< Ezekiel 11 >
1 Then a spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward; and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
Lapho-ke uMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa esangweni lendlu kaThixo elikhangele empumalanga. Khonapho ekungeneni kwesango kwakulamadoda angamatshumi amabili lanhlanu, njalo phakathi kwawo ngabona uJazaniya indodana ka-Azuri kanye loPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya, abakhokheli babantu.
2 And He said unto me: 'Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity, and that give wicked counsel in this city;
UThixo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, laba yibo abantu abenza amacebo amabi, benika lezeluleko ezimbi kulelidolobho.
3 that say: The time is not near to build houses! this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.
Bathi, ‘Masinyane nje akuyikuba yiso na isikhathi sokwakha izindlu? Idolobho leli liyimbiza yokupheka, njalo thina siyinyama.’
4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.'
Ngakho-ke phrofetha okubi ngabo; phrofetha ndodana yomuntu.”
5 And the spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said unto me: 'Speak: Thus saith the LORD: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.
Lapho-ke uMoya kaThixo weza kimi wangitshela ukuba ngithi, Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Lokho yikho wena okutshoyo, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, kodwa mina ngiyakwazi okusengqondweni yakho.
6 Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
Sewabulala abantu abanengi phakathi kwedolobho leli wagcwalisa imigwaqo yalo ngabafileyo.”
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Izidumbu oziphosele lapho ziyinyama njalo idolobho leli liyimbiza, kodwa wena ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwalo.
8 Ye have feared the sword; and the sword will I bring upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
Inkemba uyayesaba, njalo inkemba yiyo engizayiletha ukuba imelane lawe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
9 And I will bring you forth out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
Ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwedolobho ngikunikele kwabezizweni ngiphinde ngikujezise.
10 Ye shall fall by the sword: I will judge you upon the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Uzabulawa ngenkemba, njalo ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli. Lapho-ke uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
11 Though this city shall not be your caldron, ye shall be the flesh in the midst thereof; I will judge you upon the border of Israel;
Idolobho leli kaliyikuba yimbiza yakho, kumbe wena ube yinyama phakathi kwalo; ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli.
12 and ye shall know that I am the LORD; for ye have not walked in My statutes, neither have ye executed Mine ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.'
Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, ngoba izimiso zami kawuzilandelanga kumbe wagcina imithetho yami kodwa ulandele izenzo zezizwe ezikuhanqileyo.”
13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said: 'Ah Lord GOD! wilt Thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?'
Kwathi lapho ngisaphrofitha, uPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya wafa. Ngakho ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso ngakhala ngelizwi eliphezulu ngisithi, “Awu, Thixo Wobukhosi! Uzaqothula insalela ka-Israyeli na?”
14 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
15 'Son of man, as for thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them, concerning whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said: Get you far from the LORD! unto us is this land given for a possession;
“Ndodana yomuntu, abafowenu, abafowenu abayizihlobo zakho zegazi kanye lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli, yibo labo abantu baseJerusalema abathe ngabo: ‘Bakhatshana loThixo kakhulu; ilizwe leli saliphiwa ukuba libe yilifa lethu.’”
16 therefore say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Although I have removed them far off among the nations, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet have I been to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they are come;
“Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Lanxa ngabasa khatshana phakathi kwezizwe njalo ngabahlakazela phakathi kwamazwe, ikanti okwesikhatshana ngibe yindlu engcwele kubo emazweni abaye kuwo.’
17 therefore say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will even gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakubutha ezizweni ngikubuyise ngikususa emazweni owawuhlakazekele kuwo, njalo ngizakunika ilizwe lako-Israyeli futhi.’
18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
Bazabuyela kulo basuse zonke izifanekiso zalo ezihlazisayo kanye lezithombe ezenyanyekayo.
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;
Ngizabanika inhliziyo engehlukananga ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwabo; ngizasusa kubo inhliziyo yabo yelitshe ngibaphe inhliziyo yenyama.
20 that they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
Lapho-ke bazalandela izimiso zami baqaphele ukugcina imithetho yami. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo.
21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.'
Kodwa labo abanhliziyo zabo zinikelwe ezifanekisweni zabo ezihlazisayo lasezithombeni ezenyanyekayo, lokhu abakwenzileyo ngizakwehlisela phezu kwamakhanda abo, kutsho Thixo Wobukhosi.”
22 Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Lapho-ke amakherubhi, ayelamavili emaceleni, elula impiko zawo, njalo inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli yayingaphezu kwawo.
23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
Inkazimulo kaThixo yaya phezulu isuka phakathi kwedolobho yayakuma ngaphezu kwentaba ngasempumalanga kwedolobho.
24 And a spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from Me.
UMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa kwabathunjiweyo eBhabhiloni ngombono owawulethwe nguMoya kaNkulunkulu. Emva kwalokho umbono engangiwubonile wasuka kimi,
25 Then I spoke unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shown me.
ngasengitshela abathunjiweyo konke Thixo ayengitshengise khona.