Jezekiel 21
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 Therefore prophesy, son of man, set thy face steadfastly toward Jerusalem, and look toward their holy places, and thou shalt prophesy against the land of Israel,
“Ndodana yomuntu, khangelisa ubuso bakho eJerusalema utshumayele okubi ngendawo engcwele. Phrofetha okubi ngelizwe lako-Israyeli
3 and thou shalt say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I am against thee, and I will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and I will destroy out of thee the transgressor and unrighteous.
uthi kulo: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngixabane lani. Ngizahwatsha inkemba yami emxhakeni wayo ngisuse kuwe abalungileyo lababi.
4 Because I will destroy out of thee the unrighteous and the transgressor, [therefore] so shall my sword come forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
Ngoba ngizasusa abalungileyo lababi, inkemba yami izahwatshelwa ukumelana labo bonke abavela eningizimu kanye lasenyakatho.
5 and all flesh shall know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath: it shall not return any more.
Lapho-ke abantu bonke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo sengihwatshe inkemba yami emxhakeni wayo, kayiyikubuyela futhi.’
6 And thou, son of man, groan with the breaking of thy loins; thou shalt even groan heavily in their sight.
Ngakho-ke bubula ndodana yomuntu! Bubula phambi kwabo ngenhliziyo edabukileyo kanye losizi olukhulu.
7 And it shall come to pass, if they shall say to thee, Wherefore dost thou groan? that thou shalt say, For the report; because it comes: and every heart shall break, and all hands shall become feeble, and all flesh and every spirit shall faint, and all thighs shall be defiled with moisture: behold, it comes, saith the Lord.
Nxa bekubuza besithi, ‘Kungani na ububula?’ uzakuthi, ‘Ngenxa yezindaba ezifikayo. Zonke inhliziyo zizenyela lezandla zonke zibe buthakathaka, imimoya yonke izaphela amandla lamadolo wonke abe buthakathaka njengamanzi.’ Kuyeza! Ngempela kuzakwenzakala, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”
8 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
9 Son of man, prophesy, and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, Sword, sword, be sharpened and rage,
“Ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Umhedla, umhedla, ilolwe njalo yalolongwa,
10 that thou mayest slay victims; be sharpened that thou mayest be bright, ready for slaughter, slay, set at nought, despise every tree.
Ilolelwe ukubulala, ilolongelwe ukuphazima njengombane. Kambe sizathokoza na ngentonga yobukhosi yendodana yami uJuda? Inkemba iyazeyisa zonke izigodo ezinjalo.
11 And he made it ready for his hand to hold: the sword is sharpened, it is ready to put into the hand of the slayer.
Inkemba ibekelwe ukuba ilolongwe, ukuba iphathwe ngesandla; iyalolwa ilolongwe, yenziwe ilungele isandla sombulali.
12 Cry out and howl, son of man: for this [sword] is come upon my people, this [sword is come] upon all the princes of Israel: they shall be as strangers: [judgment] with the sword is come upon my people: therefore clap thine hands, for sentence has been passed:
Hlaba umkhosi ulile, ndodana yomuntu, ngoba imelane labantu bami; imelane lamakhosana wonke ako-Israyeli. Aphoselwa kuyo inkemba ndawonye labantu bami. Ngakho-ke bamba isihlathi sakho.
13 and what if even the tribe be rejected? it shall not be, saith the Lord God.
Ukuhlolwa kuyeza impela. Njalo kuzakuba njani nxa intonga kaJuda yobukhosi, edelelwa yinkemba, ingasaqhubeki? kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’
14 And thou, son of man, prophesy, and clap thine hands, and take a second sword: the third sword is [the sword] of the slain, the great sword of the slain: and thou shalt strike them with amazement, lest the heart should faint
Ngakho-ke, ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uqakeze izandla zakho. Inkemba kayigadle kabili, lanxa kungaba kathathu. Yinkemba yokubulala, inkemba yokubulala kakhulu, ebahanqayo ivela macele wonke.
15 and the weak ones be multiplied at every gate—they are given up to the slaughter of the sword: it is well fitted for slaughter, it is well fitted for glittering.
Ukuze inhliziyo zibe buthakathaka labawileyo babebanengi, sengibeke inkemba yokubulala kuwo wonke amasango abo. Bheka! Yenzelwe ukuphazima njengombane, iphathelwe ukubulala.
16 And do thou go on, sharpen thyself on the right and on the left whithersoever thy face may set itself.
Wena nkemba, geca kwesokudla, uphinde kwesenxele, loba kungaphi ubukhali bakho obuphendukela khona.
17 And I also will clap my hands, and let loose my fury: I the Lord have spoken [it].
Lami futhi ngizaqakeza izandla zami, njalo ulaka lwami luzadeda. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.”
