Ezekiel 5
1 “Then you, son of man, take a sharp sword as a barber's razor for yourself, and pass the razor over your head and your beard, then take scales to weigh and divide your hair.
Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zithathele ingqamu ebukhali, zithathele impuco yabageli, uyihambise phezu kwekhanda lakho laphezu kwesilevu sakho; ubusuzithathela isikali sokulinganisa, wehlukanise inwele.
2 Burn a third of it with fire in the midst of the city when the days of the siege are completed, and take a third of the hair and strike it with the sword all around the city. Then scatter a third of it to the wind, and I will draw out a sword to chase after the people.
Ingxenye yesithathu uzayitshisa ngomlilo phakathi komuzi sezigcwalisekile insuku zokuvimbezela; uthathe ingxenye yesithathu utshaye inhlangothi zonke zayo ngenkemba; lengxenye yesithathu uyihlakaze emoyeni; njalo ngizahwatsha inkemba emva kwabo.
3 But take a small number of hairs from them and tie them into the folds of your robe.
Njalo uzathatha ezinlutshwana ngenani kuzo, uzigoqele emaphethelweni ezembatho zakho.
4 Then take more of the hair and throw it into the midst of the fire; and burn it in the fire; from there a fire will go out to all the house of Israel.”
Ubusuthatha kuzo futhi, uziphosele phakathi komlilo, uzitshise emlilweni; kuzaphuma kuwo umlilo uye kuyo yonke indlu kaIsrayeli.
5 The Lord Yahweh says this, “This is Jerusalem in the midst of the nations, where I have placed her, and where I have surrounded her with other lands.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Le yiJerusalema; ngiyimisile phakathi kwezizwe lamazwe inhlangothi zonke zayo.
6 But she has in wickedness rejected my decrees more than the nations have, and my statutes more than the countries that surround her. The people have rejected my judgments and have not walked in my statutes.”
Kodwa iphendule izahlulelo zami zaba yibubi okwedlula izizwe, lezimiso zami okwedlula amazwe ayihanqileyo; ngoba bazalile izahlulelo zami, lezimiso zami kabahambanga kuzo.
7 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this, “Because you are more troublesome than the nations that surround you and have not walked in my statutes or acted according to my decrees, or even acted according to the decrees of the nations that surround you,”
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba leyisile okwedlula izizwe ezilihanqileyo, lingahambanga ezimisweni zami, lingazenzanga izahlulelo zami, lingenzanga njengokwezahlulelo zezizwe ezilihanqileyo;
8 therefore the Lord Yahweh says this, “Behold! I myself will act against you. I will execute judgments within your midst for the nations to see.
ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelene lawe, ngitsho mina, njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, emehlweni ezizwe.
9 I will do to you what I have not done and the like of which I will not do again, because of all your disgusting actions.
Ngenze phakathi kwakho engingazange ngikwenze, lengingasayikukwenza okunjengakho, ngenxa yamanyala akho wonke.
10 Therefore fathers will eat the children in your midst, and sons will eat their fathers, since I will execute judgment on you and scatter to every direction all of you who are left.
Ngakho oyise bazakudla amadodana phakathi kwakho, lamadodana azakudla oyise. Njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, lensali yakho yonke ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya.
11 Therefore, as I live—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—it is certainly because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your hateful things and with all your disgusting deeds, that I myself will reduce you in number; my eye will not have pity on you, and I will not spare you.
Ngakho, kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili, ngoba ungcolisile indawo yami engcwele ngazo zonke izinengiso zakho langamanyala akho wonke, ngakho lami ngizakunciphisa, futhi ilihlo lami kaliyikuhawukela, futhi lami kangiyikuyekela.
12 A third of you will die by plague, and they will be consumed by famine in your midst. A third will fall by the sword surrounding you. Then I will scatter a third in every direction, and draw out a sword to chase after them as well.
Ingxenye yesithathu yakho izakufa ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo, langendlala bazaqedwa phakathi kwakho; lengxenye yesithathu izakuwa ngenkemba enhlangothini zonke zakho; lengxenye yesithathu ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya, ngihwatshe inkemba emva kwabo.
13 Then my wrath will be completed, and I will cause my fury toward them to rest. I will be satisfied, and they will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my wrath when I have completed my fury against them.
Ngokunjalo ukuthukuthela kwami kuzapheleliswa, ngenze ukufutheka kwami kuphumule phezu kwabo, ngiduduzeke; njalo bazakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile ekutshisekeni kwami, lapho sengiphelelise ukufutheka kwami kubo.
14 I will make you a desolation and a reproach to the nations that surround you in the sight of everyone who passes by.
Futhi ngizakwenza ube lunxiwa ube lihlazo phakathi kwezizwe ezikuhanqileyo, emehlweni akhe wonke owedlulayo.
15 So Jerusalem will become something for other people to condemn and to mock, a warning and a horror to the nations that surround you. I will execute judgments against you in wrath and fury, and with a furious rebuke—I, Yahweh have declared this!
Ngakho kuzakuba lihlazo, lenhlekisa, imfundiso, lesesabiso ezizweni ezikuhanqileyo nxa ngisenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho ngolaka langokufutheka langokukhuza kokufutheka; mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
16 I will send out harsh arrows of famine against you that will become the means with which I will destroy you. For I will increase the famine on you and break your staff of bread.
Lapho ngithumela phezu kwabo imitshoko emibi yendlala, ezakuba ngeyokubhubhisa, engizayithumela ukulibhubhisa, ngizakwandisa indlala phezu kwenu, ngephule udondolo lwesinkwa kini.
17 I will send a famine and disasters against you so you will be childless. Plague and blood will pass through you, and I will bring a sword against you—I, Yahweh, have declared this.”
Ngokunjalo ngizathuma phezu kwenu indlala lezilo ezimbi, ezizakwemuka abantwana; lomatshayabhuqe wesifo legazi kudabule phakathi kwakho; ngilethe inkemba phezu kwakho. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
