< 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.
Now it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord Jehovah 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 looked, and lo, a form having the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins downward, of fire; and from his loins upward, of a bright light, like the splendor of shining brass.
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 he put forth the form of a hand, 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 visions of God, to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate, that looketh toward the north, where stood the idol of jealousy, which provoketh 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 saw in the plain.
5 Wasesithi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, khangela ngasenyakatho.” Ngakho ngakhangela, kwathi entubeni esenyakatho kwesango le-alithari ngabona lesisithombe sobukhwele.
Then said he to me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes toward the north! And I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, northward from the gate of the altar was this idol of jealousy, at the entrance.
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, seest thou what they do? Great are the abominations which the house of Israel commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary. But thou shalt yet again see great abominations.
7 Emva kwalokho wangisa entubeni yeguma. Ngakhangela, ngabona imbobo emdulini.
And he brought me to the door of the court, and I looked, 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, break now through the wall. And when I had broken through the wall, behold, a door.
9 Wasesithi kimi, “Ngena ubone izinto ezimbi lezenyanyekayo abazenzayo lapha.”
And he said to me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations which they practise 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 saw, and behold, every form of creeping things, and of abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall 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 there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, standing in the midst of them, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick 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 said he to me: Son of man, seest thou what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, each one in his image-chamber? For they say, “Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath forsaken the land.”
13 Wabuye wathi, “Uzababona besenza izinto ezenyanyeka okudlula lokho.”
And he said to me, Thou shalt yet again see the great abominations which they practise.
14 Emva kwalokho wangisa ekungeneni kwesango lasenyakatho kwendlu kaThixo, ngabona abesifazane behlezi khona belilela uThamuzi.
Then he brought me to the entrance of the gate of the house of Jehovah, which was toward the north, and behold, there sat women, weeping for Thammuz.
15 Wasesithi kimi, “Uyakubona lokhu na, ndodana yomuntu? Uzabona izinto ezenyanyeka kakhulu kulalokhu.”
And he said to me, Seest thou this, O son of man? Thou shalt yet again 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 Jehovah, and behold, at the entrance of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east; and they bowed themselves eastward toward 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: Seest thou, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah, that they commit the abominations which they commit here, that they fill the land with violence, and continually provoke me to anger? And behold, they put the blanch to their nostrils.
18 Ngakho ngizabaphatha ngentukuthelo; angiyikuba lesihawu kubo ngibayekele. Lanxa sebeklabalalela ezindlebeni zami, kangiyikubalalela.”
Therefore will I also deal with them in fury; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

< UHezekheli 8 >