Ezekiel 5
1 “Son of man, go and shave your head and your beard using a sharp sword like a barber's razor. Then divide up the hair using a set of scales.
Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zithathele ingqamu ebukhali, zithathele impuco yabageli, uyihambise phezu kwekhanda lakho laphezu kwesilevu sakho; ubusuzithathela isikali sokulinganisa, wehlukanise inwele.
2 Once the days of the siege have finished, burn up one third of the hair inside the city; slash at another third with a sword around the city; and scatter another third in the wind. I will let loose a sword behind them to chase them.
Ingxenye yesithathu uzayitshisa ngomlilo phakathi komuzi sezigcwalisekile insuku zokuvimbezela; uthathe ingxenye yesithathu utshaye inhlangothi zonke zayo ngenkemba; lengxenye yesithathu uyihlakaze emoyeni; njalo ngizahwatsha inkemba emva kwabo.
3 Take just a few hairs and tuck them into the hem of your clothes.
Njalo uzathatha ezinlutshwana ngenani kuzo, uzigoqele emaphethelweni ezembatho zakho.
4 Take some of these and toss them into the fire to burn them. A fire will spread from there to burn everyone in Israel.
Ubusuthatha kuzo futhi, uziphosele phakathi komlilo, uzitshise emlilweni; kuzaphuma kuwo umlilo uye kuyo yonke indlu kaIsrayeli.
5 This is what the Lord God says: This represents Jerusalem. I placed her right in the middle of the nations, surrounded by other countries.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Le yiJerusalema; ngiyimisile phakathi kwezizwe lamazwe inhlangothi zonke zayo.
6 But she rebelled against my rules, acting more wickedly than the nations, and she defied my regulations more than the countries surrounding her. Her people rejected my rules and refused to follow my regulations.
Kodwa iphendule izahlulelo zami zaba yibubi okwedlula izizwe, lezimiso zami okwedlula amazwe ayihanqileyo; ngoba bazalile izahlulelo zami, lezimiso zami kabahambanga kuzo.
7 Consequently this is what the Lord God says: You have caused more trouble than the nations around you. You refused to follow my rules and keep my regulations. In fact you didn't even live up to the standards of the nations surrounding you.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba leyisile okwedlula izizwe ezilihanqileyo, lingahambanga ezimisweni zami, lingazenzanga izahlulelo zami, lingenzanga njengokwezahlulelo zezizwe ezilihanqileyo;
8 So this is what the Lord God says: Watch out, because it's me who is condemning you, Jerusalem! I'm going to carry out my sentence against you while the other nations watch.
ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelene lawe, ngitsho mina, njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, emehlweni ezizwe.
9 Because of all the disgusting things you've done, I'm going to do to you what I've never done before—and I won't ever do again.
Ngenze phakathi kwakho engingazange ngikwenze, lengingasayikukwenza okunjengakho, ngenxa yamanyala akho wonke.
10 In your city parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. I'm going to punish you and scatter in every directions those who are left.
Ngakho oyise bazakudla amadodana phakathi kwakho, lamadodana azakudla oyise. Njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, lensali yakho yonke ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya.
11 As I live, declares the Lord God, because you have made my sanctuary unclean with all your offensive idols and disgusting practices, I will stop treating you well. I won't be kind to you—I won't show you any pity.
Ngakho, kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili, ngoba ungcolisile indawo yami engcwele ngazo zonke izinengiso zakho langamanyala akho wonke, ngakho lami ngizakunciphisa, futhi ilihlo lami kaliyikuhawukela, futhi lami kangiyikuyekela.
12 A third of your people will die from disease or starvation inside the city; a third will be killed by the sword outside the city walls; and a third I will scatter in the wind in all directions, and let loose a sword behind them to chase them.
Ingxenye yesithathu yakho izakufa ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo, langendlala bazaqedwa phakathi kwakho; lengxenye yesithathu izakuwa ngenkemba enhlangothini zonke zakho; lengxenye yesithathu ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya, ngihwatshe inkemba emva kwabo.
13 Once my anger is over and I've finished punishing them, then I'll be satisfied. When I've finished punishing them, then they'll know that I, the Lord, meant what I said when I spoke so strongly.
Ngokunjalo ukuthukuthela kwami kuzapheleliswa, ngenze ukufutheka kwami kuphumule phezu kwabo, ngiduduzeke; njalo bazakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile ekutshisekeni kwami, lapho sengiphelelise ukufutheka kwami kubo.
14 I'm going to ruin you and humiliate you in front of the nations surrounding you, in the sight of every passer-by.
Futhi ngizakwenza ube lunxiwa ube lihlazo phakathi kwezizwe ezikuhanqileyo, emehlweni akhe wonke owedlulayo.
15 You will be criticized and mocked, you'll be a warning and something horrifying to the surrounding nations when I carry out my sentence against you in my rage and furious anger. I the Lord have spoken.
Ngakho kuzakuba lihlazo, lenhlekisa, imfundiso, lesesabiso ezizweni ezikuhanqileyo nxa ngisenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho ngolaka langokufutheka langokukhuza kokufutheka; mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
16 When I pour down on you deadly arrows of famine and destruction they're intended to kill you. I will make your famine worse by stopping your food supply.
Lapho ngithumela phezu kwabo imitshoko emibi yendlala, ezakuba ngeyokubhubhisa, engizayithumela ukulibhubhisa, ngizakwandisa indlala phezu kwenu, ngephule udondolo lwesinkwa kini.
17 I will send famine and wild animals to attack you. You'll have no children left. Disease and killing will sweep over you, and I will bring armies to attack you. I the Lord have spoken.”
Ngokunjalo ngizathuma phezu kwenu indlala lezilo ezimbi, ezizakwemuka abantwana; lomatshayabhuqe wesifo legazi kudabule phakathi kwakho; ngilethe inkemba phezu kwakho. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
