UHezekheli 1
1 Kwasekusithi-ke ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjiweyo ngasemfuleni iKebari, avuleka amazulu, ngasengibona imibono kaNkulunkulu.
In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
2 Ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, okungumnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini,
On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—
3 ilizwi leNkosi leza liqonde kuHezekeli, indodana kaBuzi, umpristi, elizweni lamaKhaladiya ngasemfuleni iKebari; lesandla seNkosi saba phezu kwakhe lapho.
the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
4 Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, umoya wesivunguzane wavela enyakatho, iyezi elikhulu, lomlilo ozimumetheyo, lokucwazimula inhlangothi zonke zalo, laphakathi kwalo kwavela kwangathi libala lethusi, livela phakathi komlilo.
I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,
5 Laphakathi kwalo kwavela umfanekiso wezidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Lalokhu kwakuyisimo sazo: Zazilomfanekiso womuntu.
and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,
6 Njalo yileso laleso sasilobuso obune, njalo yileso laleso sazo sasilempiko ezine.
but each had four faces and four wings.
7 Lenyawo zazo zazizinyawo eziqondileyo, lengaphansi yezinyawo zazo yayinjengengaphansi yonyawo lwethole, zacwazimula njengombala wethusi elilolongiweyo.
Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.
8 Njalo kwakulezandla zomuntu ngaphansi kwempiko zazo enhlangothini zazo zozine. Njalo zozine zazilobuso bazo lempiko zazo.
Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings,
9 Impiko zazo zazihlangene olunye kolunye; aziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo; zahamba, yileso laleso siqonde phambili.
and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.
10 Njalo umfanekiso wobuso bazo wawuyibuso bomuntu, njalo zozine zazilobuso besilwane ngakwesokunene; njalo zozine zazilobuso benkabi ngakwesokhohlo; futhi zozine zazilobuso belinqe.
The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.
11 Babunjalo ubuso bazo; lempiko zazo zazehlukene ngaphezulu; yileso laleso sasilezimbili zihlanganisiwe kolunye, lezimbili zigubuzele imizimba yazo.
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
12 Zahamba yileso laleso siqonde phambili; zaya lapho umoya owaya khona, zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.
13 Mayelana lomfanekiso wezidalwa eziphilayo, ukubonakala kwazo kwakunjengamalahle omlilo avuthayo, njengokubonakala kwezibane; kwahamba kusiya le lale phakathi kwezidalwa eziphilayo; njalo umlilo wawulokukhazimula, njalo emlilweni kwakuphuma umbane.
In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
14 Lezidalwa eziphilayo zagijima zaphenduka njengokubonakala kokuphazima kombane.
The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.
15 Ngathi ngikhangela izidalwa eziphilayo, khangela-ke, ivili elilodwa lalisemhlabeni eceleni kwezidalwa eziphilayo, ebusweni baso obune.
When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
16 Ukubonakala kwamavili lomsebenzi wawo kwakufanana lombala webherule; njalo zozine zazilesimo sinye; lokubonakala kwazo lomsebenzi wazo kwakunjengokuthi livili phakathi kwevili.
The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel.
17 Ekuhambeni kwawo ahamba ngezinhlangothi zawo zozine; kawaphendukanga ekuhambeni kwawo.
As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.
18 Mayelana lamarimu awo, ayephakeme kangangokuthi ayesesabeka; njalo amarimu awo ayegcwele amehlo inhlangothi zonke zawo zozine.
Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19 Ekuhambeni kwezidalwa eziphilayo amavili ahamba eceleni kwazo; lekuphakanyisweni kwezidalwa eziphilayo emhlabeni lamavili aphakanyiswa.
So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
20 Lapho umoya owawusiya khona zaya khona, kulapho umoya owawuzakuya khona; lamavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lawo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 Lapho lezi zihamba, lawo ahamba; lalapho lezi zisima, lawo ema; lalapho lezi ziphakanyiswa emhlabeni, amavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lazo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Njalo isimo somkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengombala wekristali elesabekayo, seluliwe phezu kwamakhanda azo ngaphezulu.
Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal.
23 Langaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zaziqondile, olunye lusiya kolunye; yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese imizimba yazo ngapha, njalo yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese ngaphayana.
And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body.
24 Lekuhambeni kwazo ngezwa umsindo wempiko zazo unjengomsindo wamanzi amanengi, njengelizwi likaSomandla, umsindo wokuhlokoma, njengomsindo wenkamba; lapho zisima zehlisa impiko zazo.
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 Kwasekusiba lelizwi elavela phezu komkhathi ongaphezu kwekhanda lazo lapho sezimi sezehlise impiko zazo.
And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.
26 Langaphezu komkhathi owawuphezu kwekhanda lazo kwakunjengesimo selitshe lesafire, umfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi; langaphezu komfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi kwakulomfanekiso onjengokubonakala komuntu phezu kwakho ngaphezulu.
Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.
27 Ngasengibona njengombala wethusi, njengokubonakala komlilo phakathi kwakho inhlangothi zonke, kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphezulu, njalo kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphansi, ngabona kunjengokubonakala komlilo, lokukhazimula inhlangothi zakhe zonke.
From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.
28 Njengokubonakala komchilo wamakhosikazi osemayezini ngosuku lwezulu, kwakunjalo ukubonakala kokukhazimula inhlangothi zonke. Lokhu kwakuyikubonakala kwesimo senkazimulo yeNkosi. Ngathi ngikubona, ngathi mbo ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lowakhulumayo.
The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.
