Ezekiel 5
1 “As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.
Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zithathele ingqamu ebukhali, zithathele impuco yabageli, uyihambise phezu kwekhanda lakho laphezu kwesilevu sakho; ubusuzithathela isikali sokulinganisa, wehlukanise inwele.
2 When the days of the siege have ended, you are to burn up a third of the hair inside the city; you are also to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind. For I will unleash a sword behind them.
Ingxenye yesithathu uzayitshisa ngomlilo phakathi komuzi sezigcwalisekile insuku zokuvimbezela; uthathe ingxenye yesithathu utshaye inhlangothi zonke zayo ngenkemba; lengxenye yesithathu uyihlakaze emoyeni; njalo ngizahwatsha inkemba emva kwabo.
3 But you are to take a few strands of hair and secure them in the folds of your garment.
Njalo uzathatha ezinlutshwana ngenani kuzo, uzigoqele emaphethelweni ezembatho zakho.
4 Again, take a few of these, throw them into the fire, and burn them. From there a fire will spread to the whole house of Israel.
Ubusuthatha kuzo futhi, uziphosele phakathi komlilo, uzitshise emlilweni; kuzaphuma kuwo umlilo uye kuyo yonke indlu kaIsrayeli.
5 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Le yiJerusalema; ngiyimisile phakathi kwezizwe lamazwe inhlangothi zonke zayo.
6 But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations, and against My statutes worse than the countries around her. For her people have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.’
Kodwa iphendule izahlulelo zami zaba yibubi okwedlula izizwe, lezimiso zami okwedlula amazwe ayihanqileyo; ngoba bazalile izahlulelo zami, lezimiso zami kabahambanga kuzo.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You have been more insubordinate than the nations around you; you have not walked in My statutes or kept My ordinances, nor have you even conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.’
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba leyisile okwedlula izizwe ezilihanqileyo, lingahambanga ezimisweni zami, lingazenzanga izahlulelo zami, lingenzanga njengokwezahlulelo zezizwe ezilihanqileyo;
8 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.
ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelene lawe, ngitsho mina, njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, emehlweni ezizwe.
9 Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.
Ngenze phakathi kwakho engingazange ngikwenze, lengingasayikukwenza okunjengakho, ngenxa yamanyala akho wonke.
10 As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’
Ngakho oyise bazakudla amadodana phakathi kwakho, lamadodana azakudla oyise. Njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, lensali yakho yonke ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya.
11 Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon you with pity, nor will I spare you.
Ngakho, kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili, ngoba ungcolisile indawo yami engcwele ngazo zonke izinengiso zakho langamanyala akho wonke, ngakho lami ngizakunciphisa, futhi ilihlo lami kaliyikuhawukela, futhi lami kangiyikuyekela.
12 A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them.
Ingxenye yesithathu yakho izakufa ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo, langendlala bazaqedwa phakathi kwakho; lengxenye yesithathu izakuwa ngenkemba enhlangothini zonke zakho; lengxenye yesithathu ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya, ngihwatshe inkemba emva kwabo.
13 And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD, in My zeal have spoken.
Ngokunjalo ukuthukuthela kwami kuzapheleliswa, ngenze ukufutheka kwami kuphumule phezu kwabo, ngiduduzeke; njalo bazakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile ekutshisekeni kwami, lapho sengiphelelise ukufutheka kwami kubo.
14 I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.
Futhi ngizakwenza ube lunxiwa ube lihlazo phakathi kwezizwe ezikuhanqileyo, emehlweni akhe wonke owedlulayo.
15 So you will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror to the nations around you, when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and raging fury. I, the LORD, have spoken.
Ngakho kuzakuba lihlazo, lenhlekisa, imfundiso, lesesabiso ezizweni ezikuhanqileyo nxa ngisenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho ngolaka langokufutheka langokukhuza kokufutheka; mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
16 When I shower you with the deadly arrows of famine and destruction that I will send to destroy you, I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of food.
Lapho ngithumela phezu kwabo imitshoko emibi yendlala, ezakuba ngeyokubhubhisa, engizayithumela ukulibhubhisa, ngizakwandisa indlala phezu kwenu, ngephule udondolo lwesinkwa kini.
17 I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
Ngokunjalo ngizathuma phezu kwenu indlala lezilo ezimbi, ezizakwemuka abantwana; lomatshayabhuqe wesifo legazi kudabule phakathi kwakho; ngilethe inkemba phezu kwakho. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
