Ezekiel 33
1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, If there be a land over which I bring the sword, and the people of the land take a man from among themselves, and appoint him unto themselves for a watchman;
“Ndodana yomuntu, khuluma labantu bakini uthi kubo, ‘Lapho ngiletha inkemba ukumelana lelizwe, abantu balelolizwe bakhethe omunye wamadoda akibo bamenze abe ngumlindi,
3 And if he see the sword coming over the land, and blow the cornet, and warn the people;
abone inkemba isizamelana lelizwe abesetshaya icilongo exwayisa abantu,
4 And whosoever heareth the sound of the cornet, and taketh no warning; and the sword cometh, and taketh him away: his blood shall be upon his own head.
lapho-ke nxa loba ngubani ozwa icilongo kodwa angasinaki isixwayiso njalo inkemba ifike imbulale, igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
5 The sound of the cornet hath he heard, and he hath taken no warning; his blood shall be upon him. But had he taken warning he would have delivered his soul.
Njengoba ukukhala kwecilongo ekuzwile kodwa kaze asinaka isixwayiso, igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe. Aluba ubesinakile isixwayiso, ubezazisindisa.
6 But if the watchman see the sword coming, and blow not the cornet, so that the people be not warned, and the sword cometh, and taketh away from among them some person: this one is taken away for his iniquity; but his blood will I require from the watchman's hand.
Kodwa nxa umlindi ebona inkemba isiza angatshayi icilongo axwayise abantu, njalo inkemba ifike ibulale omunye wabo, lowomuntu uzasuswa ngenxa yesono sakhe, kodwa mina ngizabeka umlandu wegazi lakhe kumlindi.’
7 But as for thee, O son of man, I have appointed thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: so that when thou hearest a word from my mouth, thou shalt warn them from me.
Ndodana yomuntu, sengikwenze umlindi wendlu ka-Israyeli; ngakho zwana ilizwi engilikhulumayo ubanike isixwayiso esivela kimi.
8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked one, thou shalt surely die; and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way: that wicked one shall die for his iniquity; but his blood will I require from thy hand.
Lapho ngisithi komubi, ‘Wena muntu omubi, uzakufa impela,’ njalo wena ungabe usakhuluma ukuba umyekelise izindlela zakhe, lowomuntu omubi uzafela izono zakhe, njalo mina ngikubeka umlandu wegazi lakhe.
9 Nevertheless, if thou hast indeed warned the wicked of his way to turn away from it, and he do not turn from his way: he shall certainly die for his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Kodwa nxa umxwayisa umuntu omubi ukuba aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe kodwa angenzi njalo, uzafela izono zakhe, kodwa wena uzakuba uzisindisile.
10 But thou, O son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, Thus do ye speak, saying, Truly our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and through them do we pine away: how then shall we live?
Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuyo indlu ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku elikutshoyo ukuthi, “Iziphambeko zethu lezono ziyasisinda, njalo siyacikizeka ngenxa yazo. Pho singaphila njani na?”’
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Eternal, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but in the return of the wicked from his way that he may live: return ye, return ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Tshono kubo uthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, kangithokozi ngokufa kwababi, kodwa ukuba baphenduke ezindleleni zabo baphile. Phendukani! Phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi! Kungani umele ufe, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli?’
12 But thou, son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him on the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not stumble through it on the day that he returneth from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live through the other on the day that he sinneth.
Ngakho-ke, ndodana yomuntu, tshono ebantwini bakini uthi, ‘Ukulunga komuntu olungileyo kakuyikumsindisa lapho engalaleli, njalo lobubi bomuntu omubi kabuyikumwisa lapho ephenduka kubo. Umuntu olungileyo, lapho esona, kasoke avunyelwe ukuphila ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe kwakuqala.’
13 When I say of the righteous, that he shall surely live, and he trusteth to his own righteousness, and committeth what is wrong: all his righteous deeds shall not be remembered, and for his wrong that he hath committed, —through this shall he die.
Nxa ngitshela umuntu olungileyo ukuthi impela uzaphila, kodwa abe esethemba ukulunga kwakhe enze okubi, akukho okwezinto ezilungileyo azenzayo okuzakhunjulwa; uzafela okubi asekwenzile.
14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and he turneth from his sin, and executeth justice and righteousness;
Njalo nxa ngisithi emuntwini omubi, ‘Impela uzakufa,’ kodwa aphenduke ezonweni zakhe enze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo,
15 If the wicked restore the pledge, make restitution for what he hath robbed, walk in the statutes of life, so as not to do any wrong: he shall surely live, he shall not die.
lapho ebuyisela lokho akuthatha kuyisibambiso salokho akwebolekisayo, abuyisele akwebayo, alandele izimiso ezinika ukuphila, angenzi okubi, uzaphila impela; kasoze afe.
16 All his sins that he hath committed shall not be remembered unto him: justice and righteousness hath he executed, he shall surely live.
Akukho lasinye sezono azenzayo esizakhunjulwa ngaye. Usenze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo; uzaphila impela.
