UHezekheli 24
1 Ngomnyaka wesificamunwemunye, ngenyanga yetshumi, ngosuku lwetshumi, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, saying:
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, bhala usuku lolu, usuku lolu lona ngokwalo, ngoba iNkosi yaseBhabhiloni isivimbezele iJerusalema ngalo kanye lolusuku.
Son of man, write thee the name of this day, on which the king of Babylon hath set himself against Jerusalem today.
3 Tshela indlu le ehlamukayo umfanekiso uthi kubo: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Beka imbiza yokupheka eziko; ibeke phezu kwamaseko uthele amanzi phakathi kwayo.
And thou shalt speak by a figure a parable to the provoking house, and say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Set on a pot, set it on, I say, and put water into it.
4 Faka phakathi kwayo amaqatha enyama, wonke amaqatha amahle, umlenze lesiphanga. Igcwalise ngamathambo amahle;
Heap together into if the pieces thereof, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder, choice pieces and full of bones.
5 thatha okukhethiweyo emhlambini. Basela kakhulu ngenkuni usenzela amathambo; ixhwathise upheke amathambo phakathi kwayo.
Take the fattest of the flock, and lay together piles of bones under it: the seething thereof is boiling hot, and the bones thereof are thoroughly sodden in the midst of it.
6 Ngoba nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Maye kulo idolobho lokuchithwa kwegazi, kuyo imbiza esithombile, ukuthomba kwayo okungayikuphela! Thulula imbiza ukhuphe amaqhatha ngalinye ngalinye kungekho inkatho.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose rust is in it, and its rust is not gone out of it: cast it out piece by piece, there hath no lot fallen upon it.
7 Ngakho igazi elachithwa lidolobho leli liphakathi kwalo: lalithululela edwaleni elize; kalilithululelanga phansi lapho umhlabathi owawungaligqibela khona.
For her blood is in the midst of her, she hath shed it upon the smooth rock: she hath not shed it upon the ground, that it might be covered with dust.
8 Ukuze ngivuse intukuthelo njalo ngiphindisele, ngabeka igazi lelo phezu kwedwala elize, ukuze lingagqitshelwa.
And that I might bring my indignation upon her, and take my vengeance: I have shed her blood upon the smooth rock, that it should not be covered.
9 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Maye kulo idolobho lokuchithwa kwegazi! Lami futhi, ngizakwenza ibonda lenkuni eliphakemeyo.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, of which I will make a great bonfire.
10 Ngakho faka inkuni uphembe umlilo. Ipheke kuhle inyama, uhlanganisa leziyoliso; uyekele amathambo atshe.
Heap together the bones, which I will burn with Are: the flesh shall be consumed, and the whole composition shall be sodden, and the bones shall be consumed.
11 Emva kwalokho beka imbiza engelalutho phezu kwamalahle ize itshise lethusi layo livuthe ukuze ukungcola kwayo kutshe kuphele lokuthomba kwayo kutshe kuphele.
Then set it empty upon burning coals, that it may be hot, and the brass thereof may be melted: and let the filth of it be melted in the midst thereof, and let the rust of it be consumed.
12 Isiphuthise imizamo yonke; uqweqwe lokuthomba kwayo kalususwanga, loba langomlilo.
Great pains have been taken, and the great rust thereof is not gone out, not even by fire.
13 Khathesi ukungcola kwakho yisigwebo. Ngoba ngizamile ukukuhlambulula kodwa ubungeke uhlanjululwe ekungcoleni kwakho, kawuyikuhlambuluka futhi ukukuthukuthelela kwami kuze kudede.
Thy uncleanness is execrable: because I desired to cleanse thee, and thou art not cleansed from thy filthiness: neither shalt thou be cleansed, before I cause my indignation to rest in thee.
