< Ezekiel 31 >
1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye, ngenyanga yesithathu ngosuku lwakuqala, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude, Whom are thou like in thy greatness?
“Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe lakumaxuku akhe uthi: ‘Ngubani ongalinganiswa lawe ngobucwazicwazi?
3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a forest-like shade, and of high stature, and its top was among the thick boughs.
Cabanga i-Asiriya, eyake yaba ngumsedari eLebhanoni, olamagatsha amahle embese ihlathi ngomthunzi; wawumude uphezulu le, isihloko sawo singaphezu kwamahlamvu avitshileyo.
4 The waters nourished it. The deep made it to grow. The rivers of it ran round about its plantation, and it sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
Amanzi awondla, imithombo etshonayo yawenza wakhula waba mude; izifudlana zayo zageleza emaceleni esidindi sawo sonke, imisele yazo ayafika kuzozonke izihlahla zeganga.
5 Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field, and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long because of many waters, when it shot them forth.
Wawuphakeme kanjalo umude kulazo zonke izihlahla zeganga; ingatsha zawo zanda, ingatsha zawo zakhula zaba zinde zendlalekile ngenxa yobunengi bamanzi.
6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs, and under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young, and under its shadow dwelt all great nations.
Zonke izinyoni zasemoyeni zakhela izidleke zazo ezingatsheni zawo, zonke izinyamazana zeganga zazalela ngaphansi kwezingatsha zawo; zonke izizwe ezinkulu zahlala emthunzini wawo.
7 Thus it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches, for its root was by many waters.
Wawunkanyazela ngobuhle bawo, ngezingatsha zawo ezendlalekileyo, ngoba impande zawo zazitshona phansi emanzini amanengi.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not dim it. The fir trees were not like its boughs, and the plane trees were not as its branches, nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty.
Imisedari esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu yayingeke ilingane lawo, kumbe izihlahla zemiphayini zibe lezingatsha ezingafana lezawo, akukho sihlahla esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu esasingaba sihle njengawo.
9 I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.
Ngawenza waba muhle ngezingatsha ezinengi, wahawukelwa yizihlahla zonke zase-Edeni esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu.
10 Therefore thus said the lord Jehovah: Because thou are exalted in stature, and he has set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height,
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba wawumude uphezulu le, isihloko sawo siphakamele ngaphezu kwezingatsha ezivitshileyo, njalo ngenxa yokuthi wawuziqhenya ngobude bawo,
11 I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with him; I have driven him out for his wickedness.
ngawunikela kumbusi wezizwe ukuba awuphathe ngokufanele ububi bawo. Ngawulahlela eceleni,
12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him. Upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land. And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
njalo isizwe sasezizweni esilesihluku kulazo zonke sawucakazela phansi sawutshiya. Ingatsha zawo zawela phezu kwezintaba lasezigodini zonke, amagatsha awo ephukela ezindongeni zonke zelizwe. Zonke izizwe zasemhlabeni zasuka emthunzini wawo zawutshiya.
13 All the birds of the heavens shall dwell upon his ruin, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches,
Zonke izinyoni zasemoyeni zahlala phezu kwesihlahla esiwileyo, lezinyamazana zonke zeganga zaziphakathi kwezingatsha zaso.
14 to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, neither set their top among the thick boughs, nor that their mighty ones stand up on their height, even all that drink water. For they are all delivered to death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit.
Ngakho kazikho ezinye izihlahla ngasemanzini ezizaphakama ngokuziqhenya phezulu le, zifikise izihloko zazo ngaphezu kwezingatsha. Kazikho ezinye izihlahla ezizuza amanzi kuhle kanjalo ezizake zifike phezulu kangako; zonke zimiselwe ukufa, emhlabeni ongaphansi, phakathi kwabantu abafayo, kanye lalabo abehlela egodini.
15 Thus says the lord Jehovah: In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him. And I restrained the rivers of it, and the great waters were stayed. And I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. (Sheol )
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngosuku owehliselwa ngalo engcwabeni, ngavala imithombo etshonayo ngokulilelwa kwawo, ngamisa izifudlana zawo, lamanzi awo amanengi avinjelwa. Ngenxa yawo ngembesa iLebhanoni ngomnyama, njalo zonke izihlahla zeganga zabuna. (Sheol )
16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the nether parts of the earth. (Sheol )
Ngenza izizwe zathuthunyeliswa ngumdumo wokuwa kwawo lapha ngawehlisela phansi engcwabeni kanye lalabo abehlela phansi egodini. Lapho-ke zonke izihlahla zase-Edeni, ezikhethekileyo lezinhle kakhulu zaseLebhanoni, zonke izihlahla ezazithola amanzi kuhle, zaduduzeka ngaphansi komhlaba. (Sheol )
17 They also went down into Sheol with him to those who are slain by the sword, yea, those who were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations. (Sheol )
Labo ababehlala emthunzini wawo, ababevumelana lawo phakathi kwezizwe, basebehlele phansi engcwabeni kanye lawo, bahlangana lalabo ababulawa ngenkemba. (Sheol )
18 To whom are thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet thou shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the nether parts of the earth. Thou shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the lord Jehovah.
Yisiphi sezihlahla zase-Edeni esingafaniswa lawe ngobuhle langobucwazicwazi na? Ikanti lawe futhi uzakwehliselwa phansi ngaphansi komhlaba kanye lezihlahla zase-Edeni; uzalala phakathi kwabangasokanga, lalabo ababulawa ngenkemba. Lo nguFaro kanye lamaxuku akhe wonke, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”