< Ezekiel 1 >
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God.
Kwasekusithi-ke ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjiweyo ngasemfuleni iKebari, avuleka amazulu, ngasengibona imibono kaNkulunkulu.
2 On the fifth day of the month, the same was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joachin,
Ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, okungumnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini,
3 The word of the Lord came to Ezechiel the priest the son of Bud in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chobar: and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
ilizwi leNkosi leza liqonde kuHezekeli, indodana kaBuzi, umpristi, elizweni lamaKhaladiya ngasemfuleni iKebari; lesandla seNkosi saba phezu kwakhe lapho.
4 And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber:
Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, umoya wesivunguzane wavela enyakatho, iyezi elikhulu, lomlilo ozimumetheyo, lokucwazimula inhlangothi zonke zalo, laphakathi kwalo kwavela kwangathi libala lethusi, livela phakathi komlilo.
5 And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them.
Laphakathi kwalo kwavela umfanekiso wezidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Lalokhu kwakuyisimo sazo: Zazilomfanekiso womuntu.
6 Every one had four faces, and every one four wings.
Njalo yileso laleso sasilobuso obune, njalo yileso laleso sazo sasilempiko ezine.
7 Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of a calf’s foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing brass.
Lenyawo zazo zazizinyawo eziqondileyo, lengaphansi yezinyawo zazo yayinjengengaphansi yonyawo lwethole, zacwazimula njengombala wethusi elilolongiweyo.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they bad faces, and wings on the four sides,
Njalo kwakulezandla zomuntu ngaphansi kwempiko zazo enhlangothini zazo zozine. Njalo zozine zazilobuso bazo lempiko zazo.
9 And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward.
Impiko zazo zazihlangene olunye kolunye; aziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo; zahamba, yileso laleso siqonde phambili.
10 And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four.
Njalo umfanekiso wobuso bazo wawuyibuso bomuntu, njalo zozine zazilobuso besilwane ngakwesokunene; njalo zozine zazilobuso benkabi ngakwesokhohlo; futhi zozine zazilobuso belinqe.
11 And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies:
Babunjalo ubuso bazo; lempiko zazo zazehlukene ngaphezulu; yileso laleso sasilezimbili zihlanganisiwe kolunye, lezimbili zigubuzele imizimba yazo.
12 And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went.
Zahamba yileso laleso siqonde phambili; zaya lapho umoya owaya khona, zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
13 And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire.
Mayelana lomfanekiso wezidalwa eziphilayo, ukubonakala kwazo kwakunjengamalahle omlilo avuthayo, njengokubonakala kwezibane; kwahamba kusiya le lale phakathi kwezidalwa eziphilayo; njalo umlilo wawulokukhazimula, njalo emlilweni kwakuphuma umbane.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.
Lezidalwa eziphilayo zagijima zaphenduka njengokubonakala kokuphazima kombane.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared upon the earth by the living creatures one wheel with four faces.
Ngathi ngikhangela izidalwa eziphilayo, khangela-ke, ivili elilodwa lalisemhlabeni eceleni kwezidalwa eziphilayo, ebusweni baso obune.
16 And the appearance of the wheels, and the work of them was like the appearance of the sea: and the four had all one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel.
Ukubonakala kwamavili lomsebenzi wawo kwakufanana lombala webherule; njalo zozine zazilesimo sinye; lokubonakala kwazo lomsebenzi wazo kwakunjengokuthi livili phakathi kwevili.
17 When they went, they went by their four parts: and they turned not when they went.
Ekuhambeni kwawo ahamba ngezinhlangothi zawo zozine; kawaphendukanga ekuhambeni kwawo.
18 The wheels had also a size, and a height, and a dreadful appearance: and the whole body was full of eyes round about all the four.
Mayelana lamarimu awo, ayephakeme kangangokuthi ayesesabeka; njalo amarimu awo ayegcwele amehlo inhlangothi zonke zawo zozine.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels also went together by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up with them.
Ekuhambeni kwezidalwa eziphilayo amavili ahamba eceleni kwazo; lekuphakanyisweni kwezidalwa eziphilayo emhlabeni lamavili aphakanyiswa.
20 Whithersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal, and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.
Lapho umoya owawusiya khona zaya khona, kulapho umoya owawuzakuya khona; lamavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lawo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
21 When those went these went, and when those stood these stood, and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up together, and followed them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.
Lapho lezi zihamba, lawo ahamba; lalapho lezi zisima, lawo ema; lalapho lezi ziphakanyiswa emhlabeni, amavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lazo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
22 And over the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of the firmament, as the appearance of crystal terrible to behold, and stretched out over their heads above.
Njalo isimo somkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengombala wekristali elesabekayo, seluliwe phezu kwamakhanda azo ngaphezulu.
23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other, every one with two wings covered his body, and the other was covered in like manner.
Langaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zaziqondile, olunye lusiya kolunye; yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese imizimba yazo ngapha, njalo yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese ngaphayana.
24 And I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as it were the voice of the most high God: when they walked, it was like the voice of a multitude, like the noise of an army, and when they stood, their wings were let down.
Lekuhambeni kwazo ngezwa umsindo wempiko zazo unjengomsindo wamanzi amanengi, njengelizwi likaSomandla, umsindo wokuhlokoma, njengomsindo wenkamba; lapho zisima zehlisa impiko zazo.
25 For when a voice came from above the firmament, that was over their heads, they stood, and let down their wings.
Kwasekusiba lelizwi elavela phezu komkhathi ongaphezu kwekhanda lazo lapho sezimi sezehlise impiko zazo.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of the sapphire stone, and upon the likeness of the throne, was a likeness as of the appearance of a man above upon it.
Langaphezu komkhathi owawuphezu kwekhanda lazo kwakunjengesimo selitshe lesafire, umfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi; langaphezu komfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi kwakulomfanekiso onjengokubonakala komuntu phezu kwakho ngaphezulu.
27 And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber as the appearance of fire within it round about: from his loins and upward, and from his loins downward, I saw as it were the resemblance of fire shining round about.
Ngasengibona njengombala wethusi, njengokubonakala komlilo phakathi kwakho inhlangothi zonke, kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphezulu, njalo kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphansi, ngabona kunjengokubonakala komlilo, lokukhazimula inhlangothi zakhe zonke.
28 As the appearance of the rainbow when it is in a cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the brightness round about.
Njengokubonakala komchilo wamakhosikazi osemayezini ngosuku lwezulu, kwakunjalo ukubonakala kokukhazimula inhlangothi zonke. Lokhu kwakuyikubonakala kwesimo senkazimulo yeNkosi. Ngathi ngikubona, ngathi mbo ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lowakhulumayo.