Ezekiel 36
1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.
“Ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha kuzo izintaba zako-Israyeli uthi: ‘Lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo.
2 This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Isitha satsho ngani sathi, “Awu! Iziqongo zasendulo sezibe yilifa lethu.”’
3 therefore prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Because they have made you desolate and have trampled you on every side, so that you became a possession of the rest of the nations and were taken up in slander by the lips of their talkers,
Ngakho-ke phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba baliphanga njalo balixotsha bevela ezinhlangothini zonke laze laba yilifa lezinye izizwe lento yokunyeywa lokuchothozwa ngabantu,
4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have become a spoil and a mockery to the rest of the nations around you.
ngakho-ke, lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo Wobukhosi: Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi kuzo izintaba lamaqaqa, ezindongeni lasezigodini, emanxiweni aphundlekileyo lasemadolobheni atshiyiweyo aphangwayo njalo ahlekwa ngezinye izizwe ezikuhanqileyo,
5 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, so that its pastureland became plunder.
nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngokutshiseka kwami okukhulu sengikhulume ngimelana lezinye izizwe njalo lange-Edomi lonke, ngoba ngokuthaba langenzondo ezinhliziyweni zabo benza ilizwe lami elabo ukuze baphange amadlelo alo.’
6 Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and tell the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I have spoken in My burning zeal because you have endured the reproach of the nations.
Ngakho phrofetha ngelizwe lako-Israyeli uthi kuzo izintaba lamaqaqa, indonga lezigodi: Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngikhuluma ngolaka lwami olulobukhwele ngoba lithwale isithuko sesizwe.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I have sworn with an uplifted hand that surely the nations around you will endure reproach of their own.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngifunga izandla ziphakanyiselwe phezulu ukuthi izizwe ezilihanqileyo lazo zizathwala isithuko.
8 But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and bear fruit for My people Israel, for they will soon come home.
Kodwa lina, lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, lizaveza ingatsha lezithelo zabantu bami u-Israyeli, ngoba sebezakuza ekhaya masinyane nje.
9 For behold, I am on your side; I will turn toward you, and you will be tilled and sown.
Ngiyalinqinekela njalo ngizalikhangela ngomusa; lizalinywa lihlanyelwe,
10 I will multiply the people upon you—the house of Israel in its entirety. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
njalo ngizakwandisa inani labantu phezu kwenu, lakuyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli. Amadolobho kuzahlalwa kuwo futhi lamanxiwa avuselelwe.
11 I will fill you with people and animals, and they will multiply and be fruitful. I will make you as inhabited as you once were, and I will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ngizakwandisa inani labantu lelezinyamazana phezu kwenu: njalo kuzazalana kwande. Ngizahlalisa abantu phezu kwenu njengakudala njalo ngizalenza liphumelele kakhulu kulakudala. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
12 Yes, I will cause My people Israel to walk upon you; they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will no longer deprive them of their children.
Ngizakwenza abantu, abantu bami bako-Israyeli bahambe phezu kwenu. Bazalenza libe ngababo, njalo lizakuba yilifa labo; kaliyikubemuka abantwana babo futhi.
13 For this is what the Lord GOD says: Because people say to you, ‘You devour men and deprive your nation of its children,’
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba abantu bathi kini, ‘Lidla abantu lemuke isizwe senu abantwana baso,
14 therefore you will no longer devour men or deprive your nation of its children, declares the Lord GOD.
ngakho-ke kaliyikudla abantu futhi loba lenze isizwe senu singabi labantwana, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
15 I will no longer allow the taunts of the nations to be heard against you, and you will no longer endure the reproach of the peoples or cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord GOD.”
Angiyikulenza lizwe izibhinqo zezizwe, njalo kalisayikuthwala izithuko zabantu loba ngenze ukuba isizwe senu siwe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”
16 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi njalo lisithi:
17 “Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds. Their behavior before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman’s impurity.
“Ndodana yomuntu, abantu bako-Israyeli besahlala elizweni labo, balingcolisa ngendlela abaziphatha ngayo langezenzo zabo. Ukuziphatha kwabo kwakufana lokungcola kowesifazane kwanyanga zonke emehlweni ami.
18 So I poured out My wrath upon them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.
Ngakho ngehlisela ulaka lwami phezu kwabo ngoba babechithe igazi elizweni njalo ngoba babelingcolisile ngezithombe zabo.
