UHezekheli 5
1 “Khathesi, ndodana yomuntu, thatha inkemba ebukhali uyisebenzise njengempuco yomgeli ekuphuceni ikhanda lakho kanye lezindevu zakho. Emva kwalokho thatha izilinganiso wehlukanise inwele.
“As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.
2 Lapho insuku zokuvinjezelwa kwenu seziphelile, tshisa ingxenye yesithathu yezinwele ngomlilo phakathi kwedolobho. Thatha ingxenye yesithathu uyigwaze ngenkemba ubhoda lonke idolobho, uhlakazele ingxenye yesithathu emoyeni. Ngoba ngizabalandela ngiphethe inkemba ekhokhiweyo.
When the days of the siege have ended, you are to burn up a third of the hair inside the city; you are also to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind. For I will unleash a sword behind them.
3 Kodwa thatha inwele ezilutshwane uzithungele emiphethweni yesembatho sakho.
But you are to take a few strands of hair and secure them in the folds of your garment.
4 Thatha njalo emilutshwana yayo uyiphosele emlilweni uyitshise. Umlilo uzamemetheka usuka lapho uye kuyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli.
Again, take a few of these, throw them into the fire, and burn them. From there a fire will spread to the whole house of Israel.
5 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: Le yiJerusalema engiyimise phakathi kwezizwe, kulamazwe kuwo wonke amacele ayo.
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.
6 Kodwa ngenxa yobubi bayo isihlamukele imithetho yami lezimiso zami okudlula izizwe lamazwe ayihanqileyo. Iyalile imithetho yami kayaze yalandela izimiso zami.
But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations, and against My statutes worse than the countries around her. For her people have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.’
7 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: Ube ngoxhwale okudlula izizwe ezikuhanqileyo njalo kawulandelanga izimiso zami kumbe ugcine imithetho yami. Futhi kalilaleli lezimiso zezizwe ezilihanqileyo.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You have been more insubordinate than the nations around you; you have not walked in My statutes or kept My ordinances, nor have you even conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.’
8 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: Mina ngokwami ngimelane lawe, wena Jerusalema, njalo ngizabeka isijeziso phezu kwakho izizwe zikhangele.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.
9 Ngenxa yezithombe zakho zonke ezinengekayo, kuwe ngizakwenza engingakaze ngikwenze ngaphambili njalo engingayikukwenza futhi.
Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.
10 Ngakho phakathi kwenu oyise bazakudla abantwana babo, labantwana bazakudla oyise. Ngizabeka isijeziso phezu kwakho kuthi bonke abasindileyo bakho ngibahlakazele emoyeni.
As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’
11 Ngakho ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, ngoba ungcolise indlu yami engcwele ngezifanekiso zakho zonke ezingamanyala langezenzo zakho ezenyanyekayo, mina ngokwami ngizasusa umusa wami; angiyikuba lesihawu kuwe loba ngiyekele ukukubhubhisa.
Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon you with pity, nor will I spare you.
12 Ingxenye yesithathu yabantu bakho izabulawa yisifo loba ibhujiswe yindlala phakathi kwakho; ingxenye yesithathu izakufa ngenkemba ngaphandle kwemiduli yakho; ingxenye yesithathu ngizayihlakazela emoyeni ngiphinde ngiyilandele ngiphethe inkemba.
A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine within you, a third will fall by the sword outside your walls, and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them.
13 Lapho-ke ukuthukuthela kwami kuzaphela, lolaka lwami kubo luzadeda, njalo ngizabe sengiphindisele. Njalo lapho ulaka lwami sengiluqedele kubo, bazakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo ngikhulume ngokutshiseka kwami.
And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD, in My zeal have spoken.
14 Ngizakwenza ube lunxiwa lehlazo phakathi kwezizwe ezikuhanqileyo, emehlweni abo bonke abadlula khona.
I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.
15 Uzakuba lihlazo lenhlekisa, isixwayiso lento eyesabekayo ezizweni ezikuhanqileyo lapho sengibeka isijeziso phezu kwakho ngentukuthelo langolaka, ngikhuza kabuhlungu. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.
So you will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror to the nations around you, when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and raging fury. I, the LORD, have spoken.
16 Lapho ngikutshoka ngemitshoko yami ebhubhisayo, langemitshoko echithayo yendlala, ngizatshoka ukuba ngikutshabalalise. Ngizakwandisela indlala ngivale ukulethwa kokudla kwakho.
When I shower you with the deadly arrows of famine and destruction that I will send to destroy you, I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of food.
17 Ngizakulethela indlala lezinyamazana zeganga ukuba kukuhlasele, kuzakutshiya ungaselamntwana. Isifo lokuchithwa kwegazi kuzadabula phakathi kwakho, njalo ngizaletha inkemba ukuba ikuhlasele. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.”
I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
