UHezekheli 36
1 “Ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha kuzo izintaba zako-Israyeli uthi: ‘Lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo.
Also thou son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:
2 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Isitha satsho ngani sathi, “Awu! Iziqongo zasendulo sezibe yilifa lethu.”’
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy had said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:
3 Ngakho-ke phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba baliphanga njalo balixotsha bevela ezinhlangothini zonke laze laba yilifa lezinye izizwe lento yokunyeywa lokuchothozwa ngabantu,
Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made [you] desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession to the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and [are] an infamy of the people:
4 ngakho-ke, lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo Wobukhosi: Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi kuzo izintaba lamaqaqa, ezindongeni lasezigodini, emanxiweni aphundlekileyo lasemadolobheni atshiyiweyo aphangwayo njalo ahlekwa ngezinye izizwe ezikuhanqileyo,
Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that [are] around;
5 nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngokutshiseka kwami okukhulu sengikhulume ngimelana lezinye izizwe njalo lange-Edomi lonke, ngoba ngokuthaba langenzondo ezinhliziyweni zabo benza ilizwe lami elabo ukuze baphange amadlelo alo.’
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Edom, who have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all [their] heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
6 Ngakho phrofetha ngelizwe lako-Israyeli uthi kuzo izintaba lamaqaqa, indonga lezigodi: Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngikhuluma ngolaka lwami olulobukhwele ngoba lithwale isithuko sesizwe.
Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:
7 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngifunga izandla ziphakanyiselwe phezulu ukuthi izizwe ezilihanqileyo lazo zizathwala isithuko.
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up my hand, Surely the heathen that [are] about you, they shall bear their shame.
8 Kodwa lina, lina zintaba zako-Israyeli, lizaveza ingatsha lezithelo zabantu bami u-Israyeli, ngoba sebezakuza ekhaya masinyane nje.
But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.
9 Ngiyalinqinekela njalo ngizalikhangela ngomusa; lizalinywa lihlanyelwe,
For behold, I [am] for you, and I will turn to you, and ye shall be tilled and sown:
10 njalo ngizakwandisa inani labantu phezu kwenu, lakuyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli. Amadolobho kuzahlalwa kuwo futhi lamanxiwa avuselelwe.
And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, [even] all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built.
11 Ngizakwandisa inani labantu lelezinyamazana phezu kwenu: njalo kuzazalana kwande. Ngizahlalisa abantu phezu kwenu njengakudala njalo ngizalenza liphumelele kakhulu kulakudala. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old states, and will do better [to you] than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.
12 Ngizakwenza abantu, abantu bami bako-Israyeli bahambe phezu kwenu. Bazalenza libe ngababo, njalo lizakuba yilifa labo; kaliyikubemuka abantwana babo futhi.
Yes, I will cause men to walk upon you, [even] my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them [of men].
13 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngoba abantu bathi kini, ‘Lidla abantu lemuke isizwe senu abantwana baso,
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say to you, Thou [land] devourest men, and hast bereaved thy nations;
14 ngakho-ke kaliyikudla abantu futhi loba lenze isizwe senu singabi labantwana, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD.
15 Angiyikulenza lizwe izibhinqo zezizwe, njalo kalisayikuthwala izithuko zabantu loba ngenze ukuba isizwe senu siwe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’”
Neither will I cause [men] to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD.
16 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi njalo lisithi:
Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
17 “Ndodana yomuntu, abantu bako-Israyeli besahlala elizweni labo, balingcolisa ngendlela abaziphatha ngayo langezenzo zabo. Ukuziphatha kwabo kwakufana lokungcola kowesifazane kwanyanga zonke emehlweni ami.
Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
18 Ngakho ngehlisela ulaka lwami phezu kwabo ngoba babechithe igazi elizweni njalo ngoba babelingcolisile ngezithombe zabo.
Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols [with which] they had polluted it:
19 Ngabachithela phakathi kwezizwe, njalo bahlakazekela emazweni; ngabahlulela ngokufanele ukuziphatha kwabo kanye lezenzo zabo.
