UHezekheli 17
1 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, yenza umzekeliso utshele indlu yako-Israyeli umfanekiso.
“Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel
3 Wothi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ingqungqulu enkulu elezimpiko ezilamandla, izinsiba ezinde njalo zinengi zimibalabala yafika eLebhanoni. Ibambe isihloko somsedari,
and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.
4 yephula ihlumela elalingaphezu kwawo wonke yalisa elizweni labathengisi lapho eyalihlanyela khona edolobheni labathengisi.
He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders.
5 Yathatha enye yenhlanyelo yelizwe lakini yayifaka emhlabathini ovundileyo: Yayihlanyela njengomnyezane phansi kwamanzi amanengi,
He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow.
6 yahluma yaba livini elifitshane elinabayo. Ingatsha zalo zaphendukela kuyo, kodwa impande zalo zaba ngaphansi kwalo. Ngakho laba livini laba lezingatsha ezilamahlamvu amanengi.
It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height, with branches turned toward him; yet its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and yielded branches and sent out shoots.
7 Kodwa kwakulenye ingqungqulu enkulu elezimpiko ezilamandla lezinsiba ezinengi. Khathesi ivini lakhuphela impande zalo kuyo zisuka esivandeni elalihlanyelwe kuso njalo lelulela ingatsha zalo kuyo zifuna amanzi.
But there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from its planting bed, so that he might water it.
8 Lalihlanyelwe emhlabathini omuhle phansi kwamanzi amanengi ukuze liveze ingatsha, lithele izithelo libe livini elihle.’
It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’
9 Wothi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Kambe lizakhula kuhle na? Kaliyikusitshunwa izithelo zalo ziqhululwe ukuba libune na? Wonke amahlumela alo azabuna. Akuyikusweleka ingalo elamandla kumbe abantu abanengi ukuba balisiphune.
So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots.
10 Lanxa lingayagxunyekwa kwenye indawo lingakhula kuhle na? Kambe kaliyikubuna okupheleleyo nxa umoya wasempumalanga ulihangula libune esivandeni elakhulela kuso na?’”
Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”
11 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
12 “Tshono kule indlu ehlamukayo uthi, ‘Kalazi ukuthi izinto lezi zitshoni na?’ Tshono kubo uthi, ‘Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni yaya eJerusalema yathumba inkosi yalo kanye lezikhulu zalo yabuyela labo eBhabhiloni.
“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.
13 Yathatha omunye wabenzalo yasesikhosini, yenza isivumelwano laye, yamfungisa. Yathumba lamanye amadoda elizwe adumileyo,
He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land,
14 ukuze umbuso uye phansi, ungavuki futhi, ume nje kuphela ngokugcina isivumelwano sayo.
so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.
15 Kodwa inkosi yamhlamukela ngokuthuma isithunywa eGibhithe ukuba ziyethatha amabhiza kanye lebutho elikhulu. Kambe izaphumelela na? Kambe lowo owenza izinto ezinje uzaphunyuka na? Kambe uzakwephula isivumelwano kodwa aphunyuke na?
But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’
16 Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, uzafela eBhabhiloni, elizweni lenkosi eyambeka esihlalweni sobukhosi, esifungo sayo wasidelela wephula lesivumelwano sayo.
‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.
17 UFaro lebutho lakhe elilamandla kanye lexuku elikhulu akuyikumsiza empini, lapho sekwakhiwe amadundulu kwamiswa lemiduli yokuvimbezela ukuba kuchithwe imiphefumulo eminengi.
Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast horde will not help him in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives.
18 Wadelela isifungo ngokwephula isivumelwano. Ngoba wazibopha ngesifungo kodwa wasesenza zonke lezizinto akayikuphunyuka.
He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’
19 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe isifungo sami asidelayo kanye lesivumelwano sami asephulayo.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.
20 Ngizamendlalela imbule lami, njalo uzabanjwa yisifu sami. Ngizamusa eBhabhiloni, ngenzele khona ukumahlulela kwami ngoba wayengathembekanga kimi.
I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me.
21 Wonke amabutho akhe abalekayo azabulawa ngenkemba, abasindayo bazahlakazelwa emimoyeni. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikhulumile.
All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’
22 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Mina ngokwami ngizathatha ihlumela kuso kanye isihloko somsedari ngilihlanyele; ngizakwephula ihlumela elibuthakathaka eklintini lawo eliphezulu kakhulu kulamanye ngilihlanyele phezu kwentaba ende ephakemeyo.
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
23 Ngizalihlanyela ezingqongeni zentaba yako-Israyeli; lizaveza ingatsha lithele lezithelo njalo libe ngumsedari omuhle. Izinyoni zezinhlobo zonke zizakwakhela izidleke zazo kuwo; zizathola ukusitheka emthunzini wezingatsha zawo.
I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches.
24 Zonke izihlahla zeganga zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo ngifinyeza isihlahla eside ngenze esifitshane sikhule sibeside. Ngomisa isihlahla esiluhlaza ngenze esomileyo sihlume. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile, njalo ngizakwenza.’”
Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”
