UHezekheli 4

1 “Khathesi-ke, ndodana yomuntu, thatha umcephe webumba uwubeke phambi kwakho, udwebe kuwo idolobho laseJerusalema.

And you, son of man, take a back and put it before you and on it make a picture of a town, even Jerusalem.

2 Dweba ukuvinjezelwa kwalo: Misa izindawo zokuvinjezelwa kwalo, yakha umthezuko ngaphezu kwalo, misa inkamba zokulihlasela uphinde ulihonqolozele ngezigodo zokubhidliza.

And make an attack on it, shutting it in, building strong places against it, and making high an earthwork against it; and put up tents against it, placing engines all round it for smashing down its walls.

3 Emva kwalokho thatha umganu wensimbi, uwubeke unjengomduli wensimbi phakathi kwakho lomuzi ube usuphendulela ubuso bakho kuwo. Wena ukhangele ngakuwo umuzi, umuzi ube ngovinjezelweyo, wena ube ngumvimbezeli. Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso endlini ka-Israyeli.

And take a flat iron plate, and put it for a wall of iron between you and the town: and let your face be turned to it, and it will be shut in and you will make an attack on it. This will be a sign to the children of Israel.

4 Emva kwalokho lala ngomhlubulo wenxele, ubeke isono sendlu ka-Israyeli phezu kwakho. Kumele uthwale isono sabo okwalezonsuku ulele ngomhlubulo wakho.

Then, stretching yourself out on your left side, take the sin of the children of Israel on yourself: for as long as you are stretched out, so long will the sin of the children of Israel be on you.

5 Sengikumisele inani linye lezinsuku njengeminyaka yezono zabo. Ngakho izono zendlu ka-Israyeli uzazithwala okwensuku ezingamakhulu amathathu lamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye.

For I have had the years of their sin measured for you by a number of days, even three hundred and ninety days: and you will take on yourself the sin of the children of Israel.

6 Emva kokuba usuqede lokhu, lala phansi futhi, khathesi kube ngomhlubulo wakho wokunene, uthwale isono sendlu kaJuda. Ngikumisele insuku ezingamatshumi amane, usuku olulodwa lumele umnyaka munye ngamunye.

And when these days are ended, turning on your right side, you are to take on yourself the sin of the children of Judah: forty days, a day for a year, I have had it fixed for you.

7 Phendulela ubuso bakho ekuvinjezelweni kweJerusalema kuthi izingalo zakho zingembeswanga uphrofithe kubi ngeJerusalema.

And let your face be turned to where Jerusalem is shut in, with your arm uncovered, and be a prophet against it.

8 Ngizakubopha ngentambo ukuze ungatshibiliki usuka kwelinye icele usiya kwelinye uze uqede insuku zokuvinjezelwa kwakho.

And see, I will put bands on you; and you will be stretched out without turning from one side to the other till the days of your attack are ended.

9 Thatha ingqoloyi lebhali, indumba lelentili, inyawuthi lophoko; ukubeke embizeni yokugcinela ukusebenzise ekwenzeni ukudla kwakho. Kumele ukudle phakathi kwensuku ezingamakhulu amathathu lamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye ulele ngomhlubulo wakho.

And take for yourself wheat and barley and different sorts of grain, and put them in one vessel and make bread for yourself from them; all the days when you are stretched on your side it will be your food.

10 Linganisa amashekeli angamatshumi amabili okudla ozakudla usuku ngalunye njalo ukudle ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo.

And you are to take your food by weight, twenty shekels a day: you are to take it at regular times.

11 Njalo linganisa okukodwa kwesithupha kwehini lamanzi uwanathe ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo.

And you are to take water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: you are to take it at regular times.

12 Dlana ukudla njengalapho usidla ikhekhe lebhali, ukupheke abantu bekhangele, inkuni zakho kube ngamalongwe abantu.”

And let your food be barley cakes, cooking it before their eyes with the waste which comes out of a man.

13 UThixo wathi, “Ngokunjalo abantu bako-Israyeli bazakudla ukudla okungcolileyo phakathi kwezizwe engizabaxotshela kuzo.”

And the Lord said, Even so the children of Israel will have unclean bread for their food among the nations where I am driving them.

14 Lapho-ke mina ngathi, “Akunjalo, Thixo Wobukhosi. Angikaze ngizingcolise. Kusukela ebutsheni bami kuze kube khathesi angikaze ngidle loba yini etholakale ifile kumbe edlithizwe yizinyamazana. Akulanyama engcolileyo eseyake yangena emlonyeni wami.”

Then I said, Ah, Lord! see, my soul has never been unclean, and I have never taken as my food anything which has come to a natural death or has been broken by beasts, from the time when I was young even till now; no disgusting flesh has ever come into my mouth.

15 Wasesithi, “Kulungile. Ngizakuvumela ukuba upheke isinkwa sakho ngamalongwe enkomo esikhundleni samalongwe abantu.”

Then he said to me, See, I have given you cow's waste in place of man's waste, and you will make your bread ready on it.

16 Waphinda wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, ngizavala ukungeniswa kokudla eJerusalema. Abantu bazakudla ukudla kokwabelwa benqineka, banathe lamanzi okwabelwa bengelathemba,

And he said to me, Son of man, see, I will take away from Jerusalem her necessary bread: they will take their bread by weight and with care, measuring out their drinking-water with fear and wonder:

17 ngoba ukudla lamanzi kuzakuba yingcosana. Bazakwethuka lapho bebonana, njalo bazacikizeka ngenxa yezono zabo.”

So that they may be in need of bread and water and be wondering at one another, wasting away in their sin.