< UHezekheli 31 >
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye, ngenyanga yesithathu ngosuku lwakuqala, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye, ngenyanga yesithathu, ngolokuqala lwenyanga, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi, lisithi:
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe lakumaxuku akhe uthi: ‘Ngubani ongalinganiswa lawe ngobucwazicwazi?
Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuFaro inkosi yeGibhithe lexukwini lakhe: Ufanana lobani ebukhulwini bakho?
3 Cabanga i-Asiriya, eyake yaba ngumsedari eLebhanoni, olamagatsha amahle embese ihlathi ngomthunzi; wawumude uphezulu le, isihloko sawo singaphezu kwamahlamvu avitshileyo.
Khangela, iAsiriya yayingumsedari eLebhanoni, omuhle ngengatsha, njengegusu elilomthunzi, njalo umude ngokuphakama, lesihloko sawo sasiphakathi kwengatsha eziqatha.
4 Amanzi awondla, imithombo etshonayo yawenza wakhula waba mude; izifudlana zayo zageleza emaceleni esidindi sawo sonke, imisele yazo ayafika kuzozonke izihlahla zeganga.
Amanzi awukhulisa, inziki yawuphakamisa, imifula yawo yageleza yazingelezela indawo ohlanyelwe kiyo, wakhuphela izifudlana zawo kuzo zonke izihlahla zeganga.
5 Wawuphakeme kanjalo umude kulazo zonke izihlahla zeganga; ingatsha zawo zanda, ingatsha zawo zakhula zaba zinde zendlalekile ngenxa yobunengi bamanzi.
Ngakho-ke ubude bawo baphakama bedlula zonke izihlahla zeganga, lengatsha zawo zanda, lamahlumela awo aba made, ngenxa yamanzi amanengi, lapho uwaphumisa.
6 Zonke izinyoni zasemoyeni zakhela izidleke zazo ezingatsheni zawo, zonke izinyamazana zeganga zazalela ngaphansi kwezingatsha zawo; zonke izizwe ezinkulu zahlala emthunzini wawo.
Lazo zonke izinyoni zamazulu zakha izidleke zazo ezingatsheni zawo, lenyamazana zonke zeganga zazalela ngaphansi kwengatsha zawo, langaphansi komthunzi wawo kwahlala izizwe zonke ezinkulu.
7 Wawunkanyazela ngobuhle bawo, ngezingatsha zawo ezendlalekileyo, ngoba impande zawo zazitshona phansi emanzini amanengi.
Ngokunjalo wawumuhle ebukhulwini bawo, ebudeni bengatsha zawo; ngoba impande yawo yayingasemanzini amanengi.
8 Imisedari esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu yayingeke ilingane lawo, kumbe izihlahla zemiphayini zibe lezingatsha ezingafana lezawo, akukho sihlahla esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu esasingaba sihle njengawo.
Imisedari esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu yayingewufiphaze; izihlahla zamafiri zazingafanani lengatsha zawo; lezingelamaxolo zazingafanani lamahlumela awo; futhi kwakungekho sihlahla esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu esinjengawo ebuhleni bawo.
9 Ngawenza waba muhle ngezingatsha ezinengi, wahawukelwa yizihlahla zonke zase-Edeni esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu.
Ngawenza waba muhle ngobunengi bezingatsha zawo, kwaze kwathi zonke izihlahla zeEdeni, ezazisesivandeni sikaNkulunkulu, zaba lomhawu ngawo.
10 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba wawumude uphezulu le, isihloko sawo siphakamele ngaphezu kwezingatsha ezivitshileyo, njalo ngenxa yokuthi wawuziqhenya ngobude bawo,
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngenxa yokuthi uziphakamisile ngobude, uthutshise isihloko sawo ngaphakathi kwezingatsha eziqatha, lenhliziyo yawo yaziphakamisa ngobude bawo;
11 ngawunikela kumbusi wezizwe ukuba awuphathe ngokufanele ububi bawo. Ngawulahlela eceleni,
ngakho ngizawunikela esandleni solamandla wezizweni; uzakwenza lokwenza lawo; ngiwuxotshile ngenxa yenkohlakalo yawo.
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.
Njalo abemzini, abesabekayo bezizwe, bawuqumile bawutshiya; lengatsha zawo ziwele ezintabeni lakuzo zonke izihotsha; lamahlumela akhe ephulwe kuyo yonke imifula yelizwe; labo bonke abantu bomhlaba behlile basuka emthunzini wawo, bawutshiya.
13 Zonke izinyoni zasemoyeni zahlala phezu kwesihlahla esiwileyo, lezinyamazana zonke zeganga zaziphakathi kwezingatsha zaso.
Zonke inyoni zamazulu zizahlala phezu kwencithakalo yawo, lazo zonke inyamazana zeganga zizakuba phezu kwengatsha zawo.
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.
Ukuze kungabi khona kuzo zonke izihlahla ngasemanzini eziziphakamisayo ngenxa yobude bazo, futhi zingafuqi isihloko sazo ngaphakathi kwezingatsha eziqatha, futhi zingemi ngokwazo ngobude bazo, zonke ezinatha amanzi; ngoba zonke zinikelwe ekufeni endaweni engaphansi yomhlaba, phakathi kwabantwana babantu, kulabo abehlela egodini.
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 )
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Mhla usehlela engcwabeni ngenza isililo, ngasibekela inziki ngenxa yawo, ngavimba izifula zayo, lamanzi amanengi amiswa; ngenza iLebhanoni ibe mnyama ngenxa yawo, lezihlahla zonke zeganga zabuna ngenxa yawo. (Sheol )
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 )
Ngenza izizwe zithuthumele ngomdumo wokuwa kwawo, lapho ngiwehlisela esihogweni lalabo abehlela egodini; lazo zonke izihlahla zeEdeni, ikhethelo lokuhle kweLebhanoni, zonke ezinatha amanzi, zaziduduza endaweni engaphansi yomhlaba. (Sheol )
17 Labo ababehlala emthunzini wawo, ababevumelana lawo phakathi kwezizwe, basebehlele phansi engcwabeni kanye lawo, bahlangana lalabo ababulawa ngenkemba. (Sheol )
Lazo zehlela esihogweni kanye lawo, kulabo ababebulewe ngenkemba; lababeyingalo yawo ababehlala ngaphansi komthunzi wawo phakathi kwezizwe. (Sheol )
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.’”
Ufanana lobani ngokunjalo ngodumo langobukhulu phakathi kwezihlahla zeEdeni? Kanti uzakwehliselwa kanye lezihlahla zeEdeni endaweni engaphansi yomhlaba, ulale phakathi kwabangasokanga, kanye labo ababulewe ngenkemba. Lo nguFaro lexuku lakhe lonke, itsho iNkosi uJehova.