Ezekiel 17
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
2 “Son of man, propose an enigma and describe a parable to the house of Israel,
Ndodana yomuntu, yenza ilibho, ukhulume ngomfanekiso kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli,
3 and you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: A large eagle, with great wings and elongated pinions, full of feathers with many colors, came to Lebanon. And he took the kernel of the cedar.
uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ukhozi olukhulu, olukhulu ngempiko, olude ngezimpaphe, olugcwele insiba, olulemibalabala, lweza eLebhanoni, lwathatha isihloko somsedari,
4 He tore off the summit of its branches, and he transported it to the land of Canaan; he placed it in a city of merchants.
lwaqunta isihloko sezingatshana zawo ezintsha, lwasisa elizweni lokuthengiselana, lwasibeka emzini wabathengisi.
5 And he took from the seed of the land and placed it in the ground for seed, so that it might take firm root above many waters; he placed it at the surface.
Lwaseluthatha okwenhlanyelo yalelolizwe, lwayifaka ensimini yenhlanyelo, lwayibeka ngasemanzini amanengi, lwayibeka njengomyezane.
6 And when it had germinated, it increased into a more extensive vine, low in height, with its branches facing toward itself. And its roots were underneath it. And so, it became a vine, and sprouted branches, and produced shoots.
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 large eagle, with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine seemed to bend its roots towards him, extending its branches toward him, so that he might irrigate it from the garden of its germination.
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 It had been planted in a good land, above many waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, so that it would become a large vine.
Lalihlanyelwe ensimini enhle ngasemanzini amanengi ukuthi liveze ingatsha, lokuthi lithele isithelo, libe livini elihlekazi.
9 Speak: Thus says the Lord God: What if it does not prosper? Should he not pull up its roots, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches that it has produced, and let it wither, though he is without a strong arm and without many people to pull it up by the root?
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 Behold, it has been planted. What if it does not prosper? Should it not be dried up when the burning wind touches it, and should it not wither in the garden of its germination?”
Yebo, khangela, selihlanyelwe lizaphumelela yini? Kaliyikubuna ngokupheleleyo yini nxa umoya wempumalanga ulitshaya? Lizabunela ensimini yokumila kwalo.
11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kimi lisithi:
12 “Say to the provoking house: Do you not know what these things signify? Say: Behold, the king of Babylon arrives in Jerusalem. And he will take away its king and princes, and he will lead them away to himself in 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 will take one from the offspring of the king, and he will strike a pact with him and receive an oath from him. Moreover, he will take away the strong ones of the land,
Yathatha owenzalo yesikhosini, yenza isivumelwano laye, yamngenisa phansi kwesifungo; yathatha abalamandla belizwe;
14 so that it may be a lowly kingdom, and may not lift itself up, and may instead keep his pact and serve it.
ukuze umbuso ube phansi, ungaziphakamisi, ukuthi ngokulondoloza isivumelwano sakhe ume.
15 But, withdrawing from him, he sent messengers to Egypt, so that it would give him horses and many people. Should he who has done these things prosper and obtain safety? And should he who has broken the pact go free?
Kodwa wayivukela ngokuthuma izithunywa zakhe eGibhithe, ukuze bamnike amabhiza labantu abanengi. Uzaphumelela yini? Owenza lezizinto uzaphepha yini? Kumbe angasephula isivumelwano aphephe yini?
16 As I live, says the Lord God, in the place of the king, who appointed him as king, whose oath he has made void, and whose pact he has broken, under which he was living with him, in the midst of Babylon, he shall die.
Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili endaweni yenkosi, embeka ukuthi abe yinkosi, osifungo sayo wasidelela, losivumelwano sayo wasephula, uzakufa layo phakathi kweBhabhiloni.
17 And not with a great army, nor with many people will Pharaoh undertake a battle against him, when he will cast up ramparts and build defenses, in order to put to death many souls.
Njalo uFaro, lebutho elilamandla lexuku elikhulu, kayikumsiza empini ngokubuthelela idundulu langokwakha inqaba, ukuquma abantu abanengi.
18 For he has despised an oath, in that he broke the pact. And behold, he had given his hand. And so, since he has done all these things, he shall not escape.
Ngoba edelele isifungo ngokwephula isivumelwano, lapho, khangela, esenikele isandla sakhe, wazenza zonke lezizinto, kayikuphunyuka.
19 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: As I live, I will place upon his head the oath that he has spurned and the pact that he has betrayed.
Ngakho, itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kuphila kwami, isibili, isifungo sami asideleleyo, lesivumelwano sami asephulileyo, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
20 And I will spread my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him into Babylon, and I will judge him there for the transgression by which he has despised me.
Ngizakwendlala imbule lami phezu kwakhe, ukuthi abanjwe emjibileni wami, ngimlethe eBhabhiloni, ngimahlulele khonangesiphambeko sakhe aphambeke ngaso kimi.
21 And all his fugitives, with all his procession, will fall by the sword. Then the remainder will be scattered into every wind. And you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Labo bonke ababalekayo bakhe kanye lawo wonke amaviyo akhe bazakuwa ngenkemba, labaseleyo bazahlakazekela kuwo wonke umoya. Lizakwazi-ke ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile.
22 Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take from the kernel of the exalted cedar, and I will establish it. I will tear off a tender twig from the top of its branches, and I will plant it on a mountain, lofty and exalted.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lami ngizathatha esihlokweni somsedari omude, ngikumise. Ngizaqunta kuso isihloko sengatshana zawo ezintsha olubuthakathaka, mina ngiluhlanyele phezu kwentaba ende lephakemeyo.
23 On the sublime mountains of Israel, I will plant it. And it shall spring forth in buds and bear fruit, and it shall be a great cedar. And all the birds will live under it, and every bird will make its nest under the shadow 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 all the trees of the regions will know that I, the Lord, have brought low the sublime tree, and have exalted the lowly tree, and have dried up the green tree, and have caused the dry tree to flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken and acted.”
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.