17 Yet say the children of thy people, The way of the Lord is not equitable: while, as to them, their way is not equitable.
Ikanti abantu bakini bathi, ‘Indlela kaThixo kayilunganga.’ Kodwa ngeyabo indlela engalunganga.
18 When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and doth what is wrong, he shall even die therefore.
Nxa umuntu olungileyo eguquka ekulungeni kwakhe enze okubi, uzakufela lokho.
19 And when the wicked returneth from his wickedness, and executeth justice and righteousness, he shall surely live therefore.
Njalo nxa umuntu omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe enze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo, uzaphila ngenxa yokwenzanjalo.
20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. Every one after his own ways will I judge you, O house of Israel.
Ikanti, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, uthi, ‘Indlela kaThixo kayilunganga.’ Kodwa mina ngizakwahlulela lowo lalowo wenu ngokufanele izindlela zakhe.”
21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month after our exile, that there came unto me one that had escaped out of Jerusalem, saying, The city hath been smitten.
Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngenyanga yetshumi ngosuku lwesihlanu, umuntu owayebalekele eJerusalema wafika kimi wathi, “Idolobho selinqotshiwe!”
22 Now the inspiration of the Lord was come upon me in the evening, before the coming of the one who had escaped; and he had opened my mouth, before he was come to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened and I was not kept dumb any more.
Kusihlwa umuntu lowo engakafiki, isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami, njalo wavula umlomo wami umuntu lowo engakafiki ekuseni. Ngakho umlomo wami wawusuvuliwe njalo ngangingasathulanga.
23 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
24 Son of man, they that dwell in these ruins in the land of Israel say as followeth, But one man was Abraham, and he obtained the land as an inheritance; and as we are many, the land must [surely] be given to us for an inheritance.
“Ndodana yomuntu, abantu abahlala emanxiweni lawana elizweni lako-Israyeli bathi, ‘U-Abhrahama wayengumuntu oyedwa nje kuphela, ikanti ilizwe lalingelakhe. Kodwa thina sibanengi; impela ilizwe siliphiwe njengelifa lethu.’
25 Therefore say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, By the blood do ye eat, and your eyes do you lift up toward your idols, and blood do ye shed: and ye expect to possess the land?
Ngakho tshono kubo uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Njengoba lisidla inyama ilokhu ilegazi lithembe izithombe zenu njalo lichithe legazi, kambe lingaba ngabanikazi belizwe na?
26 Ye depend upon your sword, ye commit abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbor's wife: and ye expect to possess the land?
Lithembe inkemba yenu, lenza izinto ezenyanyekayo, njalo omunye lomunye wenu ungcolisa umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe. Kambe lingaba ngabanikazi belizwe na?’
27 Thus shalt thou say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, As I live, surely those that are in the ruined places shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts that they may devour him, and those that are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die through the pestilence.
Tshono lokhu kubo uthi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, labo abaseleyo emanxiweni bazabulawa ngenkemba, labo abangaphandle egangeni ngizabanikela ezinyamazaneni zeganga ukuba badliwe, njalo labo abasezinqabeni lasezimbalwini bazabulawa yisifo.
28 And I will render the land desolate and wasted, and the pride of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, with none to pass through them.
Ngizakwenza ilizwe libe lugwadule oluphundlekileyo, njalo ukuziqhenya kwamandla alo kuzaphela, lezintaba zako-Israyeli zizachitheka kuze kungabikhona odlula kuzo.
29 And they shall experience that I am the Lord, when I render the land desolate and wasted, because of all their abominations which they have committed.
Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, nxa sengenze ilizwe laba lugwadule oluphundlekileyo ngenxa yezinto ezenyanyekayo abazenzileyo.’
30 And thou, son of man, [there are] the children of thy people, who are talking about thee by the walls and in the entrances of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Do come, and hear what the word is which cometh forth from the Lord.
Okunjengawe, ndodana yomuntu, abantu bakini bakhulumisana ngawe emidulini laseminyango yezindlu besithi, omunye komunye, ‘Woza uzekuzwa ilizwi eselifike livela kuThixo.’
31 And then they come unto thee as the people come, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but do not execute them; for as merry songs they carry them in their mouth, while their heart goeth after their unlawful gains.
Abantu bami bayafika kuwe, njengabajayele ukukwenza, bahlale phambi kwakho ukuba bezwe amazwi akho, kodwa akutshoyo kabakwenzi. Ngemilomo yabo batsho ukuzinikela, kodwa inhliziyo zabo zihawukela inzuzo engafanelanga.
32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a merry song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well: and [thus] they hear thy words, but execute them not.
Ngempela, kubo wena kawusilutho olungedlula umuntu ohlabela izingoma zothando ngelizwi elihle njalo esitshaya kuhle isiginci, ngoba amazwi akho bayawezwa, kodwa akutshoyo kabakwenzi.
33 But when it cometh to pass, [lo, it will come, ] then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
Nxa konke lokhu sekugcwalisekile njalo impela kuzakwenzakala, lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi umphrofethi ubekhona phakathi kwabantu.”
