Ezekiel 3
1 And he said to me: “Son of man, eat whatever you will find; eat this scroll, and, going forth, speak to the sons of Israel.”
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, dlana okuphambi kwakho, dlana umqulu lo; ube ususiyakhuluma kuyo indlu ka-Israyeli.”
2 And I opened my mouth, and he fed me that scroll.
Ngakho ngavula umlomo wami, wasengipha umqulu ukuba ngiwudle.
3 And he said to me: “Son of man, your stomach shall eat, and your interior shall be filled with this scroll, which I am giving to you.” And I ate it, and in my mouth it became as sweet as honey.
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, dlana umqulu lo engikunika wona ugcwalise isisu sakho ngawo.” Ngakho ngawudla, njalo emlonyeni wami wawuzwakala umnandi njengoluju.
4 And he said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and you shall speak my words to them.
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, hamba khathesi nje endlini ka-Israyeli ukhulume amazwi ami kubo.
5 For you will be sent, not to a people of profound words or of an unknown language, but to the house of Israel,
Kawuthunywa ebantwini abalolimi olungaziwayo lolunzima, kodwa endlini ka-Israyeli,
6 and not to many peoples of profound words or of an unknown language, whose words you would not be able to understand. But if you were sent to them, they would listen to you.
hatshi ebantwini abanengi abolimi olungaziwayo lolunzima, ongeke uzwe abakutshoyo. Ngeqiniso aluba kade ngikuthume kubo kade bezakulalela.
7 Yet the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you. For they are not willing to listen to me. Certainly, the entire house of Israel has a brazen forehead and a hardened heart.
Kodwa indlu ka-Israyeli kayifuni ukukulalela ngoba kabafuni kungilalela, ngoba yonke indlu ka-Israyeli ilukhuni njalo ilenkani.
8 Behold, I have made your face stronger than their faces, and your forehead harder than their foreheads.
Kodwa lawe ngizakwenza ube lenkani lobulukhuni njengabo.
9 I have made your face like hardened iron and like flint. You should not fear them, and you should not have dread before their face. For they are a provoking house.”
Ngizakwenza ubuso bakho bube njengelitshe elilukhuni kulawo wonke, elilukhuni kulelitshe lomlilo. Ungabesabi kumbe bakuthuthumelise, lanxa beyindlu ehlamukayo.”
10 And he said to me: “Son of man, listen with your ears, and take into your heart, all my words, which I am speaking to you.
Njalo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, lalela kakuhle njalo uwabeke enhliziyweni wonke amazwi engiwatsho kuwe.
11 And go forth and enter to those of the transmigration, to the sons of your people. And you shall speak to them. And you shall say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Perhaps it may be that they will listen and be quieted.”
Hamba khathesi nje ebantwini belizwe lakini abasekuthunjweni ukhulume labo. Uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi,’ loba bezalalela kumbe bangalaleli.”
12 And the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great commotion, saying, “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from his place,”
Lapho-ke uMoya wangiphakamisa, kwathi ngemva kwami ngezwa umdumo ondindizelayo sengathi yinkazimulo kaThixo eyaphakama endaweni eyayime kuyo!
13 and the voice of the wings of the living creatures striking against one another, and the voice of the wheels following the living creatures, and the voice of a great commotion.
Umdumo wezimpiko zezidalwa eziphilayo zigudlana lomdumo wamavili eceleni kwazo, umdumo wokundindizela okukhulu.
14 Then the Spirit lifted me and took me away. And I went forth in bitterness, with the indignation of my spirit. For the hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me.
UMoya wasungiphakamisela phezulu ungisusa, njalo ngahamba ngomoya otshisekayo lokuthukuthela komoya wami lesandla esilamandla sikaThixo siphezu kwami.
15 And I went to those of the transmigration, to the stockpile of new crops, to those who were living beside the river Chebar. And I sat where they were sitting. And I remained there for seven days, while mourning in their midst.
