UHezekheli 11
1 UMoya wasengiphakamisa, wangiletha esangweni lempumalanga lendlu yeNkosi, elikhangele ngempumalanga; khangela-ke, emnyango wesango kwakukhona amadoda angamatshumi amabili lanhlanu; laphakathi kwawo ngabona uJahazaniya indodana kaAzuri, loPelatiya indodana kaBhenaya, iziphathamandla zabantu.
[Then God’s] Spirit lifted me up and took me to the gate on the east side of the temple area. There at the gate were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.
2 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, lawa ngamadoda acabanga inkohlakalo, aceba iseluleko esibi kulumuzi,
Yahweh said to me, “You human, these are the [new leaders in Jerusalem] who are planning to do evil things and who are giving wicked advice [to people] in this city.
3 athi: Kakuseduze ukwakha izindlu; lumuzi uyimbiza, lathi siyinyama.
They say, ‘[Everything will go well for us, so] it will surely soon be [RHQ] time to build houses. [We are like] [MET] fine/choice pieces of meat that are carefully stored in covered pots, and we are protected [from the bad things that will happen to others].’
4 Ngakho profetha umelene lawo, profetha, ndodana yomuntu.
So, you human, prophesy [the terrible things that will happen to] them.”
5 UMoya weNkosi wasewela phezu kwami, wathi kimi: Khuluma uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Litshilo njalo, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, ngoba izinto ezivela engqondweni yenu, mina ngiyazazi yileyo laleyo yazo.
Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon me and told me to [to the people], “This is what Yahweh says: You Israeli people [MTY] are saying those things, but I know what you are thinking.
6 Landisile ababuleweyo benu kulumuzi, lagcwalisa izitalada zawo ngababuleweyo.
You have killed many people in this city and filled the streets with their corpses.
7 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ababuleweyo benu elibabeke phakathi kwawo, bona bayinyama, lalo umuzi uyimbiza; kodwa lina ngizalikhupha phakathi kwawo.
Therefore this is what Yahweh the Lord says: The corpses of the people whom you have killed here are [like] the meat [MET], and this city is [like] the pot [MET], but I will expel you from this city.
8 Liyesabile inkemba, njalo ngizayiletha inkemba phezu kwenu, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
You are afraid [being killed by enemies’] swords, and that is what I will cause to happen to you.
9 Njalo ngizalikhupha phakathi kwawo, ngilinikele esandleni sabezizwe, ngenze izigwebo phakathi kwenu.
I will expel you from this city and enable foreigners to capture you and punish you.
10 Lizakuwa ngenkemba, ngiligwebe emngceleni wakoIsrayeli; njalo lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi.
They will kill [EUP] you with their swords; you will be punished [right here] in Israel. Then people will realize that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].
11 Lo umuzi kawuyikuba yimbiza yenu, kumbe lina libe yinyama phakathi kwawo; ngizaligweba emngceleni wakoIsrayeli.
This city will not be [a place were you will be protected like] [MET] meat in a covered pot. I will punish you wherever you are in Israel.
12 Njalo lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi; ngoba kalihambanga ezimisweni zami, lezahlulelo zami kalizenzanga, kodwa lenze njengokwezahlulelo zezizwe ezilihanqileyo.
And you will know that I, Yahweh, [have predicted that would happen], because you have not obeyed my commands and decrees; instead, you have imitated [wicked] behavior [of the people] of the nearby nations.”
13 Kwasekusithi ngisaprofetha, uPelatiya indodana kaBhenaya wafa. Ngasengisithi mbo ngobuso bami phansi, ngamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu ngathi: Hawu, Nkosi Jehova, uzaqeda ngokupheleleyo yini insali yakoIsrayeli?
While I was prophesying that, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah [suddenly] died. Then I prostrated myself on the ground and cried out loudly, “Yahweh my Lord, are you going [similarly] get rid of all the Israeli people who are still alive?”
14 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:
Then Yahweh gave me this message:
15 Ndodana yomuntu, abafowenu, abafowenu, abantu bezihlobo zakho, layo yonke indlu yakoIsrayeli, yonke, bayilabo abahlali beJerusalema abathi kubo: Sukani khatshana leNkosi; lelilizwe linikwe thina ukuze libe yilifa.
“You human, the people who are still in Jerusalem are talking about you and your own relatives and about all the other people who were (exiled/forced to go to other countries), saying, ‘They [in Babylonia], far from Yahweh. They have left their [here in Israel, so] their property now belongs to us!’”
16 Ngakho wothi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lanxa ngibase khatshana phakathi kwezizwe, njalo lanxa ngibahlakaze phakathi kwamazwe, kanti ngizakuba kubo yindawo engcwele encinyane emazweni abafika kiwo.
So tell [them], “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Although I caused them to be taken far [from Israel] and scattered them among other nations, for a short time I will (be like a refuge for/protect) them in the countries to which they have been taken.”
17 Ngakho wothi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Yebo, ngizaliqoqa ezizweni, ngilibuthe emazweni engilihlakazele kiwo, ngilinike ilizwe lakoIsrayeli.
So also tell them, “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: [Some day] I will gather you from the [to which you have been taken] and bring you back to Israel, and you will live in your country/land [again].
18 Njalo bazafika kulo, basuse kulo zonke izinto ezinengekayo zalo lawo wonke amanyala alo.
When you return to your country, you will get rid of all the vile statues of gods and detestable idols.
19 Njalo ngizabanika inhliziyo eyodwa, ngifake umoya omutsha phakathi kwenu, ngikhuphe inhliziyo yelitshe enyameni yabo, ngibanike inhliziyo yenyama;
I will put a new way of thinking [IDM] within you. I will cause you to no longer be stubborn [IDM], and I will enable you to obey me completely [IDM].
20 ukuze bahambe ngezimiso zami, bagcine izahlulelo zami bazenze; njalo bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo.
When I do that, you will carefully obey all my laws [DOU]. You will be my people, and I will be your God.
21 Kodwa labo abanhliziyo yabo ihamba ngokwenhliziyo yezinto zabo ezinengekayo lamanyala abo, ngizakwehlisela indlela yabo phezu kwekhanda labo, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
But as for those who are devoted [worshiping] their vile statues and detestable idols, I will punish them as they deserve for the evil things that they have done.’”
22 Amakherubhi asephakamisa impiko zawo, lamavili eceleni kwawo; lenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli yayiphezu kwawo ngaphezulu.
Then the winged creatures, with their wheels beside them, spread their [and flew up into the air], and the dazzling brightness of Yahweh was above them.
23 Lenkazimulo yeNkosi yenyuka isuka phakathi komuzi, yema phezu kwentaba engasempumalanga komuzi.
That light went up away from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east of the city.
24 UMoya wasengiphakamisa, wangisa ngombono ngoMoya kaNkulunkulu eKhaladiya kubo abokuthunjwa. Ngokunjalo umbono engangiwubonile wenyuka wasuka kimi.
In the vision [that I had been seeing, God’s] Spirit lifted me up and brought me [back] to the (exiles in/people who had been forced to go to) Babylonia. Then the vision ended,
25 Ngasengikhuluma kubo abokuthunjwa wonke amazwi eNkosi eyayingibonise wona.
and I told the exiles everything that Yahweh had shown [in the vision].
