< UHezekheli 1 >
1 Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine ngosuku lwesihlanu, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjwayo, eduze komfula uKhebhari, amazulu avuleka ngabona umbono kaNkulunkulu.
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God.
2 Ngosuku lwesihlanu lwenyanga ngomnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini
On the fifth day of the month, the same was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joachin,
3 ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuHezekhiyeli umphristi, indodana kaBhuzi, phansi komfula uKhebhari elizweni lamaBhabhiloni. Khonapho isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwakhe.
The word of the Lord came to Ezechiel the priest the son of Bud in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chobar: and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
4 Ngakhangela, ngabona isiphepho sisiza sivela enyakatho, kuliyezi elikhulukazi lokuphazima kombane njalo lizungezwe yikukhanya okubenyezelayo. Phakathi laphakathi komlilo kwakungathi yinsimbi evuthayo,
And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber:
5 njalo phakathi komlilo kwakulokwakungathi yizidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Ngokukhangeleka isimo sazo sasingesomuntu,
And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them.
6 kodwa ngasinye sazo sasilobuso obune lempiko ezine.
Every one had four faces, and every one four wings.
7 Imilenze yazo yayiqondile; inyawo zazo zinjengezethole njalo zinkanyazela njengethusi elilolongiweyo.
Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of a calf’s foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing brass.
8 Ngaphansi kwempiko zazo emaceleni azo amane zazilezandla zomuntu. Zonke zozine zazilobuso lempiko,
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they bad faces, and wings on the four sides,
9 njalo impiko zazo zazithintana. Esinye lesinye sazo saya phambili; kaziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo.
And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward.
10 Ubuso bazo babukhangeleka kanje: Esinye lesinye sazo sasilobuso bomuntu, njalo eceleni langakwesokudla esinye lesinye sasilobuso besilwane, ngakwesenxele silobuso benkabi; njalo ngasinye sasilobuso bengqungqulu.
And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four.
11 Babunjalo ubuso bazo. Impiko zazo zazichayekele phezulu; ngasinye silamaphiko amabili olunye luthinta uphiko lwesinye isidalwa emaceleni womabili, lempiko ezimbili zigubuzele umzimba waso.
And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies:
12 Esinye lesinye saya phambili. Loba kungaphi lapho umoya owaya khona lazo zaya khona zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went.
13 Isimo sezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengamalahle avuthayo omlilo loba njengezibane. Umlilo wahamba usiya phambili lasemuva phakathi kwezidalwa; wawukhazimula, njalo umbane uphazima uphuma kuwo.
And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire.
14 Izidalwa zagijima zisiya emuva laphambili njengokuphazima kombane.
And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.
15 Kwathi lapho ngizikhangele izidalwa eziphilayo, ngabona ivili phansi eceleni kwesidalwa ngasinye silobuso obune.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared upon the earth by the living creatures one wheel with four faces.
16 Nansi isimo lokwakhiwa kwamavili: Ayecazimula njengekhrisoli, njalo wonke womane ayefanana. Elinye lelinye lalingathi lenziwa lanquma kwelinye ivili.
And the appearance of the wheels, and the work of them was like the appearance of the sea: and the four had all one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel.
17 Ekuhambeni, ayesiya loba kuliphi lamacele amane lapho izidalwa ezazikhangele khona, njalo amavili ayengaphenduki lapho izidalwa zihamba.
When they went, they went by their four parts: and they turned not when they went.
18 Amarimu awo ayephakeme njalo esesabeka, njalo womane amarimu ayelamehlo indawo yonke.
The wheels had also a size, and a height, and a dreadful appearance: and the whole body was full of eyes round about all the four.
19 Lapho izidalwa eziphilayo zihamba, lamavili eceleni kwazo ayehamba, njalo lapho izidalwa eziphilayo ziphakama emhlabathini amavili lawo ayephakama lazo.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels also went together by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up with them.
20 Loba kungaphi lapho umoya owaya khona lazo zaya khona, njalo lamavili ayephakama lazo, ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
Whithersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal, and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.
21 Kwakusithi izidalwa zingahamba lawo ahambe, kuthi izidalwa zingema lawo ame; njalo kuthi lapho izidalwa ziphakama emhlabathini lawo aphakame lazo, ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
When those went these went, and when those stood these stood, and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up together, and followed them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.
22 Ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo kwakwendlaleke okwakungathi ngumkhathi, kucazimula njengongqwaqwane, njalo kusesabeka.
And over the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of the firmament, as the appearance of crystal terrible to behold, and stretched out over their heads above.
23 Ngaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zazelulekile olunye kolunye, njalo esinye lesinye sasilezimpiko ezimbili ezembese umzimba waso.
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other, every one with two wings covered his body, and the other was covered in like manner.
24 Lapho izidalwa zihamba ngezwa umsindo wezimpiko zazo, unjengokuhlokoma kwamanzi ahamba ngesiqubu, njengelizwi likaSomandla, njengokuxokozela kwebutho. Lapho sezimi, zehlisa impiko zazo.
And I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as it were the voice of the most high God: when they walked, it was like the voice of a multitude, like the noise of an army, and when they stood, their wings were let down.
25 Emva kwalokho kweza ilizwi elavela ngaphezu komkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda azo lapho zazimi impiko zazo zehlisiwe.
For when a voice came from above the firmament, that was over their heads, they stood, and let down their wings.
26 Ngaphezu komkhathi phezu kwamakhanda azo kwakulokwakungathi yisihlalo sobukhosi esenziwe ngesafire, njalo ngaphezulu esihlalweni sobukhosi kwakulolutho olwalufana lomuntu.
And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of the sapphire stone, and upon the likeness of the throne, was a likeness as of the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 Lokho ngakubona kokwakungathi lukhalo lwakhe kusiya phezulu ekhanya angathi yinsimbi evuthayo, kungathi kugcwele umlilo, njalo kusukela ekhalweni kusehla wayengathi ngumlilo, njalo ehonqolozelwe yikukhanya okucazimulayo.
And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber as the appearance of fire within it round about: from his loins and upward, and from his loins downward, I saw as it were the resemblance of fire shining round about.
28 Ukukhanya okucazimulayo okwakumzungezile kwakunjengomchilo wamakhosikazi emayezini ngosuku lokuna kwezulu. Lokhu kwakuyisimo sesifanekiso senkazimulo kaThixo. Ngathi ngikubona ngawela phansi ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lalowo owayekhuluma.
As the appearance of the rainbow when it is in a cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the brightness round about.