< UHezekheli 1 >
1 Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine ngosuku lwesihlanu, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjwayo, eduze komfula uKhebhari, amazulu avuleka ngabona umbono kaNkulunkulu.
Now it came about in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was by the river Chebar among those who had been made prisoners, that the heavens were made open and I saw visions of God.
2 Ngosuku lwesihlanu lwenyanga ngomnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini
On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year after King Jehoiachin had been made a prisoner,
3 ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuHezekhiyeli umphristi, indodana kaBhuzi, phansi komfula uKhebhari elizweni lamaBhabhiloni. Khonapho isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwakhe.
The word of the Lord came to me, Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on me there.
4 Ngakhangela, ngabona isiphepho sisiza sivela enyakatho, kuliyezi elikhulukazi lokuphazima kombane njalo lizungezwe yikukhanya okubenyezelayo. Phakathi laphakathi komlilo kwakungathi yinsimbi evuthayo,
And, looking, I saw a storm-wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with flames of fire coming after one another, and a bright light shining round about it and in the heart of it was something coloured like electrum.
5 njalo phakathi komlilo kwakulokwakungathi yizidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Ngokukhangeleka isimo sazo sasingesomuntu,
And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man.
6 kodwa ngasinye sazo sasilobuso obune lempiko ezine.
And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
7 Imilenze yazo yayiqondile; inyawo zazo zinjengezethole njalo zinkanyazela njengethusi elilolongiweyo.
And their feet were straight feet; and the under sides of their feet were like the feet of oxen; and they were shining like polished brass.
8 Ngaphansi kwempiko zazo emaceleni azo amane zazilezandla zomuntu. Zonke zozine zazilobuso lempiko,
And they had the hands of a man under their wings; the four of them had faces on their four sides.
9 njalo impiko zazo zazithintana. Esinye lesinye sazo saya phambili; kaziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo.
They went without turning, every one went straight forward.
10 Ubuso bazo babukhangeleka kanje: Esinye lesinye sazo sasilobuso bomuntu, njalo eceleni langakwesokudla esinye lesinye sasilobuso besilwane, ngakwesenxele silobuso benkabi; njalo ngasinye sasilobuso bengqungqulu.
As for the form of their faces, they had the face of a man, and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle.
11 Babunjalo ubuso bazo. Impiko zazo zazichayekele phezulu; ngasinye silamaphiko amabili olunye luthinta uphiko lwesinye isidalwa emaceleni womabili, lempiko ezimbili zigubuzele umzimba waso.
And their wings were separate at the top; two of the wings of every one were joined one to another, and two were covering their bodies.
12 Esinye lesinye saya phambili. Loba kungaphi lapho umoya owaya khona lazo zaya khona zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
Every one of them went straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go they went; they went on without turning.
13 Isimo sezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengamalahle avuthayo omlilo loba njengezibane. Umlilo wahamba usiya phambili lasemuva phakathi kwezidalwa; wawukhazimula, njalo umbane uphazima uphuma kuwo.
And between the living beings it was like burning coals of fire, as if flames were going one after the other between the living beings; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went thunder-flames.
14 Izidalwa zagijima zisiya emuva laphambili njengokuphazima kombane.
And the living beings went out and came back as quickly as a thunder-flame.
15 Kwathi lapho ngizikhangele izidalwa eziphilayo, ngabona ivili phansi eceleni kwesidalwa ngasinye silobuso obune.
Now while I was looking at the four living beings, I saw one wheel on the earth, by the side of the living beings, for the four of them.
16 Nansi isimo lokwakhiwa kwamavili: Ayecazimula njengekhrisoli, njalo wonke womane ayefanana. Elinye lelinye lalingathi lenziwa lanquma kwelinye ivili.
The form of the wheels and their work was like a beryl; the four of them had the same form and design, and they were like a wheel inside a wheel.
17 Ekuhambeni, ayesiya loba kuliphi lamacele amane lapho izidalwa ezazikhangele khona, njalo amavili ayengaphenduki lapho izidalwa zihamba.
The four of them went straight forward without turning to one side.
18 Amarimu awo ayephakeme njalo esesabeka, njalo womane amarimu ayelamehlo indawo yonke.
And I saw that they had edges, and their edges, even of the four, were full of eyes round about.
19 Lapho izidalwa eziphilayo zihamba, lamavili eceleni kwazo ayehamba, njalo lapho izidalwa eziphilayo ziphakama emhlabathini amavili lawo ayephakama lazo.
And when the living beings went on, the wheels went by their side; and when the living beings were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Loba kungaphi lapho umoya owaya khona lazo zaya khona, njalo lamavili ayephakama lazo, ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
Wherever the spirit was to go they went; and the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
21 Kwakusithi izidalwa zingahamba lawo ahambe, kuthi izidalwa zingema lawo ame; njalo kuthi lapho izidalwa ziphakama emhlabathini lawo aphakame lazo, ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
When these went on, the others went; and when these came to rest, the others came to rest; and when these were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
22 Ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo kwakwendlaleke okwakungathi ngumkhathi, kucazimula njengongqwaqwane, njalo kusesabeka.
And over the heads of the living beings there was the form of an arch, looking like ice, stretched out over their heads on high.
23 Ngaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zazelulekile olunye kolunye, njalo esinye lesinye sasilezimpiko ezimbili ezembese umzimba waso.
Under the arch their wings were straight, one stretched out to another: every one had two wings covering their bodies on this side and two covering their bodies on that side.
24 Lapho izidalwa zihamba ngezwa umsindo wezimpiko zazo, unjengokuhlokoma kwamanzi ahamba ngesiqubu, njengelizwi likaSomandla, njengokuxokozela kwebutho. Lapho sezimi, zehlisa impiko zazo.
And when they went, the sound of their wings was like the sound of great waters to my ears, like the voice of the Ruler of all, a sound like the rushing of an army: when they came to rest they let down their wings.
25 Emva kwalokho kweza ilizwi elavela ngaphezu komkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda azo lapho zazimi impiko zazo zehlisiwe.
And there was a voice from the top of the arch which was over their heads: when they came to rest they let down their wings.
26 Ngaphezu komkhathi phezu kwamakhanda azo kwakulokwakungathi yisihlalo sobukhosi esenziwe ngesafire, njalo ngaphezulu esihlalweni sobukhosi kwakulolutho olwalufana lomuntu.
And on the top of the arch which was over their heads was the form of a king's seat, like a sapphire stone; and on the form of the seat was the form of a man seated on it on high.
27 Lokho ngakubona kokwakungathi lukhalo lwakhe kusiya phezulu ekhanya angathi yinsimbi evuthayo, kungathi kugcwele umlilo, njalo kusukela ekhalweni kusehla wayengathi ngumlilo, njalo ehonqolozelwe yikukhanya okucazimulayo.
And I saw it coloured like electrum, with the look of fire in it and round it, going up from what seemed to be the middle of his body; and going down from what seemed to be the middle of his body I saw what was like fire, and there was a bright light shining round him.
28 Ukukhanya okucazimulayo okwakumzungezile kwakunjengomchilo wamakhosikazi emayezini ngosuku lokuna kwezulu. Lokhu kwakuyisimo sesifanekiso senkazimulo kaThixo. Ngathi ngikubona ngawela phansi ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lalowo owayekhuluma.
Like the bow in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the light shining round him. And this is what the glory of the Lord was like. And when I saw it I went down on my face, and the voice of one talking came to my ears.