UHezekheli 8
1 Ngomnyaka wesithupha, ngenyanga yesithupha ngosuku lwesihlanu, lapho ngangihlezi endlini yami labadala bakoJuda behlezi phambi kwami, isandla sikaThixo Wobukhosi sehlela phezu kwami khonapho.
In the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the Lord GOD’s hand fell on me there.
2 Ngakhangela, ngabona ulutho olwalulesimo somuntu. Kusukela kokwakungathi lukhalo lwakhe kusiya phansi wayenjengomlilo, njalo kusukela lapho kusiya phezulu ukubonakala kwakhe kwakhazimula njengensimbi evuthayo.
Then I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire—from the appearance of his waist and downward, fire, and from his waist and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.
3 Welula okwakukhanya angathi yisandla wangibamba ngenwele zekhanda lami. UMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu phakathi komhlaba lezulu, kwathi ngemibono kaNkulunkulu wangisa eJerusalema, ekungeneni kwesango langasenyakatho yeguma langaphakathi, lapho okwakumi khona isithombe esibangela ubukhwele.
He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks toward the north, where there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
4 Njalo khonapho phambili kwami kwakulenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengasembonweni engawubona egcekeni.
Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.
5 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khangela ngasenyakatho.” Ngakho ngakhangela, kwathi entubeni esenyakatho kwesango le-alithari ngabona lesisithombe sobukhwele.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north.” So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and saw, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, uyakubona yini abakwenzayo, izinto ezenyanyekayo kakhulu indlu ka-Israyeli ezenzayo lapha, izinto ezizangixotshela khatshana lendawo yami engcwele? Kodwa wena uzabona izinto ezenyanyekayo kakhulukazi kulalezi.”
He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you will again see yet other great abominations.”
7 Emva kwalokho wangisa entubeni yeguma. Ngakhangela, ngabona imbobo emdulini.
He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
8 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khathesi gubha umduli.” Ngakho ngawugubha umduli ngasengibona umnyango khona.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig now in the wall.” When I had dug in the wall, I saw a door.
9 Wasesithi kimi, “Ngena ubone izinto ezimbi lezenyanyekayo abazenzayo lapha.”
He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.”
10 Ngakho ngangena phakathi ngakhangela, ngabona indawo yonke emidulini kufanekiswe inhlobo zezinto zonke ezihuquzelayo lezinyamazana ezenyanyekayo kanye lezithombe zonke zasendlini ka-Israyeli.
So I went in and looked, and saw every form of creeping things, abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed around on the wall.
11 Phambi kwazo kwakumi abadala bendlu ka-Israyeli abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa, loJazaniya indodana kaShafani emi phakathi kwabo. Omunye lomunye wayephethe udengezi lokutshisela impepha ngesandla, luthunqa intuthu elephunga elimnandi elempepha.
Seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel stood before them. In the middle of them Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan stood, every man with his censer in his hand; and the smell of the cloud of incense went up.
12 Wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, ukubonile yini okwenziwa ngabadala bendlu ka-Israyeli emnyameni, omunye lomunye esendaweni yokukhonzela isithombe sakhe? Bathi, ‘UThixo kasiboni; uThixo uselilahlile ilizwe.’”
Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us. The LORD has forsaken the land.’”
13 Wabuye wathi, “Uzababona besenza izinto ezenyanyeka okudlula lokho.”
He said also to me, “You will again see more of the great abominations which they do.”
14 Emva kwalokho wangisa ekungeneni kwesango lasenyakatho kwendlu kaThixo, ngabona abesifazane behlezi khona belilela uThamuzi.
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and I saw the women sit there weeping for Tammuz.
15 Wasesithi kimi, “Uyakubona lokhu na, ndodana yomuntu? Uzabona izinto ezenyanyeka kakhulu kulalokhu.”
Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see yet greater abominations than these.”
16 Wasengisa egumeni lendlu kaThixo elingaphakathi, njalo khonapho ekungeneni kwethempeli, phakathi komkhandlu le-alithari, kwakulamadoda ayengaba ngamatshumi amabili lanhlanu. Ayekhothamele phansi elangeni empumalanga, efulathele ithempeli likaThixo. Ubuso bawo bukhangele empumalanga.
He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and I saw at the door of the LORD’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the LORD’s temple and their faces toward the east. They were worshiping the sun toward the east.
17 Wathi kimi, “Sewake wakubona lokhu na ndodana yomuntu? Kuyinto encane na ukuthi indlu kaJuda yenze izinto ezenyanyekayo abazenza lapha? Kumele ilizwe baligcwalise futhi ngodlakela, njalo bangithukuthelise kokuphela na? Bakhangele bebeka ugatsha empumulweni yabo!
Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger. Behold, they put the branch to their nose.
18 Ngakho ngizabaphatha ngentukuthelo; angiyikuba lesihawu kubo ngibayekele. Lanxa sebeklabalalela ezindlebeni zami, kangiyikubalalela.”
Therefore I will also deal in wrath. My eye will not spare, neither will I have pity. Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them.”
