Ezekiel 8
1 On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year, I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah and the power of the Lord God came over me there.
Ngomnyaka wesithupha, ngenyanga yesithupha ngosuku lwesihlanu, lapho ngangihlezi endlini yami labadala bakoJuda behlezi phambi kwami, isandla sikaThixo Wobukhosi sehlela phezu kwami khonapho.
2 I looked around and saw a being that looked like a man. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, he looked like fire. From what seemed to his waist upwards, he looked like brightly glowing metal.
Ngakhangela, ngabona ulutho olwalulesimo somuntu. Kusukela kokwakungathi lukhalo lwakhe kusiya phansi wayenjengomlilo, njalo kusukela lapho kusiya phezulu ukubonakala kwakhe kwakhazimula njengensimbi evuthayo.
3 He reached out what seemed to be a hand and picked me up by my hair. The Spirit took me up into the sky, and in the vision God was giving me he carried me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple's inner courtyard, where the offensive idol that made God angry had been placed.
Welula okwakukhanya angathi yisandla wangibamba ngenwele zekhanda lami. UMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu phakathi komhlaba lezulu, kwathi ngemibono kaNkulunkulu wangisa eJerusalema, ekungeneni kwesango langasenyakatho yeguma langaphakathi, lapho okwakumi khona isithombe esibangela ubukhwele.
4 I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, just like I had in the vision I'd seen in the valley.
Njalo khonapho phambili kwami kwakulenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengasembonweni engawubona egcekeni.
5 “Son of man,” he told me, “now look to the north.” So I looked to the north, and in the entrance to the north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol that angered God.
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khangela ngasenyakatho.” Ngakho ngakhangela, kwathi entubeni esenyakatho kwesango le-alithari ngabona lesisithombe sobukhwele.
6 “Son of man,” he said to me, “can you see what they are doing? Look at the disgusting sins the people of Israel are committing that are driving me far away from my sanctuary? But you're going to see even more disgusting sins than these!”
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, uyakubona yini abakwenzayo, izinto ezenyanyekayo kakhulu indlu ka-Israyeli ezenzayo lapha, izinto ezizangixotshela khatshana lendawo yami engcwele? Kodwa wena uzabona izinto ezenyanyekayo kakhulukazi kulalezi.”
7 He took me to the entrance to the Temple courtyard. As I looked around, I saw a hole in the wall.
Emva kwalokho wangisa entubeni yeguma. Ngakhangela, ngabona imbobo emdulini.
8 “Son of man,” he told me, “pull the wall apart.” So I pulled the wall apart and found a doorway.
Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khathesi gubha umduli.” Ngakho ngawugubha umduli ngasengibona umnyango khona.
9 He told me, “Go through the wall and see the evil and disgusting things they are doing in here.”
Wasesithi kimi, “Ngena ubone izinto ezimbi lezenyanyekayo abazenzayo lapha.”
10 So I went through the wall and saw carved images covering the walls, representing all kinds of reptiles and disgusting animals, as well as all the idols worshiped by the people of Israel.
Ngakho ngangena phakathi ngakhangela, ngabona indawo yonke emidulini kufanekiswe inhlobo zezinto zonke ezihuquzelayo lezinyamazana ezenyanyekayo kanye lezithombe zonke zasendlini ka-Israyeli.
11 Seventy elders of the house of Israel were standing in front of them, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. They all were holding censers, producing a sweet-smelling cloud of incense that rose above them.
Phambi kwazo kwakumi abadala bendlu ka-Israyeli abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa, loJazaniya indodana kaShafani emi phakathi kwabo. Omunye lomunye wayephethe udengezi lokutshisela impepha ngesandla, luthunqa intuthu elephunga elimnandi elempepha.
12 “Son of man,” he said to me, “can you see what the elders of the people of Israel are doing here in the dark, with each one worshiping in the shrine room of his own idol? This is what they're saying: ‘The Lord can't see what we're doing; besides the Lord has abandoned our country!’”
Wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, ukubonile yini okwenziwa ngabadala bendlu ka-Israyeli emnyameni, omunye lomunye esendaweni yokukhonzela isithombe sakhe? Bathi, ‘UThixo kasiboni; uThixo uselilahlile ilizwe.’”
13 The Lord went on to tell me, “You're going to see them doing even more disgusting things than these!”
Wabuye wathi, “Uzababona besenza izinto ezenyanyeka okudlula lokho.”
14 Then he took me to the north entrance of the Lord's Temple. I saw women sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.
Emva kwalokho wangisa ekungeneni kwesango lasenyakatho kwendlu kaThixo, ngabona abesifazane behlezi khona belilela uThamuzi.
15 “Son of man,” he said to me, “have you seen this? But you're going to see even more disgusting things than these!”
Wasesithi kimi, “Uyakubona lokhu na, ndodana yomuntu? Uzabona izinto ezenyanyeka kakhulu kulalokhu.”
16 He took me to the inner courtyard of the Lord's Temple and right there at the entrance to the Temple, between the porch and the altar, were around twenty-five men. They had their backs to the Temple, and were facing towards the east. They were bowing in worship of the sun rising in the east.
Wasengisa egumeni lendlu kaThixo elingaphakathi, njalo khonapho ekungeneni kwethempeli, phakathi komkhandlu le-alithari, kwakulamadoda ayengaba ngamatshumi amabili lanhlanu. Ayekhothamele phansi elangeni empumalanga, efulathele ithempeli likaThixo. Ubuso bawo bukhangele empumalanga.
17 “Son of man,” he said to me, “have you seen this? The people of Judah aren't content just to do these disgusting things. They also commit violent crimes across the country and keep on making me angry. Look at how they're deliberately insulting me!
Wathi kimi, “Sewake wakubona lokhu na ndodana yomuntu? Kuyinto encane na ukuthi indlu kaJuda yenze izinto ezenyanyekayo abazenza lapha? Kumele ilizwe baligcwalise futhi ngodlakela, njalo bangithukuthelise kokuphela na? Bakhangele bebeka ugatsha empumulweni yabo!
18 As a result I will respond in anger. I won't treat them kindly; I won't be merciful to them. Even though they shout loudly for my help, I won't listen to them.”
Ngakho ngizabaphatha ngentukuthelo; angiyikuba lesihawu kubo ngibayekele. Lanxa sebeklabalalela ezindlebeni zami, kangiyikubalalela.”
