UHezekheli 31
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye, ngenyanga yesithathu ngosuku lwakuqala, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe lakumaxuku akhe uthi: ‘Ngubani ongalinganiswa lawe ngobucwazicwazi?
Son of man, say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to his multitude: To whom art thou like in thy greatness?
3 Cabanga i-Asiriya, eyake yaba ngumsedari eLebhanoni, olamagatsha amahle embese ihlathi ngomthunzi; wawumude uphezulu le, isihloko sawo singaphezu kwamahlamvu avitshileyo.
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar upon Lebanon, with fair branches; An overshadowing thicket, high of stature; And his top was among thick boughs.
4 Amanzi awondla, imithombo etshonayo yawenza wakhula waba mude; izifudlana zayo zageleza emaceleni esidindi sawo sonke, imisele yazo ayafika kuzozonke izihlahla zeganga.
The waters made him great; the deep waters made him high; Their streams went around their plantation, And sent forth their channels to all the trees of the field.
5 Wawuphakeme kanjalo umude kulazo zonke izihlahla zeganga; ingatsha zawo zanda, ingatsha zawo zakhula zaba zinde zendlalekile ngenxa yobunengi bamanzi.
Therefore his height was exalted Above all the trees of the field. And his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long, Because of the abundance of water when he shot forth.
6 Zonke izinyoni zasemoyeni zakhela izidleke zazo ezingatsheni zawo, zonke izinyamazana zeganga zazalela ngaphansi kwezingatsha zawo; zonke izizwe ezinkulu zahlala emthunzini wawo.
In his boughs all the birds of heaven made their nests, And under his branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; And under his shadow dwelt all the great nations.
7 Wawunkanyazela ngobuhle bawo, ngezingatsha zawo ezendlalekileyo, ngoba impande zawo zazitshona phansi emanzini amanengi.
Thus was he beautiful in his greatness, in the length of his branches; For his root was by many waters.
8 Imisedari esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu yayingeke ilingane lawo, kumbe izihlahla zemiphayini zibe lezingatsha ezingafana lezawo, akukho sihlahla esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu esasingaba sihle njengawo.
The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him; The cypress-trees were not like his boughs, And the plane-trees were not like his branches. Not any tree in the garden of God Was like to him in his beauty.
9 Ngawenza waba muhle ngezingatsha ezinengi, wahawukelwa yizihlahla zonke zase-Edeni esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu.
I made him beautiful in the multitude of his branches, So that all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, envied him.
10 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba wawumude uphezulu le, isihloko sawo siphakamele ngaphezu kwezingatsha ezivitshileyo, njalo ngenxa yokuthi wawuziqhenya ngobude bawo,
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because he lifted himself up in stature, And shot up his top among the thick boughs, And his heart was lifted up on account of his height,
11 ngawunikela kumbusi wezizwe ukuba awuphathe ngokufanele ububi bawo. Ngawulahlela eceleni,
Therefore I delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, To deal hardly with him; I drave him out for his wickedness;
12 njalo isizwe sasezizweni esilesihluku kulazo zonke sawucakazela phansi sawutshiya. Ingatsha zawo zawela phezu kwezintaba lasezigodini zonke, amagatsha awo ephukela ezindongeni zonke zelizwe. Zonke izizwe zasemhlabeni zasuka emthunzini wawo zawutshiya.
And strangers, the terrible of the nations, cut him off and cast him away. Upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches fell; And his boughs were broken in all the valleys of the land. And all the nations of the earth withdrew from his shadow and left him;
13 Zonke izinyoni zasemoyeni zahlala phezu kwesihlahla esiwileyo, lezinyamazana zonke zeganga zaziphakathi kwezingatsha zaso.
Upon his ruin dwelt all the birds of the heavens, And upon his branches were all the beasts of the forest.
14 Ngakho kazikho ezinye izihlahla ngasemanzini ezizaphakama ngokuziqhenya phezulu le, zifikise izihloko zazo ngaphezu kwezingatsha. Kazikho ezinye izihlahla ezizuza amanzi kuhle kanjalo ezizake zifike phezulu kangako; zonke zimiselwe ukufa, emhlabeni ongaphansi, phakathi kwabantu abafayo, kanye lalabo abehlela egodini.
To the end that none of all the trees by the waters Might exalt themselves for their stature, Nor shoot up their top among the thick boughs, And that none of the trees that drink water should cleave to them on account of their height; For all of them are delivered to death, to the lower parts of the earth, In the midst of the sons of men, To them that have gone down to the pit.
15 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngosuku owehliselwa ngalo engcwabeni, ngavala imithombo etshonayo ngokulilelwa kwawo, ngamisa izifudlana zawo, lamanzi awo amanengi avinjelwa. Ngenxa yawo ngembesa iLebhanoni ngomnyama, njalo zonke izihlahla zeganga zabuna. (Sheol h7585)
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when he went down to the grave, I caused the deep to mourn, I covered it for him; I restrained on account of him the streams, and the great waters were kept back; And I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, And all the trees of the field fainted for him. (Sheol h7585)
16 Ngenza izizwe zathuthunyeliswa ngumdumo wokuwa kwawo lapha ngawehlisela phansi engcwabeni kanye lalabo abehlela phansi egodini. Lapho-ke zonke izihlahla zase-Edeni, ezikhethekileyo lezinhle kakhulu zaseLebhanoni, zonke izihlahla ezazithola amanzi kuhle, zaduduzeka ngaphansi komhlaba. (Sheol h7585)
At the sound of his fall I made the nations to shake, When I cast him down to the grave, To them that have gone down to the pit; And all the trees of Eden, The choice and best of Lebanon, Even all that drink water, Were comforted in the lower parts of the earth. (Sheol h7585)
17 Labo ababehlala emthunzini wawo, ababevumelana lawo phakathi kwezizwe, basebehlele phansi engcwabeni kanye lawo, bahlangana lalabo ababulawa ngenkemba. (Sheol h7585)
They also went down into the grave with him, To them that have been slain with the sword; They also that were his arm, That dwelt under his shadow among the nations. (Sheol h7585)
18 Yisiphi sezihlahla zase-Edeni esingafaniswa lawe ngobuhle langobucwazicwazi na? Ikanti lawe futhi uzakwehliselwa phansi ngaphansi komhlaba kanye lezihlahla zase-Edeni; uzalala phakathi kwabangasokanga, lalabo ababulawa ngenkemba. Lo nguFaro kanye lamaxuku akhe wonke, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”
To whom art thou thus like in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden? Thou shalt be brought down with the trees of Eden To the lower parts of the earth; Thou shalt lie down in the midst of the uncircumcised, With them that are slain by the sword. Thus shall it be with Pharaoh and all his multitude, Saith the Lord Jehovah.
