UHezekheli 21
1 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
AND the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, khangelisa ubuso bakho eJerusalema utshumayele okubi ngendawo engcwele. Phrofetha okubi ngelizwe lako-Israyeli
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
3 uthi kulo: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngixabane lani. Ngizahwatsha inkemba yami emxhakeni wayo ngisuse kuwe abalungileyo lababi.
And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
4 Ngoba ngizasusa abalungileyo lababi, inkemba yami izahwatshelwa ukumelana labo bonke abavela eningizimu kanye lasenyakatho.
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5 Lapho-ke abantu bonke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo sengihwatshe inkemba yami emxhakeni wayo, kayiyikubuyela futhi.’
That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.
6 Ngakho-ke bubula ndodana yomuntu! Bubula phambi kwabo ngenhliziyo edabukileyo kanye losizi olukhulu.
Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
7 Nxa bekubuza besithi, ‘Kungani na ububula?’ uzakuthi, ‘Ngenxa yezindaba ezifikayo. Zonke inhliziyo zizenyela lezandla zonke zibe buthakathaka, imimoya yonke izaphela amandla lamadolo wonke abe buthakathaka njengamanzi.’ Kuyeza! Ngempela kuzakwenzakala, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.
8 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
9 “Ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Umhedla, umhedla, ilolwe njalo yalolongwa,
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
10 Ilolelwe ukubulala, ilolongelwe ukuphazima njengombane. Kambe sizathokoza na ngentonga yobukhosi yendodana yami uJuda? Inkemba iyazeyisa zonke izigodo ezinjalo.
It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.
11 Inkemba ibekelwe ukuba ilolongwe, ukuba iphathwe ngesandla; iyalolwa ilolongwe, yenziwe ilungele isandla sombulali.
And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
12 Hlaba umkhosi ulile, ndodana yomuntu, ngoba imelane labantu bami; imelane lamakhosana wonke ako-Israyeli. Aphoselwa kuyo inkemba ndawonye labantu bami. Ngakho-ke bamba isihlathi sakho.
Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.
13 Ukuhlolwa kuyeza impela. Njalo kuzakuba njani nxa intonga kaJuda yobukhosi, edelelwa yinkemba, ingasaqhubeki? kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’
Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord God.
14 Ngakho-ke, ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uqakeze izandla zakho. Inkemba kayigadle kabili, lanxa kungaba kathathu. Yinkemba yokubulala, inkemba yokubulala kakhulu, ebahanqayo ivela macele wonke.
Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers.
15 Ukuze inhliziyo zibe buthakathaka labawileyo babebanengi, sengibeke inkemba yokubulala kuwo wonke amasango abo. Bheka! Yenzelwe ukuphazima njengombane, iphathelwe ukubulala.
I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.
16 Wena nkemba, geca kwesokudla, uphinde kwesenxele, loba kungaphi ubukhali bakho obuphendukela khona.
Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
17 Lami futhi ngizaqakeza izandla zami, njalo ulaka lwami luzadeda. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.”
I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the Lord have said it.
18 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,
19 “Ndodana yomuntu, canda imigwaqo emibili yenkemba yenkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba ihambe kuyo, yomibili iqalise elizweni linye. Yenza insika yesiqondiso lapho okuphambuka khona umgwaqo oya edolobheni.
Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.
20 Canda omunye umgwaqo wenkemba ukuba izemelana leRabha yama-Amoni, lomunye ukumelana loJuda kanye leJerusalema elivikelweyo.
Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
21 Ngoba inkosi yaseBhabhiloni izakuma lapho imigwaqo eyehlukana khona, lapho okuhlangana khona imigwaqo emibili, ukuba ifune ibika: Izaphosa inkatho ngemitshoko, izabuza izithombe zayo, izahlola isibindi.
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
22 Esandleni sayo sokudla kuzakuza inkatho yeJerusalema, lapho ezamisa khona imigqala yokudiliza, lokunika umlayo wokubulala, lokuhlaba umkhosi wempi, lokumisa imigqala yokudiliza amasango, lokwakha amadundulu kanye lokumisa izindawo zokuvimbezela.
At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
23 Kuzakhanya angathi libika amanga kulabo asebefungele ukuthobeka kuyo, kodwa yona izabakhumbuza icala labo ibathumbe.
And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
24 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: ‘Njengoba lina bantu lingikhumbuze icala lenu ngokuhlamuka kwenu okusobala, libonakalisa izono zenu kukho konke elikwenzayo njengoba lenze lokhu, lizathunjwa.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
25 Wena nkosana yako-Israyeli exhwalileyo njalo embi, usuku lwakho selufikile, lesikhathi sokujeziswa kwakho sesifike emaphethelweni,
And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
26 nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Khupha iqhiye, yethula umqhele. Akuyikuba njengoba kwakunjalo: Abaphansi bazaphakanyiswa kuthi abaphakemeyo behliselwe phansi.
Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
27 Unxiwa! Unxiwa! Ngizawenza ube lunxiwa! Kawuyikubuyiselwa kuze kufike lowo ongowakhe ngokuqondileyo, onguye engizamnika wona.’
I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
28 Njalo wena, ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ngama-Amoni kanye lezithuko zawo: Inkemba, inkemba, ihwatshelwe ukubulala, ilolongelwe ukuqothula lokuphazima njengombane!
And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
29 Langaphezu kwemibono yamanga ngawe, lokuhlahlula okungamanga ngawe, izabekwa entanyeni zababi okumele babulawe, abasuku lwabo selufikile, abasikhathi sokujeziswa kwabo sesifike emaphethelweni aso.
Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.
30 Buyisela inkemba emxhakeni wayo. Endaweni owadalelwa kuyo, elizweni labokhokho bakho, ngizakwahlulela khona.
Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.
31 Ngizathululela ulaka lwami phezu kwakho ngiphefumlele lentukuthelo yami etshisayo kuwe; ngizakunikela ebantwini abalesihluku, abantu abakwaziyo ukuqothula.
And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
32 Uzakuba zinkuni zomlilo, igazi lakho lizachithelwa elizweni lakini, kawuyikukhunjulwa futhi; ngoba mina Thixo sengikhulumile.’”
Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the Lord have spoken it.
