Isaiah 47
1 [Yahweh also says], “You people of Babylon, you should go and sit in the dust/dirt [to show that you are mourning], because your time to rule [MTY] [other countries] is almost ended. People will never again say that Babylonia is beautiful [like] a very attractive/beautiful young woman.
“Yehla uhlale othulini Ndodakazi emsulwa yaseBhabhiloni, hlala emhlabathini ungelasihlalo sobukhosi, ndodakazi yamaBhabhiloni. Akusayikuthiwa ubuthakathaka loba kuthiwe uthambile.
2 [You will be slaves, so] take heavy stones and grind grain [like slave women do]. Take off your [beautiful] veils and take off your robes [as you prepare to cross streams to go where you will be forced to go].
Thatha amatshe okuchola uchole impuphu; ukhuphe isimbombozo sakho. Phakamisa izidwaba zakho, uveze imilenze yakho, ugxabhaze udabule ezifuleni.
3 You will be naked and [very] ashamed. I will get vengeance on you and not pity you.”
Ubunqunu bakho buzavezwa, ihlazo lakho lambuleke. Ngizaphindisela, kakho engizamyekela.”
4 The one who frees us [people of Judah], whom we call ‘the Commander of the armies of angels’, is the Holy One of Israel.
Umhlengi wethu uThixo uSomandla libizo lakhe ungoNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
5 [Yahweh says], “You people of Babylon, sit silently in the darkness, because people will never again say that your city is [like] [MET] a queen that rules many kingdoms.
“Hlala ngokuthula, yana emnyameni, ndodakazi yamaKhaladiya; awuyikubizwa ngokuthi ndlovukazi yemibuso futhi.
6 I was angry with the people whom I chose [to belong to me], and I punished them. I allowed you [people of Babylon] to conquer them. But [when you conquered them], you did not have mercy on them. You (oppressed/treated cruelly) [MET] even the old people.
Ngabathukuthelela abantu bami, ngangcolisa ilifa lami, ngabanikela ezandleni zakho, kawaze waba lesihawu kubo. Lasebeluphele, wabethesa ijogwe elinzima.
7 You said, ‘We will rule [other nations] forever; [it is as though our city] will be the queen [of the world] forever!’ But you did not think about the things [that you were doing], or think about what would result.
Wathi, ‘Ngizaqhubeka kokuphela ngiyindlovukazi nini lanini.’ Kodwa kawuzinakanga lezizinto, kumbe unakane ngokungenzakala.
8 You people [of Babylon] who enjoy pleasure and sex, listen to this: You enjoy a luxurious life and you feel secure. You say, ‘We are [like gods], and there are no others like us. Our women will never become widows, and our children will never be killed [in wars].’
Khathesi-ke lalela, wena sidalwa esingazibekanga, wena ocambaleleyo uvikelekile usithi ngenhliziyo yakho, ‘Mina yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami, angisoze ngaba ngumfelokazi kumbe ngifelwe ngabantwana.’
9 But both of those things will happen to you suddenly: Many of your women will become widows and many of your children will die, even though you perform much sorcery and many kinds of magic [to prevent bad things from happening to you].
Kodwa lokhu kokubili kuzakwehlela ngokuphangisa, ngasuku lunye ukufelwa ngabantwana lobufelokazi. Lokhu kuzakwehlela phezu kwakho ngokugcweleyo, bungakhathelekile ubuthakathi bakho layo yonke imilingo yakho elamandla.
10 You felt protected even though you were doing many wicked things, and you said, ‘No one will see what we [are doing]!’ [You thought that] you were very wise and knew many things, and you said, ‘We are gods, and there are no others like us,’ but you deceived yourselves.
Wethembele ebubini bakho, njalo watsho wathi, ‘Kakho ongibonayo.’ Inhlakanipho yakho lolwazi lwakho kuyakukhohlisa lapho usithi kuwe, ‘Mina yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami.’
11 So you will experience terrible things, and you will not be able to prevent them by working magic. You will experience disasters, and you will not be able to pay anyone to prevent those things from happening. (A catastrophe/Something terrible) will happen to you suddenly, something that you will not realize [is about to happen].
Incithakalo izakwehlela phezu kwakho, njalo awuyikwazi ukuyivikela ngemilingo. Umonakalo uzakwehlela phezu kwakho, ongeke uwuvimbe ngenhlawulo, lengozi ongeke uyikhumbulele izakujuma.
12 So you can continue to perform all your magic spells [IRO]! You can perform the many kinds of sorcery that you have practiced for many years! Perhaps [doing those things will enable you to] be successful; perhaps you will be able to cause your enemies to be afraid of you!
Qhubeka-ke ngemilingo yakho, langobuthakathi bakho obunengi okusebenza kusukela ebantwaneni bakho. Mhlawumbe uzaphumelela, kumbe njalo wenze kube lokwesaba.
13 But [all that has resulted from your] doing all the things that the magicians have told you to do is that you have become tired! The men who look at the stars every month and predict what will happen should come forward and rescue you [from the disasters that you are about to experience].
Zonke izeluleko owazitholayo zikucobile. Izazi zezinkanyezi kazisondele, labahloli bezinkanyezi ababika ngokuzakwenzakala inyanga ngenyanga. Kabakuhlenge kulokhu okuzakwehlela.
14 But [they cannot do that, because] they are like [SIM] straw that is burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from being burned up in the flames. Those men are unable to help you [MET]; they are as useless as stubble [that burns quickly and produces no heat] for you.
Impela banjengamahlanga; umlilo uzabatshisa futhi bangeke bazihlenga emandleni amalangabi. Lapha akulamalahle okothiwa ngumuntu; lapha akulamlilo wokotha.
15 The people whom you have associated with and worked with since you were young [will not help you], because they will just continue doing their own foolish things, and they will not pay any attention to you [when you cry out for help].”
Lokho yikho abangakwenzela khona labo owasebenza labo, uthengiselana labo kusukela ebuntwaneni. Omunye lomunye wabo uyaqhubeka ngesiphosiso sakhe; kakho ongakusindisa.”
