The Fate of Those Who Oppress the Poor
1 How terrible it will be for those who lie awake and plan evil! When morning comes, as soon as they have the chance, they do the evil they planned. 2 When they want fields, they seize them; when they want houses, they take them. No one's family or property is safe.
3 And so the Lord says, “I am planning to bring disaster on you, and you will not be able to escape it. You are going to find yourselves in trouble, and then you will not walk so proudly any more. 4 When that time comes, people will use the story about you as an example of disaster, and they will sing this song of despair about your experience:
We are completely ruined!
The Lord has taken our land away
And given it to those who took us captive.”
5 So then, when the time comes for the land to be given back to the Lord's people, there will be no share for any of you.
6 The people preach at me and say, “Don't preach at us. Don't preach about all that. God is not going to disgrace us. 7 Do you think the people of Israel are under a curse? Has the Lord lost his patience? Would he really do such things? Doesn't he speak kindly to those who do right?”
8 The Lord replies, “You attack my people like enemies. Men return from battle, thinking they are safe at home, but there you are, waiting to steal the coats off their backs. 9 You drive the women of my people out of the homes they love, and you have robbed their children of my blessings forever. 10 Get up and go; there is no safety here any more. Your sins have doomed this place to destruction.
11 “These people want the kind of prophet who goes around full of lies and deceit and says, ‘I prophesy that wine and liquor will flow for you.’
12 “But I will gather you together, all you people of Israel that are left. I will bring you together like sheep returning to the fold. Like a pasture full of sheep, your land will once again be filled with many people.”
13 God will open the way for them and lead them out of exile. They will break out of the city gates and go free. Their king, the Lord himself, will lead them out.
Tjinowowila ibabo banotshambilidza bashayi
1 Yee mme wee! Bapalala ibo banoluka maano e bubi,
ibabo banoluka maano e mbipo bali mu malalo abo!
Nge mazhokuyedza banowobe bekushingikadza
ngoti kumu simba labo.
2 Banoyemula shango bebe bedzitapa,
ne ng'umba bebe bedzitapa.
Banotshambilidza nlume ne nsha uwe,
bentolela thaka iye.
3 Ndizo wali Yahwe bakati,
“Ndizo ngwenu ndolongolosa tjakabipa kutjithamila bathu ibaba,
tjamusingowotubula kuzwitjidza mutjili.
Amutjawo yendayenda muzwikudza,
ngoti tjowobe tjili tjibaka tjakabipa.
4 Mu zhuba ilelo banowomba lumbo gunokudadila,
belila nge tjililo tjinogwadza beti,
‘Iswi tathukudzika tjose,
thundu ye bathu bangu yakobanyiwa.
Yahwe bayitola mundili!
Shango yedu bayikobela batapi bedu.’ ”
5 Ndizo wali amutjowobe ne mmwe mu gubungano la Yahwe unokoba shango nge kukandila.
6 Banoti,
“Musilebesembeli,
musilebesembeli ngekwe zwithu izwezwi,
mabhatisashoni haangati wile.”
7 Apa ikoku kungalebgwa imwi, ng'umba ya Jakubo,
“Apa Meya ya Yahwe aina moyo nlefu kene?
Apa mishingo iyeyi nge yabo kene?
“Apa matama angu aatothama tjakanaka,
kuna umu zila yakatambunuka kene?
8 Koga bathu bangu mobamukila se tjita,
mombula hazu muna bana kunyalala
muna ibabo banopinda nge kugalabgwe
basina nkumbulo we ngwa.
9 Betjikadzi be bathu bangu,
mobatata mu ng'umba dzabo mbuya.
Modusa gudzo langu
mu bana babo nge kusingapele.
10 Milikani muyende,
ngoti ipapa ate pali pathu pe kunyaluluka
ngekwe kutemapadza nge golomodzo
linokolomodza kwakabangalala.
11 Ha nnyepi unotjebela angazha eti,
‘Ndowomugadzabgwe nkumbi ne busukwa,’
ndiye unowobe nlebesambeli we bathu ibaba!
Kugadzabgwe kusununguka
12 “Nge malebeswa ndowomukubunganya mose, iwe Jakubo,
nge malebeswa ndowokubunganya malimbelimbe e Iziraela.
Ndowobakubunganya se pkhwizi mu danga,
se ngubi mu mafulo,
kowobe zhoba ye mbunga we bathu.
13 Iye unothuka unowobatungamila,
banowothuka pa nkoba bakabhuda.
Mambo wabo unowopindila mbeli kwabo,
Yahwe ibo banowobe nsholo wabo.”