14 Mina Thixo sengikhulumile. Isikhathi sokuba ngenze sesifikile. Kangiyikuzithiba; kangiyikuba lesihawu, kumbe ngiyekethise. Uzakwahlulelwa mayelana lokuziphatha kwakho kanye lezenzo zakho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”
I the Lord have spoken: it shall come to pass, and I will do it: I will not pass by, nor spare, nor be pacified: I will judge thee according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, saith the Lord.
15 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
16 “Ndodana yomuntu, sekuseduze ukuthi ngokugalela okukodwa nje ngisuse kuwe intokozo yamehlo akho. Kodwa ungalili kumbe ukhale loba wehlise inyembezi.
Son of man, behold I take from thee the desire of thy eyes with a stroke: and thou shalt not lament, nor weep: neither shall thy tears run down.
17 Bubula uthule; ungalileli abafileyo. Bophela iqhiye yakho lamanyathela akho ezinyaweni zakho; ungambozi ingxenye yaphansi yobuso bakho loba udle ukudla komkhuba wabalilayo.”
Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead: let the tire of thy head be upon thee, and thy shoes on thy feet, and cover not thy face, nor eat the meat of mourners.
18 Ngakho ngakhuluma labantu ekuseni, umkami wafa kusihlwa. Ekuseni kwakusisa ngenza njengokulaywa kwami.
So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening: and I did in the morning as he had commanded me.
19 Abantu basebengibuza besithi, “Kawuyikusitshela na ukuthi izinto lezi zilani lathi?”
And the people said to me: Why dost thou not tell us what these things mean that thou doest?
20 Ngakho mina ngathi kubo, “Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
And I said to them: The word of the Lord came to me, saying:
21 Tshono endlini ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Sekuseduze ukuthi ngingcolise indlu yami engcwele, inqaba eliziqhenya ngayo, intokozo yamehlo enu, into eliyithanda kakhulu. Amadodana lamadodakazi eliwatshiyileyo azabulawa ngenkemba.
Speak to the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will profane my sanctuary, the glory of your realm, and the thing that your eyes desire, and for which your soul feareth: your sons, and your daughters, whom you have left, shall fall by the sword.
22 Njalo lizakwenza njengoba ngenzile. Kaliyikumboza ingxenye yaphansi yobuso benu loba lidle ukudla komkhuba wabalilayo.
And you shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your faces, nor shall you eat the meat of mourners.
23 Lizafaka amaqhiye enu emakhanda enu lamanyathela enu ezinyaweni zenu. Kaliyikulila kumbe likhale kodwa lizacikizeka ngenxa yezono zenu njalo libubule phakathi kwenu.
You shall have crowns on your heads, and shoes on your feet: you shall not lament nor weep, but you shall pine away for your iniquities, and every one shall sigh with his brother.
24 UHezekhiyeli uzakuba yisibonakaliso kini; lizakwenza njengoba enzile. Nxa lokhu kusenzakala, lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo Wobukhosi.’
And Ezechiel shall be unto you for a sign of things to come: according to all that he hath done, so shall you do, when this shall come to pass: and you shall know that I am the Lord God.
25 Njalo wena, ndodana yomuntu, ngosuku engizasusa ngalo inqaba yabo, intokozo yabo lodumo, injabulo yamehlo abo, isifiso senhliziyo yabo, kanye lamadodana lamadodakazi abo futhi,
And thou, O son of man, behold in the day wherein I will take away from them their strength, and the joy of their glory, and the desire of their eyes, upon which their souls rest, their sons and their daughters.
26 ngalolosuku isiphepheli yiso esizalandisa izindaba.
In that day when he that escapeth shall come to thee, to tell thee:
27 Ngalesosikhathi umlomo wakho uzavuleka; uzakhuluma laye njalo kawuyikuthula futhi. Ngakho uzakuba yisibonakaliso kubo, njalo bazakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo.”
In that day, I say, shall thy mouth be opened to him that hath escaped, and thou shalt speak, and shalt be silent no more: and thou shalt be unto them for a sign of things to come, and you shall know that I am the Lord.
