< Ezekiel 16 >

1 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 “You human, cause the people of Jerusalem to think about their detestable behavior.
“Ndodana yomuntu, melana leJerusalema ngezenzo zalo ezinengayo
3 Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you people of Jerusalem: [It is as though you are a woman who] [MET] was born in the country where the Canaan people-group lived. [It is as though] [MET] your father belonged to the Amor people-group and your mother belonged to the Heth people-group.
uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi kulo iJerusalema: Umdabuko wenu kanye lozalo ngokwaselizweni lamaKhenani; uyihlo wayengumʼAmori unyoko engumHithi.
4 [It is as though] [MET] on the day that you were born, your umbilical cord was not cut, and your body was not washed in water, and it was not rubbed with salt or wrapped in strips of cloth, [like Israeli babies always are].
Ngosuku owazalwa ngalo ufokothi lwakho kaluqunywanga, njalo kawugeziswanga ngamanzi ukuba uhlambuluke, kumbe uhlikihlwe ngetswayi loba ugoqelwe ngamalembu.
5 No one pitied you or acted kindly toward you by doing those things for you. Instead, [it was as though] [MET] you were thrown into a field, because on the day that you were born, you were despised {everyone despised you}.
Kakho owaba lozwelo kuwe loba owaba lesihawu ukuba akwenzele okunye kwalezizinto. Kodwa waphoselwa etshatshalazini leganga, ngoba ngosuku owazalwa ngalo weyiswa.
6 Then [it was as though] [MET] I passed by and saw you lying in your own blood and kicking. And while you lay there kicking in your own blood, I said to you, “I want you to remain alive!”
Kwathi lapho ngidlula eduze ngakubona uqhatshaqhatsha phakathi kwegazi lakho, njalo kwathi ulele phakathi khonapho kwegazi lakho ngathi kuwe, “Phila!”
7 [It was as though] I caused you to grow up, like plants in the field grow; you grew up and became tall and became like [MET] a very beautiful jewel. [It was as though] [MET] your breasts (formed/became large), and your hair became long, although you were still naked [DOU].
Ngakukhulisa njengesihlahla seganga. Wakhula waqina waba yilitshe eliligugu elihle kakhulu kulawo wonke. Waphuhla lenwele zakho zakhula, wena owawunqunu uze.
8 When I saw you several years later, [it was as though] [MET] I saw that you were old enough to have sex [EUP]. So [it was as though] [MET] I spread the corner of my robe over [to symbolize that I would marry you], with the result that you were no longer naked. I solemnly promised [that I would marry you] and made a marriage agreement with you, and you became my wife. That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say.
Muva ngadlula eduze futhi, kwathi lapho sengikukhangele ngabona ukuthi wawusukhulile okwanela uthando, ngelulela isembatho sami phezu kwakho ngavala ubunqunu bakho. Ngakufungela ngesifungo sami esiqinisekileyo, ngenza isivumelwano lawe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, njalo waba ngowami.
9 [And then it was as though] [MET] I bathed you and washed the blood from you and put ointment on your body.
Ngakugezisa ngamanzi, ngagezisa legazi kuwe, ngasengikugcoba ngamafutha.
10 [It was as though] [MET] I put a fine linen robe on you and gave you other expensive clothes. I put an embroidered dress on you and put leather sandals on your feet.
Ngakugqokisa isigqoko esicecisiweyo ngakufaka amanyathelo esikhumba. Ngakugqokisa ilineni elihle ngakwembesa izembatho ezidulayo.
11 [It was as though] [MET] I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck. Those things all had nice jewels fastened to them.
Ngakuhlobisa ngamatshe aligugu: Ngafaka amasongo ezingalweni zakho kanye lomgaxo entanyeni yakho,
12 I put a gold ring in your nose and fastened earrings to your ears and put a beautiful crown on your head.
ngasengifaka lesongo empumulweni yakho, lamacici ezindlebeni zakho kanye lomqhele omuhle ekhanda lakho.
13 So [it was as though] you wore gold and silver ornaments. You had clothes made from fine (linen/white cloth) and other expensive embroidered material/cloth. You ate [bread made from] fine flour, honey, and olive oil. You became very beautiful, like [MET] a queen.
