< Ezekiel 1 >

1 And it cometh to pass, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth of the month, and I [am] in the midst of the Removed by the river Chebar, the heavens have been opened, and I see visions of God.
Kwasekusithi-ke ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjiweyo ngasemfuleni iKebari, avuleka amazulu, ngasengibona imibono kaNkulunkulu.
2 In the fifth of the month — it is the fifth year of the removal of the king Jehoiachin —
Ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, okungumnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini,
3 hath the word of Jehovah certainly been unto Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar, and there is on him there a hand of Jehovah.
ilizwi leNkosi leza liqonde kuHezekeli, indodana kaBuzi, umpristi, elizweni lamaKhaladiya ngasemfuleni iKebari; lesandla seNkosi saba phezu kwakhe lapho.
4 And I look, and lo, a tempestuous wind is coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire catching itself, and brightness to it round about, and out of its midst as the colour of copper, out of the midst of the fire.
Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, umoya wesivunguzane wavela enyakatho, iyezi elikhulu, lomlilo ozimumetheyo, lokucwazimula inhlangothi zonke zalo, laphakathi kwalo kwavela kwangathi libala lethusi, livela phakathi komlilo.
5 And out of its midst [is] a likeness of four living creatures, and this [is] their appearance; a likeness of man [is] to them,
Laphakathi kwalo kwavela umfanekiso wezidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Lalokhu kwakuyisimo sazo: Zazilomfanekiso womuntu.
6 and four faces [are] to each, and four wings [are] to each of them,
Njalo yileso laleso sasilobuso obune, njalo yileso laleso sazo sasilempiko ezine.
7 and their feet [are] straight feet, and the sole of their feet [is] as a sole of a calf's foot, and they are sparkling as the colour of bright brass;
Lenyawo zazo zazizinyawo eziqondileyo, lengaphansi yezinyawo zazo yayinjengengaphansi yonyawo lwethole, zacwazimula njengombala wethusi elilolongiweyo.
8 and hands of man under their wings — on their four sides, and their faces and their wings — [are] to them four;
Njalo kwakulezandla zomuntu ngaphansi kwempiko zazo enhlangothini zazo zozine. Njalo zozine zazilobuso bazo lempiko zazo.
9 joining one unto another [are] their wings, they turn not round in their going, each straight forward they go.
Impiko zazo zazihlangene olunye kolunye; aziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo; zahamba, yileso laleso siqonde phambili.
10 As to the likeness of their faces, the face of a man, and the face of a lion, toward the right [are] to them four, and the face of an ox on the left [are] to them four, and the face of an eagle [are] to them four.
Njalo umfanekiso wobuso bazo wawuyibuso bomuntu, njalo zozine zazilobuso besilwane ngakwesokunene; njalo zozine zazilobuso benkabi ngakwesokhohlo; futhi zozine zazilobuso belinqe.
11 And their faces and their wings are separate from above, to each [are] two joining together, and two are covering their bodies.
Babunjalo ubuso bazo; lempiko zazo zazehlukene ngaphezulu; yileso laleso sasilezimbili zihlanganisiwe kolunye, lezimbili zigubuzele imizimba yazo.
12 And each straight forward they go, whither the spirit is to go, they go, they turn not round in their going.
Zahamba yileso laleso siqonde phambili; zaya lapho umoya owaya khona, zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
13 As to the likeness of the living creatures, their appearances [are] as coals of fire — burning as the appearance of lamps; it is going up and down between the living creatures, and brightness [is] to the fire, and out of the fire is going forth lightning.
Mayelana lomfanekiso wezidalwa eziphilayo, ukubonakala kwazo kwakunjengamalahle omlilo avuthayo, njengokubonakala kwezibane; kwahamba kusiya le lale phakathi kwezidalwa eziphilayo; njalo umlilo wawulokukhazimula, njalo emlilweni kwakuphuma umbane.
14 And the living creatures are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash.
Lezidalwa eziphilayo zagijima zaphenduka njengokubonakala kokuphazima kombane.
