UHezekheli 37
1 Isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwami, njalo wangikhuphela phandle ngoMoya kaThixo wangibeka phakathi kwesigodi; sasigcwele amathambo.
There came over me the inspiration of the Lord, and he carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones;
2 Wangisa emuva laphambili phakathi kwawo, njalo ngabona amathambo amanengi kakhulu phansi esigodini, amathambo ome kakhulu.
And he caused me to pass by them all round about; and, behold, there were very many of them on the surface of the valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 Wangibuza wathi, “Ndodana yomuntu, kambe amathambo la angaphila na?” Mina ngathi, “Awu Thixo Wobukhosi, wena kuphela nguwe owaziyo.”
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live! And I said, O Lord Eternal, thou alone knowest this.
4 Wasesithi kimi, “Phrofetha emathanjeni la uthi kuwo, ‘Mathambo omileyo, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo!
And he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear ye the word of the Lord.
5 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi emathanjeni la: Ngizakwenza umoya ungene phakathi kwenu, njalo lizakuba lokuphila.
Thus hath said the Lord Eternal unto these bones, Behold, I will bring a spirit into you, and ye shall live;
6 Ngizaxhuma imisipha kini ngenze inyama ihlume phezu kwenu njalo ngibeke ijwabu phezu kwenu; ngizafaka umoya phakathi kwenu, njalo lizakuba lokuphila. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.’”
And I will lay sinews upon you, and bring up flesh upon you, and draw over you a skin, and put a spirit in you, and ye shall live: and ye shall experience that I am the Lord.
7 Ngakho ngaphrofitha njengokulaywa kwami. Kwathi ngisaphrofitha, kwaba lomsindo, umsindo okhehlezelayo, njalo amathambo aqoqana ndawonye, ithambo ethanjeni.
And so I prophesied as I had been commanded: and there was a sound, as I prophesied, and behold there was a rustling noise, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 Ngakhangela, imisipha lenyama kwavela phezu kwawo kwathi ijwabu lawembesa, kodwa kwakungelamoya phakathi kwawo.
And I looked, and behold, there were sinews upon them, and the flesh came up, and the skin was drawn over them above; but no spirit was in them.
9 Wasesithi kimi, “Phrofetha emoyeni, phrofetha, ndodana yomuntu, uthi kuwo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Woza, wena moya, uvela ezindaweni zonke, uphefumulele kubo ababulawayo, ukuba baphile.’”
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the spirit; prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, From the four winds come, O spirit, and breathe into these slain ones, that they may live.
10 Ngakho ngaphrofitha njengokungilaya kwakhe, umoya wasungena kuwo; aba lokuphila njalo ema ngenyawo zawo, kulixuku elikhulukazi.
And I prophesied as he had commanded me, and there came into them the spirit, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Wasesithi kimi: “Ndodana yomuntu, amathambo la ayiyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli. Bona bathi, ‘Amathambo ethu omile njalo ithemba lethu selitshabalele; sesihunundiwe.’
Then said he unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Dried are our bones, and lost is our hope; we are quite cut off.
12 Ngakho phrofetha uthi kubo: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Awu bantu bami, ngizavula amangcwaba enu ngilivuse kuwo; ngizalibuyisela elizweni lako-Israyeli.
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will open your graves, and I will cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people, and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 Lapho-ke, lina bantu bami, lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, lapho sengivula amangcwaba enu ngilivusa kuwo.
And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and when I cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people.
14 Ngizafaka uMoya wami phakathi kwenu njalo lizaphila, futhi ngizalihlalisa elizweni lenu. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikhulumile, njalo sengikwenzile lokho, kutsho uThixo.’”
And I will put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land: and ye shall acknowledge that I the Lord have spoken it, and done it, saith the Lord.
15 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
16 “Ndodana yomuntu, thatha uluthi lwesigodo, ulobe kulo ukuthi, ‘NgolukaJuda labako-Israyeli amanyane laye.’ Emva kwalokho thatha olunye njalo uluthi lwesigodo, ulobe kulo ukuthi, ‘Uluthi luka-Efrayimi, olukaJosefa kanye lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli emanyene laye.’
But thou, son of man, take unto thyself one stick of wood, and write upon it, “For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions;” then take another stick, and write upon it, “For Joseph, —the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:”
17 Zihlanganise ndawonye zibe yiluthi olulodwa ukuze zibe luthilunye esandleni sakho.
And join them one to the other unto thee as one stick; and they shall become one in thy hand.
18 Lapho abantu bakini bekubuza besithi, ‘Kawuyikusitshela na ukuthi utshoni ngalokhu?’
And if the children of thy people should say unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not tell us what thou meanest by these?
19 uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizathatha uluthi lukaJosefa olusesandleni sika-Efrayimi lolwezizwana zako-Israyeli ezimanyene laye, ngiluhlanganise loluthi lukaJuda, ngizenze zibe yiluthi lunye lwesigodo, njalo zizakuba ngolulodwa esandleni sami.’
[Then] speak unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, —which is in the hand of Ephraim, —and the tribes of Israel his companions, and will lay them upon him, even the stick of Judah, and make them into one stick, and they shall be one in my hand.
20 Izinti olobe kuzo ziphathe phambi kwamehlo abo
And the sticks whereon thou shalt have written shall be in thy hand before their eyes.
21 uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakhupha ama-Israyeli ezizweni aya kuzo. Ngizawaqoqa ezindaweni zonke ngiwabuyisele elizweni lawo.
And speak unto them, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and I will gather them from every side, and bring them unto their own land;
22 Ngizawenza abe yisizwe sinye elizweni, phezu kwezintaba zako-Israyeli. Kuzakuba lenkosi eyodwa phezu kwabo bonke njalo akuyikuba lezizwe ezimbili futhi kumbe behlukaniswe ukuba yimibuso emibili.
And I will make them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be to them all for king; and they shall not be any more two nations, nor shall they at any time be divided into two kingdoms any more:
23 Kabasayikuzingcolisa ngezithombe zabo langezifanekiso zabo ezenyanyekayo loba ngezinye zeziphambeko zabo, ngoba ngizabasindisa kukho konke ukuhlehlela kwabo emuva esonweni, njalo ngizabahlambulula. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo.
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, and with their detestable things, and with all their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and I will cleanse them, and they shall be unto me for a people, and I will be to them for a God.
24 Inceku yami uDavida uzakuba yinkosi yabo, njalo bonke bazakuba lomelusi munye. Bazalandela imithetho yami njalo bananzelele ukugcina izimiso zami.
And my servant David shall be king over them; and one shepherd shall be for them all: and in my ordinances shall they walk, and my statutes shall they observe, and do them.
25 Bazahlala elizweni engalinika inceku yami uJakhobe, ilizwe lapho oyihlo ababehlala khona. Bona labantwana babo kanye labantwana babantwana babo bazahlala khona kokuphela, njalo uDavida inceku yami uzakuba yinkosana yabo kokuphela.
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto my servant, unto Jacob, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and David my servant shall be prince unto them for ever.
26 Ngizakwenza isivumelwano sokuthula labo; sizakuba yisivumelwano esingayikuphela.
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, an everlasting covenant shall it be with them: and I will multiply them, and I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
27 Indawo yami yokuhlala izakuba kubo; ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo, njalo bona bazakuba ngabantu bami.
My dwelling also shall be with them, and I will be unto them for a God; and they shall be unto me as a people.
28 Lapho-ke izizwe zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo ngenza u-Israyeli abengcwele, nxa indlu yami engcwele iphakathi kwabo nini lanini.’”
And the nations shall know that I am the Lord who sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary will be in the midst of them for evermore.
