< UHezekheli 5 >
1 “Khathesi, ndodana yomuntu, thatha inkemba ebukhali uyisebenzise njengempuco yomgeli ekuphuceni ikhanda lakho kanye lezindevu zakho. Emva kwalokho thatha izilinganiso wehlukanise inwele.
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.
3 Kodwa thatha inwele ezilutshwane uzithungele emiphethweni yesembatho sakho.
4 Thatha njalo emilutshwana yayo uyiphosele emlilweni uyitshise. Umlilo uzamemetheka usuka lapho uye kuyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli.
5 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: Le yiJerusalema engiyimise phakathi kwezizwe, kulamazwe kuwo wonke amacele ayo.
6 Kodwa ngenxa yobubi bayo isihlamukele imithetho yami lezimiso zami okudlula izizwe lamazwe ayihanqileyo. Iyalile imithetho yami kayaze yalandela izimiso zami.
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.
8 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: Mina ngokwami ngimelane lawe, wena Jerusalema, njalo ngizabeka isijeziso phezu kwakho izizwe zikhangele.
9 Ngenxa yezithombe zakho zonke ezinengekayo, kuwe ngizakwenza engingakaze ngikwenze ngaphambili njalo engingayikukwenza futhi.
10 Ngakho phakathi kwenu oyise bazakudla abantwana babo, labantwana bazakudla oyise. Ngizabeka isijeziso phezu kwakho kuthi bonke abasindileyo bakho ngibahlakazele emoyeni.
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.
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.
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.
14 Ngizakwenza ube lunxiwa lehlazo phakathi kwezizwe ezikuhanqileyo, emehlweni abo bonke abadlula khona.
15 Uzakuba lihlazo lenhlekisa, isixwayiso lento eyesabekayo ezizweni ezikuhanqileyo lapho sengibeka isijeziso phezu kwakho ngentukuthelo langolaka, ngikhuza kabuhlungu. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.
16 Lapho ngikutshoka ngemitshoko yami ebhubhisayo, langemitshoko echithayo yendlala, ngizatshoka ukuba ngikutshabalalise. Ngizakwandisela indlala ngivale ukulethwa kokudla kwakho.
17 Ngizakulethela indlala lezinyamazana zeganga ukuba kukuhlasele, kuzakutshiya ungaselamntwana. Isifo lokuchithwa kwegazi kuzadabula phakathi kwakho, njalo ngizaletha inkemba ukuba ikuhlasele. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.”