19 I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the lands. I judged them according to their ways and deeds.
Ngabachithela phakathi kwezizwe, njalo bahlakazekela emazweni; ngabahlulela ngokufanele ukuziphatha kwabo kanye lezenzo zabo.
20 And wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.’
Loba ngaphi abaya khona phakathi kwezizwe balingcolisa ibizo lami elingcwele, ngoba kwathiwa ngabo, ‘Laba ngabantu bakaThixo, kodwa basuswa elizweni.’
21 But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had gone.
Nganqinekela ibizo lami elingcwele, elangcoliswa yindlu ka-Israyeli phakathi kwezizwe abaya kuzo.
22 Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went.
Ngakho tshono endlini ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Akusingenxa yakho, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, ukuthi ngizakwenza izinto lezi, kodwa ngenxa yebizo lami elingcwele, osulingcolisile phakathi kwezizwe lapho oye khona.
23 I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.
Ngizabonakalisa ubungcwele bebizo elikhulu, eselingcolisiwe phakathi kwezizwe, ibizo osulingcolisile phakathi kwazo. Lapho-ke izizwe zizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lapho sengizibonakalisa ngingcwele ngawe phambi kwamehlo azo.
24 For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
Ngoba ngizakususa ezizweni; ngizakuqoqa emazweni wonke ngikubuyisele elizweni lakho.
25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.
Ngizakuchela ngamanzi ahlanzekileyo, uzahlambuluka; ngizakuhlambulula kukho konke ukungcola kwakho kanye lakuzo zonke izithombe zakho.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ngizakunika inhliziyo entsha ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwakho; ngizasusa kuwe inhliziyo yakho yelitshe ngikunike inhliziyo yenyama.
27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
Njalo ngizafaka uMoya wami phakathi kwakho ngikwenze ulandele izimiso zami njalo unanzelele ukugcina imithetho yami.
28 Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.
Lizahlala elizweni engalinika okhokho benu; lizakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wenu.
29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine upon you.
Ngizalikhulula kukho konke ukungcola kwenu. Ngizabiza amabele ngiwenze abe manengi njalo angiyikuletha indlala kini.
30 I will also make the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer bear reproach among the nations on account of famine.
Ngizakwandisa izithelo zezihlahla kanye lamabele emasimini, ukuze lingabi lehlazo futhi phakathi kwezizwe ngenxa yendlala.
31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and abominations.
Lapho-ke lizakhumbula izindlela zenu ezimbi kanye lezono zenu ezingalunganga, njalo lizazizonda lina ngokwenu ngenxa yezono kanye lezenzo zenu ezenyanyekayo.
32 It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD—let it be known to you. Be ashamed and disgraced for your ways, O house of Israel!
Ngifuna ukuba likwazi ukuthi lokhu angikwenzeli lina, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Yangeka ube lenhloni ngenxa yokuziphatha kwakho, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli!
33 This is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be resettled and the ruins to be rebuilt.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngosuku engizakuhlambulula ngalo ezonweni zakho zonke, ngizahlalisa abantu emadolobheni akho, njalo lamanxiwa azavuselelwa.
34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through.
Ilizwe eliphundlekileyo lizalinywa kulokuthi lihlale liphundlekile emehlweni abo bonke abadabula phakathi kwalo.
35 Then they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and destroyed are now fortified and inhabited.’
Bazakuthi, “Ilizwe leli elaselenziwe laba lugwadule selibe njengesivande se-Edeni; amadolobho ayesengamanxiwa, ephundlekile njalo echithekile, khathesi asevikelwe ngezinqaba njalo sekuhlala abantu kuwo.”
36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed, and I have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.
Lapho-ke izizwe ezilihanqileyo eziseleyo zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikwakhe kutsha okwakudiliziwe njalo sengikuhlanyele kutsha okwakuphundlekile. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile njalo ngizakwenza lokhu.’
37 This is what the Lord GOD says: Once again I will hear the plea of the house of Israel and do for them this: I will multiply their people like a flock.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizasivuma njalo isicelo sendlu ka-Israyeli ngibenzele lokhu: Ngizakwenza abantu bakibo babebanengi njengezimvu,
38 Like the numerous flocks for sacrifices at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so the ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
babebanengi njengemihlambi yemihlatshelo eJerusalema ngesikhathi semikhosi yalo emisiweyo. Ngokunjalo amadolobho achithekayo azagcwala ngamaxuku abantu. Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.”
