Ezekiel 33
1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 'Son of man, speak unto the sons of thy people, and thou hast said unto them: A land — when I bring in against it a sword, And the people of the land have taken one man out of their borders, And made him to them for a watchman.
“Ndodana yomuntu, khuluma labantu bakini uthi kubo, ‘Lapho ngiletha inkemba ukumelana lelizwe, abantu balelolizwe bakhethe omunye wamadoda akibo bamenze abe ngumlindi,
3 And he hath seen the sword coming against the land, And hath blown with a trumpet, and hath warned the people,
abone inkemba isizamelana lelizwe abesetshaya icilongo exwayisa abantu,
4 And the hearer hath heard the voice of the trumpet, and he hath not taken warning, And come in doth the sword, and taketh him away, His blood is on his head.
lapho-ke nxa loba ngubani ozwa icilongo kodwa angasinaki isixwayiso njalo inkemba ifike imbulale, igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
5 The voice of the trumpet he heard, And he hath not taken warning, his blood is on him, And he who took warning his soul hath delivered.
Njengoba ukukhala kwecilongo ekuzwile kodwa kaze asinaka isixwayiso, igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe. Aluba ubesinakile isixwayiso, ubezazisindisa.
6 And the watchman, when he seeth the sword coming in, And he hath not blown with a trumpet, And the people hath not been warned, And come in doth a sword, And taketh away of them — a soul, He in his iniquity is taken away, And his blood from the hand of the watchman I require.
Kodwa nxa umlindi ebona inkemba isiza angatshayi icilongo axwayise abantu, njalo inkemba ifike ibulale omunye wabo, lowomuntu uzasuswa ngenxa yesono sakhe, kodwa mina ngizabeka umlandu wegazi lakhe kumlindi.’
7 And thou, son of man, A watchman I gave thee to the house of Israel, And thou hast heard from My mouth a word, And thou hast warned them from Me.
Ndodana yomuntu, sengikwenze umlindi wendlu ka-Israyeli; ngakho zwana ilizwi engilikhulumayo ubanike isixwayiso esivela kimi.
8 In My saying to the wicked, O wicked one — thou dost surely die, And thou hast not spoken to warn the wicked from his way, He — the wicked — in his iniquity doth die, And his blood from thy hand I require.
Lapho ngisithi komubi, ‘Wena muntu omubi, uzakufa impela,’ njalo wena ungabe usakhuluma ukuba umyekelise izindlela zakhe, lowomuntu omubi uzafela izono zakhe, njalo mina ngikubeka umlandu wegazi lakhe.
9 And thou, when thou hast warned the wicked of his way, to turn back from it, And he hath not turned back from his way, He in his iniquity doth die, And thou thy soul hast delivered.
Kodwa nxa umxwayisa umuntu omubi ukuba aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe kodwa angenzi njalo, uzafela izono zakhe, kodwa wena uzakuba uzisindisile.
10 And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Rightly ye have spoken, saying: Surely our transgressions and our sins [are] on us, And in them we are wasting away, How, then, do we live?
Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuyo indlu ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku elikutshoyo ukuthi, “Iziphambeko zethu lezono ziyasisinda, njalo siyacikizeka ngenxa yazo. Pho singaphila njani na?”’
11 Say unto them, I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, I delight not in the death of the wicked, But — in the turning of the wicked from his way, And he hath lived, Turn back, turn back, from your evil ways, Yea, why do ye die, O house of Israel?
Tshono kubo uthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, kangithokozi ngokufa kwababi, kodwa ukuba baphenduke ezindleleni zabo baphile. Phendukani! Phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi! Kungani umele ufe, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli?’
12 And thou, son of man, say unto the sons of thy people: The righteousness of the righteous doth not deliver him in the day of his transgression, And the wickedness of the wicked, He doth not stumble for it in the day of his turning from his wickedness, And the righteous is not able to live in it in the day of his sinning.
Ngakho-ke, ndodana yomuntu, tshono ebantwini bakini uthi, ‘Ukulunga komuntu olungileyo kakuyikumsindisa lapho engalaleli, njalo lobubi bomuntu omubi kabuyikumwisa lapho ephenduka kubo. Umuntu olungileyo, lapho esona, kasoke avunyelwe ukuphila ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe kwakuqala.’
13 In My saying of the righteous: He surely liveth, And — he hath trusted on his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, All his righteous acts are not remembered, And for his perversity that he hath done, For it he doth die.
Nxa ngitshela umuntu olungileyo ukuthi impela uzaphila, kodwa abe esethemba ukulunga kwakhe enze okubi, akukho okwezinto ezilungileyo azenzayo okuzakhunjulwa; uzafela okubi asekwenzile.
14 And in My saying to the wicked: Thou surely diest, And — he hath turned back from his sin, And hath done judgment and righteousness,
Njalo nxa ngisithi emuntwini omubi, ‘Impela uzakufa,’ kodwa aphenduke ezonweni zakhe enze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo,
15 (The pledge the wicked restoreth, plunder he repayeth, ) In the statutes of life he hath walked, So as not to do perversity, He surely liveth — he doth not die.
lapho ebuyisela lokho akuthatha kuyisibambiso salokho akwebolekisayo, abuyisele akwebayo, alandele izimiso ezinika ukuphila, angenzi okubi, uzaphila impela; kasoze afe.
16 None of his sin that he hath sinned is remembered to him, Judgment and righteousness he hath done, He doth surely live.
