1 Wee die land van vlerkgegons wat anderkant die riviere van Kus lê;

2 wat boodskappers stuur oor die groot water en in skuite van biesies oor die waters! Gaan weg, vinnige boodskappers, na die hoog uitgegroeide nasie met die blink vel, na die wyd en syd gevreesde volk, die nasie gewoond om te gebied en te vertrap, wie se land deur riviere deursny word.

3 Al julle bewoners van die wêreld en bewoners van die aarde, as 'n banier opgehef word op die berge, kyk! En as die basuin geblaas word, luister!

4 Want so het die HERE vir my gesê: Ek wag rustig en aanskou uit my woonplek, soos glinsterende hitte bo die sonlig, soos 'n douwolk in die hitte van die oestyd.

5 Want voor die oes, as die bloeisel volgroeid is en die blom 'n ryp druiwekorrel word, sal Hy die ranke afsny met snoeimesse en die lote wegkap;

6 hulle word almal saam oorgegee aan die roofvoëls van die berge en aan die wilde diere van die aarde; en die roofvoëls sal daarop die somer deurbring, en al die wilde diere van die aarde sal daarop oorwinter.

7 In die tyd sal aan die HERE van die leërskare geskenke gebring word van die hoog uitgegroeide volk met die blink vel en van die wyd en syd gevreesde volk, die nasie gewoond om te gebied en te vertrap, wie se land deur riviere deursny word, na die plek van die Naam van die HERE van die leërskare, na die berg Sion.

1 Ho! land of the sounding of wings, on the other side of the rivers of Ethiopia:

2 Which sends its representatives by the sea, even in ships of papyrus on the waters. Go back quickly, O representatives, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people causing fear through all their history; a strong nation, crushing down its haters, whose land is cut through by rivers.

3 All you peoples of the world, and you who are living on the earth, when a flag is lifted up on the mountains, give attention; and when the horn is sounded, give ear.

4 For this is what the Lord has said to me: I will be quiet, watching from my place; like the clear heat when the sun is shining, like a mist of dew in the heat of summer.

5 For before the time of getting in the grapes, after the opening of the bud, when the flower has become a grape ready for crushing, he will take away the small branches with knives, cutting down and taking away the wide-stretching branches.

6 They will be for the birds of the mountains, and for the beasts of the earth: the birds will come down on them in the summer, and the beasts of the earth in the winter.

7 In that time an offering will be made to the Lord of armies from a people tall and smooth, causing fear through all their history; a strong nation, crushing down its haters, whose land is cut through by rivers, an offering taken to the place of the name of the Lord of armies, even Mount Zion.