Habakkuk 2

I will stand at my watch

Ngizakuma esilindweni sami ngime phezu komthangala; ngizakhangela ukuba ngibone ukuthi uzakuthini kimi, lokuthi yimpendulo bani engizayitsho ngale insolo. ²UThixo waphendula wathi: “Loba phansi isibonakaliso usenze sicace ezicecedwini ukuze isithunywa sigijime laso. ³Ngoba isibonakaliso silindela isikhathi esimisiweyo; sikhuluma ngesiphetho njalo kasiyikuba ngamanga. Lanxa siphuza, silindele; sizafika impela njalo kasiyikuphuza.

⁴Khangela, uyazigqaja; izifiso zakhe kazilunganga, kodwa olungileyo uzaphila ngokholo lwakhe. ⁵Impela iwayini liyamkhohlisa; uyazikhukhumeza njalo kalakho ukuphumula. Ngoba uyisihwaba njengengcwaba, njalo kasuthi njengokufa, ubuthelela izizwe zonke kuye athumbe labantu bonke.

Woe to the one who builds on bloodshed

⁶Bonke kabayikumchothoza na bamhleke besithi, ‘Maye kulowo obuthelela impahla zokwebiwa azinothise ngobugebenga! Koze kube nini lokhu kusenzakala na?’ ⁷Labo olezikwelede kubo kabayikukujuma na? Kabayikuvuka bakuthuthumelise na? Lapho-ke uzakuba yinto yabo yokuhlutshwa. ⁸Ngoba sewaphanga izizwe ezinengi, abantu abaseleyo bazakuphanga ngoba wachitha igazi labantu; watshabalalisa amazwe lamadolobho labo bonke abakuwo.

⁹Maye kulowo obumba umbuso ngenzuzo embi ukuba akhele isidleke sakhe phezulu ukuba abalekele ukuwelwa yingozi! ¹⁰Ucebe ukubhujiswa kwabantu abanengi, wayangisa indlu yakho, walahlekelwa yikuphila kwakho. ¹¹Amatshe omduli azakhala imijabo yamapulanka izasabela.

¹²Maye kulowo owakha idolobho ngokuchitha igazi akhe umuzi ngobudlwangudlwangu. ¹³UThixo uSomandla kakumisanga na ukuthi umsebenzi uzinkuni zomlilo nje kuphela, lokuthi izizwe ziqeda amandla azo ngeze? ¹⁴Ngoba umhlaba uzagcwala ngolwazi lodumo lukaThixo, njengamanzi egcwalisa ulwandle.

¹⁵Maye kulowo onika omakhelwane bakhe okunathwayo ekuthulula esigujini sewayini badakwe, ukuze akhangele imizimba yabo enqunu. ¹⁶Uzakuba lehlazo elikhulu endaweni yodumo. Khathesi sekulithuba lakho! Natha uchayeke. Inkezo yesandla sokunene kaThixo iyeza kuwe, ihlazo lizamboza udumo lwakho. ¹⁷Udlakela olwenze eLebhanoni luzakuqeda amandla, lokubulala kwakho izinyamazana kuzakuthuthumelisa. Ngoba uchithe igazi labantu; uchithe amazwe lamadolobho labo bonke abakuwo.

¹⁸Silosizo bani isithombe njengoba sibazwe ngumuntu? Kumbe isifanekiso esifundisa amanga? Ngoba lowo osenzayo uthemba isidalwa sakhe; wenza izithombe ezingeke zikhulume. ¹⁹Maye kulowo othi esigodweni, ‘Vuka uphile!’ loba athi elitsheni elingaphiliyo, ‘Phaphama!’ Linganika iseluleko na? Lembeswe ngegolide langesiliva, akulamphefumulo phakathi kwalo.” ²⁰Kodwa uThixo usethempelini lakhe elingcwele; umhlaba wonke kawuthule phambi kwakhe.