UHezekheli 17
1 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, yenza umzekeliso utshele indlu yako-Israyeli umfanekiso.
Son of man, give out a dark saying, and make a comparison for the children of Israel,
3 Wothi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ingqungqulu enkulu elezimpiko ezilamandla, izinsiba ezinde njalo zinengi zimibalabala yafika eLebhanoni. Ibambe isihloko somsedari,
And say, This is what the Lord has said: A great eagle with great wings, full of long feathers of different colours, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:
4 yephula ihlumela elalingaphezu kwawo wonke yalisa elizweni labathengisi lapho eyalihlanyela khona edolobheni labathengisi.
Biting off the highest of its young branches, he took it to the land of Canaan, and put it in a town of traders.
5 Yathatha enye yenhlanyelo yelizwe lakini yayifaka emhlabathini ovundileyo: Yayihlanyela njengomnyezane phansi kwamanzi amanengi,
And he took some of the seed of the land, planting it in fertile earth, placing it by great waters; he put it in like a willow-tree.
6 yahluma yaba livini elifitshane elinabayo. Ingatsha zalo zaphendukela kuyo, kodwa impande zalo zaba ngaphansi kwalo. Ngakho laba livini laba lezingatsha ezilamahlamvu amanengi.
And its growth went on and it became a vine, low and widely stretching, whose branches were turned to him and its roots were under him: so it became a vine, putting out branches and young leaves.
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.
And there was another eagle with great wings and thick feathers: and now this vine, pushing out its roots to him, sent out its branches in his direction from the bed where it was planted, so that he might give it water.
8 Lalihlanyelwe emhlabathini omuhle phansi kwamanzi amanengi ukuze liveze ingatsha, lithele izithelo libe livini elihle.’
He had it planted in a good field by great waters so that it might put out branches and have fruit and be a strong 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.
Say, This is what the Lord has said: Will it do well? will he not have its roots pulled up and its branches cut off, so that all its young leaves may become dry and it may be pulled up by its roots?
10 Lanxa lingayagxunyekwa kwenye indawo lingakhula kuhle na? Kambe kaliyikubuna okupheleleyo nxa umoya wasempumalanga ulihangula libune esivandeni elakhulela kuso na?’”
And if it is planted will it do well? will it not become quite dry at the touch of the east wind, drying up in the bed where it was planted?
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.
Say now to this uncontrolled people, Are these things not clear to you? Say to them, See, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its rulers away with him to Babylon;
13 Yathatha omunye wabenzalo yasesikhosini, yenza isivumelwano laye, yamfungisa. Yathumba lamanye amadoda elizwe adumileyo,
And he took one of the sons of the king and made an agreement with him; and he put him under an oath, and took away the great men of the land:
14 ukuze umbuso uye phansi, ungavuki futhi, ume nje kuphela ngokugcina isivumelwano sayo.
So that the kingdom might be made low with no power of lifting itself up, but might keep his agreement to be his servants.
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 he went against his authority in sending representatives to Egypt to get from them horses and a great army. Will he do well? will he be safe who does such things? if the agreement is broken will he be safe?
16 Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, uzafela eBhabhiloni, elizweni lenkosi eyambeka esihlalweni sobukhosi, esifungo sayo wasidelela wephula lesivumelwano sayo.
By my life, says the Lord, truly in the place of the king who made him king, whose oath he put on one side and let his agreement with him be broken, even in Babylon he will come to his death.
17 UFaro lebutho lakhe elilamandla kanye lexuku elikhulu akuyikumsiza empini, lapho sekwakhiwe amadundulu kwamiswa lemiduli yokuvimbezela ukuba kuchithwe imiphefumulo eminengi.
And Pharaoh with his strong army and great forces will be no help to him in the war, when they put up earthworks and make strong walls for the cutting off of lives:
18 Wadelela isifungo ngokwephula isivumelwano. Ngoba wazibopha ngesifungo kodwa wasesenza zonke lezizinto akayikuphunyuka.
For he put his oath on one side in letting the agreement be broken; and though he had given his hand to it, he did all these things; he will not get away safe.
19 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe isifungo sami asidelayo kanye lesivumelwano sami asephulayo.
And so the Lord has said, By my life, truly, for my oath which he put on one side, and my agreement which has been broken, I will send punishment on his head.
20 Ngizamendlalela imbule lami, njalo uzabanjwa yisifu sami. Ngizamusa eBhabhiloni, ngenzele khona ukumahlulela kwami ngoba wayengathembekanga kimi.
My net will be stretched out over him, and he will be taken in my cords, and I will send him to Babylon, and there I will be his judge for the wrong which he has done against me.
21 Wonke amabutho akhe abalekayo azabulawa ngenkemba, abasindayo bazahlakazelwa emimoyeni. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikhulumile.
All his best fighting-men will be put to the sword, and the rest will be sent away to every wind: and you will be certain that I the Lord have said it.
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 has said: Further, I will take the highest top of the cedar and put it in the earth; cutting off from the highest of his young branches a soft one, I will have it planted on a high and great 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.
It will be planted on the high mountain of Israel: it will put out branches and have fruit and be a fair cedar: under it all birds of every sort will make their living-place, resting 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.’”
And it will be clear to all the trees of the field that I the Lord have made low the high tree and made high the low tree, drying up the green tree and making the dry tree full of growth; I the Lord have said it and have done it.