Akukho lasinye sezono azenzayo esizakhunjulwa ngaye. Usenze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo; uzaphila impela.
17 And the sons of thy people have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, As to them — their way is not pondered.
Ikanti abantu bakini bathi, ‘Indlela kaThixo kayilunganga.’ Kodwa ngeyabo indlela engalunganga.
18 In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity — he dieth for it.
Nxa umuntu olungileyo eguquka ekulungeni kwakhe enze okubi, uzakufela lokho.
19 And in the turning back of the wicked from his wickedness, And he hath done judgment and righteousness, by them he liveth.
Njalo nxa umuntu omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe enze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo, uzaphila ngenxa yokwenzanjalo.
20 And ye have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, Each according to his ways do I judge you, O house of Israel.'
Ikanti, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, uthi, ‘Indlela kaThixo kayilunganga.’ Kodwa mina ngizakwahlulela lowo lalowo wenu ngokufanele izindlela zakhe.”
21 And it cometh to pass, in the twelfth year — in the tenth [month], in the fifth of the month — of our removal, come in unto me doth one who is escaped from Jerusalem, saying, 'The city hath been smitten.'
Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngenyanga yetshumi ngosuku lwesihlanu, umuntu owayebalekele eJerusalema wafika kimi wathi, “Idolobho selinqotshiwe!”
22 And the hand of Jehovah hath been unto me in the evening, before the coming in of the escaped one, and He openeth my mouth till the coming in unto me in the morning, and opened is my mouth, and I have not been silent again.
Kusihlwa umuntu lowo engakafiki, isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami, njalo wavula umlomo wami umuntu lowo engakafiki ekuseni. Ngakho umlomo wami wawusuvuliwe njalo ngangingasathulanga.
23 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
24 'Son of man, the inhabitants of these wastes on the ground of Israel are speaking, saying: Alone hath been Abraham — and he possesseth the land, and we [are] many — to us hath the land been given for a possession.
“Ndodana yomuntu, abantu abahlala emanxiweni lawana elizweni lako-Israyeli bathi, ‘U-Abhrahama wayengumuntu oyedwa nje kuphela, ikanti ilizwe lalingelakhe. Kodwa thina sibanengi; impela ilizwe siliphiwe njengelifa lethu.’
25 Therefore say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: With the blood ye do eat, And your eyes ye lift up unto your idols, And blood ye shed, and the land ye inherit!
Ngakho tshono kubo uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Njengoba lisidla inyama ilokhu ilegazi lithembe izithombe zenu njalo lichithe legazi, kambe lingaba ngabanikazi belizwe na?
26 Ye have stood on your sword, Ye have done abomination, Each the wife of his neighbour ye have defiled, And the land ye possess!
Lithembe inkemba yenu, lenza izinto ezenyanyekayo, njalo omunye lomunye wenu ungcolisa umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe. Kambe lingaba ngabanikazi belizwe na?’
27 Thus dost thou say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I live — do not they who [are] in the wastes by the sword fall? And they who [are] on the face of the field, To the beast I have given for food, And they who are in strongholds and in caves by pestilence die.
Tshono lokhu kubo uthi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, labo abaseleyo emanxiweni bazabulawa ngenkemba, labo abangaphandle egangeni ngizabanikela ezinyamazaneni zeganga ukuba badliwe, njalo labo abasezinqabeni lasezimbalwini bazabulawa yisifo.
28 And I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, And ceased hath the excellency of its strength, And desolated have been mountains of Israel, Without any one passing through.
Ngizakwenza ilizwe libe lugwadule oluphundlekileyo, njalo ukuziqhenya kwamandla alo kuzaphela, lezintaba zako-Israyeli zizachitheka kuze kungabikhona odlula kuzo.
29 And they have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My making the land a desolation and an astonishment, For all their abominations that they have done.
Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, nxa sengenze ilizwe laba lugwadule oluphundlekileyo ngenxa yezinto ezenyanyekayo abazenzileyo.’
30 And thou, son of man, the sons of thy people who are speaking about thee, By the walls, and in openings of the houses, Have spoken one with another, each with his brother, Saying: Come in, I pray you, And hear what [is] the word that cometh out from Jehovah.
Okunjengawe, ndodana yomuntu, abantu bakini bakhulumisana ngawe emidulini laseminyango yezindlu besithi, omunye komunye, ‘Woza uzekuzwa ilizwi eselifike livela kuThixo.’
31 And they come in unto thee as the coming in of a people, And they sit before thee — My people, And have heard thy words, and they do them not, For doting loves with their mouth they are making, After their dishonest gain their heart is going.
Abantu bami bayafika kuwe, njengabajayele ukukwenza, bahlale phambi kwakho ukuba bezwe amazwi akho, kodwa akutshoyo kabakwenzi. Ngemilomo yabo batsho ukuzinikela, kodwa inhliziyo zabo zihawukela inzuzo engafanelanga.
32 And lo, thou [art] to them as a singer of doting loves, A pleasant voice, and playing well on an instrument, And they have heard thy words, and they are not doing them.
Ngempela, kubo wena kawusilutho olungedlula umuntu ohlabela izingoma zothando ngelizwi elihle njalo esitshaya kuhle isiginci, ngoba amazwi akho bayawezwa, kodwa akutshoyo kabakwenzi.
33 And in its coming in — lo, it hath come, And they have known that a prophet hath been in their midst!'
Nxa konke lokhu sekugcwalisekile njalo impela kuzakwenzakala, lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi umphrofethi ubekhona phakathi kwabantu.”
