UHezekheli 18
1 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Litshoni, ukuthi lisebenzise lesisaga ngelizwe lakoIsrayeli, lisithi: Oyise badlile izithelo zevini ezimunyu, lamazinyo abantwana asetshelela?
“What's this proverb you people are quoting about the country of Israel: ‘The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste’?
3 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili kakusayikuba kini ukusebenzisa lesisaga koIsrayeli.
As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
4 Khangela, yonke imiphefumulo ngeyami; njengomphefumulo kayise, unjalo lomphefumulo wendodana, kungokwami. Umphefumulo owonayo, wona uzakufa.
Can't you see that everyone belongs to me? Whether parents or children, they are all mine. It's the person who sins who will die.
5 Kodwa uba umuntu elungile, enze ukwahlulela lokulunga,
Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
6 engadleli phezu kwezintaba, engaphakamiseli amehlo akhe ezithombeni zendlu yakoIsrayeli, engangcolisi umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe, engasondeli kowesifazana osemfuleni,
He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman during her period.
7 engacindezeli muntu, ebuyisela kowebolekayo isibambiso sakhe, engaphangi impango, enika olambileyo isinkwa sakhe, esembesa oze ngesembatho,
He doesn't exploit anyone. He gives back what a debtor has given him as security. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
8 enganiki ngenzuzo, engathathi okwengezelelweyo, ebuyisa isandla sakhe esiphambekweni, esenza isahlulelo esiqinisileyo phakathi komuntu lomuntu,
He doesn't lend with interest or make a profit from loans. He refuses to do wrong and makes sure he's truly fair in his decisions between people.
9 ehamba ngezimiso zami, egcina izahlulelo zami, ukwenza iqiniso; yena uqondile, uzaphila isibili, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
He follows my rules and keeps my regulations faithfully. Such a man lives by what's right and he will certainly live, declares the Lord God.
10 Uba ezala indodana engumphangi, umchithi wegazi, lowenza okufanana lokunye kwalezizinto,
What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed
11 longenzi zonke lezozinto, kodwa ngitsho edlela phezu kwezintaba, engcolisa umfazi womakhelwane wakhe,
even though the father doesn't act like that at all. The son goes to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal. He has sex with someone else's wife.
12 ecindezela umyanga loswelayo, ephanga impango, engabuyiselanga isibambiso, ephakamisele amehlo akhe ezithombeni, enze okunengekayo,
He exploits the poor and those in need. He robs others, and he doesn't give back what a debtor has given him as security. He worships idols. He commits disgusting sins.
13 enika ngenzuzo, athathe ngokwengezelelweyo, uzaphila yini? Kayikuphila; wenze zonke lezizinengiso; uzakufa lokufa, amacala akhe egazi azakuba phezu kwakhe.
He lends with interest and makes a profit from loans. Is someone like this going to live? No, he won't! Because he has done all these offensive things, he will die for certain, and he will be responsible for his own death.
14 Khangela-ke, uzala indodana ebona zonke izono zikayise azenzileyo, ibona, ingenzi njengalezizinto,
Now what if this man has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed. He sees them but doesn't do the same.
15 ingadleli phezu kwezintaba, ingaphakamiseli amehlo ayo ezithombeni zendlu yakoIsrayeli, ingangcolisi umfazi womakhelwane wayo,
He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife.
16 ingacindezeli muntu, ingagodli isibambiso, ingaphangi impango, isipha olambileyo isinkwa sayo, yembese oze ngesembatho,
He doesn't exploit anyone. He doesn't demand security for a loan. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
17 isuse isandla sayo kongumyanga, ingemukeli inzuzo lokwengezelelweyo, isenza izahlulelo zami, ihambe ngezimiso zami, yona kayiyikufela isiphambeko sikayise, izaphila isibili.
He refuses to do wrong and does not charge interest or make a profit on loans. He keeps my regulations and follows my laws. A man like that won't die because of his father's sins, he will certainly live!
18 Uyise, ngoba ecindezele ngocindezelo, waphanga impango kumfowabo, wenza okungalunganga phakathi kwabantu bakibo, khangela-ke, uzafela ebubini bakhe.