And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
20 Loba ngaphi abaya khona phakathi kwezizwe balingcolisa ibizo lami elingcwele, ngoba kwathiwa ngabo, ‘Laba ngabantu bakaThixo, kodwa basuswa elizweni.’
And when they entered among the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These [are] the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.
21 Nganqinekela ibizo lami elingcwele, elangcoliswa yindlu ka-Israyeli phakathi kwezizwe abaya kuzo.
But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
22 Ngakho tshono endlini ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Akusingenxa yakho, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, ukuthi ngizakwenza izinto lezi, kodwa ngenxa yebizo lami elingcwele, osulingcolisile phakathi kwezizwe lapho oye khona.
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
23 Ngizabonakalisa ubungcwele bebizo elikhulu, eselingcolisiwe phakathi kwezizwe, ibizo osulingcolisile phakathi kwazo. Lapho-ke izizwe zizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lapho sengizibonakalisa ngingcwele ngawe phambi kwamehlo azo.
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 Ngoba ngizakususa ezizweni; ngizakuqoqa emazweni wonke ngikubuyisele elizweni lakho.
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Ngizakuchela ngamanzi ahlanzekileyo, uzahlambuluka; ngizakuhlambulula kukho konke ukungcola kwakho kanye lakuzo zonke izithombe zakho.
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 Ngizakunika inhliziyo entsha ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwakho; ngizasusa kuwe inhliziyo yakho yelitshe ngikunike inhliziyo yenyama.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
27 Njalo ngizafaka uMoya wami phakathi kwakho ngikwenze ulandele izimiso zami njalo unanzelele ukugcina imithetho yami.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].
28 Lizahlala elizweni engalinika okhokho benu; lizakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wenu.
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 Ngizalikhulula kukho konke ukungcola kwenu. Ngizabiza amabele ngiwenze abe manengi njalo angiyikuletha indlala kini.
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
30 Ngizakwandisa izithelo zezihlahla kanye lamabele emasimini, ukuze lingabi lehlazo futhi phakathi kwezizwe ngenxa yendlala.
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
31 Lapho-ke lizakhumbula izindlela zenu ezimbi kanye lezono zenu ezingalunganga, njalo lizazizonda lina ngokwenu ngenxa yezono kanye lezenzo zenu ezenyanyekayo.
Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that [were] not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations.
32 Ngifuna ukuba likwazi ukuthi lokhu angikwenzeli lina, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Yangeka ube lenhloni ngenxa yokuziphatha kwakho, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli!
Not for your sakes do I [this], saith the Lord GOD, be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
33 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngosuku engizakuhlambulula ngalo ezonweni zakho zonke, ngizahlalisa abantu emadolobheni akho, njalo lamanxiwa azavuselelwa.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause [you] to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be built.
34 Ilizwe eliphundlekileyo lizalinywa kulokuthi lihlale liphundlekile emehlweni abo bonke abadabula phakathi kwalo.
And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
35 Bazakuthi, “Ilizwe leli elaselenziwe laba lugwadule selibe njengesivande se-Edeni; amadolobho ayesengamanxiwa, ephundlekile njalo echithekile, khathesi asevikelwe ngezinqaba njalo sekuhlala abantu kuwo.”
And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities [are become] fortified, [and] are inhabited.
36 Lapho-ke izizwe ezilihanqileyo eziseleyo zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikwakhe kutsha okwakudiliziwe njalo sengikuhlanyele kutsha okwakuphundlekile. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile njalo ngizakwenza lokhu.’
Then the heathen that are left around you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined [places], [and] plant that which was desolate: I the LORD have spoken [it], and I will do [it].
37 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizasivuma njalo isicelo sendlu ka-Israyeli ngibenzele lokhu: Ngizakwenza abantu bakibo babebanengi njengezimvu,
Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet [for] this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do [it] for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
38 babebanengi njengemihlambi yemihlatshelo eJerusalema ngesikhathi semikhosi yalo emisiweyo. Ngokunjalo amadolobho achithekayo azagcwala ngamaxuku abantu. Lapho-ke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.”
As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.
