Ezekiel 11
1 Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of Yahweh’s house, which looks eastward. Behold, twenty-five men were at the door of the gate; and I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
Lapho-ke uMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa esangweni lendlu kaThixo elikhangele empumalanga. Khonapho ekungeneni kwesango kwakulamadoda angamatshumi amabili lanhlanu, njalo phakathi kwawo ngabona uJazaniya indodana ka-Azuri kanye loPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya, abakhokheli babantu.
2 He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;
UThixo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, laba yibo abantu abenza amacebo amabi, benika lezeluleko ezimbi kulelidolobho.
3 who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’
Bathi, ‘Masinyane nje akuyikuba yiso na isikhathi sokwakha izindlu? Idolobho leli liyimbiza yokupheka, njalo thina siyinyama.’
4 Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”
Ngakho-ke phrofetha okubi ngabo; phrofetha ndodana yomuntu.”
5 Yahweh’s Spirit fell on me, and he said to me, “Speak, ‘Yahweh says: “Thus you have said, house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.
Lapho-ke uMoya kaThixo weza kimi wangitshela ukuba ngithi, Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Lokho yikho wena okutshoyo, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, kodwa mina ngiyakwazi okusengqondweni yakho.
6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.”
Sewabulala abantu abanengi phakathi kwedolobho leli wagcwalisa imigwaqo yalo ngabafileyo.”
7 “‘Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the meat, and this is the cauldron; but you will be brought out of the middle of it.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Izidumbu oziphosele lapho ziyinyama njalo idolobho leli liyimbiza, kodwa wena ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwalo.
8 You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,” says the Lord Yahweh.
Inkemba uyayesaba, njalo inkemba yiyo engizayiletha ukuba imelane lawe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
9 “I will bring you out of the middle of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
Ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwedolobho ngikunikele kwabezizweni ngiphinde ngikujezise.
10 You will fall by the sword. I will judge you in the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
Uzabulawa ngenkemba, njalo ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli. Lapho-ke uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
11 This will not be your cauldron, neither will you be the meat in the middle of it. I will judge you in the border of Israel.
Idolobho leli kaliyikuba yimbiza yakho, kumbe wena ube yinyama phakathi kwalo; ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli.
12 You will know that I am Yahweh, for you have not walked in my statutes. You have not executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you.”’”
Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, ngoba izimiso zami kawuzilandelanga kumbe wagcina imithetho yami kodwa ulandele izenzo zezizwe ezikuhanqileyo.”
13 When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”
Kwathi lapho ngisaphrofitha, uPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya wafa. Ngakho ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso ngakhala ngelizwi eliphezulu ngisithi, “Awu, Thixo Wobukhosi! Uzaqothula insalela ka-Israyeli na?”
14 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
15 “Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are the ones to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from Yahweh. This land has been given to us for a possession.’
“Ndodana yomuntu, abafowenu, abafowenu abayizihlobo zakho zegazi kanye lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli, yibo labo abantu baseJerusalema abathe ngabo: ‘Bakhatshana loThixo kakhulu; ilizwe leli saliphiwa ukuba libe yilifa lethu.’”
16 “Therefore say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.”’
“Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Lanxa ngabasa khatshana phakathi kwezizwe njalo ngabahlakazela phakathi kwamazwe, ikanti okwesikhatshana ngibe yindlu engcwele kubo emazweni abaye kuwo.’
17 “Therefore say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”
Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakubutha ezizweni ngikubuyise ngikususa emazweni owawuhlakazekele kuwo, njalo ngizakunika ilizwe lako-Israyeli futhi.’
18 “‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.
Bazabuyela kulo basuse zonke izifanekiso zalo ezihlazisayo kanye lezithombe ezenyanyekayo.
19 I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,
Ngizabanika inhliziyo engehlukananga ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwabo; ngizasusa kubo inhliziyo yabo yelitshe ngibaphe inhliziyo yenyama.
20 that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
Lapho-ke bazalandela izimiso zami baqaphele ukugcina imithetho yami. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo.
21 But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”
Kodwa labo abanhliziyo zabo zinikelwe ezifanekisweni zabo ezihlazisayo lasezithombeni ezenyanyekayo, lokhu abakwenzileyo ngizakwehlisela phezu kwamakhanda abo, kutsho Thixo Wobukhosi.”
22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Lapho-ke amakherubhi, ayelamavili emaceleni, elula impiko zawo, njalo inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli yayingaphezu kwawo.
23 Yahweh’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
Inkazimulo kaThixo yaya phezulu isuka phakathi kwedolobho yayakuma ngaphezu kwentaba ngasempumalanga kwedolobho.
24 The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the captives. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
UMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa kwabathunjiweyo eBhabhiloni ngombono owawulethwe nguMoya kaNkulunkulu. Emva kwalokho umbono engangiwubonile wasuka kimi,
25 Then I spoke to the captives all the things that Yahweh had shown me.
ngasengitshela abathunjiweyo konke Thixo ayengitshengise khona.
