UHezekheli 18
1 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:
The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying,
2 Litshoni, ukuthi lisebenzise lesisaga ngelizwe lakoIsrayeli, lisithi: Oyise badlile izithelo zevini ezimunyu, lamazinyo abantwana asetshelela?
“What do you mean, you who use this proverb concerning the land of Israel and say, 'Fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are made blunt'?
3 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili kakusayikuba kini ukusebenzisa lesisaga koIsrayeli.
As I live—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—there will certainly no longer be any occasion for you to use this proverb in Israel.
4 Khangela, yonke imiphefumulo ngeyami; njengomphefumulo kayise, unjalo lomphefumulo wendodana, kungokwami. Umphefumulo owonayo, wona uzakufa.
Behold! Every life belong to me—the life of the father as well as the life of the son, they belong to me! The soul who sins is the one who will die!
5 Kodwa uba umuntu elungile, enze ukwahlulela lokulunga,
What can be said about a man who is righteous and who carries out justice and righteousness—
6 engadleli phezu kwezintaba, engaphakamiseli amehlo akhe ezithombeni zendlu yakoIsrayeli, engangcolisi umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe, engasondeli kowesifazana osemfuleni,
if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and he does not defile his neighbor's wife, nor approached a woman during her monthly period, is he a righteous man?
7 engacindezeli muntu, ebuyisela kowebolekayo isibambiso sakhe, engaphangi impango, enika olambileyo isinkwa sakhe, esembesa oze ngesembatho,
What can be said about a man who does not oppress anyone, and he gives back to the debtor what was put up as security for a loan, and he does not commit theft but gives his food to the hungry and he covers the naked with clothes, is he a righteous man?
8 enganiki ngenzuzo, engathathi okwengezelelweyo, ebuyisa isandla sakhe esiphambekweni, esenza isahlulelo esiqinisileyo phakathi komuntu lomuntu,
What can be said about a man who does not charge too much interest for the money he loans, and he does not take too much profit for what he sells? It is said of him that he carries out justice and establishes faithfulness between people.
9 ehamba ngezimiso zami, egcina izahlulelo zami, ukwenza iqiniso; yena uqondile, uzaphila isibili, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
If that man walks in my statutes and keeps my decrees to act faithfully, then the promise for this righteous man is this: He will surely live!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.
10 Uba ezala indodana engumphangi, umchithi wegazi, lowenza okufanana lokunye kwalezizinto,
But suppose that he has a violent son who sheds blood and does any one of these things that were mentioned,
11 longenzi zonke lezozinto, kodwa ngitsho edlela phezu kwezintaba, engcolisa umfazi womakhelwane wakhe,
(though his father has not done any of these things). He eats upon the mountains and he defiles his neighbor's wife, what can be said about him?
12 ecindezela umyanga loswelayo, ephanga impango, engabuyiselanga isibambiso, ephakamisele amehlo akhe ezithombeni, enze okunengekayo,
This man oppresses the poor and needy, and he seizes and robs, and he does not return a pledge, and he lifts up his eyes to the idols and commits disgusting actions,
13 enika ngenzuzo, athathe ngokwengezelelweyo, uzaphila yini? Kayikuphila; wenze zonke lezizinengiso; uzakufa lokufa, amacala akhe egazi azakuba phezu kwakhe.
and he lends out money at too high interest and he makes too much profit on what he sells, should that man live? Surely he will not! He will certainly die and his blood will be on him because he has done all these detestable things.
14 Khangela-ke, uzala indodana ebona zonke izono zikayise azenzileyo, ibona, ingenzi njengalezizinto,
But behold! Suppose there is a man who bears a son, and his son sees all the sins that his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do those things.
15 ingadleli phezu kwezintaba, ingaphakamiseli amehlo ayo ezithombeni zendlu yakoIsrayeli, ingangcolisi umfazi womakhelwane wayo,
That son does not eat upon the mountains, and he does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and he does not defile his neighbor's wife, what can be said about him?
16 ingacindezeli muntu, ingagodli isibambiso, ingaphangi impango, isipha olambileyo isinkwa sayo, yembese oze ngesembatho,
That son does not oppress anyone, or seize a pledge, or take stolen things, but instead gives his food to the hungry and covers up the naked with clothes.
