UHezekheli 3

1 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, dlana okuphambi kwakho, dlana umqulu lo; ube ususiyakhuluma kuyo indlu ka-Israyeli.”

And he said to me, Son of Man, eat this volume, and go and speak to the children of Israel.

2 Ngakho ngavula umlomo wami, wasengipha umqulu ukuba ngiwudle.

So he opened my mouth, and caused me to eat the volume. And he said to me, Son of man,

3 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, dlana umqulu lo engikunika wona ugcwalise isisu sakho ngawo.” Ngakho ngawudla, njalo emlonyeni wami wawuzwakala umnandi njengoluju.

your mouth shall eat, and your belly shall be filled with this volume that is given to you. So I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.

4 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, hamba khathesi nje endlini ka-Israyeli ukhulume amazwi ami kubo.

And he said to me, Son of man, go your way, and go in to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.

5 Kawuthunywa ebantwini abalolimi olungaziwayo lolunzima, kodwa endlini ka-Israyeli,

For you are not sent to a people of hard speech, [but] to the house of Israel;

6 hatshi ebantwini abanengi abolimi olungaziwayo lolunzima, ongeke uzwe abakutshoyo. Ngeqiniso aluba kade ngikuthume kubo kade bezakulalela.

neither to many nations of other speech and other tongues, nor of harsh language, whose words you would not understand: although if I [had] sent you to such, they would have listened to you.

7 Kodwa indlu ka-Israyeli kayifuni ukukulalela ngoba kabafuni kungilalela, ngoba yonke indlu ka-Israyeli ilukhuni njalo ilenkani.

But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you; for they will not listen to me: for all the house of Israel are stubborn and hard-hearted.

8 Kodwa lawe ngizakwenza ube lenkani lobulukhuni njengabo.

And, behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and I will strengthen your power against their power.

9 Ngizakwenza ubuso bakho bube njengelitshe elilukhuni kulawo wonke, elilukhuni kulelitshe lomlilo. Ungabesabi kumbe bakuthuthumelise, lanxa beyindlu ehlamukayo.”

And it shall be continually stronger than a rock: be not afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their faces, because it is a provoking house.

10 Njalo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, lalela kakuhle njalo uwabeke enhliziyweni wonke amazwi engiwatsho kuwe.

And he said to me, Son of man, receive into your heart all the words that I have spoken to you, and hear [them] with your ears.

11 Hamba khathesi nje ebantwini belizwe lakini abasekuthunjweni ukhulume labo. Uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi,’ loba bezalalela kumbe bangalaleli.”

And go your way, go in to the captivity, to the children of your people, and you shall speak to them, and say to them, Thus says the Lord; whether they will hear, [or] whether they will forbear.

12 Lapho-ke uMoya wangiphakamisa, kwathi ngemva kwami ngezwa umdumo ondindizelayo sengathi yinkazimulo kaThixo eyaphakama endaweni eyayime kuyo!

Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me the voice [as] of a great earthquake, [saying], Blessed [be] the glory of the Lord from his place.

13 Umdumo wezimpiko zezidalwa eziphilayo zigudlana lomdumo wamavili eceleni kwazo, umdumo wokundindizela okukhulu.

And I perceived the sound of the wings of the living creatures clapping one to the other, and the sound of the wheels was near them, and the sound of the earthquake.

14 UMoya wasungiphakamisela phezulu ungisusa, njalo ngahamba ngomoya otshisekayo lokuthukuthela komoya wami lesandla esilamandla sikaThixo siphezu kwami.

And the Spirit lifted me, and took me up, and I went in the impulse of my spirit; and the hand of the Lord was mighty upon me.

15 Ngafika kwababethunjiwe ababehlala eTheli Abhibhi phansi koMfula uKhebhari. Khonapho-ke, lapho ababehlala khona, ngahlala labo insuku eziyisikhombisa ngiphelelwe ngamandla.

Then I passed through the air and came into the captivity, and went round [to] them that lived by the river of Chobar who were there; and I sat there seven days, conversant in the midst of them.

16 Ekupheleni kwensuku eziyisikhombisa ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi,

And after the seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man,

17 “Ndodana yomuntu, sengikwenze umlindi wendlu ka-Israyeli; ngakho zwana ilizwi engilikhulumayo ubanike isixwayiso esivela kimi.

I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel; and you shall hear a word of my mouth, and shall threaten them from me.

18 Nxa ngisithi emuntwini omubi, ‘Wena uzakufa impela,’ wena ungamxwayisi kumbe ukhulume ukuba umyekelise izindlela zakhe ezimbi ukuze asindise ukuphila kwakhe, lowomuntu omubi uzafela izono zakhe, kuthi wena ngikubeke icala legazi lakhe.

When I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; and you have not warned him, to give warning to the wicked, to turn from his ways, that he should live; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand.

19 Kodwa nxa umuntu omubi umxwayisa yena angaphenduki ebubini bakhe kumbe ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi, uzafela izono zakhe, kodwa wena uyabe uziphephisile.

But if you warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, and from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, and you shall deliver your soul.

20 Njalo nxa umuntu olungileyo eguquka ekulungeni kwakhe enze okubi, mina ngibeke isikhubekiso phambi kwakhe, uzakufa. Njengoba nxa wena ungamxwayisanga, uzafela izono zakhe. Izinto ezilungileyo azenzayo kaziyikukhunjulwa, njalo wena ngizakubeka icala legazi lakhe.

And when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits a trespass, and I shall bring punishment before him, he shall die, because you did not warn him: he shall even die in his sins, because his righteousness shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at your hand.

21 Kodwa nxa uxwayisa umuntu olungileyo ukuba angoni lakanye uyabe uziphephisile.”

But if you warn the righteous not to sin, and he sin not, the righteous shall surely live, because you have warned him; and you shall deliver your own soul.

22 Isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami lapho, njalo wathi kimi, “Sukuma uye egcekeni ngizakhuluma lawe khona.”

And the hand of the Lord came upon me; and he said to me, Arise, and go forth into the plain, and there shall you be spoken to.

23 Ngakho ngasukuma ngaya egcekeni. Inkazimulo kaThixo yayimi lapho, injengenkazimulo engangiyibone phansi koMfula uKhebhari, ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso.

And I arose, and went forth to the plain: and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, according to the vision, and according to the glory of the Lord, which I saw by the river of Chobar: and I fell on my face.

24 Lapho-ke uMoya wangena kimi wangimisa ngezinyawo zami. Wakhuluma wathi kimi, “Hamba uyezivalela endlini yakho.

Then the Spirit came upon me, and set me on my feet, and spoke to me, and said to me, Go in, and shut yourself up in the midst of your house.

25 Njalo, wena ndodana yomuntu, bazakubopha ngemichilo; uzabotshwa ukuze ungayi phandle ebantwini.

And you, son of man, behold, bonds are prepared for you, and they shall bind you with them, and you shall not come forth of the midst of them.

26 Ngizakwenza ulimi lwakho lunamathele elwangeni lomlomo wakho ukuze uthule unganelisi ukubakhuza lanxa beyindlu ehlamukayo.

Also I will bind your tongue, and you shall be dumb, and shall not be to them a reprover: because it is a provoking house.

27 Kodwa nxa sengikhuluma lawe ngizavula umlomo wakho, njalo uzakuthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi.’ Loba ngubani ozalalela myekele alalele, njalo loba ngubani ozakwala myekele ale; ngoba bayindlu ehlamukayo.”

But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord, He that hears, let him hear; and he that is disobedient, let him be disobedient: because it is a provoking house.