Ezekiel 3
1 And he said to me, Son of man, eat that which thou find. Eat this roll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, dlana okuphambi kwakho, dlana umqulu lo; ube ususiyakhuluma kuyo indlu ka-Israyeli.”
2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the roll.
Ngakho ngavula umlomo wami, wasengipha umqulu ukuba ngiwudle.
3 And he said to me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, dlana umqulu lo engikunika wona ugcwalise isisu sakho ngawo.” Ngakho ngawudla, njalo emlonyeni wami wawuzwakala umnandi njengoluju.
4 And he said to me, Son of man, go, get thee to the house of Israel, and speak to them with my words.
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, hamba khathesi nje endlini ka-Israyeli ukhulume amazwi ami kubo.
5 For thou are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel,
Kawuthunywa ebantwini abalolimi olungaziwayo lolunzima, kodwa endlini ka-Israyeli,
6 not to many peoples of a strange speech, and of a hard language, whose words thou cannot understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken to thee.
hatshi ebantwini abanengi abolimi olungaziwayo lolunzima, ongeke uzwe abakutshoyo. Ngeqiniso aluba kade ngikuthume kubo kade bezakulalela.
7 But the house of Israel will not hearken to thee, for they will not hearken to me. For all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stiff heart.
Kodwa indlu ka-Israyeli kayifuni ukukulalela ngoba kabafuni kungilalela, ngoba yonke indlu ka-Israyeli ilukhuni njalo ilenkani.
8 Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads.
Kodwa lawe ngizakwenza ube lenkani lobulukhuni njengabo.
9 As an adamant, harder than flint, I have made thy forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
Ngizakwenza ubuso bakho bube njengelitshe elilukhuni kulawo wonke, elilukhuni kulelitshe lomlilo. Ungabesabi kumbe bakuthuthumelise, lanxa beyindlu ehlamukayo.”
10 Moreover he said to me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to thee, receive in thy heart, and hear with thine ears.
Njalo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, lalela kakuhle njalo uwabeke enhliziyweni wonke amazwi engiwatsho kuwe.
11 And go, get thee to those of the captivity, to the sons of thy people, and speak to them, and tell them, Thus says the lord Jehovah, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
Hamba khathesi nje ebantwini belizwe lakini abasekuthunjweni ukhulume labo. Uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi,’ loba bezalalela kumbe bangalaleli.”
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from his place.
Lapho-ke uMoya wangiphakamisa, kwathi ngemva kwami ngezwa umdumo ondindizelayo sengathi yinkazimulo kaThixo eyaphakama endaweni eyayime kuyo!
13 And I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched each other, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.
Umdumo wezimpiko zezidalwa eziphilayo zigudlana lomdumo wamavili eceleni kwazo, umdumo wokundindizela okukhulu.
14 So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away. And I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me.
UMoya wasungiphakamisela phezulu ungisusa, njalo ngahamba ngomoya otshisekayo lokuthukuthela komoya wami lesandla esilamandla sikaThixo siphezu kwami.
15 Then I came to those of the captivity at Tel-abib, who dwelt by the river Chebar, and to where they dwelt. And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.
Ngafika kwababethunjiwe ababehlala eTheli Abhibhi phansi koMfula uKhebhari. Khonapho-ke, lapho ababehlala khona, ngahlala labo insuku eziyisikhombisa ngiphelelwe ngamandla.
16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Ekupheleni kwensuku eziyisikhombisa ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi,
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
“Ndodana yomuntu, sengikwenze umlindi wendlu ka-Israyeli; ngakho zwana ilizwi engilikhulumayo ubanike isixwayiso esivela kimi.
18 When I say to a wicked man, Thou shall surely die, and thou give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked man from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at thy hand.
Nxa ngisithi emuntwini omubi, ‘Wena uzakufa impela,’ wena ungamxwayisi kumbe ukhulume ukuba umyekelise izindlela zakhe ezimbi ukuze asindise ukuphila kwakhe, lowomuntu omubi uzafela izono zakhe, kuthi wena ngikubeke icala legazi lakhe.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked man, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou have delivered thy soul.
Kodwa nxa umuntu omubi umxwayisa yena angaphenduki ebubini bakhe kumbe ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi, uzafela izono zakhe, kodwa wena uyabe uziphephisile.
20 Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because thou have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered, but I will require his blood at thy hand.
Njalo nxa umuntu olungileyo eguquka ekulungeni kwakhe enze okubi, mina ngibeke isikhubekiso phambi kwakhe, uzakufa. Njengoba nxa wena ungamxwayisanga, uzafela izono zakhe. Izinto ezilungileyo azenzayo kaziyikukhunjulwa, njalo wena ngizakubeka icala legazi lakhe.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous man not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and thou have delivered thy soul.
Kodwa nxa uxwayisa umuntu olungileyo ukuba angoni lakanye uyabe uziphephisile.”
22 And the hand of Jehovah was there upon me, and he said to me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will talk with thee there.
Isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami lapho, njalo wathi kimi, “Sukuma uye egcekeni ngizakhuluma lawe khona.”
23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain. And, behold, the glory of Jehovah stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face.
Ngakho ngasukuma ngaya egcekeni. Inkazimulo kaThixo yayimi lapho, injengenkazimulo engangiyibone phansi koMfula uKhebhari, ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso.
24 Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet. And he spoke with me, and said to me, Go, shut thyself within thy house.
Lapho-ke uMoya wangena kimi wangimisa ngezinyawo zami. Wakhuluma wathi kimi, “Hamba uyezivalela endlini yakho.
25 But thou, son of man, behold, they shall lay bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shall not escape from them.
Njalo, wena ndodana yomuntu, bazakubopha ngemichilo; uzabotshwa ukuze ungayi phandle ebantwini.
26 And I will make thy tongue cling to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shall be mute, and shall not be a reprover to them, for they are a rebellious house.
Ngizakwenza ulimi lwakho lunamathele elwangeni lomlomo wakho ukuze uthule unganelisi ukubakhuza lanxa beyindlu ehlamukayo.
27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shall say to them, Thus says the lord Jehovah. He who hears, let him hear, and he who forbears, let him forbear, for they are a rebellious house.
Kodwa nxa sengikhuluma lawe ngizavula umlomo wakho, njalo uzakuthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi.’ Loba ngubani ozalalela myekele alalele, njalo loba ngubani ozakwala myekele ale; ngoba bayindlu ehlamukayo.”
