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.
And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the ancients of Juda sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.
2 Ngakhangela, ngabona ulutho olwalulesimo somuntu. Kusukela kokwakungathi lukhalo lwakhe kusiya phansi wayenjengomlilo, njalo kusukela lapho kusiya phezulu ukubonakala kwakhe kwakhazimula njengensimbi evuthayo.
And I saw, and behold a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins, and downward, fire: and from his loins, and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the appearance of amber.
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.
And the likeness of a hand was put forth and took me by a lock of my head: and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the vision of God into Jerusalem, near the inner gate, that looked toward the north, where was set the idol of jealousy to provoke to jealousy.
4 Njalo khonapho phambili kwami kwakulenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengasembonweni engawubona egcekeni.
And behold the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision which I had seen in the plain.
5 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khangela ngasenyakatho.” Ngakho ngakhangela, kwathi entubeni esenyakatho kwesango le-alithari ngabona lesisithombe sobukhwele.
And he said to me: Son of man, lift up thy eyes towards the way of the north. And I lifted up my eyes towards the way of the north: and behold on the north side of the gate of the altar the idol of jealousy in the very 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.”
And he said to me: Son of man, dost thou see, thinkest thou, what these are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should depart far off from my sanctuary? and turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater abominations.
7 Emva kwalokho wangisa entubeni yeguma. Ngakhangela, ngabona imbobo emdulini.
And he brought me in to the door of the court: and I saw, and behold a hole in the wall.
8 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khathesi gubha umduli.” Ngakho ngawugubha umduli ngasengibona umnyango khona.
And he said to me: Son of man, dig in the wall. And when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
9 Wasesithi kimi, “Ngena ubone izinto ezimbi lezenyanyekayo abazenzayo lapha.”
And he said to me: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they commit here.
10 Ngakho ngangena phakathi ngakhangela, ngabona indawo yonke emidulini kufanekiswe inhlobo zezinto zonke ezihuquzelayo lezinyamazana ezenyanyekayo kanye lezithombe zonke zasendlini ka-Israyeli.
And I went in and saw, and behold every form of creeping things, and of living creatures, the abomination, and all the idols of the house of Israel, were painted on the wall all round about.
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.
And seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and Jezonias the son of Saaphan stood in the midst of them, that stood before the pictures: and every one had a censer in his hand: and a cloud of smoke went up from the incense.
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.’”
And he said to me: Surely thou seest. O son of man, what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every one in private in his chamber: for they say: The Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
13 Wabuye wathi, “Uzababona besenza izinto ezenyanyeka okudlula lokho.”
And he said to me: If thou turn thee again, thou shalt see greater abominations which these commit.
14 Emva kwalokho wangisa ekungeneni kwesango lasenyakatho kwendlu kaThixo, ngabona abesifazane behlezi khona belilela uThamuzi.
And he brought me in by the door of the gate of the Lord’s house, which looked to the north: and behold women sat there mourning for Adonis.
15 Wasesithi kimi, “Uyakubona lokhu na, ndodana yomuntu? Uzabona izinto ezenyanyeka kakhulu kulalokhu.”
And he said to me: Surely thou hast seen, O son of man: but turn thee again: and thou shalt see 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.
And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord: and behold at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men having their backs towards the temple of the Lord, and their faces to the east: and they adored towards the rising of the sun.
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!
And he said to me: Surely thou hast seen, O son of man: is this a light thing to the house of Juda, that they should commit these abominations which they have committed here: because they have filled the land with iniquity, and have turned to provoke me to anger? and behold they put a branch to their nose.
18 Ngakho ngizabaphatha ngentukuthelo; angiyikuba lesihawu kubo ngibayekele. Lanxa sebeklabalalela ezindlebeni zami, kangiyikubalalela.”
Therefore I also will deal with them in my wrath: my eye shall not spare them, neither will I shew mercy: and when they shall cry to my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.
