Ezekiel 17
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
2 Son of man, give out a dark saying, and make a comparison for the children of Israel,
Ndodana yomuntu, yenza ilibho, ukhulume ngomfanekiso kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli,
3 And say, This is what the Lord has said: A great eagle with great wings, full of long feathers of different colours, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:
uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ukhozi olukhulu, olukhulu ngempiko, olude ngezimpaphe, olugcwele insiba, olulemibalabala, lweza eLebhanoni, lwathatha isihloko somsedari,
4 Biting off the highest of its young branches, he took it to the land of Canaan, and put it in a town of traders.
lwaqunta isihloko sezingatshana zawo ezintsha, lwasisa elizweni lokuthengiselana, lwasibeka emzini wabathengisi.
5 And he took some of the seed of the land, planting it in fertile earth, placing it by great waters; he put it in like a willow-tree.
Lwaseluthatha okwenhlanyelo yalelolizwe, lwayifaka ensimini yenhlanyelo, lwayibeka ngasemanzini amanengi, lwayibeka njengomyezane.
6 And its growth went on and it became a vine, low and widely stretching, whose branches were turned to him and its roots were under him: so it became a vine, putting out branches and young leaves.
Yasihluma, yaba livini elinabayo, elifitshane ngesithombo, ongatsha zalo zaphendukela kulo, lempande zalo zaba ngaphansi kwalo. Ngokunjalo laba livini, laveza ingatsha, lakhupha amahlumela.
7 And there was another eagle with great wings and thick feathers: and now this vine, pushing out its roots to him, sent out its branches in his direction from the bed where it was planted, so that he might give it water.
Kwasekusiba khona olunye ukhozi olukhulu, olukhulu ngempiko, lwande ngensiba. Khangela-ke, lelivini latshekisela impande zalo ngakulo, lakhuphela ingatsha zalo ngakulo, ukuze lulithelele ngemigelo yendawo yalo ehlanyelweyo.
8 He had it planted in a good field by great waters so that it might put out branches and have fruit and be a strong vine.
Lalihlanyelwe ensimini enhle ngasemanzini amanengi ukuthi liveze ingatsha, lokuthi lithele isithelo, libe livini elihlekazi.
9 Say, This is what the Lord has said: Will it do well? will he not have its roots pulled up and its branches cut off, so that all its young leaves may become dry and it may be pulled up by its roots?
Wothi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lizaphumelela yini? Kaluyikusiphuna yini impande zalo, luqume izithelo zalo, libune? Lizabuna kuwo wonke amahlamvu alo amatsha okumila kwalo, kungengengalo enkulu labantu abanengi, ukulisiphuna ngempande zalo.
10 And if it is planted will it do well? will it not become quite dry at the touch of the east wind, drying up in the bed where it was planted?
Yebo, khangela, selihlanyelwe lizaphumelela yini? Kaliyikubuna ngokupheleleyo yini nxa umoya wempumalanga ulitshaya? Lizabunela ensimini yokumila kwalo.
11 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kimi lisithi:
12 Say now to this uncontrolled people, Are these things not clear to you? Say to them, See, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its rulers away with him to Babylon;
Tshono khathesi kuyo indlu evukelayo: Kalazi yini ukuthi lezizinto ziyini? Uthi: Khangela, inkosi yeBhabhiloni yafika eJerusalema, yathatha inkosi yayo leziphathamandla zayo, yabaletha ngakuyo eBhabhiloni.
13 And he took one of the sons of the king and made an agreement with him; and he put him under an oath, and took away the great men of the land:
Yathatha owenzalo yesikhosini, yenza isivumelwano laye, yamngenisa phansi kwesifungo; yathatha abalamandla belizwe;
14 So that the kingdom might be made low with no power of lifting itself up, but might keep his agreement to be his servants.
ukuze umbuso ube phansi, ungaziphakamisi, ukuthi ngokulondoloza isivumelwano sakhe ume.
15 But he went against his authority in sending representatives to Egypt to get from them horses and a great army. Will he do well? will he be safe who does such things? if the agreement is broken will he be safe?
Kodwa wayivukela ngokuthuma izithunywa zakhe eGibhithe, ukuze bamnike amabhiza labantu abanengi. Uzaphumelela yini? Owenza lezizinto uzaphepha yini? Kumbe angasephula isivumelwano aphephe yini?
16 By my life, says the Lord, truly in the place of the king who made him king, whose oath he put on one side and let his agreement with him be broken, even in Babylon he will come to his death.
Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili endaweni yenkosi, embeka ukuthi abe yinkosi, osifungo sayo wasidelela, losivumelwano sayo wasephula, uzakufa layo phakathi kweBhabhiloni.
17 And Pharaoh with his strong army and great forces will be no help to him in the war, when they put up earthworks and make strong walls for the cutting off of lives:
Njalo uFaro, lebutho elilamandla lexuku elikhulu, kayikumsiza empini ngokubuthelela idundulu langokwakha inqaba, ukuquma abantu abanengi.
18 For he put his oath on one side in letting the agreement be broken; and though he had given his hand to it, he did all these things; he will not get away safe.
Ngoba edelele isifungo ngokwephula isivumelwano, lapho, khangela, esenikele isandla sakhe, wazenza zonke lezizinto, kayikuphunyuka.
19 And so the Lord has said, By my life, truly, for my oath which he put on one side, and my agreement which has been broken, I will send punishment on his head.
Ngakho, itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kuphila kwami, isibili, isifungo sami asideleleyo, lesivumelwano sami asephulileyo, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
20 My net will be stretched out over him, and he will be taken in my cords, and I will send him to Babylon, and there I will be his judge for the wrong which he has done against me.
Ngizakwendlala imbule lami phezu kwakhe, ukuthi abanjwe emjibileni wami, ngimlethe eBhabhiloni, ngimahlulele khonangesiphambeko sakhe aphambeke ngaso kimi.
21 All his best fighting-men will be put to the sword, and the rest will be sent away to every wind: and you will be certain that I the Lord have said it.
Labo bonke ababalekayo bakhe kanye lawo wonke amaviyo akhe bazakuwa ngenkemba, labaseleyo bazahlakazekela kuwo wonke umoya. Lizakwazi-ke ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile.
22 This is what the Lord has said: Further, I will take the highest top of the cedar and put it in the earth; cutting off from the highest of his young branches a soft one, I will have it planted on a high and great mountain;
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lami ngizathatha esihlokweni somsedari omude, ngikumise. Ngizaqunta kuso isihloko sengatshana zawo ezintsha olubuthakathaka, mina ngiluhlanyele phezu kwentaba ende lephakemeyo.
23 It will be planted on the high mountain of Israel: it will put out branches and have fruit and be a fair cedar: under it all birds of every sort will make their living-place, resting in the shade of its branches.
Entabeni yengqonga yakoIsrayeli ngizaluhlanyela; njalo luzakhupha ingatsha, luthele isithelo, lube ngumsedari omhlekazi; langaphansi kwawo kuzahlala yonke inyoni yophiko lonke; emthunzini wengatsha zawo zizahlala.
24 And it will be clear to all the trees of the field that I the Lord have made low the high tree and made high the low tree, drying up the green tree and making the dry tree full of growth; I the Lord have said it and have done it.
Ngokunjalo zonke izihlahla zeganga zizakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngithobisile isihlahla eside, ngaphakamisa isihlahla esifitshane, ngomisa isihlahla esiluhlaza, ngenza isihlahla esomileyo sihlume. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile, ngakwenza.
