulwini, ngizaphakamisela isihlalo sami sobukhosi ngaphezu kwezinkanyezi zikaNkulunkulu; ngizahlala ebukhosini phezu kwentaba yombuthano, ezingqongweni zentaba engcwele.
14 I will ascend above the clouds and become like the highest/greatest god!’
Ngizakwenyukela phezu kwezindawo eziphakemeyo emayezini; ngizazenza ngibe njengoPhezukonke.”
15 [But you were not able to do that]; instead, you were carried down to your grave, and you went to the place where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
Kodwa ulethwe phansi ethuneni, ekuzikeni kwegodi. (Sheol h7585)
16 The [other dead] people there stare at you; they wonder what happened to you. [They say], ‘Is this the man who caused the earth to shake and caused the [people in many] kingdoms to tremble?
Labo abakubonayo bakudonsela amehlo, bayacabanga ngowakudalelwayo bathi: “Nguye lo na umuntu owanyikinya umhlaba wenza imibuso yaqhaqhazela,
17 Is this the man who [tried to] cause the world to become a desert, who conquered its cities and did not allow the people whom he captured to return to their homes?’
umuntu owenza umhlaba waba lugwadule, owadiliza amadolobho awo, kazavumela abathunjwayo bakhe ukubuyela ekhaya na?”
18 All the kings of the earth [who have died] were greatly honored when they were buried,
Wonke amakhosi ezizwe alele ebukhosini, enye lenye ethuneni layo.
19 but your [corpse will] not be buried; it will be thrown away like [SIM] a worthless branch [of a tree]. Your corpse will be under a heap of other corpses of soldiers that were killed by [their enemies’] swords, and [their corpses] were not buried; you will be with those who have gone down to the stony ground in a big pit.
Kodwa wena uphoselwe ngaphandle kwethuna lakho njengogatsha olulahliweyo; welekwe ngababulawayo, lalabo abagwazwa ngenkemba, labo abehlela ematsheni egodi. Njengesidumbu esinyathelwe ngezinyawo,
20 Your [corpse] will not be buried because you have destroyed your nation and have caused your people to be killed. The descendants of wicked people [like you] will never be honored again.
kawuyikuhlangana labo ekungcwatshweni; ngoba usulichithile ilizwe lakho wabulala labantu bakini. Inzalo yababi kakungakhulunywa ngayo futhi.
21 [People will say], ‘Slaughter this man’s children because of the sins that their ancestors committed! Do not allow them to become rulers and conquer [all the nations in] the world, and fill the world with the cities [that they rule]!’”
Lungisa indawo yokubulalela abantwabakhe ngenxa yezono zabokhokho babo. Kabamelanga bavuke ukuba bathathe ilizwe bagcwalise umhlaba ngamadolobho abo.
22 [This is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says: “I [myself] will cause Babylon to be conquered. I will get rid of Babylon and its people and their descendants.
“Ngizabavukela,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. “Ngizakwesula iBhabhiloni labasindayo abantwabakhe lezizukulwane,” kutsho uThixo.
23 I will cause Babylon to be a place where owls live, a place full of swamps; I will get rid of it completely [as though] [MET] I were sweeping it with a broom. [That is what I], the Commander of the armies of angels, say.”
“Ngizalenza libe yindawo yezikhova lelizwe elilixhaphozi. Ngizalithanyela ngomthanyelo wencithakalo,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
24 The Commander of the armies of angels has [also] solemnly promised this: “The things that I have planned will surely happen [DOU].
UThixo uSomandla ufungile wathi, “Ngeqiniso, njengoba sengilungisile, kuzakuba njalo, njalo njengoba ngikumisile kuzakuma kanjalo.
25 [When the army of] Assyria is in my land [of Israel], I will crush them. [It will be as though] I will trample them on my mountains. My people will no longer be the slaves [MET] of the people of Assyria; [it will be as though] [MET] I will take away the burdens that are on their shoulders.
Ngizamchoboza umʼAsiriya elizweni lami; ezintabeni zami ngizamnyathelela phansi. Ijogwe lakhe lizasuswa ebantwini bami, umthwalo wakhe ususwe emahlombe abo.”
26 I have a plan for everyone on the earth, a plan to show my power [MTY] to punish all the nations.
Lokhu yikho okumiselwe umhlaba wonke, lesi yisandla eselulelwe phezu kwezizwe zonke.
27 [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, have spoken, and no one can [RHQ] change my mind. When I raise my fist [to strike Assyria], no one [RHQ] will be able to stop me [from doing that].”
Ngoba uThixo uSomandla usenze isimiso, ngubani ongamvimbela na? Isandla sakhe siphakanyisiwe, ngubani ongasibuyisela emuva na?
28 I received this message [from Yahweh] during the year that King Ahaz died:
Ilizwi leli lafika nyakana kusifa inkosi u-Ahazi:
29 You people of Philistia, do not rejoice that the enemy army [MET] that attacked you has been defeated and that their king is dead. He was [as dangerous as] [MET] a snake, but there will be another king, who will be more [dangerous] than a cobra; he will be [like] [MET] a quick-moving poisonous snake.
Lingathokozi, lonke lina maFilistiya, lisithi intonga eyalitshayayo yephukile; ngoba empandeni yenyoka leyana kuzavela inhlangwana, inzalo yayo izakuba yinyoka elobuthi obutshokayo.
30 Those of my people who are very poor will take care of their flocks of sheep, and the needy people will lie down safely, but I will cause you people [of Philistia] who are still alive [DOU] to die from famine.
Abangabayanga kubayanga bazathola amadlelo, abaswelayo bazalala phansi bevikelekile. Kodwa impande yakho ngizayitshabalalisa ngendlala; izabulala abaseleyo bakho.
31 [So], you people of Philistia, wail at the gates of your cities! You should be extremely afraid, because [a very powerful army] will come from the north [to attack you]; [their chariots will stir up the dust like] [MET] a cloud of smoke. Each of their soldiers is ready to fight.
Lila wena sango! Bubula wena dolobho! Chithekani lonke lina maFilistiya! Iyezi lentuthu livela enyakatho; njalo akulamatshida eviyweni lalo.
32 If messengers [from Philistia] come to us [Israeli people], this is what we must [RHQ] tell them: “Yahweh has established Jerusalem, [not Philistia], and his people who are oppressed will be safe inside [the walls of] Jerusalem.”
Yimpendulo bani ezanikwa izithunywa zalesosizwe na? “UThixo useyakhile iZiyoni, abantu bakhe abahluphekileyo bazaphephela kuye.”

< Isaiah 14 >