UHezekheli 23

1 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:

2 “Ndodana yomuntu, kwakulabesifazane ababili, amadodakazi omfazi munye.

3 Baba yizifebe eGibhithe, beqalise ubuwule kusukela ebutsheni babo. Kulelolizwe amabele abo abanjwabanjwa lengaphambili yabo yaphathwaphathwa.

4 Omdala wayethiwa ngu-Ohola, umnawakhe engu-Oholibha. Babengabami njalo bazala amadodana lamadodakazi. U-Ohola yiSamariya, u-Oholibha kuyiJerusalema.

5 U-Ohola waqalisa ubuwule esesengowami; njalo wakhanuka izithandwa zakhe, ama-Asiriya, amabutho

6 agqoke okulifefe, ababusi kanye labalawuli bebutho, bonke babengamajaha amahle, kanye labagada amabhiza.

7 Wazinikela njengesifebe kubo bonke abaphakemeyo base-Asiriya njalo wazingcolisa ngezithombe zabo bonke abakhanukayo.

8 Kabudelanga ubufebe abuqalisa eGibhithe, lapho amajaha alala laye ebutsheni bakhe, ambambabamba ngaphambili, athululela lezinkanuko zawo phezu kwakhe.

9 Ngakho ngamnikela kuzithandwa zakhe, ama-Asiriya, ayewakhanuka.

10 Amnqunula, athatha amadodana lamadodakazi akhe yena ambulala ngenkemba. Waba yisiga phakathi kwabesifazane, wajeziswa.

11 Umnawakhe u-Oholibha wakubona lokhu, kodwa ngenkanuko lobufebe bakhe wayexhwale kakhulu kulodadewabo.

12 Laye wakhanuka ama-Asiriya, ababusi labalawuli bebutho, lamabutho agqoke okupheleleyo, labagadi bamabhiza, lawo wonke amajaha amahle.

13 Ngabona ukuthi laye wazingcolisa; bobabili bahamba ndlelanye.

14 Kodwa yena ubufebe bakhe bengezeleleka futhi. Wabona amadoda efanekisiwe emdulini, izithombe zamaKhaladiya ezifanekiswe ngokubomvu,

15 zilamabhanti ezinkalweni zazo njalo zilamaqhiye alengayo emakhanda azo; zonke zikhanya angathi yizikhulu zezinqola zempi zamaKhaladiya, inzalo yaseBhabhiloni.

16 Kwathi khonokho nje ebabona wahle wabafisa wasethuma isithunywa kubo eKhaladiya.

17 Ngakho amaBhabhiloni afika kuye, alala laye, njalo ezinkanukweni zawo amngcolisa. Emva kokuba esengcoliswe yiwo, wasuka kuwo enengekile.

18 Kwathi lapho esesenza ubufebe bakhe obala njalo eveza lobunqunu bakhe, ngasuka kuye nginengekile, njengoba ngangisukile kudadewabo.

19 Kodwa banda ngamandla ubuwule bakhe esekhumbula insuku zobutsha bakhe, lapho wayeyisifebe eGibhithe.

20 Khonale wakhanuka izithandwa zakhe, ezazilezitho zangaphambili ezazifana lezabobabhemi, zikhihliza okufana lokwamabhiza.

21 Ngakho walangazela isagweba sasebutsheni bakho, lapho okwathi useGibhithe isifuba lamabele akho kwabanjwabanjwa.

22 Ngakho-ke, Oholibha, nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakwenza izithandwa zakho zikuvukele, lezo owazitshiya unengekile, njalo ngizaziletha kuwe ukuba zimelane lawe zivela emaceleni wonke,

23 abaseBhabhiloni lamaKhaladiya wonke, amadoda asePhekhodi laseShowa kanye leKhowa, lama-Asiriya wonke elawo, amajaha amahle, wonke angababusi labalawuli bebutho, izinduna zezinqola zempi lamanye amadoda alezikhundla ezinkulu, bonke begade amabhiza.

24 Bazakuzakuhlasela ngezikhali, izinqola zempi lezinqola zokuthwala, njalo belexuku elikhulu labantu; bazaviva ukulwa lawe emaceleni wonke belamahawu amakhulu lamancane njalo belezingowane. Ngizakunikela kubo ukuba bakujezise, njalo bazakujezisa ngokumayelana lemithetho yabo.

