Ezekiel 15

1 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:

2 Son of man, what is the wood of the vine more than any wood, the vine-branch, which is among the trees of the forest?

“Ndodana yomuntu, isigodo sevini silwedlula ngani ugatsha lwaloba yisiphi sezihlahla eziseguswini na?

3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will [men] take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

Isigodo siyake sithathwe kulo ukuba kwenziwe ulutho olusizayo na? Bayazenza izikhonkwane ngalo ukuba kulengiswe izinto kuzo na?

4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel: the fire consumeth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned; is it fit for [any] work?

Njalo emva kokuba sesiphoselwe emlilweni njengokhuni, umlilo usitshise izihloko zombili lomzaca waphakathi uhaqazeke, siselosizo ekwenzeni olunye ulutho na?

5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for no work; how much less when the fire hath consumed it, and it is burned, should it yet be used for any work?

Nxa sasingelasizo ekwenzeni ulutho sisaphelele, kuncane kangakanani okungenziwa ukuthi sibe yilutho olusizayo lapho umlilo ususitshisile njalo sesililahle na?

6 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Njengoba nginike isigodo sevini phakathi kwezihlahla zegusu njengokhuni lomlilo, ngizabaphatha kanjalo abantu abahlala eJerusalema.

7 And I will set my face against them: they shall go forth from [one] fire, and [another] fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah when I set my face against them.

Ngizamelana labo ngobuso bami. Lanxa sebephumile phakathi komlilo, umlilo usezabaqeda. Njalo lapho sengimelane labo ngobuso bami, lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo.

8 And I will make the land a desolation, because they have wrought unfaithfulness, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Ngizakwenza ilizwe libe lugwadule ngoba bebengathembekanga, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”