< Zechariah 13 >

1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
“Ngalelolanga umthombo uzavulelwa indlu kaDavida labakhileyo eJerusalema, ukubahlanza izono lokungcola.
2 And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.
Ngalelolanga ngizawasusa amabizo ezithombe elizweni ukuze zingakhunjulwa njalo,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. “Ngizabasusa abaphrofethi kanye lomoya wokungcola phakathi kwelizwe.
3 And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.
Nxa ezabe elokhu ekhona ophrofethayo, uyise lonina abamzalayo bazakuthi kuye, ‘Kumele ufe ngoba usukhulume amanga ngegama likaThixo.’ Uzakuthi ephrofitha abazali bakhe ngokwabo bazamgwaza.
4 And on that day every prophet who prophesies will be ashamed of his vision, and he will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive.
Ngalelolanga ngulowo lalowo umphrofethi uzaba lamanhloni ngombono wakhe wokuphrofetha. Akayikwembatha isivunulo somphrofethi esoboya ezama ukukhohlisa.
5 He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for I was purchased as a servant in my youth.’
Uzakuthi, ‘Kangisuye umphrofethi, ngingumlimi; umhlabathi uyilapho okulokuphila kwami kusukela ebutsheni bami’
6 If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’ he will answer, ‘These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends.’
Aluba ebuzwa kuthiwe, ‘Ngawani amanxeba la asemzimbeni wakho?’ Uzaphendula athi, ‘Ngamanxeba engawazuza endlini yabangane bami.’
7 Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.
Vuka, wena nkemba, vukela umelusi wami, uvukele umuntu osekhwapheni lami!” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. “Tshaya umelusi, izimvu zizahlakazeka, njalo ngizaphendula isandla sami ngitshaye ezincinyane.
8 And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it.
Kulolonke ilizwe,” kutsho uThixo, “ezimbili kwezintathu zizatshaywa zife; kodwa ingxenye yesithathu izasala kulo.
9 This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”
Le ingxenye yesithathu ngizayifaka emlilweni; ngizabancibilikisa ngibacenge njengesiliva ngibahlolisise njengegolide. Bazalibiza ibizo lami, lami ngizabaphendula; ngizakuthi, ‘Bangabantu bami,’ labo bazakuthi, ‘UThixo unguNkulunkulu wethu.’”

< Zechariah 13 >