Zhuba La Yahwe
1 Lidzani lunyanga mu Ziyoni,
longani mima inotjenjedza mu dombo langu lakayengemala.
Bagali bose be shango iyeyi ngabateteme,
ngobe zhuba la Yahwe laswika, labe pejo pejo,
2 zhuba le zhalima lakatizwi, i zhuba linotjisa,
zhuba le makole, kwakatizwi.
Se zhalima dema lakafukidza matombo, babhayani bakasima be bunji gusibushoma banozha,
kuli kusakatongo shingikala mu misi ya ntolo,
kakale kusi kunowotongoshingikala mu misi yose inowozha.
3 Moto unotjinya mbeli kwabo,
nthuto uthuta shule kwabo,
shango inonga nnda we Edeni mbeli kwabo,
koga shule kwabo konga tjilambanyika,
ngono akuna tjinobapudzumuka.
4 Banolingika se mbizi,
banolabuka se mbizi dze ngwa.
5 Banolabuka bedzadzanya pezhugwi kwe matombo,
nsindo wabo unonga koloyi dze ngwa,
kuthathanyika se nthuto we moto upisa mashanga,
kunga babhayani bakasima bakalulwamisigwa ngwa.
6 Mbeli kwabo zwitjaba zomanikana,
njiso dzose dzikafubala.
7 Banolabuka se balume bakasima,
banotatha guma se babhayani,
mmwe ne mmwe unoyenda mu zijana iye,
ngono abatobhuda mu zijana dzabo.
8 Naiko abatosundasundana,
mmwe ne mmwe unoyenda mu zijana iye.
Banopalama zwibhayano ne beyenda bewa,
akuna tjinobama mbeli.
9 Banowila nzi nkulu;
banolabuka pezhugwi kwe makuma,
banotathila mukati kwe dzing'umba,
banongina nge mafesitere se mbava.
10 Shango inotengenyeka mbeli kwabo,
zhuzhugwi kozunguzika,
zhuba ne mwedzi zowotizwi,
tjedza tje nyenyedzi tjotundubala.
11 Yahwe banomilidza hwi labo mbeli kwe ngwa yabo.
Ngono ngwa yabo ihwulu seni ne bunji gusibushoma.
Iye unolondolodza dama labo wakasima kwazo.
Zhuba la Yahwe igulu kwazo kakale lotjisa.
Apa ndiani ungalidzikitadzila kene?
Yahwe banodanila bathu kushandukila ku bali
12 “Ngono na ngwenu,” koleba Yahwe,
“shandukilani kundili nge moyo yenyu yose, nge
kuzwinyima zojiwa, mulila, kakale muli mu buyendasi.
13 Palulani moyo yenyu kusi zwiambalo zwenyu.”
Shandukilani kuna Yahwe, Ndzimu wenyu,
Ngobe ibo bana ngoni ne lubu, bana moyonlefu,
abatotjimbidza gwadzamoyo, bazhele ludo, banozwidziba mu kuloba babi.
14 Ndiani unoziba kuti pamwe swiyo bangashanduka bakamusiyila makombolelo, tjipo tje mathunde ne tje tjing'o zwili zwa Yahwe, Ndzimu wenyu.
15 Lidzani lunyanga mu Ziyoni,
zibisani kuzwinyima zojiwa kwakayengemala,
danani gubungano lakayengemala.
16 Kubunganyani bathu,
yengemadzani gubungano.
Kubunganyani bahwola,
kubunganyani bana
nenge ngawana dzinomwa.
A nloboli abhude mu ng'umba iye
ne nlobogwa mu bulalo gugwe.
17 Bapirisiti bashingili ba Yahwe,
balile bali pakati kwe tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo ne nkoba we Ng'umba ye Ndzimu,
ngono bati, “Yahwe, tjidzani bathu benyu.
Musiletje lukata gwenyu gukalengudziwa,
musiletje zwitjaba zwibanyenya.
Kowobe tjini ha bangahwiwa
nge bathu beti, ‘Ndzimu wabo ungayi kene?’ ”
Ndzimu unobuzila shango fumwa
18 Ipapo Yahwe bakabe ne fupa ngekwe shango yabo,
ngono bakahwila ngoni bathu babo.
19 Yahwe bakadabila bathu babo bakati,
“Bonani, ndomuzhisila mathunde ne nkumbi we zhambi ne mafuta,
ngono zowomugutsha.
Andingatjayite
kuti mulengudziwe pakati kwe zwitjaba.
20 Ndowosedzedza ngwa ye bunandzwa kutjena namwi,
ndowobatatila kwakawomelela, shango kwaisingamele tjimwe.
Babhayani bambeli banowotatigwa mu gungwa guku bhezhuba.
Bhayani bashule banowotatigwa mu gungwa guku golombedzo.
Kowobe ne ithungethunge tje nnuhwo wabo.
Nnuhwo wabo unowobe wakapindilila,
ngobe bakayita zwithu zwikulu kulu.
21 “Usitongotja iwe shango,
ushathe upembele,
ngobe Yahwe bakayita zwithu zwikulu kulu.
22 Musitongotja, imwi phuka dze shango,
ngobe fulo iyapo shango yakamuka.
Miti ye mitjelo inozwala,
mipaya ne mizhambi yakakulumula.
23 “Shathani kaa, bana be Ziyoni!
Mushathile Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu,
ngobe bamupa vula ye nseulo nge ndulamo,
bakamutebulila vula ye nseulo
ne vula ye mbodzamashanga sa ntolo.
