UHezekheli 33
1 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2 “Ndodana yomuntu, khuluma labantu bakini uthi kubo, ‘Lapho ngiletha inkemba ukumelana lelizwe, abantu balelolizwe bakhethe omunye wamadoda akibo bamenze abe ngumlindi,
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them all, and set him for their watchman:
3 abone inkemba isizamelana lelizwe abesetshaya icilongo exwayisa abantu,
if he see the sword coming upon the land, and blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
4 lapho-ke nxa loba ngubani ozwa icilongo kodwa angasinaki isixwayiso njalo inkemba ifike imbulale, igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5 Njengoba ukukhala kwecilongo ekuzwile kodwa kaze asinaka isixwayiso, igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe. Aluba ubesinakile isixwayiso, ubezazisindisa.
He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood is upon him: whereas had he taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
6 Kodwa nxa umlindi ebona inkemba isiza angatshayi icilongo axwayise abantu, njalo inkemba ifike ibulale omunye wabo, lowomuntu uzasuswa ngenxa yesono sakhe, kodwa mina ngizabeka umlandu wegazi lakhe kumlindi.’
But if the watchman see the sword coming, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come and take a person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
7 Ndodana yomuntu, sengikwenze umlindi wendlu ka-Israyeli; ngakho zwana ilizwi engilikhulumayo ubanike isixwayiso esivela kimi.
So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; and thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me.
8 Lapho ngisithi komubi, ‘Wena muntu omubi, uzakufa impela,’ njalo wena ungabe usakhuluma ukuba umyekelise izindlela zakhe, lowomuntu omubi uzafela izono zakhe, njalo mina ngikubeka umlandu wegazi lakhe.
When I say unto the wicked, Wicked [man], thou shalt certainly die; and thou speakest not to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
9 Kodwa nxa umxwayisa umuntu omubi ukuba aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe kodwa angenzi njalo, uzafela izono zakhe, kodwa wena uzakuba uzisindisile.
But if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10 Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuyo indlu ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku elikutshoyo ukuthi, “Iziphambeko zethu lezono ziyasisinda, njalo siyacikizeka ngenxa yazo. Pho singaphila njani na?”’
And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel, Thus ye speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we waste away in them, how then should we live?
11 Tshono kubo uthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, kangithokozi ngokufa kwababi, kodwa ukuba baphenduke ezindleleni zabo baphile. Phendukani! Phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi! Kungani umele ufe, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli?’
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
12 Ngakho-ke, ndodana yomuntu, tshono ebantwini bakini uthi, ‘Ukulunga komuntu olungileyo kakuyikumsindisa lapho engalaleli, njalo lobubi bomuntu omubi kabuyikumwisa lapho ephenduka kubo. Umuntu olungileyo, lapho esona, kasoke avunyelwe ukuphila ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe kwakuqala.’
And thou, son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth.
13 Nxa ngitshela umuntu olungileyo ukuthi impela uzaphila, kodwa abe esethemba ukulunga kwakhe enze okubi, akukho okwezinto ezilungileyo azenzayo okuzakhunjulwa; uzafela okubi asekwenzile.
When I say to the righteous that he shall certainly live, and he trusteth to his righteousness and doeth what is wrong, none of his righteous acts shall be remembered; but in his unrighteousness which he hath done, in it shall he die.
14 Njalo nxa ngisithi emuntwini omubi, ‘Impela uzakufa,’ kodwa aphenduke ezonweni zakhe enze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo,
And when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt certainly die, and he turneth from his sin, and doeth judgment and justice;
15 lapho ebuyisela lokho akuthatha kuyisibambiso salokho akwebolekisayo, abuyisele akwebayo, alandele izimiso ezinika ukuphila, angenzi okubi, uzaphila impela; kasoze afe.
if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, doing nothing that is wrong; he shall certainly live, he shall not die.
16 Akukho lasinye sezono azenzayo esizakhunjulwa ngaye. Usenze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo; uzaphila impela.
None of his sins which he hath committed shall be remembered against him: he hath done judgment and justice; he shall certainly live.
17 Ikanti abantu bakini bathi, ‘Indlela kaThixo kayilunganga.’ Kodwa ngeyabo indlela engalunganga.
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 Nxa umuntu olungileyo eguquka ekulungeni kwakhe enze okubi, uzakufela lokho.
