Ezekiel 21
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
2 “Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
Ndodana yomuntu, misa ubuso bakho ngaseJerusalema, utshumayele ngasezindaweni ezingcwele, uprofethe umelane lelizwe lakoIsrayeli;
3 and tell her that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
uthi elizweni lakoIsrayeli: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngimelene lawe, njalo ngizahwatsha inkemba yami esikhwameni sayo, ngiqume ngisuse kuwe olungileyo lomubi.
4 Because I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.
Ngenxa yokuthi ngizaquma ngisuse kuwe olungileyo lomubi, ngakho inkemba yami izaphuma esikhwameni sayo iye kuyo yonke inyama, kusukela eningizimu kuze kube senyakatho;
5 Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have taken My sword from its sheath, not to return it again.’
ukuthi yonke inyama ikwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi ngiyihwatshile inkemba yami esikhwameni sayo; kayisayikubuyela futhi.
6 But you, son of man, groan! Groan before their eyes with a broken heart and bitter grief.
Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, bubula ngokudabuka kokhalo, langokubaba ububule phambi kwamehlo abo.
7 And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.”
Kuzakuthi-ke nxa besithi kuwe: Wena ububulelani? uzaphendula: Ngenxa yombiko; ngoba uyeza; layo yonke inhliziyo izancibilika, lazo zonke izandla zizakuba buthakathaka, lawo wonke umoya udangale, lawo wonke amadolo ageleze njengamanzi. Khangela kuyeza, kuzakwenzeka, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
8 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
9 “Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—
Ndodana yomuntu, profetha uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Wothi: Inkemba, inkemba iloliwe, futhi ilolongiwe.
10 it is sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice in the scepter of My son? The sword despises every such stick.
Ilolelwe ukuthi ibulale lokubulala, yalolongelwa ukuthi ibe lokuphazima; sizathokoza yini? Iyintonga yendodana yami, idelela sonke isigodo.
11 The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished, to be placed in the hand of the slayer.
Njalo uyinikele ukuthi ilolongwe ukuze iphathwe ngesandla; le inkemba iyalolwa njalo yona ilolongelwe ukuyinikela esandleni sombulali.
12 Cry out and wail, O son of man, for the sword is wielded against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel! They are tossed to the sword with My people; therefore strike your thigh.
Khala, uqhinqe isililo, ndodana yomuntu, ngoba yona izakuba phezu kwabantu bami, izakuba phezu kwazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoIsrayeli; zizaphoselwa enkembeni kanye labantu bami; ngakho, tshaya ethangazini lakho.
13 Surely testing will come! And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue?’
Ngoba kuyikuhlolwa, pho, kuzakuba njani nxa intonga idelela? Kakuyikuba khona, kutsho iNkosi uJehova.
14 ‘So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword that slays, a sword of great slaughter closing in on every side!
Ngakho wena, ndodana yomuntu, profetha, utshaye isandla esandleni, lenkemba kayiphindwe okwesithathu; yinkemba yababuleweyo, yinkemba yabakhulu ababuleweyo, ebahanqayo.
15 So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter.
Ngimise umcijo wenkemba umelene lamasango abo wonke, ukuze inhliziyo incibilike lezikhubekiso zande. Hawu! Yenziwe ukuthi iphazime, ilolongwe ukuthi ibulale.
16 Slash to the right; set your blade to the left— wherever your blade is directed.
Hamba ngendlela enye kumbe ngenye, ngakwesokunene, umise ngakwesokhohlo, lapho ubuso bakho obumiswe khona.
17 I too will strike My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath.’
Lami-ke ngizatshaya isandla sami esandleni sami, ngiphumuze intukuthelo yami. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
18 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:
19 “Now you, son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same land. And make a signpost where the road branches off to each city.
Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zimisele izindlela ezimbili, ukuze inkemba yenkosi yeBhabhiloni ibuye; elizweni linye zizaphuma zombili; njalo khetha indawo, uyikhethe enhlokweni yendlela yomuzi.
20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.
Misa indlela, ukuze inkemba ize eRabathi yabantwana bakoAmoni, lakoJuda eJerusalema ebiyelweyo.
21 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver.
Ngoba inkosi yeBhabhiloni yema kunina wendlela, enhlokweni yezindlela ezimbili, ukuze ivumise ukuvumisa; ikhuhluze imitshoko, ibuze izithombe, ikhangele esibindini.
22 In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.
Esandleni sakhe sokunene kwakulokuvumisa ngeJerusalema, ukumisa izinqama zokudiliza, ukuvula umlomo ekubulaleni, ukuphakamisa ilizwi ngokumemeza, ukumisa izinqama zokudiliza imelene lamasango, ukubuthelela idundulu, ukwakha umduli wokuvimbezela.
23 It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.
Njalo kuzakuba kubo njengokuvumisa kwamanga emehlweni abo, kubo abafunge izifungo; kodwa izakhumbula isiphambeko, ukuze babanjwe.
24 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds—because you have come to remembrance—you shall be taken in hand.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba lenze ububi benu bukhunjulwe, ngokwembulwa kweziphambeko zenu, kuze kuthi izono zenu zibonakale kuzo zonke izenzo zenu, ngoba likhunjulwe, lizabanjwa ngesandla.
25 And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your final punishment.’
Wena-ke, siphathamandla esingcolileyo esikhohlakeleyo sakoIsrayeli, osuku lwaso selufikile, ngesikhathi sobubi bokucina,
26 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted.
itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Susa iqhiye, wethule umqhele; lokhu kakuyikuba yikho; phakamisa ophansi, wehlisele phansi ophakemeyo.
27 A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! And it will not be restored until the arrival of Him to whom it belongs, to whom I have assigned the right of judgment.’
Ngizakwenza kube lunxiwa, unxiwa, unxiwa; lokhu kungabi kusaba khona, kuze kufike lowo olelungelo, ngimnike khona.
28 Now prophesy, son of man, and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt: ‘A sword! A sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, to flash like lightning—
Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, profetha uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova ngabantwana bakoAmoni, lamayelana lehlazo labo; wothi: Inkemba, inkemba ihwatshiwe, ilolongelwe ukubulala, ukuze iqede, ukuze iphazime.
29 while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you— to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.
Besakubonela okuyize, besakuvumisela amanga, ukuthi bakubeke ezintanyeni zababuleweyo babakhohlakeleyo, abasuku lwabo selufikile ngesikhathi sesiphambeko sokucina.
30 Return the sword to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.
Buyisela inkemba esikhwameni sayo. Ngizakwahlulela endaweni owadalelwa kuyo, elizweni lomdabuko wakho.
31 I will pour out My anger upon you; I will breathe the fire of My fury against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled in destruction.
Njalo ngizathululela intukuthelo yami phezu kwakho; ngivuthele ngimelene lawe ngomlilo wolaka lwami; ngikunikele esandleni sabantu abalolunya, abayizingcwethi zokuchitha.
32 You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will stain your own land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.’”
Uzakuba yikudla komlilo; igazi lakho libe phakathi kwelizwe; kawuyikukhunjulwa; ngoba mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
