UHezekheli 14
1 Abanye babadala bako-Israyeli beza kimi bahlala phambi kwami.
THEN came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
2 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
3 “Ndodana yomuntu, abantu laba sebebeke izithombe ezinhliziyweni zabo, bafaka lezikhubekiso ezimbi phambi kobuso babo. Ngibavumele ukungibuza na?
Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
4 Ngakho khuluma labo ubatshele uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Lapho loba nguphi umʼIsrayeli ebeka izithombe enhliziyweni yakhe, afake lesikhubekiso esibi phambi kobuso bakhe abesesiyaphrofetha, mina Thixo ngizamphendula mina ngokwami ngokuhambelana lokukhonza kwakhe izithombe okukhulu.
Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
5 Ngizakwenza lokhu ukuze ngizibambe futhi inhliziyo zabantu bako-Israyeli asebengidelile bonke ngenxa yezithombe zabo.’
That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 Ngakho-ke tshono endlini ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Phendukani! Tshiyani izithombe zenu lilahle imikhuba yenu enengayo!
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 Lapho owako-Israyeli loba omunye wabezizweni ohlala ko-Israyeli ezehlukanisa lami abeke izithombe enhliziyweni yakhe njalo afake lesikhubekiso esibi phambi kobuso bakhe, abesesiya kumphrofethi ukuyabuza ngami, mina Thixo ngizamphendula mina ngokwami.
For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself:
8 Ngizamelana lalowomuntu ngobuso bami njalo ngimenze isibonelo kanye lesiga. Ngizamsusa ebantwini bami. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo.
And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
9 Njalo nxa umphrofethi ekhohliseke ukuba akhulume isiphrofethi, mina Thixo yimi engikhohlise umphrofethi lowo, njalo ngizakwelula isandla sami ngimelane laye ngimbhubhise phakathi kwabantu bami u-Israyeli.
And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 Bazathwala icala labo, umphrofethi uzakuba lecala njengalowo ombuzayo.
And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;
11 Lapho-ke abantu bako-Israyeli kabasayikungifulathela kumbe bazingcolise futhi ngazozonke izono zabo. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”
That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord God.
12 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,
13 “Ndodana yomuntu, nxa ilizwe lisona kimi ngokungathembeki besengiselula isandla sami ukuba ngivale ukulethwa kokudla kwalo, ngithumele indlala kulo ibulale abantu bakhona kanye lezifuyo zabo,
Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
14 lanxa amadoda amathathu la, uNowa, loDanyeli kanye loJobe, angabe ayekhona kulo, ayezazihlenga wona kuphela ngokulunga kwawo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.
15 Loba nxa ngingathuma izilo zeganga ukuba zidabule phakathi kwalelolizwe zilitshiye lingaselabantwana njalo libe lugwadule okwenza kungabi lamuntu odlula phakathi kwalo ngenxa yezilo,
If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
16 ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lanxa amadoda la amathathu engabe ayekhona kulo ayengeke awahlenge amadodana awo kumbe amadodakazi. Wona kuphela yiwo ayengahlengwa, kodwa ilizwe lalizachitheka.
Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
17 Loba nxa ngingaletha inkemba imelane lalelolizwe ngithi, ‘Inkemba kayidlule phakathi kwelizwe lonke,’ ngibulale abantu kanye lezifuyo zabo,
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
18 ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lanxa amadoda la amathathu kungabe ayekulo, ayengeke awahlenge amadodana awo kumbe amadodakazi. Wona kuphela yiwo ayengahlengwa.
Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
19 Loba nxa ngithumela isifo kulelolizwe, ngithululele ulaka lwami phezu kwalo ngokuchithwa kwegazi, sibulale abantu balo kanye lezifuyo zabo,
Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
20 ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lanxa uNowa, loDanyeli kanye loJobe bengabe bekulo bebengeke bahlenge indodana kumbe indodakazi. Bebengazihlenga bona kuphela ngokulunga kwabo.
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
21 Ngoba nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Kuzakuba kubi kakhulu okunjani na lapho sengithumela eJerusalema izahlulelo zami ezine, inkemba lendlala lezilo zeganga kanye lesifo ukuba kubulale abantu balo kanye lezifuyo zabo!
For thus saith the Lord God; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
22 Kodwa kuzakuba labanye abasilayo, amadodana lamadodakazi abazakhutshelwa ngaphandle kwalo. Bazakuza kuwe, njalo lapho ubona ukuziphatha kwabo lezenzo zabo, uzaduduzeka ngomonakalo engiwehlisela phezu kweJerusalema, wonke umonakalo engawehlisela phezu kwalo.
Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
23 Uzaduduzeka lapho usubona ukuziphatha kwabo kanye lezenzo zabo, ngoba uzakwazi ukuthi angenzanga lutho phakathi kwalo kungekho sizatho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”
And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God.
