< Ezra 9 >

1 Now when these things were done, the princes drew near unto me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, [doing] according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
Kwathi ekupheleni kwalezizinto, iziphathamandla zasondela kimi zisithi: Abantu bakoIsrayeli labapristi lamaLevi kabazehlukanisanga lezizwe zamazwe ngokwezinengiso zazo, ezamaKhanani, amaHethi, amaPerizi, amaJebusi, amaAmoni, amaMowabi, amaGibhithe, lamaAmori.
2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
Ngoba bazithathele emadodakazini azo bona lamadodana abo, yaze yaxubana inzalo engcwele lezizwe zamazwe; yebo, isandla seziphathamandla lababusi sasingesokuqala kulesisiphambeko.
3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
Kwathi ngisizwa loludaba ngadabula isembatho sami lebhatshi lami, ngangcothula okwenwele zekhanda lami lendevu zami, ngahlala phansi ngathithibala.
4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the trespass of them of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening oblation.
Kwasekubuthana kimi wonke othuthumela ngamazwi kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ngenxa yesiphambeko sabathunjwa; ngasengihlala ngithithibele kwaze kwaba ngumnikelo wakusihlwa.
5 And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe rent; and I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto Jehovah my God;
Kwathi ngomnikelo wakusihlwa ngasukuma ekuthotshisweni kwami, lekudabuleni kwami isembatho sami lebhatshi lami, ngaguqa ngamadolo ami, ngelulela izandla zami eNkosini uNkulunkulu wami,
6 and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up unto the heavens.
ngathi: Nkulunkulu wami, ngilenhloni, ngiyangekile ukuphakamisela ubuso bami kuwe, Nkulunkulu wami, ngoba ububi bethu bandile ngaphezu kwekhanda, lecala lethu selikhule kwaze kwaba semazulwini.
7 Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
Kusukela ensukwini zabobaba besiphakathi kwecala elikhulu kuze kube lamuhla, langenxa yobubi bethu thina, amakhosi ethu, abapristi bethu, sinikelwe esandleni samakhosi amazwe, enkembeni, ekuthunjweni, lekuphangweni, lehlazweni lobuso, njengalamuhla.
8 And now for a little moment grace hath been showed from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
Khathesi-ke ngokwesikhatshana umusa wenziwe yiNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, ukusitshiyela ukuphepha, lokusinika isikhonkwane endaweni yayo engcwele, ukuze uNkulunkulu wethu akhanyisele amehlo ethu, njalo asinike imvuselelo encinyane ebugqilini bethu.
9 For we are bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended lovingkindness unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
Ngoba siyizigqili, kanti ebugqilini bethu uNkulunkulu wethu kasitshiyanga, kodwa uselulele umusa phambi kwamakhosi ePerisiya, ukusinika imvuselelo, ukuphakamisa indlu kaNkulunkulu wethu, lokumisa amanxiwa ayo, lokusinika umduli koJuda laseJerusalema.
10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
Khathesi-ke, Nkulunkulu wethu, sizakuthini emva kwalokhu? Ngoba siyitshiyile imilayo yakho,
11 which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness:
owasilaya yona ngesandla senceku zakho abaprofethi, usithi: Ilizwe elingena kulo ukudla ilifa lalo liyilizwe elingcolileyo ngokungcola kwezizwe zamazwe, ngokunengekayo kwazo eziligcwalise ngakho kusukela ephethelweni kusiya ephethelweni, ngokungcola kwazo.
12 now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity for ever; that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.
Ngakho-ke linganiki amadodana azo amadodakazi enu, futhi lingathatheli amadodana enu amadodakazi azo, lingadingi ukuthula kwazo lokuhle kwazo kuze kube phakade ukuze liqine lidle okuhle kwelizwe, lilitshiyele abantwana benu libe yilifa kuze kube phakade.
13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such a remnant,
Lemva kwakho konke okusehleleyo ngenxa yezenzo zethu ezimbi langenxa yecala lethu elikhulu, ngoba wena Nkulunkulu wethu uzibambile ekusijeziseni kancane kulezono zethu, wasinika ukuphepha okunje;
14 shall we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?
sizayephula futhi yini imilayo yakho, sithathane lesizwe salezizinengiso? Kawuyikusithukuthelela yini uze usiqede, kuze kungabi lensali kumbe ukuphepha?
15 O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thou art righteous; for we are left a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our guiltiness; for none can stand before thee because of this.
Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ulungile; ngoba sitshiyelwe ukuphunyuka njengalamuhla. Khangela, siphambi kwakho ecaleni lethu, ngoba kakho ongema phambi kwakho ngenxa yalokhu.

< Ezra 9 >