U-Isaya 13
1 Leli yilizwi elimayelana leBhabhiloni elaboniswa u-Isaya indodana ka-Amozi:
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
2 Phakamisa uphawu phezu koqaqa oluligceke, umemezele kubo, ubaqhwebe ngesandla ukuba bangene emasangweni asesikhosini.
Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3 Sengibalayile abangcwele bami, sengiwalayile amaqhawe ami ukuba afeze ulaka lwami, lawo athokozela ukunqoba kwami.
I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4 Lalelani, umsindo phezu kwezintaba, onjengowexuku elikhulu. Lalelani, ukuxokozela phakathi kwemibuso njengezizwe zibuthana ndawonye! UThixo uSomandla ubutha ibutho elibuthela impi.
The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Armies is mustering the army for the battle.
5 Bavela emazweni akude, emikhawulweni yamazulu, uThixo lezikhali zolaka lwakhe, ukuba kuchithwe ilizwe lonke.
They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6 Lilani ngoba usuku lukaThixo seluseduze. Luzafika njengokuchithakala okuvela kuSomandla.
Wail, for Yahweh’s day is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7 Ngenxa yalokhu izandla zonke zizakuba buthakathaka, inhliziyo zabantu bonke zizaphela amandla.
Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone’s heart will melt.
8 Bazakuba lokwesaba okukhulu, baphathwe yibuhlungu losizi; bazabhinqika njengowesifazane ehelelwa. Bazakhangelana bemangele, ubuso babo bungamalangabi.
They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.
9 Khangelani usuku lukaThixo luyeza, usuku lwesihluku, ulaka lokuthukuthela okukhulu, ukwenza ilizwe lichitheke, kubhujiswe izoni eziphakathi kwalo.
Behold, the day of Yahweh comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it.
10 Izinkanyezi zezulu lemithala yazo akuyikukhanyisa. Ilanga eliphumayo lizafiphazwa lenyanga ayiyikukhanyisa.
For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11 Umhlaba ngizawujezisa ngenxa yobubi bawo, lababi ngenxa yezono zabo. Ngizaqeda ukukloloda kwabazikhukhumezayo, ngehlise ukuzigqaja kwabalesihluku.
I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the arrogance of the terrible.
12 Ngizakwenza abantu basweleke okudlula igolide elicengekileyo, basweleke okudlula igolide lase-Ofiri.
I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir.
13 Ngakho-ke ngizakwenza amazulu anyikinyeke; lomhlaba uzamazame endaweni yawo ngokuthukuthela kukaThixo uSomandla, ngosuku lolaka lwakhe oluvuthayo.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, and in the day of his fierce anger.
14 Njengempala ezingelwayo, lanjengezimvu ezingelamelusi, omunye lomunye uzabuyela ebantwini bakibo, omunye lomunye uzabalekela elizweni lakibo.
It will happen that like a hunted gazelle and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land.
15 Lowo ozathunjwa uzagwazwa; bonke abazabanjwa bazabulawa ngenkemba.
Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
16 Izingane zabo zizamahlazelwa phambi kwamehlo abo; izindlu zabo zizakhuthuzwa, omkabo babanjwe ngodlakela.
Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.
17 Khangelani, ngizabavusela amaMede angelandaba lesiliva, njalo engalijabuleli legolide.
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Imitshoko yawo izabulala izinsizwa; kawayikuba lozwelo ezinganeni loba abe lesihawu ebantwaneni.
Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.
19 IBhabhiloni, igugu lemibuso, ubukhazikhazi bokuziqhenya kwamaKhaladiya, lizachithwa nguNkulunkulu njengeSodoma leGomora.
Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 Akuyikuhlalwa kulo futhi loba kwakhiwe kulo kuzozonke izizukulwane; akulama-Arabhu azamisa amathente awo khona, loba umelusi ozaphumuza imihlambi yakhe khona.
It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.
21 Kodwa izinyamazana zeganga zizahlala khona, amakhanka azahlala ezindlini zakhona lezikhova zizahlala khona, lamagogo aqolotshe khona.
But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.
22 Impisi zizakhala ezinqabeni zakhona, amakhanka ezindlini ezinhle zobukhosi. Isikhathi salo sesizafika njalo insuku zalo kaziyikwandiswa.
Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.