15 And I see the living creatures, and lo, one wheel [is] in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces.
Ngathi ngikhangela izidalwa eziphilayo, khangela-ke, ivili elilodwa lalisemhlabeni eceleni kwezidalwa eziphilayo, ebusweni baso obune.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their works [is] as the colour of beryl, and one likeness [is] to them four, and their appearances and their works [are] as it were the wheel in the midst of the wheel.
Ukubonakala kwamavili lomsebenzi wawo kwakufanana lombala webherule; njalo zozine zazilesimo sinye; lokubonakala kwazo lomsebenzi wazo kwakunjengokuthi livili phakathi kwevili.
17 On their four sides, in their going they go, they turn not round in their going.
Ekuhambeni kwawo ahamba ngezinhlangothi zawo zozine; kawaphendukanga ekuhambeni kwawo.
18 As to their rings, they are both high and fearful, and their rings [are] full of eyes round about them four.
Mayelana lamarimu awo, ayephakeme kangangokuthi ayesesabeka; njalo amarimu awo ayegcwele amehlo inhlangothi zonke zawo zozine.
19 And in the going of the living creatures, the wheels go beside them, and in the living creatures being lifted up from off the earth, lifted up are the wheels.
Ekuhambeni kwezidalwa eziphilayo amavili ahamba eceleni kwazo; lekuphakanyisweni kwezidalwa eziphilayo emhlabeni lamavili aphakanyiswa.
20 Whither the spirit is to go, they go, thither the spirit [is] to go, and the wheels are lifted up over-against them, for a living spirit [is] in the wheels.
Lapho umoya owawusiya khona zaya khona, kulapho umoya owawuzakuya khona; lamavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lawo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
21 In their going, they go; and in their standing, they stand; and in their being lifted up from off the earth, lifted up are the wheels over-against them; for a living spirit [is] in the wheels.
Lapho lezi zihamba, lawo ahamba; lalapho lezi zisima, lawo ema; lalapho lezi ziphakanyiswa emhlabeni, amavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lazo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
22 And a likeness [is] over the heads of the living creatures of an expanse, as the colour of the fearful ice, stretched out over their heads from above.
Njalo isimo somkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengombala wekristali elesabekayo, seluliwe phezu kwamakhanda azo ngaphezulu.
23 And under the expanse their wings [are] straight, one toward the other, to each are two covering on this side, and to each are two covering on that side — their bodies.
Langaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zaziqondile, olunye lusiya kolunye; yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese imizimba yazo ngapha, njalo yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese ngaphayana.
24 And I hear the noise of their wings, as the noise of many waters, as the noise of the Mighty One, in their going — the noise of tumult, as the noise of a camp, in their standing they let fall their wings.
Lekuhambeni kwazo ngezwa umsindo wempiko zazo unjengomsindo wamanzi amanengi, njengelizwi likaSomandla, umsindo wokuhlokoma, njengomsindo wenkamba; lapho zisima zehlisa impiko zazo.
25 And there is a voice from above the expanse, that [is] above their head: in their standing they let fall their wings.
Kwasekusiba lelizwi elavela phezu komkhathi ongaphezu kwekhanda lazo lapho sezimi sezehlise impiko zazo.
26 And above the expanse that [is] over their head, as an appearance of a sapphire stone, [is] the likeness of a throne, and on the likeness of the throne a likeness, as the appearance of man upon it from above.
Langaphezu komkhathi owawuphezu kwekhanda lazo kwakunjengesimo selitshe lesafire, umfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi; langaphezu komfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi kwakulomfanekiso onjengokubonakala komuntu phezu kwakho ngaphezulu.
27 And I see as the colour of copper, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward, I have seen as the appearance of fire, and brightness [is] to it round about.
Ngasengibona njengombala wethusi, njengokubonakala komlilo phakathi kwakho inhlangothi zonke, kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphezulu, njalo kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphansi, ngabona kunjengokubonakala komlilo, lokukhazimula inhlangothi zakhe zonke.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so [is] the appearance of the brightness round about.
Njengokubonakala komchilo wamakhosikazi osemayezini ngosuku lwezulu, kwakunjalo ukubonakala kokukhazimula inhlangothi zonke. Lokhu kwakuyikubonakala kwesimo senkazimulo yeNkosi. Ngathi ngikubona, ngathi mbo ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lowakhulumayo.

< Ezekiel 1 >