UZekhariya 11
1 Vula iminyango yakho, wena Lebhanoni, ukuze umlilo uqhunqise imisedari yakho!
Open thy doors, O Lebanon, That the fire may devour thy cedars!
2 Lila, wena sihlahla sephayini, ngoba imisedari isiwile; ngoba izihlahla zobukhosi ziqhunqile! Lilani, mi-okhi yaseBhashani; igusu elivitshileyo selicakazelwe phansi!
Howl, O cypress, for the cedar falleth! For the lofty ones are destroyed! Howl, O ye oaks of Bashan, For the high forest is come down!
3 Lalela ukulila kwabelusi; amadlelo abo amahle asetshabalalisiwe! Lalela ukubhonga kwezilwane; ihlathi elihle leJodani liqhunqile!
Hark! the voice of the howling of the shepherds, Because their glory is destroyed! The voice of the roaring of young lions, Because the pride of Jordan is destroyed!
4 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uNkulunkulu wami, uthi: “Sana emadlelweni umhlambi wezimvu zokuhlatshwa.
Thus said Jehovah, my God: Feed thou the flock of slaughter,
5 Abathengi bazo bayazihlaba bangajeziswa. Labo abazithengisayo bathi, ‘Makadunyiswe uThixo, senginothile!’ Abelusi bazo ngokwabo labo kabaziyekeli.
Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty, And which they who sell say, “Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich!” And whose shepherds spare them not.
6 Ngoba kangisayikuba lozwelo ebantwini belizwe,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngulowo lalowo ngizamnikela kumakhelwane wakhe lenkosini yakhe. Bazalincindezela ilizwe, kodwa kangiyikubalamulela ezandleni zabo.”
For I will no longer spare The inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah; But, behold, I will deliver the men Every one into the hand of his neighbor, And into the hand of his king; And they shall smite the land, And I will not deliver out of 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.
So I fed the flock of slaughter, truly a miserable flock. And I took to me two crooks; the one I called Favor, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
8 Ngenyanga eyodwa ngaxotsha abelusi abathathu. Izimvu zanengeka ngami, lami zangidina
And I cut off three shepherds in one month; for I was weary of them, and they also abhorred me.
9 ngathi, “Kangisayikuba ngumelusi wenu. Yekela efayo ife, lebhubhayo ibhubhe. Yekela lezo eziseleyo zidlane inyama yazo.”
Then I said, I will not feed you; that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat the flesh of one another.
10 Ngasengithatha ingwegwe yami ethiwa nguThandeka ngayephula, ngidiliza isivumelwano engangisenzile lezizwe zonke.
And I took my staff Favor, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the nations.
11 Sadilizwa ngalelolanga, yikho abadubekayo emhlambini ababengikhangele bakwazi ukuthi lokho kwakulilizwi likaThixo.
And it was broken in that day; and so the poor of the flock, who had regard to me, knew that it was the word of Jehovah.
12 Ngabatshela ngathi, “Nxa libona kufanele, ngiphani iholo lami; nxa njalo kungenjalo, yekelani.” Yikho basebengiholisa inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu.
Then I said to them, If it seem good in your eyes, give me my wages; if not, keep them. And they weighed for my wages thirty shekels of silver.
13 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Iphosele kumbumbi,” imali engaka ababengilinganisele yona! Ngasengizithatha lezonhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu ngaziphosela kumbumbi wembiza endlini kaThixo.
And Jehovah said to me, Cast it into the treasury, the goodly price at which I was valued by them. And I took the thirty shekels of silver, and cast them into the house of Jehovah, into the treasury.
14 Ngasengiqamula ingwegwe yami yesibili ethiwa nguNhlanganiso, ngiqamula ubuzalwane phakathi kukaJuda lo-Israyeli.
Then I broke my other crook, even Bands, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Thatha futhi izikhali zomelusi oyisithutha.
And Jehovah said to me: Take to thee yet the instruments 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 lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land Who shall not care for those that are perishing, Nor seek that which is gone astray, Nor heal that which is wounded, Nor support that which cannot go; But he shall eat the flesh of the fat, And consume it even to the 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!”
Woe to the foolish shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword is upon his arm, and upon his right eye; His arm shall surely be withered, And his right eye shall surely be darkened!
