Ezekiel 37
1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones.
Isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami, njalo wangikhuphela phandle ngoMoya kaThixo wangibeka phakathi kwesigodi; sasigcwele amathambo.
2 He led me all around among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, and indeed, they were very dry.
Wangisa emuva laphambili phakathi kwawo, njalo ngabona amathambo amanengi kakhulu phansi esigodini, amathambo ome kakhulu.
3 Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?” “O Lord GOD,” I replied, “only You know.”
Wangibuza wathi, “Ndodana yomuntu, kambe amathambo la angaphila na?” Mina ngathi, “Awu Thixo Wobukhosi, wena kuphela nguwe owaziyo.”
4 And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Wasesithi kimi, “Phrofetha emathanjeni la uthi kuwo, ‘Mathambo omileyo, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo!
5 This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi emathanjeni la: Ngizakwenza umoya ungene phakathi kwenu, njalo lizakuba lokuphila.
6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
Ngizaxhuma imisipha kini ngenze inyama ihlume phezu kwenu njalo ngibeke ijwabu phezu kwenu; ngizafaka umoya phakathi kwenu, njalo lizakuba lokuphila. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.’”
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded. And as I prophesied, there was suddenly a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone.
Ngakho ngaphrofitha njengokulaywa kwami. Kwathi ngisaphrofitha, kwaba lomsindo, umsindo okhehlezelayo, njalo amathambo aqoqana ndawonye, ithambo ethanjeni.
8 As I looked on, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
Ngakhangela, imisipha lenyama kwavela phezu kwawo kwathi ijwabu lawembesa, kodwa kwakungelamoya phakathi kwawo.
9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!”
Wasesithi kimi, “Phrofetha emoyeni, phrofetha, ndodana yomuntu, uthi kuwo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Woza, wena moya, uvela ezindaweni zonke, uphefumulele kubo ababulawayo, ukuba baphile.’”
10 So I prophesied as He had commanded me, and the breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet—a vast army.
Ngakho ngaphrofitha njengokungilaya kwakhe, umoya wasungena kuwo; aba lokuphila njalo ema ngenyawo zawo, kulixuku elikhulukazi.
11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’
Wasesithi kimi: “Ndodana yomuntu, amathambo la ayiyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli. Bona bathi, ‘Amathambo ethu omile njalo ithemba lethu selitshabalele; sesihunundiwe.’
12 Therefore prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘O My people, I will open your graves and bring you up from them, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
Ngakho phrofetha uthi kubo: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Awu bantu bami, ngizavula amangcwaba enu ngilivuse kuwo; ngizalibuyisela elizweni lako-Israyeli.
13 Then you, My people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.
Lapho-ke, lina bantu bami, lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, lapho sengivula amangcwaba enu ngilivusa kuwo.
14 I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.’”
Ngizafaka uMoya wami phakathi kwenu njalo lizaphila, futhi ngizalihlalisa elizweni lenu. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikhulumile, njalo sengikwenzile lokho, kutsho uThixo.’”
15 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
16 “And you, son of man, take a single stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and to all the house of Israel associated with him.’
“Ndodana yomuntu, thatha uluthi lwesigodo, ulobe kulo ukuthi, ‘NgolukaJuda labako-Israyeli amanyane laye.’ Emva kwalokho thatha olunye njalo uluthi lwesigodo, ulobe kulo ukuthi, ‘Uluthi luka-Efrayimi, olukaJosefa kanye lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli emanyene laye.’
17 Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.
Zihlanganise ndawonye zibe yiluthi olulodwa ukuze zibe luthilunye esandleni sakho.
18 When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these?’
Lapho abantu bakini bekubuza besithi, ‘Kawuyikusitshela na ukuthi utshoni ngalokhu?’
19 you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick, and they will become one in My hand.’
uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizathatha uluthi lukaJosefa olusesandleni sika-Efrayimi lolwezizwana zako-Israyeli ezimanyene laye, ngiluhlanganise loluthi lukaJuda, ngizenze zibe yiluthi lunye lwesigodo, njalo zizakuba ngolulodwa esandleni sami.’
20 When the sticks on which you write are in your hand and in full view of the people,
Izinti olobe kuzo ziphathe phambi kwamehlo abo
21 you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land.
uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakhupha ama-Israyeli ezizweni aya kuzo. Ngizawaqoqa ezindaweni zonke ngiwabuyisele elizweni lawo.
22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.
Ngizawenza abe yisizwe sinye elizweni, phezu kwezintaba zako-Israyeli. Kuzakuba lenkosi eyodwa phezu kwabo bonke njalo akuyikuba lezizwe ezimbili futhi kumbe behlukaniswe ukuba yimibuso emibili.
23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.
Kabasayikuzingcolisa ngezithombe zabo langezifanekiso zabo ezenyanyekayo loba ngezinye zeziphambeko zabo, ngoba ngizabasindisa kukho konke ukuhlehlela kwabo emuva esonweni, njalo ngizabahlambulula. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo.
24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.
Inceku yami uDavida uzakuba yinkosi yabo, njalo bonke bazakuba lomelusi munye. Bazalandela imithetho yami njalo bananzelele ukugcina izimiso zami.
25 They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever.
Bazahlala elizweni engalinika inceku yami uJakhobe, ilizwe lapho oyihlo ababehlala khona. Bona labantwana babo kanye labantwana babantwana babo bazahlala khona kokuphela, njalo uDavida inceku yami uzakuba yinkosana yabo kokuphela.
26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.
Ngizakwenza isivumelwano sokuthula labo; sizakuba yisivumelwano esingayikuphela.
27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.
Indawo yami yokuhlala izakuba kubo; ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo, njalo bona bazakuba ngabantu bami.
28 Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.’”
Lapho-ke izizwe zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo ngenza u-Israyeli abengcwele, nxa indlu yami engcwele iphakathi kwabo nini lanini.’”
