Jezekiel 36
1 And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say to the mountains of Israel, Hear you the word of the Lord:
“Ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha kuzo izintaba zako-Israyeli uthi: ‘Lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo.
2 Thus says the Lord God; Because the enemy has said against you, Aha, the old waste places are become a possession for us:
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Isitha satsho ngani sathi, “Awu! Iziqongo zasendulo sezibe yilifa lethu.”’
3 therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God; Because you have been dishonoured, and hated by those round about you, that you might be a possession to the remainder of the nations, and you became a byword, and a reproach to the nations:
Ngakho-ke phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba baliphanga njalo balixotsha bevela ezinhlangothini zonke laze laba yilifa lezinye izizwe lento yokunyeywa lokuchothozwa ngabantu,
4 therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord; Thus says the Lord to the mountains, and to the hills, and to the streams, and to the valleys, and to [the places] that have been made desolate and destroyed, and to the cities that have been deserted, and have become a spoil and a trampling to the nations that were left round about;
ngakho-ke, lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo Wobukhosi: Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi kuzo izintaba lamaqaqa, ezindongeni lasezigodini, emanxiweni aphundlekileyo lasemadolobheni atshiyiweyo aphangwayo njalo ahlekwa ngezinye izizwe ezikuhanqileyo,
5 therefore, thus says the Lord; Verily in the fire of my wrath have I spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Idumea, because they have appropriated my land to themselves for a possession with joy, disregarding the lives [of the inhabitants], to destroy [it] by plunder:
nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngokutshiseka kwami okukhulu sengikhulume ngimelana lezinye izizwe njalo lange-Edomi lonke, ngoba ngokuthaba langenzondo ezinhliziyweni zabo benza ilizwe lami elabo ukuze baphange amadlelo alo.’
6 therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, and to the hills, and to the valleys, and to the forests, Thus says the Lord; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the reproaches of the heathen:
Ngakho phrofetha ngelizwe lako-Israyeli uthi kuzo izintaba lamaqaqa, indonga lezigodi: Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngikhuluma ngolaka lwami olulobukhwele ngoba lithwale isithuko sesizwe.
7 therefore I will lift up my hand against the nations that are round about you; they shall bear their reproach.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngifunga izandla ziphakanyiselwe phezulu ukuthi izizwe ezilihanqileyo lazo zizathwala isithuko.
8 But your grapes and your fruits, O mountains of Israel, shall my people eat; for they are hoping to come.
Kodwa lina, lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, lizaveza ingatsha lezithelo zabantu bami u-Israyeli, ngoba sebezakuza ekhaya masinyane nje.
9 For, behold, I am towards you, and I will have respect to you, and you shall be tilled and sown:
Ngiyalinqinekela njalo ngizalikhangela ngomusa; lizalinywa lihlanyelwe,
10 and I will multiply men upon you, [even] all the house of Israel to the end: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the desolate land shall be built upon.
njalo ngizakwandisa inani labantu phezu kwenu, lakuyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli. Amadolobho kuzahlalwa kuwo futhi lamanxiwa avuselelwe.
11 And I will multiply men and cattle upon you; and I will cause you to dwell as at the beginning, and will treat you well, as in your former [times]: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
Ngizakwandisa inani labantu lelezinyamazana phezu kwenu: njalo kuzazalana kwande. Ngizahlalisa abantu phezu kwenu njengakudala njalo ngizalenza liphumelele kakhulu kulakudala. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
12 And I will increase men upon you, [even] my people Israel; and they shall inherit you, and you shall be to them for a possession; and you shall no more be bereaved of them.
Ngizakwenza abantu, abantu bami bako-Israyeli bahambe phezu kwenu. Bazalenza libe ngababo, njalo lizakuba yilifa labo; kaliyikubemuka abantwana babo futhi.
13 Thus says the Lord God: Because they said to you, You [land] devour men, and have been bereaved of your nation;
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba abantu bathi kini, ‘Lidla abantu lemuke isizwe senu abantwana baso,
14 therefore you shall no more devour men, and you shall no more bereave your nation, says the Lord God.
ngakho-ke kaliyikudla abantu futhi loba lenze isizwe senu singabi labantwana, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
15 And there shall no more be heard against you the reproach of the nations, and you shall no more bear the revilings of the peoples, says the Lord God.
Angiyikulenza lizwe izibhinqo zezizwe, njalo kalisayikuthwala izithuko zabantu loba ngenze ukuba isizwe senu siwe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”
16 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi njalo lisithi:
17 Son of man, the house of Israel lived upon their land, and defiled it by their way, and with their idols, and with their uncleannesses; and their way was before me like the uncleanness of a removed woman.
“Ndodana yomuntu, abantu bako-Israyeli besahlala elizweni labo, balingcolisa ngendlela abaziphatha ngayo langezenzo zabo. Ukuziphatha kwabo kwakufana lokungcola kowesifazane kwanyanga zonke emehlweni ami.
18 So I poured out my wrath upon them:
Ngakho ngehlisela ulaka lwami phezu kwabo ngoba babechithe igazi elizweni njalo ngoba babelingcolisile ngezithombe zabo.
19 and I dispersed them amongst the nations, and utterly scattered them through the countries: I judged them according to their way and according to their sin.
Ngabachithela phakathi kwezizwe, njalo bahlakazekela emazweni; ngabahlulela ngokufanele ukuziphatha kwabo kanye lezenzo zabo.