Waceciswa kanjalo ngegolide langesiliva; izigqoko zakho zazenziwe ngelineni elihle langamalembu adulayo kanye lamalembu acecisiweyo. Waba muhle kakhulu waze wakhuphuka waba yindlovukazi.
14 You were very beautiful, with the result that people in other nations heard about you, because they knew that I, Yahweh the Lord, am the one who had caused you to become very beautiful.
Udumo lwakho lwagcwala phakathi kwezizwe ngenxa yobuhle bakho, ngoba ubucwazicwazi engangikuphe bona benza ubuhle bakho baphelela, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
15 But [it was as though] [MET] you realized that because people knew that you were very beautiful, you could [earn a lot of money by] becoming a prostitute. [It was as though] you had sex with [EUP] every man who came along, and they all enjoyed your beauty.
Kodwa wena wathemba ubuhle bakho wasebenzisa lodumo lwakho ekubeni yisifebe. Wachithela umusa wakho emuntwini wonke odlulayo kwathi ubuhle bakho baba ngobakhe.
16 [It was as though] you took some of your clothes to make beautifully decorated shrines, and that is where you had sex with those men. Those things should certainly never occur!
Wathatha ezinye zezembatho zakho wenza ubucwazicwazi bezindawo eziphakemeyo, lapho owaqhubekela khona ngobuwule bakho. Izinto ezinje akumelanga zenzakale, loba zike zivele zenzeke.
17 You took the fine gold and silver jewelry that I gave you, and you made male idols for yourself, in order to have sex with them.
Njalo wathatha leziceciso ezinhle zamatshe aligugu engakupha zona, iziceciso ezenziwa ngegolide lami lesiliva, wazenzela izithombe ezinduna wawula lazo.
18 You took some of your embroidered clothes to put on those idols, and you burned oil and incense in front of them [to honor them].
Wathatha lezigqoko zakho ezicecisiweyo ukuba wembese izithombe, wanikela amafutha ami lempepha phambi kwazo.
19 And the [bread that was made from] fine flour and the olive oil and honey that I gave to you to eat, you offered to be a fragrant sacrifice to those idols. I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that is what happened.
Lokudla engakupha khona, ifulawa ecolekileyo, amafutha e-oliva kanye loluju engakupha khona ukuba udle, wakunikela phambi kwazo njengempepha elephunga elimnandi. Lokhu yikho okwenzakalayo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
20 And you even took your sons and daughters who were [as though they were] [MET] my children, and sacrificed them to be food for the idols. That was much worse [RHQ] than your becoming a prostitute.
Wathatha futhi amadodana akho kanye lamadodakazi owangizalela wona wawanikela njengokudla ezithombeni. Ubufebe bakho babunganelanga na?
21 You slaughtered [those who were like] [MET] my children, and offered them to be sacrifices to the gods!
Wabulala abantwabami wabanikela ezithombeni.
22 All during the time when you were acting like a prostitute and doing other detestable things, you did not think about the time when [it was as though] you were very young, naked [DOU], lying in your own blood and kicking.
Phakathi kwazo zonke izenzo zakho ezinengayo kanye lobufebe bakho kawuzikhumbulanga insuku zebutsheni bakho, lapho wawunqunu njalo uze, uqhatshaqhatsha phakathi kwegazi lakho.
23 So I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that terrible things will happen to you. In addition to all the other wicked things that you did,
Maye! Maye kuwe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Phezu kobubi bakho bonke,
24 you built a shrine to worship idols in every [city] square/plaza.
wazakhela indunduma wenza lezindawo zokukhonzela ezidephileyo ezinkundleni zonke.
25 At the beginning of every street you built a shrine, and showed people your beautiful body, offering it to have sex with every man who walked by, becoming a better known prostitute every day.
Ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke wakha izindawo zakho zokukhonzela ezidephileyo wonakalisa ubuhle bakho, wanikela umzimba wakho ngokuxabanisa okukhulu kuloba ngubani odlulayo.
26 [It was as though] [MET] you had sex with men from Egypt who were eager to have sex with you, men who lived near to Israel. You caused me to become very angry because you became more eager to have sex with more and more of them.
Wenza ubufebe lamaGibhithe, omakhelwane bakho abalesigweba, wangithukuthelisa ngokuba ngubuyazonke kwakho okukhulu.
