< UHezekheli 29 >
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi, ngenyanga yetshumi ngosuku lwetshumi lambili, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, khangelisa ubuso bakho kuFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe uphrofithe okubi ngaye langelizwe lonke laseGibhithe.
3 Khuluma laye uthi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngimelane lawe, Faro nkosi yaseGibhithe, wena silo esikhulu esilele phakathi kwezifula zaso. Uthi, “INayili ngeyakho; wazenzela yona.”
4 Kodwa ngizafaka iwuka emihlathini yakho nginamathisele inhlanzi zezifula zakho, emaxolweni akho. Ngizakukhuphela ngaphandle kwezifula zakho, lenhlanzi zonke zinamathele emaxolweni akho.
5 Ngizakutshiya enkangala, wena kanye lenhlanzi zonke zasezifuleni zakho. Uzawela egcekeni egangeni njalo ungabuthwa loba udojwe. Ngizakunikela njengokudla ezinyamazaneni zomhlaba lezinyoni zasemoyeni.
6 Lapho-ke bonke abahlala eGibhithe bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo. Ube uludondolo lomhlanga lwendlu ka-Israyeli.
7 Kwathi bekubamba ngezandla zabo, wacezuka waqhaqha amahlombe abo; kwathi lapho beseyama kuwe wephuka lamaqolo abo aqhuzuka.
8 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizaletha inkemba imelane lawe ngibulale abantu bakho kanye lezifuyo zabo.
9 IGibhithe izakuba yinkangala echithekileyo. Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo. Ngoba wathi, “INayili ngeyakho; nguwe owayenzayo,”
10 ngakho ngimelana lawe kanye lezifula zakho, njalo ngizakwenza ilizwe laseGibhithe libe lunxiwa logwadule oluphundlekileyo kusukela eMigidoli kusiya e-Asiwani, kuze kuyefika emngceleni weKhushi.
11 Akulanyawo lomuntu loba olwenyamazana oluzadabula phakathi kwalo; akulamuntu ozahlala khona okweminyaka engamatshumi amane.
12 Ngizakwenza ilizwe laseGibhithe libe ngeliphundlekileyo phakathi kwamazwe achithekileyo, njalo amadolobho alo azaphundleka okweminyaka engamatshumi amane phakathi kwamadolobho angamanxiwa. AmaGibhithe ngizawachithela phakathi kwezizwe ngiwahlakazele emazweni.
13 Kodwa nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi amane ngizaqoqa amaGibhithe ezizweni ayehlakazelwe kuzo.
14 Ngizawabuyisela evela ekuthunjweni yiGibhithe, ePhathrosi, ilizwe labokhokho babo. Lapho bazakuba ngumbuso omncane.
15 Uzakuba ngumbuso omncane kakhulu emibusweni njalo kawuyikuziphakamisela phezulu kwezinye izizwe futhi. Ngizawenza ungabi lamandla ukuze ungabusi izizwe futhi.
16 IGibhithe kaliyikuba ngumthombo wethemba futhi wabantu bako-Israyeli kodwa lizakuba yisikhumbuzo sesono sabo sokuyafuna usizo kulo. Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo Wobukhosi.’”
17 Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa, ngenyanga yakuqala ngelanga lakuqala, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
18 “Ndodana yomuntu, uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni waqhuba ibutho lakhe ukuyakulwa impi enzima leThire, amakhanda wonke aphuculwa aphuceka, lamahlombe wonke aba buhlungu. Ikanti yena lebutho lakhe kabatholanga mvuzo empini ayikhokhela ekuhlaseleni iThire.
19 Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: IGibhithe ngizalinikela kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, njalo uzathumba inotho yalo. Uzaliphundla aliphange ilizwe njengeholo lebutho lakhe.
20 Ngimnike iGibhithe njengomvuzo wemizamo yakhe ngoba yena lebutho lakhe lokho bakwenzela mina, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
21 Ngalolosuku ngizakwenza uphondo lukhulele indlu ka-Israyeli, njalo ngizavula umlomo wakho phakathi kwabo. Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.”