Ezekiel 17
1 The word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
2 "Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;
Ndodana yomuntu, yenza ilibho, ukhulume ngomfanekiso kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli,
3 and say, 'Thus says Jehovah: "A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:
uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ukhozi olukhulu, olukhulu ngempiko, olude ngezimpaphe, olugcwele insiba, olulemibalabala, lweza eLebhanoni, lwathatha isihloko somsedari,
4 he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
lwaqunta isihloko sezingatshana zawo ezintsha, lwasisa elizweni lokuthengiselana, lwasibeka emzini wabathengisi.
5 He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow tree.
Lwaseluthatha okwenhlanyelo yalelolizwe, lwayifaka ensimini yenhlanyelo, lwayibeka ngasemanzini amanengi, lwayibeka njengomyezane.
6 It grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
Yasihluma, yaba livini elinabayo, elifitshane ngesithombo, ongatsha zalo zaphendukela kulo, lempande zalo zaba ngaphansi kwalo. Ngokunjalo laba livini, laveza ingatsha, lakhupha amahlumela.
7 '"There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and look, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it.
Kwasekusiba khona olunye ukhozi olukhulu, olukhulu ngempiko, lwande ngensiba. Khangela-ke, lelivini latshekisela impande zalo ngakulo, lakhuphela ingatsha zalo ngakulo, ukuze lulithelele ngemigelo yendawo yalo ehlanyelweyo.
8 It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine."'
Lalihlanyelwe ensimini enhle ngasemanzini amanengi ukuthi liveze ingatsha, lokuthi lithele isithelo, libe livini elihlekazi.
9 "Say, 'Thus says Jehovah: "Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? And not by a strong arm or many people can it be raised from its roots.
Wothi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lizaphumelela yini? Kaluyikusiphuna yini impande zalo, luqume izithelo zalo, libune? Lizabuna kuwo wonke amahlamvu alo amatsha okumila kwalo, kungengengalo enkulu labantu abanengi, ukulisiphuna ngempande zalo.
10 Yes, look, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew."'"
Yebo, khangela, selihlanyelwe lizaphumelela yini? Kaliyikubuna ngokupheleleyo yini nxa umoya wempumalanga ulitshaya? Lizabunela ensimini yokumila kwalo.
11 Moreover the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kimi lisithi:
12 "Say now to the rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Tell them, 'Look, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon:
Tshono khathesi kuyo indlu evukelayo: Kalazi yini ukuthi lezizinto ziyini? Uthi: Khangela, inkosi yeBhabhiloni yafika eJerusalema, yathatha inkosi yayo leziphathamandla zayo, yabaletha ngakuyo eBhabhiloni.
13 and he took of the royal family, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land;
Yathatha owenzalo yesikhosini, yenza isivumelwano laye, yamngenisa phansi kwesifungo; yathatha abalamandla belizwe;
14 that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
ukuze umbuso ube phansi, ungaziphakamisi, ukuthi ngokulondoloza isivumelwano sakhe ume.
15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape who does such things? Shall he break the covenant, and yet escape?
Kodwa wayivukela ngokuthuma izithunywa zakhe eGibhithe, ukuze bamnike amabhiza labantu abanengi. Uzaphumelela yini? Owenza lezizinto uzaphepha yini? Kumbe angasephula isivumelwano aphephe yini?
16 "'As I live,' says Jehovah, 'surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili endaweni yenkosi, embeka ukuthi abe yinkosi, osifungo sayo wasidelela, losivumelwano sayo wasephula, uzakufa layo phakathi kweBhabhiloni.
17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts, to cut off many persons.
Njalo uFaro, lebutho elilamandla lexuku elikhulu, kayikumsiza empini ngokubuthelela idundulu langokwakha inqaba, ukuquma abantu abanengi.
18 For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and look, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things; he shall not escape.'
Ngoba edelele isifungo ngokwephula isivumelwano, lapho, khangela, esenikele isandla sakhe, wazenza zonke lezizinto, kayikuphunyuka.
19 "Therefore thus says Jehovah: 'As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant that he has broken, I will even bring it on his own head.
Ngakho, itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kuphila kwami, isibili, isifungo sami asideleleyo, lesivumelwano sami asephulileyo, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
20 I will spread my net on him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me.
Ngizakwendlala imbule lami phezu kwakhe, ukuthi abanjwe emjibileni wami, ngimlethe eBhabhiloni, ngimahlulele khonangesiphambeko sakhe aphambeke ngaso kimi.
21 All the choice men among all his troups will fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and you shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it.'
Labo bonke ababalekayo bakhe kanye lawo wonke amaviyo akhe bazakuwa ngenkemba, labaseleyo bazahlakazekela kuwo wonke umoya. Lizakwazi-ke ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile.
22 "Thus says Jehovah: 'I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain:
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lami ngizathatha esihlokweni somsedari omude, ngikumise. Ngizaqunta kuso isihloko sengatshana zawo ezintsha olubuthakathaka, mina ngiluhlanyele phezu kwentaba ende lephakemeyo.
23 in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of its branches shall they dwell.
Entabeni yengqonga yakoIsrayeli ngizaluhlanyela; njalo luzakhupha ingatsha, luthele isithelo, lube ngumsedari omhlekazi; langaphansi kwawo kuzahlala yonke inyoni yophiko lonke; emthunzini wengatsha zawo zizahlala.
24 All the trees of the field shall know that I, Jehovah, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish; I, Jehovah, have spoken and have done it.'"
Ngokunjalo zonke izihlahla zeganga zizakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngithobisile isihlahla eside, ngaphakamisa isihlahla esifitshane, ngomisa isihlahla esiluhlaza, ngenza isihlahla esomileyo sihlume. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile, ngakwenza.
