Joel 2
1 Bethani uphondo eZiyoni, nihlabe umkhosi entabeni yami engcwele, mazithuthumele zonke izakhamuzi ezweni, ngokuba luyeza usuku lukaSimakade, impela selusondele.
2 Usuku lobumnyama nesigayegaye, usuku lwamafu nobumnyama obukhulu, njengentathakusa yendlaleka ezintabeni, kunjalo nokuza kwezinkumbi zabantu abanamandla abangakaze babekhona kwasemandulo, nabangasoze babakhona abanjalo emva kwabo kuze kube yiminyaka yezizukulwane ngezizukulwane.
3 Phambi kwabo kuqothula umlilo, emva kwabo kuvutha ilangabi; izwe eliphambi kwabo linjengensimu e-Edeni, kodwa emva kwabo liyihlane elingenalutho, akukho okuphunyukayo kubo.
4 Ukubukeka kwabo kufana nesimo samahhashi, bagijima njengabagibele amahhashi empi.
5 Bagqabashiya kube sengathi ngumsindo wezinqola ezicongweni zezintaba, nanjengomsindo welangabi lomlilo ongqongqisa amahlanga, banjengabantu abanamandla abavivela ukulwa.
6 Phambi kwabo izizwe ziyathuthumela, ubuso bonke buphaphatheke.
7 Bagijima njengamaqhawe, njengamabutho empi ekhuphuka ongangeni. Bayahamba, kube yilowo nalowo ngendlela yakhe, abaphambuki endleleni yabo.
8 Abakhubani omunye nomunye; bayahamba, kube yilowo nalowo endleni yakhe; abayeki ukungena ngodli phakathi kwezikhali.
9 Batheleka emzini, bagijime ogangeni; bakhuphukele ezindlini, bangulukudele ngamafasitela njengesela.
10 Umhlaba uyazamazama phambi kwabo, isibhakabhaka sithuthumele phambi kwabo. Ilanga nenyanga kuyakubamnyama bhuqe, nezinkanyezi zigodle ukukhanya kwazo.
11 USimakade ulikhiphile izwi lakhe phambi kwempi yakhe, ngokuba amabutho akhe maningi kakhulu, impela owenza izwi lakhe unamandla. Nokho usuku lukaSimakade lukhulu, futhi luyesabeka ngokwedlulele. Pho ngubani ongalumela na?
12 USimakade uyakhuluma uthi: “Ngisho namanje buyelani kimi ngenhliziyo yenu nonke, ngokuzila ukudla, ngokukhala, nangokulila.”
13 Dabulani izinhliziyo zenu, hhayi izingubo zenu, nibuyele kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu, ngokuba unomusa nesihawu, uyephuza ukuthukuthela, unesihe nothando olungenamkhawulo, uyaxolela angabe esajezisa.
14 Ngubani owaziyo uma engabuya axolele, ashiye isibusiso emva kwakhe, kube ngumnikelo wokusanhlamvu nowokuphuzwayo kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu na?
15 Bethani uphondo eZiyoni, nimemezele usuku olungcwele lokuzila ukudla, nibize umhlangano.
16 Qoqani abantu, ningcwelise umhlangano, niqoqe amalunga, izingane nezinsana ezisancela. Umyeni makaphume ekamelweni lakhe nomlobokazi emgonqweni wakhe.
17 Abaphristi, izikhonzi zikaSimakade, mabakhale phakathi kompheme ne-althare, bathi: “Hawukela abantu bakho, Simakade, ungalenzi ifa lakho libe yinto yokuthukwa nenhlekisa, kungani kufanele bathi phakathi kwabezizwe: ‘Uphi uNkulunkulu wabo na?’ ”
18 USimakade walihawukela izwe lakhe, waba nesihe kubantu bakhe.
19 USimakade waphendula wathi kubantu bakhe: “Bhekani-ke, ngiyakunithumelela okusanhlamvu, iwayini elisha namafutha amasha, niyakusutha ngakho, ngingabe ngisanenza inhlekisa ezizweni.
20 Ngiyakuyidudulela kude nani impi yasenyakatho, ngiyixoshele ezweni eligagadekile neliyincithakalo, ubuso bayo bubheke ngasolwandle empumalanga, ingemuva layo lifulathele ngasolwandle entshonalanga, ukunuka kwayo kukhuphuke, kwenyuke nephunga layo elibi, ngokuba wenze izinto ezinkulu.
21 “Lizwe, ungesabi; jabula uthokoze, ngokuba uSimakade wenzile izinto ezinkulu.
22 Zilwane zasendle, ningesabi, ngokuba amadlelo ehlane aluhlaza, impela nezihlahla zithela izithelo, umkhiwane nomvini kuthele kakhulu.
23 Jabulani, bantu baseZiyoni, nithokoze kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu, ngokuba unipha imvula yokuqala ngokulunga, uninisele imvula yokuqala neyakamuva ngenyanga yokuqala.
24 Izibuya ziyakugcwala okusanhlamvu, izikhamo ziphuphume iwayini elisha namafutha amasha.
25 “Ngiyakunibuyisela iminyaka okwadla ngayo isikhonyane, amaqhwagi, isibotho nenkasa, impi yami enkulu engayithumela kini.
26 Impela niyakudla nisuthe, nilidumise igama likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu onenzele okumangalisayo; abantu bami abayukujabha ingunaphakade.
27 Niyakukwazi ukuthi ngiphakathi kuka-Israyeli, nokuthi Mina nginguSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu, akekho omunye; abantu bami abayukujabha kuze kube phakade.
28 “Kuyakuthi kamuva ngithululele uMoya wami phezu kwabo bonke abantu. Amadodana namadodakazi enu ayakuphrofetha, abadala benu baphuphe amaphupho, izinsizwa zenu zibone imibono.
29 Ngalezo zinsuku ngiyakuthululela uMoya wami naphezu kwezinceku nezincekukazi.
30 Ngiyakuveza izimangaliso ezulwini nasemhlabeni, igazi, umlilo nezikhatha zentuthu.
31 Ilanga liyakuphenduka ubumnyama, inyanga ibe yigazi, lungakafiki usuku olukhulu nolwesabekayo lukaSimakade.
32 Kepha kuyakuthi bonke ababiza igama likaSimakade baphunyuke, ngokuba entabeni iZiyoni naseJerusalema kuyakuba khona abasindileyo njengoba eshilo uSimakade, labo abayakubizwa nguSimakade.”