But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
19 Kanti lithi: Kungani indodana ingathwali isiphambeko sikayise? Nxa indodana yenzile isahlulelo lokulunga, igcinile zonke izimiso zami, yazenza, izaphila isibili.
You ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son pay for his father's sins?’ If the son has done what is fair and right, keeping all my laws, then he'll live, he won't be punished.
20 Umphefumulo owonayo, wona uzakufa. Indodana kayiyikuthwala isiphambeko sikayise, loyise kayikuthwala isiphambeko sendodana. Ukulunga kolungileyo kuzakuba phezu kwakhe, lenkohlakalo yokhohlakeleyo izakuba phezu kwakhe.
It's the person who sins who will die. A son won't pay for his father's sins, and a father won't pay for his son's sins. The good consequences of living right will come to those who are good; the evil consequences of wickedness will come to those who are evil.
21 Kodwa uba omubi ephenduka ezonweni zakhe zonke azenzileyo, agcine zonke izimiso zami, enze isahlulelo lokulunga, uzaphila isibili, kayikufa.
However, if someone who is wicked stops sinning and keeps my laws, doing what is fair and right, they will certainly live—they won't die.
22 Iziphambeko zakhe zonke azenzileyo kaziyikukhunjulelwa kuye; ekulungeni kwakhe akwenzileyo, uzaphila.
None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.
23 Ngiyathokoza lokuthokoza ngokufa kokhohlakeleyo yini? itsho iNkosi uJehova; kakusikuthi aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe, aphile yini?
Do I like it when wicked people die? declares the Lord God. Of course not—I would be delighted if they stopped sinning and lived!
24 Kodwa nxa olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, esenza isiphambeko, enze njengokwezinengiso zonke azenzayo omubi, uzaphila yini? Ukulunga kwakhe konke akwenzileyo kakuyikukhunjulwa; esiphambekweni sakhe aphambeke ngaso, lesonweni sakhe asonileyo, uzafela kikho.
But if someone who is living according to what's right stops and does wrong, doing the same offensive things as the wicked, will that person live? Of course not! In fact, all the good things they did previously will be forgotten. That person will die because of their betrayal of me and the sins they've committed.
25 Kanti lithi: Indlela yeNkosi kayilingani. Zwanini-ke, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli; indlela yami kayilingani yini? Kayisizo yini izindlela zenu ezingalinganiyo?
Even so you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ People of Israel, listen to me! Is it what I'm doing that isn't right? Isn't it what you're doing that isn't right?
26 Lapho olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, enze iziphambeko, afele kuzo, eziphambekweni azenzileyo uzakufa.
If someone who lives according to what's right stops doing right and does wrong, they will die. They will die because of wrong things they've done.
27 Futhi nxa omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe abenzileyo, enze isahlulelo lokulunga, yena uzagcina umphefumulo wakhe uphila.
But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
28 Ngoba ebona, ephenduka kuzo zonke iziphambeko zakhe azenzileyo, uzaphila isibili, kayikufa.
Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.
29 Kanti indlu kaIsrayeli ithi: Indlela yeNkosi kayilingani. Wena ndlu kaIsrayeli, indlela zami kazilingani yini? Kayisizo yini indlela zenu ezingalinganiyo?
But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord's way isn't right.’ Are my ways unfair, people of Israel? Isn't it your ways that aren't fair?
30 Ngakho ngizalahlulela, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, ngulowo lalowo njengokwendlela zakhe, itsho iNkosi uJehova. Phendukani, libuye lisuke eziphambekweni zenu zonke; ukuze ububi bungabi yisikhubekiso kini.
Consequently I'm going to judge you, people of Israel! I will judge each of you depending on what you've done, declares the Lord God. Repent and stop rebelling so that your sins won't bring you down.
31 Lahlani lisuse kini zonke iziphambeko zenu eliphambeke ngazo, lizenzele inhliziyo entsha lomoya omutsha; ngoba lizafelani, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli?
Get rid of all your rebellious sins! Change your way of thinking and have a new spirit. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?
32 Ngoba kangithokozi ngokufa kofayo, itsho iNkosi uJehova; ngakho phendukani liphile.
I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