25 Ngizakwenza intukuthelo yobukhwele bami imelane lawe, njalo bazakuphatha ngolaka. Bazaquma impumulo zenu lezindlebe zenu, njalo abenu labo abazasala bazabulawa ngenkemba. Bazathumba amadodana enu lamadodakazi, njalo abenu labo abazasala bazaqothulwa ngumlilo.

26 Njalo bazakuhlubula izigqoko zakho bathathe leziceciso zakho ezinhle.

27 Kanjalo-ke ngizaqeda isagweba lobufebe owabuqalisela eGibhithe. Kawuyikukhangela lezizinto uzikhanuke loba ukhumbule iGibhithe futhi.

28 Ngoba nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Sekuseduze ukuba ngikunikele kulabo abakuzondayo, kulabo owasuka kubo unengekile.

29 Bazakuphatha ngenzondo njalo bathumbe yonke into owayisebenzelayo. Bazakutshiya unqunu uze, njalo ihlazo lobufebe bakho lizavela obala. Isagweba sakho lobufebe

30 kwehlisele lokhu phezu kwakho, ngoba ufebe lezizwe, wazingcolisa wena ngokwakho ngezithombe zazo.

31 Ulandele indlela kadadewenu; ngakho ngizabeka inkezo yakhe esandleni sakho.

32 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Uzanatha inkezo kadadewenu, inkezo enkulu ezikileyo futhi; izaletha ukuhlekwa lokuklolodelwa, ngoba ithwele lukhulu.

33 Uzakhulelwa yikudakwa losizi, inkezo yokuchitheka lokuphundleka, inkezo kadadewenu iSamariya.

34 Uzayinatha uyibhije; uzayiphahlaza ibe yizicucu ufucuze amabele akho. Sengikhulumile, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.

35 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Njengoba usungikhohliwe wangifuqela ngemva kwakho, kumele uthwale imivuzo yesagweba sakho kanye lobufebe bakho.”

36 UThixo wathi kimi: “Ndodana yomuntu, uzakwahlulela u-Ohola lo-Oholibha na? Ngakho melana labo ngezenzo zabo ezinengayo,

37 ngoba benze ubufebe njalo lezandla zabo zilegazi. Bafeba lezithombe zabo; banikela labantwana babo ababengizalele bona, njengokudla kuzo.

38 Njalo benze lokhu kimi: Ngasonaleso isikhathi bangcolisa indlu yami engcwele batshaphaza lamaSabatha ami.

39 Ngalo kanye usuku abanikela ngalo abantwana babo ezithombeni zabo, bangena endlini yami engcwele bayingcolisa. Lokho yikho abakwenzayo endlini yami.

40 Bathuma lesithunywa ebantwini ukuba beze bevela khatshana, kwathi sebefikile wabagezela, wacomba amehlo akho wasufaka leziceciso zakho.

41 Wahlala embhedeni omuhle, kuletafula elilungisiweyo phambi kwawo owawufake phezu kwayo impepha yami lamafutha ami.

42 Umsindo wexuku elalithokoza wawumzungezile; amaSebhiya ayelethwe evela enkangala kanye lamadoda avela exukwini elixokozelayo, njalo bafaka amasongo ezingalweni zowesifazane lodadewabo kanye lemiqhele emihle emakhanda abo.

43 Lapho-ke ngalowo owayesegugiswe yibufebe ngathi, ‘Khathesi kabamsebenzise njengewule, ngoba lokho yikho konke ayikho.’

44 Balala laye. Njengabesilisa belala lesifebe, ngokunjalo balala lalabobafazi abalesagweba, u-Ohola lo-Oholibha.

45 Kodwa abantu abalungileyo bazabanika isijeziso sabesifazane abafebayo njalo bachithe legazi, ngoba bayizifebe njalo lezandla zabo zilegazi.

46 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Baletheleni ixuku limelane labo beselibanikela kukho ukwesaba lokuphangwa.

47 Ixuku lizabatshaya ngamatshe libajuqe ngezinkemba; lizabulala amadodana lamadodakazi abo litshise izindlu zabo ngomlilo.

48 Ngizakuqeda kanjalo ukuxhwala elizweni, ukuze bonke abesifazane baxwayiseke njalo bangenzi njengani.

49 Lizajeziselwa ukuxhwala kwenu njalo lithwale lemivuzo yezono zenu zokukhonza izithombe. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo Wobukhosi.”