UHezekheli 14
1 Abanye babadala bako-Israyeli beza kimi bahlala phambi kwami.
Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat before me.
2 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
The word of Jehovah came 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 taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block 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 to them, and tell them, 'Thus says Jehovah: "Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I Jehovah will answer him in it 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 tell the house of Israel, 'Thus says Jehovah: "Return, 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 everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me, and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Jehovah 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 an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and you shall know that I am Jehovah.
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.
"'"If the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 Bazathwala icala labo, umphrofethi uzakuba lecala njengalowo ombuzayo.
They shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him who seeks 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 defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God," says Jehovah.'"
12 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
The word of Jehovah came 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 a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal;
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, says Jehovah."
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 evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals;
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," says Jehovah, "they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should 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 on that land, and say, 'Sword, go through the land'; so that I cut off from it man and animal;
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, says Jehovah, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should 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 wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal;
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, says Jehovah, they could not save either son nor daughter; they would save only 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 says Jehovah: 'How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil animals, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and animal.
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, look, there shall be left a remnant that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: look, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their way and their doings; and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it.
23 Uzaduduzeka lapho usubona ukuziphatha kwabo kanye lezenzo zabo, ngoba uzakwazi ukuthi angenzanga lutho phakathi kwalo kungekho sizatho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”
They shall comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it,' says Jehovah."