18 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
19 and thou, son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may enter in: the two shall go forth of one country; and [there shall be] a force at the top of the way of the city, thou shalt set [it] at the top of the way,
“Ndodana yomuntu, canda imigwaqo emibili yenkemba yenkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba ihambe kuyo, yomibili iqalise elizweni linye. Yenza insika yesiqondiso lapho okuphambuka khona umgwaqo oya edolobheni.
20 that the sword may enter in upon Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and upon Judea, and upon Jerusalem in the midst thereof.
Canda omunye umgwaqo wenkemba ukuba izemelana leRabha yama-Amoni, lomunye ukumelana loJuda kanye leJerusalema elivikelweyo.
21 For the king of Babylon shall stand on the old way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination, to make bright the arrow, and to enquire of the graven images, and to examine [the victims].
Ngoba inkosi yaseBhabhiloni izakuma lapho imigwaqo eyehlukana khona, lapho okuhlangana khona imigwaqo emibili, ukuba ifune ibika: Izaphosa inkatho ngemitshoko, izabuza izithombe zayo, izahlola isibindi.
22 On his right was the divination against Jerusalem, to cast a mound, to open the mouth in shouting, to lift up the voice with crying, to cast a mound against her gates, to cast up a heap, and to build forts.
Esandleni sayo sokudla kuzakuza inkatho yeJerusalema, lapho ezamisa khona imigqala yokudiliza, lokunika umlayo wokubulala, lokuhlaba umkhosi wempi, lokumisa imigqala yokudiliza amasango, lokwakha amadundulu kanye lokumisa izindawo zokuvimbezela.
23 And he was to them as one using divination before them, and he himself recounting his iniquities, that they might be borne in mind.
Kuzakhanya angathi libika amanga kulabo asebefungele ukuthobeka kuyo, kodwa yona izabakhumbuza icala labo ibathumbe.
24 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Because ye have caused your iniquities to be remembered, in the discovery of your wickedness, so that your sins should be seen, in all your wickedness and in your [evil] practices; because ye have caused remembrance [of them], in these shall ye be taken.
Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: ‘Njengoba lina bantu lingikhumbuze icala lenu ngokuhlamuka kwenu okusobala, libonakalisa izono zenu kukho konke elikwenzayo njengoba lenze lokhu, lizathunjwa.
25 And thou profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day, [even] an end, is come in a sea of iniquity, thus saith the Lord;
Wena nkosana yako-Israyeli exhwalileyo njalo embi, usuku lwakho selufikile, lesikhathi sokujeziswa kwakho sesifike emaphethelweni,
26 Thou hast taken off the mitre and put on the crown, it shall not have such [another] after it: thou hast abased that which was high, and exalted that which was low.
nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Khupha iqhiye, yethula umqhele. Akuyikuba njengoba kwakunjalo: Abaphansi bazaphakanyiswa kuthi abaphakemeyo behliselwe phansi.
27 Injustice, injustice, injustice, will I make it: woe to it: such shall it be until he comes to whom it belongs; and I will deliver [it] to him.
Unxiwa! Unxiwa! Ngizawenza ube lunxiwa! Kawuyikubuyiselwa kuze kufike lowo ongowakhe ngokuqondileyo, onguye engizamnika wona.’
28 And thou, son of man, prophesy, and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach; and thou shalt say, O sword, sword, drawn for slaughter, and drawn for destruction, awake, that thou mayest gleam.
Njalo wena, ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ngama-Amoni kanye lezithuko zawo: Inkemba, inkemba, ihwatshelwe ukubulala, ilolongelwe ukuqothula lokuphazima njengombane!
29 While thou art seeing vain [visions], and while thou art prophesying falsehoods, to bring thyself upon the necks of ungodly transgressors, the day is come, [even] an end, in a season of iniquity.
Langaphezu kwemibono yamanga ngawe, lokuhlahlula okungamanga ngawe, izabekwa entanyeni zababi okumele babulawe, abasuku lwabo selufikile, abasikhathi sokujeziswa kwabo sesifike emaphethelweni aso.
30 Turn, rest not in this place wherein thou wert born: in thine own land will I judge thee.
Buyisela inkemba emxhakeni wayo. Endaweni owadalelwa kuyo, elizweni labokhokho bakho, ngizakwahlulela khona.
31 And I will pour out my wrath upon thee, I will blow upon thee with the fire of my wrath, and I will deliver thee into the hands of barbarians skilled in working destruction.
Ngizathululela ulaka lwami phezu kwakho ngiphefumlele lentukuthelo yami etshisayo kuwe; ngizakunikela ebantwini abalesihluku, abantu abakwaziyo ukuqothula.
32 Thou shalt be fuel for fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of thy land; there shall be no remembrance at all of thee: for I the Lord have spoken [it].
Uzakuba zinkuni zomlilo, igazi lakho lizachithelwa elizweni lakini, kawuyikukhunjulwa futhi; ngoba mina Thixo sengikhulumile.’”