24 Mbuwa dzowozhala mathunde,
hali dzinokutunuligwa dzowozhala
dzikatebuka nkumbi we zhambi ne mafuta.
25 Ndowomubuzila kwe makole iyawaje
kwakabe kwajiwa nge zwiwong'wani
ne phashu ne magutegute ne phashwana,
ili ngwa yangu hwulu yandakatumila pakati kwenyu.
26 Mowowana zojiwa zwinjinji, ngono mowoguta.
Mowokudza zina la Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu,
ibo bakamuthamila makaabadzo.
Bathu bangu abatjowofa babhakhwa nge shoni kakale.
27 Ndizo mowoziba andilipo pakati kwe Iziraela,
kuti ndimi Yahwe, Ndzimu wenyu,
akuna mmwe kakale, ndodwa!
Bathu bangu abatjowofa babhakhwa nge shoni.
Zhuba la Yahwe
28 “Shule kwa ikoku, ndowodelusila meya yangu mu bathu bose.
Bakololo ne bakololokadzi benyu banowolebesambeli,
bathuntana benyu banowowolota,
bazhuzha benyu banowobona mibono.
29 Mu misi iyeyo,
ndowodelusila meya yangu ne mu balanda,
bose betjilume ne betjikadzi.
30 “Ndowolakidza makaabadzo pezhugwi na pasi,
malopa, moto, ne bhulubusi linothungayila.
31 Zhuba lowoshanduka likabe zhalima
mwedzi ukashanduka ukabe malopa,
zhuba gulu linotjisa la Yahwe lisathu likaswika.
32 Ndizo mmwe ne mmwe unodana zina la Yahwe unowotjidziwa,
sekwa kwakaleba Yahwe,
‘Ngobe mu Dombo le Ziyonine mu Jerusalema kowobe ne jidzo,
muna bakatjila ibo Yahwe babanowodana.’ ”
The Locusts as a Warning of the Day of the Lord
1 Blow the trumpet; sound the alarm
on Zion, God's sacred hill.
Tremble, people of Judah!
The day of the Lord is coming soon.
2 It will be a dark and gloomy day,
a black and cloudy day.
The great army of locusts advances
like darkness spreading over the mountains.
There has never been anything like it,
and there never will be again.
3 Like fire they eat up the plants.
In front of them the land is like the Garden of Eden,
but behind them it is a barren desert.
Nothing escapes them.
4 They look like horses;
they run like war-horses.
5 As they leap on the tops of the mountains,
they rattle like chariots;
they crackle like dry grass on fire.
They are lined up like a great army ready for battle.
6 As they approach, everyone is terrified;
every face turns pale.
7 They attack like warriors;
they climb the walls like soldiers.
They all keep marching straight ahead
and do not change direction
8 or get in each other's way.
They swarm through defenses,
and nothing can stop them.
9 They rush against the city;
they run over the walls;
they climb up the houses
and go in through the windows like thieves.
10 The earth shakes as they advance;
the sky trembles.
The sun and the moon grow dark,
and the stars no longer shine.
11 The Lord thunders commands to his army.
The troops that obey him
are many and mighty.
How terrible is the day of the Lord!
Who will survive it?
A Call to Repentance
12 “But even now,” says the Lord,
“repent sincerely and return to me
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
13 Let your broken heart show your sorrow;
tearing your clothes is not enough.”
Come back to the Lord your God.
He is kind and full of mercy;
he is patient and keeps his promise;
he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
14 Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind
and bless you with abundant crops.
Then you can offer him grain and wine.
15 Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion;
give orders for a fast and call an assembly!
16 Gather the people together;
prepare them for a sacred meeting;
bring the old people;
gather the children
and the babies too.
Even newly married couples
must leave their homes and come.
17 The priests, serving the Lord
between the altar and the entrance of the Temple,
must weep and pray:
“Have pity on your people, Lord.
Do not let other nations despise us and mock us
by saying, ‘Where is your God?’”
God Restores Fertility to the Land
18 Then the Lord showed concern for his land;
he had mercy on his people.
19 He answered them:
“Now I am going to give you
grain and wine and olive oil,
and you will be satisfied.
Other nations will no longer despise you.
20 I will remove the locust army that came from the north
and will drive some of them into the desert.
Their front ranks will be driven into the Dead Sea,
their rear ranks into the Mediterranean.
Their dead bodies will stink.
I will destroy them because of all they have done to you.
21 “Fields, don't be afraid,
but be joyful and glad
because of all the Lord has done for you.
22 Animals, don't be afraid.
The pastures are green;
the trees bear their fruit,
and there are plenty of figs and grapes.
23 “Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice at what the Lord your God has done for you.
He has given you the right amount of autumn rain;
he has poured down the winter rain for you
and the spring rain as before.
24 The threshing places will be full of grain;
the pits beside the presses will overflow with wine and olive oil.
25 I will give you back what you lost
in the years when swarms of locusts ate your crops.
It was I who sent this army against you.
26 Now you will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied.
You will praise the Lord your God,
who has done wonderful things for you.
My people will never be despised again.
27 Then, Israel, you will know that I am among you
and that I, the Lord, am your God
and there is no other.
My people will never be despised again.
The Day of the Lord
28 “Afterward I will pour out my Spirit on everyone:
your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;
your old people will have dreams,
and your young people will see visions.
29 At that time I will pour out my Spirit
even on servants, both men and women.
30 “I will give warnings of that day
in the sky and on the earth;
there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke.
31 The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will turn red as blood
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32 But all who ask the Lord for help will be saved.
As the Lord has said,
‘Some in Jerusalem will escape;
those whom I choose will survive.’”