17 isuse isandla sayo kongumyanga, ingemukeli inzuzo lokwengezelelweyo, isenza izahlulelo zami, ihambe ngezimiso zami, yona kayiyikufela isiphambeko sikayise, izaphila isibili.
That son does not oppress anyone or take interest that is too high or make too much profit for a loan, but he carries out my decrees and walks according to my statutes; that son will not die for his father's sin: He will surely live!
18 Uyise, ngoba ecindezele ngocindezelo, waphanga impango kumfowabo, wenza okungalunganga phakathi kwabantu bakibo, khangela-ke, uzafela ebubini bakhe.
His father, since he oppressed others by extortion and robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people—behold, he will die in his iniquity.
19 Kanti lithi: Kungani indodana ingathwali isiphambeko sikayise? Nxa indodana yenzile isahlulelo lokulunga, igcinile zonke izimiso zami, yazenza, izaphila isibili.
But you say, 'Why does the son not bear the iniquity of his father?' Because the son carries out justice and righteousness and keeps all my statutes; he does them. He will surely live!
20 Umphefumulo owonayo, wona uzakufa. Indodana kayiyikuthwala isiphambeko sikayise, loyise kayikuthwala isiphambeko sendodana. Ukulunga kolungileyo kuzakuba phezu kwakhe, lenkohlakalo yokhohlakeleyo izakuba phezu kwakhe.
The one who sins, he is the one who will die. A son will not bear his father's iniquity, and a father will not bear his son's iniquity. The righteousness of the one who acts rightly will be on himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be on himself.
21 Kodwa uba omubi ephenduka ezonweni zakhe zonke azenzileyo, agcine zonke izimiso zami, enze isahlulelo lokulunga, uzaphila isibili, kayikufa.
But if the wicked turns away from all his sins that he has done, and keeps all my statutes and performs justice and righteousness, then he will certainly live and not die.
22 Iziphambeko zakhe zonke azenzileyo kaziyikukhunjulelwa kuye; ekulungeni kwakhe akwenzileyo, uzaphila.
All the transgressions that he has committed will not be called to mind against him. He will live by the righteousness that he practices.
23 Ngiyathokoza lokuthokoza ngokufa kokhohlakeleyo yini? itsho iNkosi uJehova; kakusikuthi aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe, aphile yini?
Do I greatly rejoice over the death of the wicked—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—and not in his turning away from his way so that he may live?
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 the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and practices abominations like all the abominations that the wicked person does, then will he live? All the righteousness that he had done will not be called to mind when he betrays me in his treason. So he will die in the sins that he committed.
25 Kanti lithi: Indlela yeNkosi kayilingani. Zwanini-ke, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli; indlela yami kayilingani yini? Kayisizo yini izindlela zenu ezingalinganiyo?
But you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' Listen, house of Israel! Are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?
26 Lapho olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, enze iziphambeko, afele kuzo, eziphambekweni azenzileyo uzakufa.
When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity and dies because of them, then he will die in the iniquity that he has done.
27 Futhi nxa omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe abenzileyo, enze isahlulelo lokulunga, yena uzagcina umphefumulo wakhe uphila.
But when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has done and performs justice and righteousness, then he will preserve his life.
28 Ngoba ebona, ephenduka kuzo zonke iziphambeko zakhe azenzileyo, uzaphila isibili, kayikufa.
For he has seen and turned away from all the transgressions that he had done. He will surely live, and he will not die.
29 Kanti indlu kaIsrayeli ithi: Indlela yeNkosi kayilingani. Wena ndlu kaIsrayeli, indlela zami kazilingani yini? Kayisizo yini indlela zenu ezingalinganiyo?
But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' How is my way not fair, house of Israel? It is your ways that are not 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.
Therefore I will judge each man among you according to his ways, house of Israel!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration. Repent and turn away from all your transgressions so that they will not be stumbling blocks of iniquity against you.
31 Lahlani lisuse kini zonke iziphambeko zenu eliphambeke ngazo, lizenzele inhliziyo entsha lomoya omutsha; ngoba lizafelani, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli?
Throw away from yourselves all of the transgressions that you have committed; make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?
32 Ngoba kangithokozi ngokufa kofayo, itsho iNkosi uJehova; ngakho phendukani liphile.
For I have no delight in the death of the one who dies—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—so repent and live!”
