< U-Isaya 10 >

1 Maye kulabo abenza imithetho emibi, lakulabo ababhala izimiso ezincindezelayo,
Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees
2 ukuba kwamukwe abayanga amalungelo abo lokugodla okufaneleyo kwabantu bami abancindezelweyo; bazingela abafelokazi baqhwage izintandane.
to deprive the needy of justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
3 Lizakwenzani ngosuku lokuthonisiswa lapho incithakalo isiza ivela khatshana? Lizabalekela kubani ukuba lithole usizo na? Lizayitshiya ngaphi inotho yenu?
What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
4 Akukho okuzasala, kodwa ukuba baquthe phakathi kwabathunjiweyo loba bafe lababuleweyo. Ikanti kukho konke lokhu, ukuthukuthela kwakhe akupheli, isandla sakhe silokhu siphakanyisiwe.
They will only bow down under the prisoners, and will fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
5 “Maye kumʼAsiriya, intonga yentukuthelo yami, esandleni sayo kulesagila solaka lwami!
Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!
6 Ngimthumela ukuyamelana lesizwe esingelankulunkulu, ngimthumela ukuyamelana labantu abangithukuthelisayo, ukuba athumbe ahluthune impahla yokuthunjwa, lokubanyathelela phansi njengodaka ezindleleni.
I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Kodwa lokhu akusikho akujongileyo, lokhu akusikho okusengqondweni yakhe; injongo yakhe yikutshabalalisa, abhubhise izizwe ezinengi.
However, he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations.
8 Uthi, ‘Izinduna zami zebutho kazisimakhosi zonke na?
For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings?
9 IKhalino kaliphumelelanga njengeKharikhemishi na? IHamathi kalinjenge-Ariphadi na? LeSamariya kayinjengeDamaseko na?
Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?”
10 Lanjengoba isandla sami sabamba imibuso yezithombe, imibuso ezifanekiso zayo zedlula ezeJerusalema lezeSamariya,
As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria,
11 angiyikuliphatha iJerusalema lezithombe zalo ngendlela engaphatha ngayo iSamariya lezithombe zayo na?’”
shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
12 Lapho uThixo esewuqedile wonke umsebenzi wakhe mayelana lentaba iZiyoni leJerusalema uzakuthi, “Ngizayijezisa inkosi yase-Asiriya ngenxa yokuzigqaja kwayo lokuzazisa okubonakala emehlweni ayo.”
Therefore it will happen that when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his arrogant looks.
13 Ngoba uthi: “‘Ngamandla esandla sami langokuhlakanipha kwami sengenze lokhu ngoba ngilokuqedisisa. Ngayisusa imingcele yezizwe, ngathumba inotho yazo; njengolamandla nganqoba amakhosi azo.
For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers.
14 Njengomuntu efinyelela isidleke senyoni, ngokunjalo isandla sami safinyelela enothweni yezizwe, njengabantu bebutha amaqanda atshiyiweyo, kanjalo ngaqoqa amazwe wonke; akukho okwaphaphazelisa amaphiko loba okwavula umlomo wakho kwatshiyoza.’”
My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, I have gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped.”
15 Konje ihloka liyaziphakamisela ngaphezu kwalowo olizulisayo na, loba isaha izincome imelane lalowo oyisebenzisayo na? Njengangathi induku izanyikinya lowo oyiphakamisayo, kumbe isagila sinyikinye lowo ongasiso sigodo!
Should an ax brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.
16 Ngakho-ke, iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzathumela isifo esicikizayo emabuthweni ayo aqinileyo; ngaphansi kobukhosi bayo kuzaphembeka umlilo njengelangabi elibhebhayo.
Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.
17 Ukukhanya kuka-Israyeli kuzakuba ngumlilo, oNgcwele wabo abe lilangabi, ngosuku olulodwa lizatshisa liqede ameva akhe lokhula lwakhe.
The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.
18 Ubuhle bamahlathi akhe lamasimu akhe avundileyo, uzakuqeda ngokupheleleyo njengalapho umuntu ogulayo ecikizeka.
He will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints.
19 Izihlahla zamahlathi ezisalayo zizakuba zilutshwana, okungathi lomntwana azibale.
The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.
20 Ngalolosuku insalela yako-Israyeli, abendlu kaJakhobe abasindayo, kabasayikwethemba kuye owabatshayayo wababhubhisa kodwa ngeqiniso bazathembela kuThixo, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 Insalela izabuyela, insalela kaJakhobe izabuyela kuSomandla uNkulunkulu.
A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.
22 Loba abantu bakho, we Israyeli, benjengetshebetshebe olwandle, kuzabuya insalela kuphela. Incithakalo isimenyezelwe, iyabakhulela kodwa ilungile.
For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.
23 INkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzasifeza isimemezelo sokubhujiswa elizweni lonke.
For the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will make a full end, and that determined, throughout all the earth.
24 Ngakho-ke lokho yikho iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla akutshoyo: “Awu bantu bami abahlala eZiyoni, lingawesabi ama-Asiriya alitshaya ngentonga njalo lawo aliphakamisela isagila njengokwenziwa yiGibhithe.
Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, says, “My people who dwell in Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did.
25 Masinyane ukulithukuthelela kwami kuzaphela, ulaka lwami luzaqondiswa ekubhujisweni kwabo.”
For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction.”
26 UThixo uSomandla uzabatshaya ngomchilo njengalapho atshaya iMidiyani edwaleni lase-Orebi, njalo uzaphakamisela intonga yakhe ngaphezu kwamanzi njengalokhu akwenza eGibhithe.
Yahweh of Armies will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt.
27 Ngalolosuku imithwalo yabo izasuswa emahlombe enu, lejogwe labo entanyeni zenu; ijogwe lizakwephulwa ngoba selizimukile.
It will happen in that day that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
28 Bayangena e-Ayathi; badabula phakathi kweMigironi; bagcina impahla eMikhimashi.
He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.
29 Badlula emkhandlwini bathi, “Ebusuku sizalala eGebha.” IRama liyathuthumela; iGibhiya likaSawuli liyabaleka.
They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.
30 Hlaba umkhosi, We! Ndodakazi kaGalimi, lalela we Layisha! Anathothi ozihawulelayo!
Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!
31 IMadimena iyabaleka; abantu baseGebhimu bazacatsha.
Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
32 Ngalolosuku bazakuma kancane, kancane eNobhi, bazakhomba ngezinqindi zabo intaba yeNdodakazi yeZiyoni, eqaqeni lwaseJerusalema.
This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Khangelani, iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, uzaquma ingatsha ngamandla amakhulu. Izihlahla ezidephileyo zizaqunywa. Ezinde zazo zizakwehliselwa phansi.
Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.
34 Ngehloka uzagamula izixuku zehlathi; iLebhanoni izakuwa phambi kwakhe olaMandla.
He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

< U-Isaya 10 >