Ngafika kwababethunjiwe ababehlala eTheli Abhibhi phansi koMfula uKhebhari. Khonapho-ke, lapho ababehlala khona, ngahlala labo insuku eziyisikhombisa ngiphelelwe ngamandla.
16 Then, when seven days had passed, the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Ekupheleni kwensuku eziyisikhombisa ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi,
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. And so, you shall listen to the word from my mouth, and you shall announce it to them from me.
“Ndodana yomuntu, sengikwenze umlindi wendlu ka-Israyeli; ngakho zwana ilizwi engilikhulumayo ubanike isixwayiso esivela kimi.
18 If, when I say to the impious man, ‘You shall certainly die,’ you do not announce it to him, and you do not speak so that he may turn aside from his impious way and live, then the same impious man will die in his iniquity. But I will attribute his blood to your hand.
Nxa ngisithi emuntwini omubi, ‘Wena uzakufa impela,’ wena ungamxwayisi kumbe ukhulume ukuba umyekelise izindlela zakhe ezimbi ukuze asindise ukuphila kwakhe, lowomuntu omubi uzafela izono zakhe, kuthi wena ngikubeke icala legazi lakhe.
19 But if you announce it to the impious man, and he is not converted from his impiety and from his impious way, then indeed he will die in his iniquity. But you will have delivered your own soul.
Kodwa nxa umuntu omubi umxwayisa yena angaphenduki ebubini bakhe kumbe ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi, uzafela izono zakhe, kodwa wena uyabe uziphephisile.
20 Moreover, if the just man turns aside from his justice and commits iniquity, I will place a stumbling block before him. He shall die, because you have not announced to him. He shall die in his sin, and his justices that he did shall not be remembered. Yet truly, I will attribute his blood to your hand.
Njalo nxa umuntu olungileyo eguquka ekulungeni kwakhe enze okubi, mina ngibeke isikhubekiso phambi kwakhe, uzakufa. Njengoba nxa wena ungamxwayisanga, uzafela izono zakhe. Izinto ezilungileyo azenzayo kaziyikukhunjulwa, njalo wena ngizakubeka icala legazi lakhe.
21 But if you announce to the just man, so that the just man may not sin, and he does not sin, then he shall certainly live, because you have announced to him. And you will have delivered your own soul.”
Kodwa nxa uxwayisa umuntu olungileyo ukuba angoni lakanye uyabe uziphephisile.”
22 And the hand of the Lord was over me. And he said to me: “Rise up, and go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.”
Isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami lapho, njalo wathi kimi, “Sukuma uye egcekeni ngizakhuluma lawe khona.”
23 And I rose up, and I went out to the plain. And behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory that I saw beside the river Chebar. And I fell upon my face.
Ngakho ngasukuma ngaya egcekeni. Inkazimulo kaThixo yayimi lapho, injengenkazimulo engangiyibone phansi koMfula uKhebhari, ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso.
24 And the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet. And he spoke to me, and he said to me: “Enter and enclose yourself in the midst of your house.
Lapho-ke uMoya wangena kimi wangimisa ngezinyawo zami. Wakhuluma wathi kimi, “Hamba uyezivalela endlini yakho.
25 And as for you, son of man, behold: they shall put chains upon you and bind you with them. And you shall not go out from their midst.
Njalo, wena ndodana yomuntu, bazakubopha ngemichilo; uzabotshwa ukuze ungayi phandle ebantwini.
26 And I will cause your tongue to adhere to the roof of your mouth. And you will be mute, not like a man who reproaches. For they are a provoking house.
Ngizakwenza ulimi lwakho lunamathele elwangeni lomlomo wakho ukuze uthule unganelisi ukubakhuza lanxa beyindlu ehlamukayo.
27 But when I will speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Whoever is listening, let him hear. And whoever is quieted, let him be quieted. For they are a provoking house.”
Kodwa nxa sengikhuluma lawe ngizavula umlomo wakho, njalo uzakuthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi.’ Loba ngubani ozalalela myekele alalele, njalo loba ngubani ozakwala myekele ale; ngoba bayindlu ehlamukayo.”