27 So I punished [IDM] you and caused your enemies to capture some of your country. I enabled your greedy enemies from Philistia to defeat you; and even they were shocked because of your disgraceful behavior.
Ngakho ngelula isandla sami ukuba ngimelane lawe nganciphisa ilizwe lakho; ngakunikela ekuphangeni kwezitha zakho, amadodakazi amaFilistiya, ethuswa yikuziphatha kwakho kobuxhwali!
28 [It was as though] you had sex with soldiers from Assyria, too, because you always wanted more sex. And after that, you still were not satisfied.
Wenza ubuwule lama-Asiriya futhi, ngoba wawungasuthiseki; njalo langasemva kwalokho wawulokhu ungakholwanga.
29 So you also had sex [with soldiers from] Babylonia, a country full of merchants/businessmen, but even that did not satisfy you.
Ngakho wandisa ukuxubanisa kwakho ukuba kungenise leBhabhiloni, ilizwe labathengisi, kodwa langalokhu kawusuthisekanga.
30 I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that when you did all those things, acting like [MET] a bold prostitute, you were showing that you were ready to do anything that you wanted to [IDM].
Yeka ubuthakathaka bakho enhliziyweni, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lapho usenza zonke lezizinto, usenza njengesifebe esingelanhloni!
31 When you built shrines to worship idols on every street corner and in every city square/plaza, you were not like a prostitute: Prostitutes charge money, but you refused to take money for what you did.
Lapho usakha amadundulu akho ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke usenza lezindawo zakho zokukhonzela ezidephileyo ezinkundleni zonke, wawunganjengesifebe, ngoba wala imbadalo ngokweyisa okukhulu.
32 You are like [MET] a woman who commits adultery: You prefer to [have sex with] strangers rather than with your husband.
Wena mfazi oyisifebe! Uthanda izihambi kulomkakho.
33 Prostitutes are paid, but [it is as though] you give gifts to all your lovers; you bribe them to come to you from everywhere to have sex with you.
Izifebe zonke zamukela imbadalo, kodwa zonke izithandwa zakho uzinika izipho, uzithenga ukuba zize kuwe zivela ezindaweni zonke zilanda ubufebe bakho.
34 So although you act like [MET] a prostitute, you are not like other prostitutes: No one needs to request you to have sex [EUP] with them. You are the opposite of other prostitutes; instead of them giving any money to you, you give men money to have sex with you.
Ngakho ukufeba kwakho kwehlukile kokwabanye; kakho okudingayo ukuba afebe lawe. Wena wehlukile, ngoba uyabhadala kodwa awubhadalwa.
35 Therefore, [you people of] Jerusalem, who are like a prostitute [MET], listen to what I, Yahweh the Lord, am saying about you!
Ngakho-ke, wena sifebe, zwana ilizwi likaThixo!
36 I say that [what you have done is as though] [MET] you took off your clothes and acted like a prostitute and had sex with men who are not your husband. [What I mean is that you have been worshiping] detestable idols, and you have murdered [MTY] your own children to be sacrifices to them.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Njengoba wachitha inotho yakho waveza lobunqunu bakho ebufebeni bakho lezithandwa zakho, njalo ngenxa yazo zonke izithombe zakho ezinengayo, langenxa yokuthi wazipha igazi labantwana bakho,
37 So [what I am going to do is as though] I will gather those who you think have loved you and those whom you hated. I will gather them around you [to attack you], and [what I will do is as though] I will strip your clothes off you, and they will see you when you are completely naked.
ngakho-ke ngizaziqoqa zonke izithandwa zakho, owawuthokoza lazo, lezo owawuzithanda kanye lalezo owawuzizonda. Ngizaziqoqa ukuba zimelane lawe zivela ezindaweni zonke ngikunqunule phambi kwazo, njalo zizabubona bonke ubunqunu bakho.
38 I will punish you like women who commit adultery and who murder people [MTY] are punished. I will get revenge on you and get rid of you because I am extremely angry with you.
Ngizakunika isigwebo sokujeziswa kwabesifazane abafebayo njalo abachitha igazi; ngizakwehlisela phezu kwakho impindiselo yegazi yolaka lwami kanye lentukuthelo yobukhwele.
