< UHezekheli 13 >

1 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, phrofitha umelana labaphrofethi bako-Israyeli abaphrofethayo khathesi. Uthi kulabo abaphrofetha okuvela emicabangweni yabo: ‘Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo!
“Son of man, prophesy to the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and you shall say to those who prophesy from their own heart: Hear the word of the Lord:
3 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Maye kubaphrofethi abayizithutha abalandela umoya wabo kodwa bengabonanga lutho!
Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets, who are following their own spirit, and who see nothing.
4 Abaphrofethi bakho, we Israyeli, banjengamakhanka asemanxiweni.
Your prophets, O Israel, were like foxes in the deserts.
5 Kawuyanga phezulu ezikhexeni emdulini ukuba uwulungisele indlu ka-Israyeli ukuze uqine empini ngosuku lukaThixo.
You have not gone up against the adversary, and you have not established a wall for the house of Israel, so as to stand in battle on the day of the Lord.
6 Imibono yabo iyinkohliso njalo lobungoma babo bungamanga. Bathi, “uThixo uthi,” yena uThixo engabathumanga; kodwa bathembe ukuthi amazwi abo azagcwaliseka.
They see emptiness, and they foretell falsehoods, saying, ‘The Lord says,’ though the Lord has not sent them. And they continued to affirm what they said.
7 Kalikayiboni imibono yenkohliso na, njalo lakhuluma ubungoma bamanga lapho lisithi, “uThixo uthi,” lanxa mina ngingatshongo?
Have you not seen a futile vision and spoken a lying divination? And yet you say, ‘The Lord says,’ though I have not spoken.
8 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngenxa yamazwi enu enkohliso kanye lemibono yenu yamanga, ngimelana lani, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since you have spoken emptiness and have seen falsehoods, therefore: behold, I am against you, says the Lord God.
9 Isandla sami sizamelana labaphrofethi ababona imibono yenkohliso bakhulume ubungoma bamanga. Kabayikuba ngabenhlangano yabantu bami kumbe balotshwe emibhalweni yendlu ka-Israyeli, loba bangene elizweni lako-Israyeli. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo Wobukhosi.
And my hand will be over the prophets who are seeing emptiness and divining lies. They shall not be in the council of my people, and they shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israel. Neither shall they enter into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.
10 Ngenxa yokuthi bedukisa abantu bami, besithi “Ukuthula,” khona ukuthula kungekho, njalo ngoba, nxa kwakhiwe umduli ongaqinanga, bayawubhada ngekalaga,
For they have deceived my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ and there is no peace. And they have built a wall, but they have covered it in clay without straw.
11 ngakho tshela labo abawubhada ngekalaga ukuthi uzadilika. Kuzakuza isihlambi sezulu, njalo ngizaletha isiqhotho esitshaya phansi, kuqhamuke umoya olamandla.
Say to those who spread mortar without mixing, that it will fall apart. For there will be an inundating rain, and I will cause full-grown hailstones to rush down from above, and a windstorm to dissipate it.
12 Lapho umduli udilika, abantu kabayikulibuza na bathi, “Ingaphi ikalaga elawubhada ngayo?”
So then, behold: when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you: ‘Where is the mortar with which you covered it?’
13 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngolaka lwami ngizadedela umoya olamandla, kuthi ngokuthukuthela kwami isiqhotho lesihlambi sezulu kune ngentukuthelo ebhubhisayo.
Because of this, thus says the Lord God: And I will cause a violent wind to burst forth in my indignation, and there will be an inundating rain in my fury, and great hailstones in wrath, to consume.
14 Ngizadiliza umduli eliwubhade ngekalaga ngiwuwisele phansi ukuze isisekelo sawo sibe segcekeni. Nxa ususiwa lizafela kuwo; njalo lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo.
And I will destroy the wall that you have covered without tempering it. And I will level it to the ground, and its foundation will be revealed. And it will fall and be consumed in its midst. And you shall know that I am the Lord.
15 Ngakho ngizachitha ulaka lwami ngimelane lomduli kanye lalabo abawubhada ngekalaga. Ngizakuthi kini, “Umduli kawusekho njalo yiso leso lakulabo abawucomba ngekalaga,
And I will fulfill my indignation against the wall, and against those who cover it without mixing the mortar, and I will say to you: The wall is no more, and those who covered it are no more:
16 labobaphrofethi bako-Israyeli abaphrofetha ngeJerusalema babona imibono yokuthula ngalo, khona ukuthula kungekho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”’
the prophets of Israel, who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord God.
17 Khathesi-ke ndodana yomuntu, melana lamadodakazi abantu bakini aphrofetha okwemicabango yawo. Phrofetha umelana lawo
And as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy from their own heart. And prophesy about them,
18 uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Maye kwabesifazane abathungela intebe ezihlakaleni zabo zonke benze lezimbombozo zamakhanda abo ezilobude obehlukeneyo ukuze bathiye abantu. Lizathiya impilo yabantu bami kodwa lilondoloze eyenu na?
and say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those who sew together little pillows under every forearm, and who make little cushions for the heads of every stage of life, in order to capture souls. And when they have seized the souls of my people, they became the life of their souls.
19 Lingithukile phakathi kwabantu bami ngenxa yohetshezana lwebhali kanye lemvuthuluka yesinkwa. Ngokuqamba amanga ebantwini bami, abawalalelayo amanga, selibabulele labo ababengamelanga bafe, kodwa layekela abangafanelanga ukuphila.
And they violated me among my people, for the sake of a handful of barley and a fragment of bread, so that they would kill the souls that should not die, and enliven the souls that should not live, lying to my people who believe in falsehoods.
20 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngimelana lezintebe zenu elithiya abantu ngazo njengenyoni njalo ngizazidabula ezingalweni zenu; ngizabakhulula abantu elibathiya njengenyoni.
Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your little pillows, with which you catch flying souls. And I will tear them away from your arms. And I will release the souls that you are capturing, the souls that should fly.
21 Izimbombozo zenu ngizazidabula ngikhulule abantu bami ezandleni zenu, njalo kabayikuba ngaphansi kwamandla okubazingela kwenu. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo.
And I will tear away your little cushions. And I will free my people from your hand. And they shall no longer be a prey in your hands. And you shall know that I am the Lord.
22 Ngenxa yokuthi lenyelisa inhliziyo zabalungileyo ngamanga enu, lapho ngangingabalethelanga sizi, njalo ngoba lakhuthaza ababi ukuba bangaphenduki ezindleleni zabo ezimbi ngalokho basilise ukuphila kwabo,
For by deception you have caused the heart of the just to grieve, whom I would not sadden. And I have strengthened the hands of the impious, so that he would not be turned back from his evil way and live.
23 ngakho kaliyikubona imibono yamanga futhi loba izenzo zobungoma. Abantu bami ngizabahlenga ezandleni zenu. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo.’”
Therefore, you shall not see emptiness, and you shall not divine divinations, any more. And I will rescue my people from your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

< UHezekheli 13 >