UHezekheli 17
1 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, yenza umzekeliso utshele indlu yako-Israyeli umfanekiso.
"Son of man, put forth a riddle, and 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 say, 'Thus says the LORD: "A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:
4 yephula ihlumela elalingaphezu kwawo wonke yalisa elizweni labathengisi lapho eyalihlanyela khona edolobheni labathengisi.
he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
5 Yathatha enye yenhlanyelo yelizwe lakini yayifaka emhlabathini ovundileyo: Yayihlanyela njengomnyezane phansi kwamanzi amanengi,
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as 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.
It grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
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.
'"There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and look, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it.
8 Lalihlanyelwe emhlabathini omuhle phansi kwamanzi amanengi ukuze liveze ingatsha, lithele izithelo libe livini elihle.’
It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly 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, 'Thus says the LORD: "Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? And not by a strong arm or many people can it be raised from its roots.
10 Lanxa lingayagxunyekwa kwenye indawo lingakhula kuhle na? Kambe kaliyikubuna okupheleleyo nxa umoya wasempumalanga ulihangula libune esivandeni elakhulela kuso na?’”
Yes, look, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew."'"
11 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
Moreover 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 the rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Tell them, 'Look, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon:
13 Yathatha omunye wabenzalo yasesikhosini, yenza isivumelwano laye, yamfungisa. Yathumba lamanye amadoda elizwe adumileyo,
and he took of the royal family, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land;
14 ukuze umbuso uye phansi, ungavuki futhi, ume nje kuphela ngokugcina isivumelwano sayo.
that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
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 rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape who does such things? Shall he break the 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 I live,' says the LORD, 'surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
17 UFaro lebutho lakhe elilamandla kanye lexuku elikhulu akuyikumsiza empini, lapho sekwakhiwe amadundulu kwamiswa lemiduli yokuvimbezela ukuba kuchithwe imiphefumulo eminengi.
Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts, to cut off many persons.
18 Wadelela isifungo ngokwephula isivumelwano. Ngoba wazibopha ngesifungo kodwa wasesenza zonke lezizinto akayikuphunyuka.
For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and look, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things; he shall not escape.'
19 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe isifungo sami asidelayo kanye lesivumelwano sami asephulayo.
"Therefore thus says the LORD: 'As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant that he has broken, I will even bring it on his own head.
20 Ngizamendlalela imbule lami, njalo uzabanjwa yisifu sami. Ngizamusa eBhabhiloni, ngenzele khona ukumahlulela kwami ngoba wayengathembekanga kimi.
I will spread my net on him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me.
21 Wonke amabutho akhe abalekayo azabulawa ngenkemba, abasindayo bazahlakazelwa emimoyeni. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikhulumile.
All the choice men among all his troups will fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken 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.
"Thus says the LORD: 'I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, 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.
in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of its branches shall they dwell.
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.’”
All the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.'"