39 I will allow [your enemies who you thought] loved you [IRO] to defeat you, and they will tear down your shrines. [It will be as though] they will strip off your fancy clothes and take away your fine jewelry and cause you to be completely naked [DOU].
Emva kwalokho ngizakunikela kuzithandwa zakho, zizabhidliza amadundulu akho zidilize lezindawo zakho zokukhonzela ezidephileyo. Zizakuhlubula izigqoko zakho zithathe lemiceciso yakho yamatshe aligugu zikutshiye unqunu njalo uze.
40 They will bring a mob to attack you, and that mob will throw stones at you and cut you to pieces with their swords.
Zizaletha ixuku elizamelana lawe, elizakutshaya ngamatshe, likuqumaqume ube yiziqa ngezinkemba zalo.
41 They will burn down your houses and punish you while many women are watching. I will cause your acting like a prostitute and paying your lovers to have sex with you to end.
Bazatshisa izindlu zakho zilobe, bakujezise phambi kwabesifazane abanengi. Ngizabuqeda ubuwule bakho, njalo kawusayikuzibhadala futhi izithandwa zakho.
42 Then I will no longer be angry [DOU] with you. I will stop being jealous [because of your worshiping gods other than me only].
Lapho-ke ulaka lwami kuwe luzadeda, lokuthukuthela kwami kobukhwele kuzasuka kuwe; ngizaphola ngingabe ngisathukuthela futhi.
43 You have forgotten [the wonderful things that I did for you] in previous years [MET]. You have caused me to become extremely angry because of all the [evil things] that you have done. In addition to all the other detestable things that you did, you committed many sexual sins. So I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that I will punish you [IDM] for doing those things.
Ngenxa yokuthi insuku zobutsha bakho kawuzikhumbulanga kodwa wangithukuthelisa ngezinto zonke lezi, ngeqiniso lokhu okwenzileyo ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Kanje kawenzanga isigwebo kuzozonke lezizenzo zakho ezinengayo na?
44 People who [like to] quote proverbs will quote this proverb about you: “[behave] like their mothers [behave].”
Bonke abatsho izaga bazasitsho isaga lesi ngawe esithi: “Indodakazi ifuna unina.”
45 You are like your mother; [it was as though] she detested her husband and her children. You are like your sisters, who also despised their husbands and their children. [It was as though] [MET] your father belonged to the Amor people-group and your mother belonged to the Heth people-group.
Wena uyindodakazi kanyoko sibili, owayeseyisa umkakhe kanye labantwana bakhe; njalo ngeqiniso ungudade wabodadewenu, abeyisa omkabo labantwana babo. Unyoko wayengumHithi uyihlo engumʼAmori.
46 And [it was as though] [MET] your older sister was Samaria, and she and her daughters lived to the north of you, and [it was as though] your younger sister was Sodom, and she and her daughters lived to the south of you.
Udadewenu omdala wayenguSamariya, owayehlala ngasenyakatho kwakho labantwana bakhe; njalo udadewenu omncane owayehlala ngaseningizimu kwakho lamadodakazi akhe nguSodoma.
47 You not only imitated all [DOU] their detestable behavior, but you quickly became more sinful than they were.
Kawuhambanga ezindleleni zabo nje kuphela njalo walingisa lezenzo zabo ezinengayo, kodwa kuzozonke izindlela zakho wena waphanga waxhwala kakhulu kulabo.
48 I, Yahweh the Lord, solemnly declare that as surely as I am alive, [the people who lived in] [MTY] Sodom and other nearby cities never did the detestable things that you [people in Jerusalem and other places in Judah] have done.
Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, udadewenu uSodoma lamadodakazi akhe kazange akwenze okwenziwa nguwe lamadodakazi akho.
49 These are the sins [the people who lived in] Sodom, who were like your sister [MET]: The people who lived there and in nearby cities were arrogant. In spite of having more food to eat than they needed, they refused to help the poor and needy [DOU] people among them.
Isono sikadadewenu uSodoma sasiyilesi: Yena lamadodakazi akhe babezigqaja, badla bedlulisa njalo bengakhathali; kababasizanga abayanga labaswelayo.
50 The people of Sodom and nearby cities [MET] were proud and did detestable things in my presence, so I got rid of them when I saw what they had been doing.
