< Ezekiel 31 >

1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third [month], on the first of the month, [that] the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye, ngenyanga yesithathu ngosuku lwakuqala, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude: Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
“Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe lakumaxuku akhe uthi: ‘Ngubani ongalinganiswa lawe ngobucwazicwazi?
3 Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature: and his top was amidst the thick boughs.
Cabanga i-Asiriya, eyake yaba ngumsedari eLebhanoni, olamagatsha amahle embese ihlathi ngomthunzi; wawumude uphezulu le, isihloko sawo singaphezu kwamahlamvu avitshileyo.
4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high; its streams ran round about his plantation, and it sent out its rivulets unto all the trees of the field.
Amanzi awondla, imithombo etshonayo yawenza wakhula waba mude; izifudlana zayo zageleza emaceleni esidindi sawo sonke, imisele yazo ayafika kuzozonke izihlahla zeganga.
5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long, because of great waters, when he shot forth.
Wawuphakeme kanjalo umude kulazo zonke izihlahla zeganga; ingatsha zawo zanda, ingatsha zawo zakhula zaba zinde zendlalekile ngenxa yobunengi bamanzi.
6 All the fowl of the heavens made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all the great nations.
Zonke izinyoni zasemoyeni zakhela izidleke zazo ezingatsheni zawo, zonke izinyamazana zeganga zazalela ngaphansi kwezingatsha zawo; zonke izizwe ezinkulu zahlala emthunzini wawo.
7 Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: because his root was by great waters.
Wawunkanyazela ngobuhle bawo, ngezingatsha zawo ezendlalekileyo, ngoba impande zawo zazitshona phansi emanzini amanengi.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him; the cypresses were not like his boughs, and the plane-trees were not as his branches: no tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
Imisedari esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu yayingeke ilingane lawo, kumbe izihlahla zemiphayini zibe lezingatsha ezingafana lezawo, akukho sihlahla esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu esasingaba sihle njengawo.
9 I had made him fair by the multitude of his branches; and all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.
Ngawenza waba muhle ngezingatsha ezinengi, wahawukelwa yizihlahla zonke zase-Edeni esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu.
10 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast lifted up thyself in stature, ...and he hath set his top amidst the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height,
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba wawumude uphezulu le, isihloko sawo siphakamele ngaphezu kwezingatsha ezivitshileyo, njalo ngenxa yokuthi wawuziqhenya ngobude bawo,
11 I have given him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.
ngawunikela kumbusi wezizwe ukuba awuphathe ngokufanele ububi bawo. Ngawulahlela eceleni,
12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off and have left him; upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken in all the watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
njalo isizwe sasezizweni esilesihluku kulazo zonke sawucakazela phansi sawutshiya. Ingatsha zawo zawela phezu kwezintaba lasezigodini zonke, amagatsha awo ephukela ezindongeni zonke zelizwe. Zonke izizwe zasemhlabeni zasuka emthunzini wawo zawutshiya.
13 Upon his fallen [trunk] do all the fowl of the heavens dwell, and all the beasts of the field are upon his branches:
Zonke izinyoni zasemoyeni zahlala phezu kwesihlahla esiwileyo, lezinyamazana zonke zeganga zaziphakathi kwezingatsha zaso.
14 to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, nor set their top amidst the thick boughs, and that none of them that drink water stand up in his height by himself; for they are all given over unto death in the lower parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.
Ngakho kazikho ezinye izihlahla ngasemanzini ezizaphakama ngokuziqhenya phezulu le, zifikise izihloko zazo ngaphezu kwezingatsha. Kazikho ezinye izihlahla ezizuza amanzi kuhle kanjalo ezizake zifike phezulu kangako; zonke zimiselwe ukufa, emhlabeni ongaphansi, phakathi kwabantu abafayo, kanye lalabo abehlela egodini.
15 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when he went down to Sheol, I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed; and I made Lebanon black for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. (Sheol h7585)
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngosuku owehliselwa ngalo engcwabeni, ngavala imithombo etshonayo ngokulilelwa kwawo, ngamisa izifudlana zawo, lamanzi awo amanengi avinjelwa. Ngenxa yawo ngembesa iLebhanoni ngomnyama, njalo zonke izihlahla zeganga zabuna. (Sheol h7585)
16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol, with them that go down into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth. (Sheol h7585)
Ngenza izizwe zathuthunyeliswa ngumdumo wokuwa kwawo lapha ngawehlisela phansi engcwabeni kanye lalabo abehlela phansi egodini. Lapho-ke zonke izihlahla zase-Edeni, ezikhethekileyo lezinhle kakhulu zaseLebhanoni, zonke izihlahla ezazithola amanzi kuhle, zaduduzeka ngaphansi komhlaba. (Sheol h7585)
17 They also went down into Sheol with him unto them that were slain with the sword, and [that were] his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations. (Sheol h7585)
Labo ababehlala emthunzini wawo, ababevumelana lawo phakathi kwezizwe, basebehlele phansi engcwabeni kanye lawo, bahlangana lalabo ababulawa ngenkemba. (Sheol h7585)
18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden, unto the lower parts of the earth; thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Yisiphi sezihlahla zase-Edeni esingafaniswa lawe ngobuhle langobucwazicwazi na? Ikanti lawe futhi uzakwehliselwa phansi ngaphansi komhlaba kanye lezihlahla zase-Edeni; uzalala phakathi kwabangasokanga, lalabo ababulawa ngenkemba. Lo nguFaro kanye lamaxuku akhe wonke, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”

< Ezekiel 31 >