UHezekheli 14
1 Abanye babadala bako-Israyeli beza kimi bahlala phambi kwami.
Now certain men of the elders of Israel came to me, and sat before me.
2 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
And 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 set up their idols in their heart, and have put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face; shall I hear them when they inquire of me?
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 say to them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, —I, Jehovah, will answer him 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 lay hold of the house of Israel in their hearts, 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 to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Turn ye, even turn yourselves from your idols, and from all your abominations turn ye your faces!
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 strangers that sojourn in Israel, who separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire of me through him, —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 a sign and a proverb, and will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye 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.
And when the prophet is deceived when he speaketh anything, I, Jehovah, 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 inquireth of 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 no more go astray from me, nor be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah.
12 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
Again 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 sinneth against me, and grievously transgresseth, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast,
14 lanxa amadoda amathathu la, uNowa, loDanyeli kanye loJobe, angabe ayekhona kulo, ayezazihlenga wona kuphela ngokulunga kwawo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
though these three men were in it, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they should deliver only themselves by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah.
15 Loba nxa ngingathuma izilo zeganga ukuba zidabule phakathi kwalelolizwe zilitshiye lingaselabantwana njalo libe lugwadule okwenza kungabi lamuntu odlula phakathi kwalo ngenxa yezilo,
When I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, and it be desolate so that none passeth through it 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 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 when I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land so that I cut off from it man and beast,
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 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 when I send a pestilence upon 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 Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should deliver only themselves 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!
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: How much more, when I send my four grievous judgments against Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the wild 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, sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth to you, and ye shall see their way and their doings, and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil which I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all which I have brought upon her.
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 ye see their ways and their doings; and ye shall know that not without cause I have done all that I have done to her, saith the Lord Jehovah.
