UHezekheli 17
1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
2 Ndodana yomuntu, yenza ilibho, ukhulume ngomfanekiso kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli,
“Son of man, present a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.
3 uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ukhozi olukhulu, olukhulu ngempiko, olude ngezimpaphe, olugcwele insiba, olulemibalabala, lweza eLebhanoni, lwathatha isihloko somsedari,
Say, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: A large eagle with large wings and long pinions, full of feathers, and that was multicolored went to Lebanon and took hold of the top of a cedar tree.
4 lwaqunta isihloko sezingatshana zawo ezintsha, lwasisa elizweni lokuthengiselana, lwasibeka emzini wabathengisi.
It broke off the tips of the branches and took them to the land of Canaan; he planted it in a city of merchants.
5 Lwaseluthatha okwenhlanyelo yalelolizwe, lwayifaka ensimini yenhlanyelo, lwayibeka ngasemanzini amanengi, lwayibeka njengomyezane.
He also took some seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside a large body of water like a willow.
6 Yasihluma, yaba livini elinabayo, elifitshane ngesithombo, ongatsha zalo zaphendukela kulo, lempande zalo zaba ngaphansi kwalo. Ngokunjalo laba livini, laveza ingatsha, lakhupha amahlumela.
Then it sprouted and became a spreading vine low to the ground. Its branches turned toward him, and its roots grew under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and sent out shoots.
7 Kwasekusiba khona olunye ukhozi olukhulu, olukhulu ngempiko, lwande ngensiba. Khangela-ke, lelivini latshekisela impande zalo ngakulo, lakhuphela ingatsha zalo ngakulo, ukuze lulithelele ngemigelo yendawo yalo ehlanyelweyo.
But there was another great eagle with large wings and many feathers. Behold! This vine turned its roots toward the eagle, and it spread out its branches toward the eagle from the place it had been planted so it would be watered.
8 Lalihlanyelwe ensimini enhle ngasemanzini amanengi ukuthi liveze ingatsha, lokuthi lithele isithelo, libe livini elihlekazi.
It had been planted in good soil beside a large body of water so it would produce branches and sprout fruit, to become a magnificent vine.'
9 Wothi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lizaphumelela yini? Kaluyikusiphuna yini impande zalo, luqume izithelo zalo, libune? Lizabuna kuwo wonke amahlamvu alo amatsha okumila kwalo, kungengengalo enkulu labantu abanengi, ukulisiphuna ngempande zalo.
Say to the people, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Will it prosper? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers, and all its fresh growth will wither? No strong arm or many people will be needed to pull it out by its roots.
10 Yebo, khangela, selihlanyelwe lizaphumelela yini? Kaliyikubuna ngokupheleleyo yini nxa umoya wempumalanga ulitshaya? Lizabunela ensimini yokumila kwalo.
So behold! After it has been planted, will it grow? Will it not wither when the eastern wind touches it? It will completely wither away in the garden plot where it sprouted.'”
11 Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kimi lisithi:
Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
12 Tshono khathesi kuyo indlu evukelayo: Kalazi yini ukuthi lezizinto ziyini? Uthi: Khangela, inkosi yeBhabhiloni yafika eJerusalema, yathatha inkosi yayo leziphathamandla zayo, yabaletha ngakuyo eBhabhiloni.
“Speak to the rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean? Behold! The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took her king and her princes and brought them to him in Babylon.
13 Yathatha owenzalo yesikhosini, yenza isivumelwano laye, yamngenisa phansi kwesifungo; yathatha abalamandla belizwe;
Then he took a royal descendant, made a covenant with him, and brought him under an oath. He took away the powerful people of the land,
14 ukuze umbuso ube phansi, ungaziphakamisi, ukuthi ngokulondoloza isivumelwano sakhe ume.
so the kingdom might become lowly and not lift itself up. By keeping his covenant the land will survive.
15 Kodwa wayivukela ngokuthuma izithunywa zakhe eGibhithe, ukuze bamnike amabhiza labantu abanengi. Uzaphumelela yini? Owenza lezizinto uzaphepha yini? Kumbe angasephula isivumelwano aphephe yini?
But the king of Jerusalem rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt to acquire horses and an army. Will he succeed? Will the one doing these things escape? If he breaks the covenant, will he escape?
16 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili endaweni yenkosi, embeka ukuthi abe yinkosi, osifungo sayo wasidelela, losivumelwano sayo wasephula, uzakufa layo phakathi kweBhabhiloni.
As I live!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—he will surely die in the land of the king who made him king, the king whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke. He will die in the middle of Babylon.
17 Njalo uFaro, lebutho elilamandla lexuku elikhulu, kayikumsiza empini ngokubuthelela idundulu langokwakha inqaba, ukuquma abantu abanengi.
Pharaoh with his mighty army and a great company of men will not help him in battle, when ramps are constructed and siege walls are built up to cut off many lives.
18 Ngoba edelele isifungo ngokwephula isivumelwano, lapho, khangela, esenikele isandla sakhe, wazenza zonke lezizinto, kayikuphunyuka.
For the king despised his oath by breaking the covenant. Behold, he reached out with his hand to make a promise and yet he did all these things. He will not escape.
19 Ngakho, itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kuphila kwami, isibili, isifungo sami asideleleyo, lesivumelwano sami asephulileyo, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: As I live, was it not my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke? So I will bring his punishment on his head!
20 Ngizakwendlala imbule lami phezu kwakhe, ukuthi abanjwe emjibileni wami, ngimlethe eBhabhiloni, ngimahlulele khonangesiphambeko sakhe aphambeke ngaso kimi.
I will spread my net out over him, and he will be caught in my hunting net. Then I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there for his treason that he committed when he betrayed me!
21 Labo bonke ababalekayo bakhe kanye lawo wonke amaviyo akhe bazakuwa ngenkemba, labaseleyo bazahlakazekela kuwo wonke umoya. Lizakwazi-ke ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile.
All of his refugees in his armies will fall by the sword, and the ones who remain will be scattered in every direction. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; I have declared this would happen.”
22 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lami ngizathatha esihlokweni somsedari omude, ngikumise. Ngizaqunta kuso isihloko sengatshana zawo ezintsha olubuthakathaka, mina ngiluhlanyele phezu kwentaba ende lephakemeyo.
The Lord Yahweh says this, 'So I myself will take away the highest part of the cedar tree, and I will plant it away from its tender branches. I will break it off, and I myself will plant it on a high mountain.
23 Entabeni yengqonga yakoIsrayeli ngizaluhlanyela; njalo luzakhupha ingatsha, luthele isithelo, lube ngumsedari omhlekazi; langaphansi kwawo kuzahlala yonke inyoni yophiko lonke; emthunzini wengatsha zawo zizahlala.
I will plant it on the mountains of Israel so it will bear branches and produce fruit, and it will become a majestic cedar so that every winged bird will live under it. They will nest in the shade of its branches.
24 Ngokunjalo zonke izihlahla zeganga zizakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngithobisile isihlahla eside, ngaphakamisa isihlahla esifitshane, ngomisa isihlahla esiluhlaza, ngenza isihlahla esomileyo sihlume. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile, ngakwenza.
Then all the trees of the field will know that I am Yahweh. I bring down the high trees and I raise up the low trees. I wither the watered tree and I cause the dried tree to bloom. I am Yahweh, I have declared that this will happen; and I have done it.'”
