UHezekheli 1
1 Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine ngosuku lwesihlanu, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjwayo, eduze komfula uKhebhari, amazulu avuleka ngabona umbono kaNkulunkulu.
On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I was with the other exiles by the River Kebar. The heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
2 Ngosuku lwesihlanu lwenyanga ngomnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini
(On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
3 ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuHezekhiyeli umphristi, indodana kaBhuzi, phansi komfula uKhebhari elizweni lamaBhabhiloni. Khonapho isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwakhe.
a message from Lord was given to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of Babylonia by the River Kebar. There Lord's power came over him.)
4 Ngakhangela, ngabona isiphepho sisiza sivela enyakatho, kuliyezi elikhulukazi lokuphazima kombane njalo lizungezwe yikukhanya okubenyezelayo. Phakathi laphakathi komlilo kwakungathi yinsimbi evuthayo,
I looked up and saw a windstorm racing in from the north, a tremendous cloud with fire flashing like lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The middle of the fire looked like glowing metal
5 njalo phakathi komlilo kwakulokwakungathi yizidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Ngokukhangeleka isimo sazo sasingesomuntu,
and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
6 kodwa ngasinye sazo sasilobuso obune lempiko ezine.
but they each had four faces and four wings.
7 Imilenze yazo yayiqondile; inyawo zazo zinjengezethole njalo zinkanyazela njengethusi elilolongiweyo.
They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
8 Ngaphansi kwempiko zazo emaceleni azo amane zazilezandla zomuntu. Zonke zozine zazilobuso lempiko,
They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
9 njalo impiko zazo zazithintana. Esinye lesinye sazo saya phambili; kaziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo.
and each of their wings touched the wings of the one next to it. As they moved they didn't turn—they all moved straight in one direction.
10 Ubuso bazo babukhangeleka kanje: Esinye lesinye sazo sasilobuso bomuntu, njalo eceleni langakwesokudla esinye lesinye sasilobuso besilwane, ngakwesenxele silobuso benkabi; njalo ngasinye sasilobuso bengqungqulu.
This what their faces looked like. They had a human face to the front, a lion's face to the right, a bull's face to the left, and lastly an eagle's face.
11 Babunjalo ubuso bazo. Impiko zazo zazichayekele phezulu; ngasinye silamaphiko amabili olunye luthinta uphiko lwesinye isidalwa emaceleni womabili, lempiko ezimbili zigubuzele umzimba waso.
These were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. They all had two wings that touched the wings of the one beside it, as well as two wings that covered its body.
12 Esinye lesinye saya phambili. Loba kungaphi lapho umoya owaya khona lazo zaya khona zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
13 Isimo sezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengamalahle avuthayo omlilo loba njengezibane. Umlilo wahamba usiya phambili lasemuva phakathi kwezidalwa; wawukhazimula, njalo umbane uphazima uphuma kuwo.
These beings looked like bright burning coals or torches. Blazing fire moved to and fro between the beings, and lightning flashed out from the fire.
14 Izidalwa zagijima zisiya emuva laphambili njengokuphazima kombane.
The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
15 Kwathi lapho ngizikhangele izidalwa eziphilayo, ngabona ivili phansi eceleni kwesidalwa ngasinye silobuso obune.
As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
16 Nansi isimo lokwakhiwa kwamavili: Ayecazimula njengekhrisoli, njalo wonke womane ayefanana. Elinye lelinye lalingathi lenziwa lanquma kwelinye ivili.
The wheels looked like they were made of topaz, and all four wheels were the same. In the middle of each wheel was what looked like another wheel set crossways.
17 Ekuhambeni, ayesiya loba kuliphi lamacele amane lapho izidalwa ezazikhangele khona, njalo amavili ayengaphenduki lapho izidalwa zihamba.
They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
18 Amarimu awo ayephakeme njalo esesabeka, njalo womane amarimu ayelamehlo indawo yonke.
The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
19 Lapho izidalwa eziphilayo zihamba, lamavili eceleni kwazo ayehamba, njalo lapho izidalwa eziphilayo ziphakama emhlabathini amavili lawo ayephakama lazo.
As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
20 Loba kungaphi lapho umoya owaya khona lazo zaya khona, njalo lamavili ayephakama lazo, ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
They would go wherever the Spirit went. The wheels would lift up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
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 the beings moved, the wheels moved; when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they flew up from the ground, the wheels flew up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
22 Ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo kwakwendlaleke okwakungathi ngumkhathi, kucazimula njengongqwaqwane, njalo kusesabeka.
Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
23 Ngaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zazelulekile olunye kolunye, njalo esinye lesinye sasilezimpiko ezimbili ezembese umzimba waso.
Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.
24 Lapho izidalwa zihamba ngezwa umsindo wezimpiko zazo, unjengokuhlokoma kwamanzi ahamba ngesiqubu, njengelizwi likaSomandla, njengokuxokozela kwebutho. Lapho sezimi, zehlisa impiko zazo.
When the beings moved, I heard the sound their wings made. It was like the roar of a thundering waterfall, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army on the march. Whenever they stopped, they folded their wings.
25 Emva kwalokho kweza ilizwi elavela ngaphezu komkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda azo lapho zazimi impiko zazo zehlisiwe.
A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
26 Ngaphezu komkhathi phezu kwamakhanda azo kwakulokwakungathi yisihlalo sobukhosi esenziwe ngesafire, njalo ngaphezulu esihlalweni sobukhosi kwakulolutho olwalufana lomuntu.
Above the expanse over their heads I saw what looked like a throne made of lapis lazuli. Sitting on the throne high above was a being who looked like a man.
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.
From what seemed to be his waist upwards, he looked like glowing metal with fire inside and everywhere around. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, I saw what looked like fire. He was surrounded by very bright light.
28 Ukukhanya okucazimulayo okwakumzungezile kwakunjengomchilo wamakhosikazi emayezini ngosuku lokuna kwezulu. Lokhu kwakuyisimo sesifanekiso senkazimulo kaThixo. Ngathi ngikubona ngawela phansi ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lalowo owayekhuluma.
The bright light surrounding him was like a rainbow shining through the clouds on a rainy day. This was what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell facedown on the ground, and then I heard someone speaking to me.