20 And they went in amongst the nations, amongst which they went, and they profaned my holy name, while it was said of them, These are the people of the Lord, and they came forth out of his land.
Loba ngaphi abaya khona phakathi kwezizwe balingcolisa ibizo lami elingcwele, ngoba kwathiwa ngabo, ‘Laba ngabantu bakaThixo, kodwa basuswa elizweni.’
21 But I spared them for the sake of my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned amongst the nations, amongst whom they went.
Nganqinekela ibizo lami elingcwele, elangcoliswa yindlu ka-Israyeli phakathi kwezizwe abaya kuzo.
22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord; I do not this, O house of Israel, for your sakes, but because of my holy name, which you have profaned amongst the nations, amongst whom you went.
Ngakho tshono endlini ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Akusingenxa yakho, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, ukuthi ngizakwenza izinto lezi, kodwa ngenxa yebizo lami elingcwele, osulingcolisile phakathi kwezizwe lapho oye khona.
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned amongst the nations, which you profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, when I am sanctified amongst you before their eyes.
Ngizabonakalisa ubungcwele bebizo elikhulu, eselingcolisiwe phakathi kwezizwe, ibizo osulingcolisile phakathi kwazo. Lapho-ke izizwe zizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lapho sengizibonakalisa ngingcwele ngawe phambi kwamehlo azo.
24 And I will take you out from the nations, and will gather you out of all the lands, and will bring you into your own land:
Ngoba ngizakususa ezizweni; ngizakuqoqa emazweni wonke ngikubuyisele elizweni lakho.
25 and I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be purged from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols, and I will cleanse you.
Ngizakuchela ngamanzi ahlanzekileyo, uzahlambuluka; ngizakuhlambulula kukho konke ukungcola kwakho kanye lakuzo zonke izithombe zakho.
26 And I will give you a new heart, and will put a new spirit in you: and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh.
Ngizakunika inhliziyo entsha ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwakho; ngizasusa kuwe inhliziyo yakho yelitshe ngikunike inhliziyo yenyama.
27 And I will put my Spirit in you, and will cause you to walk in mine ordinances, and to keep my judgements, and do [them].
Njalo ngizafaka uMoya wami phakathi kwakho ngikwenze ulandele izimiso zami njalo unanzelele ukugcina imithetho yami.
28 And you shall dwell upon the land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be to me a people, and I will be to you a God.
Lizahlala elizweni engalinika okhokho benu; lizakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wenu.
29 And I will save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and multiply it, and will not bring famine upon you.
Ngizalikhulula kukho konke ukungcola kwenu. Ngizabiza amabele ngiwenze abe manengi njalo angiyikuletha indlala kini.
30 And I will multiply the fruit of the trees, and the produce of the field, that you may not bear the reproach of famine amongst the nations.
Ngizakwandisa izithelo zezihlahla kanye lamabele emasimini, ukuze lingabi lehlazo futhi phakathi kwezizwe ngenxa yendlala.
31 And you shall remember your evil ways and your practices that were not good, and you shall be hateful in your own sight for your transgressions and for your abominations.
Lapho-ke lizakhumbula izindlela zenu ezimbi kanye lezono zenu ezingalunganga, njalo lizazizonda lina ngokwenu ngenxa yezono kanye lezenzo zenu ezenyanyekayo.
32 Not for your sakes do I [this], says the Lord God, [as] it is known to you: be you ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
Ngifuna ukuba likwazi ukuthi lokhu angikwenzeli lina, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Yangeka ube lenhloni ngenxa yokuziphatha kwakho, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli!
33 Thus says the Lord God; In the day wherein I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities I will also cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste [places] shall be built upon:
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngosuku engizakuhlambulula ngalo ezonweni zakho zonke, ngizahlalisa abantu emadolobheni akho, njalo lamanxiwa azavuselelwa.
34 and the desolate land shall be cultivated, whereas it was desolate in the eyes of every one that passed by.
Ilizwe eliphundlekileyo lizalinywa kulokuthi lihlale liphundlekile emehlweni abo bonke abadabula phakathi kwalo.
35 And they shall say, That desolate land is become like a garden of delight; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are inhabited.
Bazakuthi, “Ilizwe leli elaselenziwe laba lugwadule selibe njengesivande se-Edeni; amadolobho ayesengamanxiwa, ephundlekile njalo echithekile, khathesi asevikelwe ngezinqaba njalo sekuhlala abantu kuwo.”
36 And the nations, as many as shall have been left round about you, shall know that I the Lord have built the ruined [cities] and planted the waste [lands]: I the Lord have spoken, and will do [it].
Lapho-ke izizwe ezilihanqileyo eziseleyo zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikwakhe kutsha okwakudiliziwe njalo sengikuhlanyele kutsha okwakuphundlekile. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile njalo ngizakwenza lokhu.’
37 Thus says the Lord God; Yet [for] this will I be sought by the house of Israel, to establish them; I will multiply them [even] men as sheep;
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizasivuma njalo isicelo sendlu ka-Israyeli ngibenzele lokhu: Ngizakwenza abantu bakibo babebanengi njengezimvu,
38 as holy sheep, as the sheep of Jerusalem in her feasts; thus shall the desert cities be full of flocks of men: and they shall know that I [am] the Lord.
babebanengi njengemihlambi yemihlatshelo eJerusalema ngesikhathi semikhosi yalo emisiweyo. Ngokunjalo amadolobho achithekayo azagcwala ngamaxuku abantu. Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.”
