Ezekiel 4
1 [Yahweh also said to me, ] “You human, take a large clay tablet/brick and put it in front of you. Then on the [engrave/draw] on it lines that represent Jerusalem.
“Khathesi-ke, ndodana yomuntu, thatha umcephe webumba uwubeke phambi kwakho, udwebe kuwo idolobho laseJerusalema.
2 [draw figures around it to represent enemy soldiers who will] surround the city. Make mounds around it and a dirt ramp up against the [around the city]. [figures around it that represent] (battering rams/heavy logs that will break though the walls).
Dweba ukuvinjezelwa kwalo: Misa izindawo zokuvinjezelwa kwalo, yakha umthezuko ngaphezu kwalo, misa inkamba zokulihlasela uphinde ulihonqolozele ngezigodo zokubhidliza.
3 Then take an iron pan, and place it [to be] like an iron wall between you [the drawing of] the city. Then turn your face toward the drawing. It will symbolize [enemy troops will] surround the city to attack it. That will be a warning to the Israeli people [MTY].
Emva kwalokho thatha umganu wensimbi, uwubeke unjengomduli wensimbi phakathi kwakho lomuzi ube usuphendulela ubuso bakho kuwo. Wena ukhangele ngakuwo umuzi, umuzi ube ngovinjezelweyo, wena ube ngumvimbezeli. Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso endlini ka-Israyeli.
4 Then lie on your left side, and stay like that for 390 days. That [symbolize that the Israeli people will be punished for] their sins; you must lie like that one day for each year during which they will be punished.
Emva kwalokho lala ngomhlubulo wenxele, ubeke isono sendlu ka-Israyeli phezu kwakho. Kumele uthwale isono sabo okwalezonsuku ulele ngomhlubulo wakho.
Sengikumisele inani linye lezinsuku njengeminyaka yezono zabo. Ngakho izono zendlu ka-Israyeli uzazithwala okwensuku ezingamakhulu amathathu lamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye.
6 After that, lie down again. This time, lie on your right side for 40 days. That [symbolize that the Israeli people will be punished more] for their sins, one day for each [during which they will be punished].
Emva kokuba usuqede lokhu, lala phansi futhi, khathesi kube ngomhlubulo wakho wokunene, uthwale isono sendlu kaJuda. Ngikumisele insuku ezingamatshumi amane, usuku olulodwa lumele umnyaka munye ngamunye.
7 Turn your face [the drawing of] Jerusalem and bare your [like a soldier does who prepares to go into a battle] [MTY], and prophesy [what will happen to] the city.
Phendulela ubuso bakho ekuvinjezelweni kweJerusalema kuthi izingalo zakho zingembeswanga uphrofithe kubi ngeJerusalema.
8 [You will not be able to move; it will be as though] I have tied you with ropes in order that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have [symbolizing how many years the city] will be (besieged/surrounded by enemy soldiers).
Ngizakubopha ngentambo ukuze ungatshibiliki usuka kwelinye icele usiya kwelinye uze uqede insuku zokuvinjezelwa kwakho.
9 [Before you do that, ] take some wheat and barley, beans, lentils, spelt and millet, and put them in a [storage] jar, and use that to bake [for yourself]. That is what you will eat during the 390 days while you lie on your [left] side.
Thatha ingqoloyi lebhali, indumba lelentili, inyawuthi lophoko; ukubeke embizeni yokugcinela ukusebenzise ekwenzeni ukudla kwakho. Kumele ukudle phakathi kwensuku ezingamakhulu amathathu lamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye ulele ngomhlubulo wakho.
10 You will eat (8 ounces/a small loaf) of bread each day.
Linganisa amashekeli angamatshumi amabili okudla ozakudla usuku ngalunye njalo ukudle ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo.
11 [Also] measure out (1.5 pints/0.6 liter) of water to drink each day.
Njalo linganisa okukodwa kwesithupha kwehini lamanzi uwanathe ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo.
12 Eat that bread like you would eat a loaf of barley bread. But use your own dried dung for fuel to bake the bread while people are watching.
Dlana ukudla njengalapho usidla ikhekhe lebhali, ukupheke abantu bekhangele, inkuni zakho kube ngamalongwe abantu.”
13 That will symbolize that the Israeli people will be forced to eat food that is unacceptable to me when they are living in the nations to which I will force them to go.”
UThixo wathi, “Ngokunjalo abantu bako-Israyeli bazakudla ukudla okungcolileyo phakathi kwezizwe engizabaxotshela kuzo.”
14 Then I said, “No, Yahweh God![Do not force me to do that]! I have never caused myself to become unacceptable to you [by doing anything like that]. From the time when I was young, I have never eaten meat of any [animal] that was found dead or that had been killed by wild animals. And I have never eaten any meat that is unacceptable to you.”
Lapho-ke mina ngathi, “Akunjalo, Thixo Wobukhosi. Angikaze ngizingcolise. Kusukela ebutsheni bami kuze kube khathesi angikaze ngidle loba yini etholakale ifile kumbe edlithizwe yizinyamazana. Akulanyama engcolileyo eseyake yangena emlonyeni wami.”
15 Yahweh replied, “Okay, I will allow you to bake your bread using dried cow manure instead of human [for fuel].”
Wasesithi, “Kulungile. Ngizakuvumela ukuba upheke isinkwa sakho ngamalongwe enkomo esikhundleni samalongwe abantu.”
16 Then he said to me, “You human, I will cause the supply of food to Jerusalem to be cut off. [Then] the people will eat the small amounts of food and drink the small amounts of [that the government permits them to have], and they will be [very] distressed and anxious as they do that,
Waphinda wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, ngizavala ukungeniswa kokudla eJerusalema. Abantu bazakudla ukudla kokwabelwa benqineka, banathe lamanzi okwabelwa bengelathemba,
17 because water and food will be very scarce. They will see each other becoming extremely thin, and they will be appalled; [but this will happen] because they are being punished [for the sins that they have committed].”
ngoba ukudla lamanzi kuzakuba yingcosana. Bazakwethuka lapho bebonana, njalo bazacikizeka ngenxa yezono zabo.”
