UZekhariya 11
1 Vula iminyango yakho, wena Lebhanoni, ukuze umlilo uqhunqise imisedari yakho!
Open your gates, Lebanon, and let fire consume your cedars.
2 Lila, wena sihlahla sephayini, ngoba imisedari isiwile; ngoba izihlahla zobukhosi ziqhunqile! Lilani, mi-okhi yaseBhashani; igusu elivitshileyo selicakazelwe phansi!
Howl, you fir tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the magnificent have been devastated. Howl, you oaks of Bashan, because the secure forest passage has been cut down.
3 Lalela ukulila kwabelusi; amadlelo abo amahle asetshabalalisiwe! Lalela ukubhonga kwezilwane; ihlathi elihle leJodani liqhunqile!
The voice of the howling of the shepherds: for their magnificence has been devastated. The voice of the roaring of the lions: because the arrogance of the Jordan has been devastated.
4 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uNkulunkulu wami, uthi: “Sana emadlelweni umhlambi wezimvu zokuhlatshwa.
Thus says the Lord my God: Feed the flock of the slaughter,
5 Abathengi bazo bayazihlaba bangajeziswa. Labo abazithengisayo bathi, ‘Makadunyiswe uThixo, senginothile!’ Abelusi bazo ngokwabo labo kabaziyekeli.
which those who possessed them cut down, and they did not feel sorrow, and they sold them, saying: “Blessed be the Lord; we have become wealthy. Even their shepherds did not spare them.”
6 Ngoba kangisayikuba lozwelo ebantwini belizwe,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngulowo lalowo ngizamnikela kumakhelwane wakhe lenkosini yakhe. Bazalincindezela ilizwe, kodwa kangiyikubalamulela ezandleni zabo.”
And so, I will no longer spare the inhabitants upon the earth, says the Lord. Behold, I will deliver men, each one into the hand of his neighbor and into the hand of his king. And they will cut down the land, and I will not rescue it from their hand.
7 Ngakho ngizafaka emadlelweni izimvu ezasezikhethelwe ukuya esilaheni, ikakhulu lezo ezaziphathwa kabuhlungu. Ngasengithatha ingwegwe ezimbili ngabiza enye ngokuthi nguThandeka kwathi enye ngathi nguNhlanganiso, ngasengizelusa izimvu.
And I will pasture the flock of the slaughter, because of this, O poor of the flock. And I took to myself two staffs: the one I called Handsome, and the other I called Rope, and I pastured the flock.
8 Ngenyanga eyodwa ngaxotsha abelusi abathathu. Izimvu zanengeka ngami, lami zangidina
And I cut down three shepherds in one month. And my soul became contracted concerning them, just as their soul also varied concerning me.
9 ngathi, “Kangisayikuba ngumelusi wenu. Yekela efayo ife, lebhubhayo ibhubhe. Yekela lezo eziseleyo zidlane inyama yazo.”
And I said: I will not pasture you. Whatever dies, let it die. And whatever is cut down, let it be cut down. And let the rest of them devour, each one the flesh of his neighbor.
10 Ngasengithatha ingwegwe yami ethiwa nguThandeka ngayephula, ngidiliza isivumelwano engangisenzile lezizwe zonke.
And I took my staff, which was called Handsome, and I tore it apart, so as to invalidate my pact, which I had struck with all of the people.
11 Sadilizwa ngalelolanga, yikho abadubekayo emhlambini ababengikhangele bakwazi ukuthi lokho kwakulilizwi likaThixo.
And it became invalid in that day. And so they understood, just like the poor of the flock who stay close to me, that this is the word of the Lord.
12 Ngabatshela ngathi, “Nxa libona kufanele, ngiphani iholo lami; nxa njalo kungenjalo, yekelani.” Yikho basebengiholisa inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu.
And I said to them: If it is good in your eyes, bring me my wages. And if not, remain still. And they weighed for my wages thirty silver coins.
13 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Iphosele kumbumbi,” imali engaka ababengilinganisele yona! Ngasengizithatha lezonhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu ngaziphosela kumbumbi wembiza endlini kaThixo.
And the Lord said to me: Cast it towards the statuary, the handsome price at which I have been valued by them. And I took the thirty silver coins, and I cast them into the house of the Lord, towards the statuary.
14 Ngasengiqamula ingwegwe yami yesibili ethiwa nguNhlanganiso, ngiqamula ubuzalwane phakathi kukaJuda lo-Israyeli.
And I cut short my second staff, which was called Rope, so that I might dissolve the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Thatha futhi izikhali zomelusi oyisithutha.
And the Lord said to me: Still they are to you the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
16 Ngoba ngizamisa umelusi welizwe leli ongezukunanza ngezilahlekileyo, angawadingi amazinyane, angawelaphi alimeleyo, angawaphi ukudla aphilayo, kodwa adle inyama yezinonileyo, adlithize lamangqina azo.
For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit what is forsaken, nor seek what is scattered, nor heal what is broken, nor nourish what remains standing, and he will consume the flesh of the fatted ones and break their hoofs.
17 Maye kumelusi oyisithutha, ohlamukela izifuyo! Sengathi angadliwa yinkemba igalele engalweni lelihlweni lakhe lakwesokunene! Sengathi ingalo yakhe ingahle yome qha, ilihlo lakhe langakwesokunene lihle life kokuphela!”
O shepherd and idol, abandoning the flock, with a sword upon his arm and over his right eye: his arm will be withered by drought, and his right eye will be obscured by darkness.
