UHezekheli 14
1 Abanye babadala bako-Israyeli beza kimi bahlala phambi kwami.
And men from [the] elderly of Israel come to me, and sit before me.
2 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
And there is a word of YHWH to 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 caused their idols to go up on their heart, and they have put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their faces; am I 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 with them, and you have said to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: Everyone of the house of Israel who causes his idols to go up to his heart, and sets the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and has gone to the prophet—I, YHWH, have given an answer to him for this, for the abundance of his idols,
5 Ngizakwenza lokhu ukuze ngizibambe futhi inhliziyo zabantu bako-Israyeli asebengidelile bonke ngenxa yezithombe zabo.’
in order to catch the house of Israel by their heart, in that they have become estranged from off Me by their idols—all of them.
6 Ngakho-ke tshono endlini ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Phendukani! Tshiyani izithombe zenu lilahle imikhuba yenu enengayo!
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus said Lord YHWH: Turn back, indeed, turn back from your idols, and turn back 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 everyone of the house of Israel, and of the sojourners who sojourn in Israel, who is separated from after Me, and causes his idols to go up to his heart, and sets the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and has come to the prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I, YHWH, have answered him for Myself;
8 Ngizamelana lalowomuntu ngobuso bami njalo ngimenze isibonelo kanye lesiga. Ngizamsusa ebantwini bami. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo.
and I have set My face against that man, and made him for a sign, and for allegories, and I have cut him off from the midst of My people, and you have known that I [am] YHWH.
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 the prophet, when he is enticed, and has spoken a word—I, YHWH, have enticed that prophet, and have stretched out My hand against him, and have destroyed him from the midst of My people Israel.
10 Bazathwala icala labo, umphrofethi uzakuba lecala njengalowo ombuzayo.
And they have borne their iniquity: as the iniquity of the inquirer, so is the iniquity of the prophet;
11 Lapho-ke abantu bako-Israyeli kabasayikungifulathela kumbe bazingcolise futhi ngazozonke izono zabo. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”
so that the house of Israel does not wander from after Me anymore, nor are they defiled with all their transgressions anymore, and they have been to Me for a people, and I am to them for God—a declaration of Lord YHWH.”
12 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
And there is a word of YHWH 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 sins against Me to commit a trespass, and I have stretched out My hand against it, and broken the staff of bread for it, and sent famine into it, and 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.
and [despite] these three men [that] have been in its midst: Noah, Daniel, and Job—they [only] deliver their own soul by their righteousness,” a declaration of Lord YHWH.
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 an evil beast to pass through the land, and it has bereaved, and it has been a desolation, without any passing through because of the beast—
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.
[despite] these three men in its midst—[as] I live,” a declaration of Lord YHWH, “they deliver neither sons nor daughters; they alone are delivered, and the land is a desolation.
17 Loba nxa ngingaletha inkemba imelane lalelolizwe ngithi, ‘Inkemba kayidlule phakathi kwelizwe lonke,’ ngibulale abantu kanye lezifuyo zabo,
Or [if] I bring a sword in against that land, and I have said: Sword, pass over through the land, and I have 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.
and [despite] these three men in its midst—[as] I live,” a declaration of Lord YHWH, “they do not deliver sons and daughters, for they alone are delivered.
19 Loba nxa ngithumela isifo kulelolizwe, ngithululele ulaka lwami phezu kwalo ngokuchithwa kwegazi, sibulale abantu balo kanye lezifuyo zabo,
Or [if] I send pestilence to that land, and I have poured out My fury against it in blood, to cut off man and beast from it—
20 ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lanxa uNowa, loDanyeli kanye loJobe bengabe bekulo bebengeke bahlenge indodana kumbe indodakazi. Bebengazihlenga bona kuphela ngokulunga kwabo.
and [despite] Noah, Daniel, and Job, in its midst—[as] I live,” a declaration of Lord YHWH, “they deliver neither son nor daughter; they, by their righteousness, [only] deliver their own soul.”
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 said Lord YHWH: “Although My four severe judgments—sword, and famine, and wild beast, and pestilence—I have sent to Jerusalem, to cut off man and beast from it,
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, there has been left an escape in it, who are brought forth, sons and daughters, behold, they are coming forth to you, and you have seen their way, and their doings, and have been comforted concerning the calamity that I have brought in against Jerusalem, all that which I have brought in against it.
23 Uzaduduzeka lapho usubona ukuziphatha kwabo kanye lezenzo zabo, ngoba uzakwazi ukuthi angenzanga lutho phakathi kwalo kungekho sizatho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”
And they have comforted you, for you see their way and their doings, and you have known that I have not done all that which I have done in her for nothing,” a declaration of Lord YHWH.
