UHezekheli 19
1 “Qhinqani isililo ngamakhosana ako-Israyeli
Moreover, take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 lithi: ‘Yeka isilwanekazi esasingunyoko phakathi kwezilwane! Salala phansi phakathi kwezilwane ezisakhulayo sondla imidlwane yaso.
and say, What was thy mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her whelps.
3 Sakhulisa omunye wemidlwane yaso waba yisilwane esilamandla wafunda ukudabula okubanjelwe ukudliwa, wadla labantu.
And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
4 Izizwe zezwa ngawo wasuthiywa egodini lazo. Zawuhola ngezingwegwe zawusa elizweni laseGibhithe.
The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks unto the land of Egypt.
5 Kwathi sibona ithemba laso lingagcwalisekanga, ithemba laso lingasekho, sathatha omunye wemidlwane yaso sawenza waba yisilwane esilamandla.
Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 Wanyonyoba phakathi kwezilwane ngoba wawuyisilwane esilamandla. Wafunda ukudabula okubanjelwe ukudliwa, wadla labantu.
And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
7 Wadiliza izinqaba zabo wachitha lamadolobho abo. Ilizwe kanye labo bonke ababekulo bathuthumeliswa yikubhonga kwawo.
And he knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, because of the noise of his roaring.
8 Izizwe zawuvukela, zivela ezindaweni eziwuzingelezileyo. Zendlala amambule azo phezu kwawo wawela egodini labo.
Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.
9 Bawudonsela ekhejini ngezingwegwe bawusa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni. Bawufaka entolongweni, ngakho ukubhonga kwawo akuzwakalanga futhi ezintabeni zako-Israyeli.
And they put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 Unyoko wayenjengevini elihlanyelwe ngasemanzini esivinini sakho; sasithela izithelo njalo silezingatsha ezinengi ngenxa yamanzi amanengi.
Thy mother was like a vine, in thy blood, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 Ingatsha zaso zaziqinile zifanele intonga yombusi. Sasiphakeme siphezulu le ngaphezu kwamahlamvu aminyeneyo, sibonakala ngobude baso langezingatsha zaso ezinengi.
And it had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.
12 Kodwa sasitshunwa ngokuthukuthela saphoselwa phansi. Umoya wasempumalanga wasomisa, izithelo zaso zaqhululwa; ingatsha zaso eziqinileyo zabuna umlilo wazitshisa.
But it was plucked up in fury, it was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit: its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 Khathesi sesihlanyelwe enkangala, elizweni elitshisayo lelomileyo.
And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Umlilo umemetheke usuka kolunye lwezingatsha ezinkulu, watshisa izithelo zaso. Akulagatsha oluqinileyo oluseleyo kuso olufanele intonga yombusi.’ Lesi yisililo njalo sizasetshenziswa njengesililo.”
And fire is gone out of the rods of its branches, it hath devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
