< Zephaniah 3 >

1 Woe [to] the rebellious and polluted, The oppressing city!
Maye kowenyanyekayo longcolileyo, umuzi ocindezelayo!
2 She hath not hearkened to the voice, She hath not accepted instruction, In Jehovah she hath not trusted, Unto her God she hath not drawn near.
Kawulalelanga ilizwi; kawemukelanga ukulaywa; kawuthembelanga eNkosini; kawusondelanga kuNkulunkulu wawo.
3 Her heads in her midst [are] roaring lions, Her judges [are] evening wolves, They have not gnawn the bone in the morning.
Iziphathamandla zawo phakathi kwawo ziyizilwane ezibhongayo; abahluleli bawo bazimpisi zokuhlwa; kazikhukhuzi ithambo ekuseni.
4 Her prophets unstable — men of treachery, Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have violated the law.
Abaprofethi bawo bangabangakhathaliyo, abantu abakhohlisayo; abapristi bawo sebengcolise indawo engcwele, benze udlakela kumthetho.
5 Jehovah [is] righteous in her midst, He doth not do perverseness, Morning by morning His judgment he giveth to the light, It hath not been lacking, And the perverse doth not know shame.
INkosi elungileyo iphakathi kwawo, kayiyikwenza ububi; ukusa ngokusa ibeka isahlulelo sayo ekukhanyeni, kayiphuthi; kodwa ongalunganga kazi inhloni.
6 I have cut off nations, Desolated have been their chief ones, I have laid waste their out-places without any passing by, Destroyed have been their cities, Without man, without inhabitant.
Ngiziqumile izizwe, izingonsi zazo zingamanxiwa, ngenzile izitalada zazo incithakalo, ukuze kungadluli muntu; imizi yazo idiliziwe, kakusekho muntu, kakulamhlali.
7 I have said: Only, ye do fear Me, Ye do accept instruction, And her habitation is not cut off, All that I have appointed for her, But they have risen early, They have corrupted all their doings.
Ngathi: Isibili uzangesaba, wemukele ukulaywa; ukuze indawo yakhe yokuhlala ingaqunywa, konke engimjezisa ngakho; sibili bavuka ngovivi, bazonakalise zonke izenzo zabo.
8 Therefore, wait for Me — an affirmation of Jehovah, For the day of My rising for prey, For My judgment [is] to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them Mine indignation, All the heat of Mine anger, For by the fire of My jealousy consumed is all the earth.
Ngakho ngilindelani, itsho iNkosi, kuze kube lusuku engizavukela impango ngalo. Ngoba isahlulelo sami siyikubuthelela izizwe, ukuze ngiqoqe imibuso, ngithululele phezu kwabo intukuthelo yami, konke ukuvutha kolaka lwami; ngoba umhlaba wonke uzaqothulwa ngumlilo wobukhwele bami.
9 For then do I turn unto peoples a pure lip, To call all of them by the name of Jehovah, To serve Him [with] one shoulder.
Ngoba ngalesosikhathi ngizabuyisela ebantwini ulimi oluhlambulukileyo, ukuze bonke babize ibizo leNkosi, ukuze bayikhonze ngahlombe linye.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, my supplicants, The daughter of My scattered ones, Do bring My present.
Kusukela phetsheya kwemifula yeEthiyophiya abancengi bami, indodakazi yabahlakazekileyo bami, bazaletha umnikelo wami.
11 In that day thou art not ashamed because of any of thine actions, Wherewith thou hast transgressed against Me, For then do I turn aside from thy midst The exulting ones of thine excellency, And thou dost add no more to be haughty, In My holy mountain.
Ngalolosuku kawuyikuyangeka ngenxa yezenzo zakho zonke, ophambuke ngazo kimi, ngoba ngalesosikhathi ngizakhupha phakathi kwakho abathokoza ekuzikhukhumezeni kwakho; futhi kawusayikubuya uziphakamise entabeni yami engcwele.
12 And I have left in thy midst a people humble and poor, And they have trusted in the name of Jehovah.
Njalo ngizatshiya phakathi kwakho abantu abahluphekileyo labangabayanga; bona bazathemba ebizweni likaJehova.
13 The remnant of Israel do no perversity, nor speak lies, Nor found in their mouth is a deceitful tongue, For they have delight, and have lain down, And there is none troubling.
Insali yakoIsrayeli kayiyikwenza ububi, kayiyikukhuluma amanga; njalo kakuyikufunyanwa ulimi olukhohlisayo emlonyeni wayo; ngoba bona bazakudla balale phansi, njalo kungekho obesabisayo.
14 Cry aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, Rejoice and exult with the whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Hlabelela, ndodakazi yeZiyoni; memeza, Israyeli; thokoza, ujabule ngenhliziyo yonke, ndodakazi yeJerusalema.
15 Jehovah hath turned aside thy judgments, He hath faced thine enemy, The king of Israel, Jehovah, [is] in thy midst, Thou seest evil no more.
INkosi isusile izahlulelo zakho, isixotshile isitha sakho; inkosi yakoIsrayeli, uJehova, iphakathi kwakho; kawusayikubona okubi.
16 In that day it is said to Jerusalem, 'Fear not, O Zion, let not thy hands be feeble.
Ngalolosuku kuzakuthiwa kuyo iJerusalema: Ungesabi; lawe Ziyoni, kazingadangali izandla zakho.
17 Jehovah thy God [is] in thy midst, A mighty one doth save, He rejoiceth over thee with joy, He doth work in His love, He joyeth over thee with singing.'
INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho phakathi kwakho ilamandla, izasindisa; izajabula ngawe ngentokozo; izathula othandweni lwayo, ithabe ngawe ngokuhlabelela.
18 Mine afflicted from the appointed place I have gathered, from thee they have been, Bearing for her sake reproach.
Ngizababutha abadabuka ngenxa yenhlangano emisiweyo, bevela kuwe; ihlazo lingumthwalo kubo.
19 Lo, I am dealing with all afflicting thee at that time, And I have saved the halting one, And the driven out ones I do gather, And have set them for a praise and for a name, In all the land of their shame.
Khangela, ngalesosikhathi ngizakuba lokwenza labo bonke abakuhluphayo; ngisindise oqhulayo, ngibuthe oxotshiweyo; ngibabeke babe yindumiso lebizo kulo lonke ilizwe lehlazo labo.
20 At that time I bring you in, Even at the time of My assembling you, For I give you for a name, and for a praise, Among all peoples of the land, In My turning back [to] your captivity before your eyes, said Jehovah!
Ngalesosikhathi ngizalingenisa, langesikhathi engizalibuthelela ngaso; ngoba ngizalenza libe libizo lendumiso phakathi kwabantu bonke bomhlaba, lapho sengibuyisa abathunjiweyo benu phambi kwamehlo enu, itsho iNkosi.

< Zephaniah 3 >