UHezekheli 3
1 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, dlana okuphambi kwakho, dlana umqulu lo; ube ususiyakhuluma kuyo indlu ka-Israyeli.”
He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
2 Ngakho ngavula umlomo wami, wasengipha umqulu ukuba ngiwudle.
So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the scroll.
3 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, dlana umqulu lo engikunika wona ugcwalise isisu sakho ngawo.” Ngakho ngawudla, njalo emlonyeni wami wawuzwakala umnandi njengoluju.
He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your belly and your bowels with it.” Then I ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, hamba khathesi nje endlini ka-Israyeli ukhulume amazwi ami kubo.
He said to me, “Son of man, go 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 a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel—
6 hatshi ebantwini abanengi abolimi olungaziwayo lolunzima, ongeke uzwe abakutshoyo. Ngeqiniso aluba kade ngikuthume kubo kade bezakulalela.
not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words you can’t understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen 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 listen to you, for they will not listen to me; for all the house of Israel are obstinate and hard-hearted.
8 Kodwa lawe ngizakwenza ube lenkani lobulukhuni njengabo.
Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads.
9 Ngizakwenza ubuso bakho bube njengelitshe elilukhuni kulawo wonke, elilukhuni kulelitshe lomlilo. Ungabesabi kumbe bakuthuthumelise, lanxa beyindlu ehlamukayo.”
I have made your forehead as a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”
10 Njalo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, lalela kakuhle njalo uwabeke enhliziyweni wonke amazwi engiwatsho kuwe.
Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you.
11 Hamba khathesi nje ebantwini belizwe lakini abasekuthunjweni ukhulume labo. Uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi,’ loba bezalalela kumbe bangalaleli.”
Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.”
12 Lapho-ke uMoya wangiphakamisa, kwathi ngemva kwami ngezwa umdumo ondindizelayo sengathi yinkazimulo kaThixo eyaphakama endaweni eyayime kuyo!
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, “Blessed be the LORD’s glory from his place.”
13 Umdumo wezimpiko zezidalwa eziphilayo zigudlana lomdumo wamavili eceleni kwazo, umdumo wokundindizela okukhulu.
I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.
14 UMoya wasungiphakamisela phezulu ungisusa, njalo ngahamba ngomoya otshisekayo lokuthukuthela komoya wami lesandla esilamandla sikaThixo siphezu kwami.
So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the LORD’s hand was strong on me.
15 Ngafika kwababethunjiwe ababehlala eTheli Abhibhi phansi koMfula uKhebhari. Khonapho-ke, lapho ababehlala khona, ngahlala labo insuku eziyisikhombisa ngiphelelwe ngamandla.
Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv who lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed amongst them seven days.
16 Ekupheleni kwensuku eziyisikhombisa ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi,
At the end of seven days, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
17 “Ndodana yomuntu, sengikwenze umlindi wendlu ka-Israyeli; ngakho zwana ilizwi engilikhulumayo ubanike isixwayiso esivela kimi.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and warn 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 tell the wicked, ‘You will surely die;’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your hand.
19 Kodwa nxa umuntu omubi umxwayisa yena angaphenduki ebubini bakhe kumbe ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi, uzafela izono zakhe, kodwa wena uyabe uziphephisile.
Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity; but you have delivered 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.
“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he will die. Because you have not given him warning, he will die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered; but I will require his blood at your hand.
21 Kodwa nxa uxwayisa umuntu olungileyo ukuba angoni lakanye uyabe uziphephisile.”
Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous not sin, and he does not sin, he will surely live, because he took warning; and you have delivered your soul.”
22 Isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami lapho, njalo wathi kimi, “Sukuma uye egcekeni ngizakhuluma lawe khona.”
The LORD’s hand was there on me; and he said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and I will talk with you there.”
23 Ngakho ngasukuma ngaya egcekeni. Inkazimulo kaThixo yayimi lapho, injengenkazimulo engangiyibone phansi koMfula uKhebhari, ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso.
Then I arose, and went out into the plain, and behold, the LORD’s glory stood there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar. Then I fell on my face.
24 Lapho-ke uMoya wangena kimi wangimisa ngezinyawo zami. Wakhuluma wathi kimi, “Hamba uyezivalela endlini yakho.
Then the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet. He spoke with me, and said to me, “Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25 Njalo, wena ndodana yomuntu, bazakubopha ngemichilo; uzabotshwa ukuze ungayi phandle ebantwini.
But you, son of man, behold, they will put ropes on you, and will bind you with them, and you will not go out amongst them.
26 Ngizakwenza ulimi lwakho lunamathele elwangeni lomlomo wakho ukuze uthule unganelisi ukubakhuza lanxa beyindlu ehlamukayo.
I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and will not be able to correct them, for they are a rebellious 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 with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.”