Babezazisa njalo besenza izinto eziyangisayo phambi kwami. Ngakho ngabasusa njengoba ubonile.
51 Also, [the people of] Samaria did not commit half as many sins as you have committed. You have done more disgusting things than they have done. You cause the people of Samaria to appear to be good, compared to you.
USamariya kenzanga ingxenye yezono wena osuzenzile. Wenze izinto ezinengekayo kulabo, wenza odadewenu bangathi balungile ngenxa yezinto zonke lezi ozenzileyo.
52 Your sins are worse than their sins, so they seem to be less wicked than you are. So I will punish you more than I punished them. As a result, you will be ashamed and disgraced [DOU].
Lithwale ihlazo lakho, ngoba usunike isizatho esilungileyo ngabodadewenu. Ngoba izono zakho zazizimbi kakhulu kulezabo, bakhanya belunge kakhulu kulawe. Ngakho, woba lenhloni uthwale ihlazo lakho, ngoba wenze odadewenu bakhanya belungile.
53 However, [some day] I will [the people of] Sodom and Samaria and the cities near to them [MET] to prosper again. And I will cause you to prosper again, too.
Kodwa-ke, ngizayibuyisela inhlanhla yeSodoma lamadodakazi ayo kanye leyeSamariya lamadodakazi ayo, lenhlanhla yakho kanye labo,
54 You will be very ashamed [DOU] of the wicked things that you have done, and that will cause the people of those cities to be encouraged.
ukuze uthwale ihlazo lakho njalo ube lenhloni ngokubaduduza.
55 [The people of] Sodom and Samaria will prosper again, and you and the people in nearby cities will prosper also.
Njalo odadewenu, iSodoma lamadodakazi alo kanye leSamariya lamadodakazi alo, bazabuyela kulokho ababeyikho kuqala.
56 You (sneered at/despised) [the people of] Sodom when you were proud,
Udadewenu, uSodoma wawungeke umutsho ngezinsuku zokuzigqaja kwakho,
57 before it was revealed that you were very wicked. And now [the people of] Edom and [the people of] Philistia all insult you and despise you.
ububi bakho bungakavezwa. Lanxa kunjalo, khathesi usuhlekwa ngamadodakazi ase-Edomi labo bonke omakhelwane bayo kanye lamadodakazi amaFilistiya, bonke labo abakuhanqileyo abakweyisayo.
58 And you are being punished for all your immoral behavior and other detestable things that you do.
Uzathwala umvuzo wesagweba sakho kanye lezenzo zakho ezinengayo kutsho uThixo.
59 This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: I will continue to punish you like you deserve to be punished, because by rejecting the agreement that I made with you, you have despised that solemn agreement that you promised to obey.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakuphatha njengalokhu okukufaneleyo, ngoba udelele isifungo sami ngokwephula isivumelwano.
60 But I will not forget the agreement that I made with you long ago [MET], and I will make an agreement with you that will endure forever.
Kodwa ngizasikhumbula isivumelwano engasenza lawe ensukwini zobutsha bakho, njalo ngizakwenza isivumelwano esingapheliyo lawe.
61 Then you will think about what you have done, and you will be ashamed about those things when you welcome [the people of] Sodom and Samaria, cities which are like [MET] older and younger sisters to you people of Jerusalem. I will [put them under your control by] causing them to become like [MET] your daughters, but they will not have the same agreement that I will make with you.
Lapho-ke uzazikhumbula izindlela zakho ube lenhloni lapho ususamukela odadewenu, labo abadala kulawe kanye lalabo abancane. Ngizakunika bona njengamadodakazi, kodwa hatshi ngenxa yesivumelwano sami lawe.
62 I will establish my agreement with you, and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].
Ngakho ngizamisa isivumelwano sami lawe njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
63 Then when I have forgiven you for all your sins, you will think about all the sins that you committed and you will be ashamed, and you will never again [boast about them], because you will be humiliated.’”
Ngakho, lapho sengikwenzela inhlawulelo yakho konke okwenzileyo, uzakhumbula ube lenhloni ungawuvuli futhi umlomo wakho ngenxa yokuthotshiswa kwakho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”

< Ezekiel 16 >