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and doeth what is wrong, then he shall die therein.
19 Njalo nxa umuntu omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe enze okufaneleyo lokulungileyo, uzaphila ngenxa yokwenzanjalo.
And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth judgment and justice, he shall live for these things.
20 Ikanti, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, uthi, ‘Indlela kaThixo kayilunganga.’ Kodwa mina ngizakwahlulela lowo lalowo wenu ngokufanele izindlela zakhe.”
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
21 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngenyanga yetshumi ngosuku lwesihlanu, umuntu owayebalekele eJerusalema wafika kimi wathi, “Idolobho selinqotshiwe!”
And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth [month], on the fifth of the month, that one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten!
22 Kusihlwa umuntu lowo engakafiki, isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami, njalo wavula umlomo wami umuntu lowo engakafiki ekuseni. Ngakho umlomo wami wawusuvuliwe njalo ngangingasathulanga.
Now the hand of Jehovah had been upon me in the evening, before he that had escaped came; and he had opened my mouth against his coming to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
23 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
24 “Ndodana yomuntu, abantu abahlala emanxiweni lawana elizweni lako-Israyeli bathi, ‘U-Abhrahama wayengumuntu oyedwa nje kuphela, ikanti ilizwe lalingelakhe. Kodwa thina sibanengi; impela ilizwe siliphiwe njengelifa lethu.’
Son of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited this land, and we are many: the land is given us for a possession.
25 Ngakho tshono kubo uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Njengoba lisidla inyama ilokhu ilegazi lithembe izithombe zenu njalo lichithe legazi, kambe lingaba ngabanikazi belizwe na?
Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood; and shall ye possess the land?
26 Lithembe inkemba yenu, lenza izinto ezenyanyekayo, njalo omunye lomunye wenu ungcolisa umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe. Kambe lingaba ngabanikazi belizwe na?’
Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife; and shall ye possess the land?
27 Tshono lokhu kubo uthi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, labo abaseleyo emanxiweni bazabulawa ngenkemba, labo abangaphandle egangeni ngizabanikela ezinyamazaneni zeganga ukuba badliwe, njalo labo abasezinqabeni lasezimbalwini bazabulawa yisifo.
Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: [As] I live, verily they that are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.
28 Ngizakwenza ilizwe libe lugwadule oluphundlekileyo, njalo ukuziqhenya kwamandla alo kuzaphela, lezintaba zako-Israyeli zizachitheka kuze kungabikhona odlula kuzo.
And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment, and the pride of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolated, so that none shall pass through.
29 Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, nxa sengenze ilizwe laba lugwadule oluphundlekileyo ngenxa yezinto ezenyanyekayo abazenzileyo.’
And they shall know that I [am] Jehovah, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment because of all their abominations which they have committed.
30 Okunjengawe, ndodana yomuntu, abantu bakini bakhulumisana ngawe emidulini laseminyango yezindlu besithi, omunye komunye, ‘Woza uzekuzwa ilizwi eselifike livela kuThixo.’
And as for thee, son of man, the children of thy people keep talking of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from Jehovah.
31 Abantu bami bayafika kuwe, njengabajayele ukukwenza, bahlale phambi kwakho ukuba bezwe amazwi akho, kodwa akutshoyo kabakwenzi. Ngemilomo yabo batsho ukuzinikela, kodwa inhliziyo zabo zihawukela inzuzo engafanelanga.
And they come unto thee as a people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they do them not; for with their mouth they shew much love, [but] their heart goeth after their dishonest gain.
32 Ngempela, kubo wena kawusilutho olungedlula umuntu ohlabela izingoma zothando ngelizwi elihle njalo esitshaya kuhle isiginci, ngoba amazwi akho bayawezwa, kodwa akutshoyo kabakwenzi.
And behold, thou art unto them as a lovely song, a pleasant voice, and one that playeth well on an instrument; and they hear thy words, but they do them not.
33 Nxa konke lokhu sekugcwalisekile njalo impela kuzakwenzakala, lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi umphrofethi ubekhona phakathi kwabantu.”
And when this cometh to pass (behold, it will come), then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
