UHezekheli 19
1 Wena-ke, phakamisa isililo ngezikhulu zakoIsrayeli,
And thou, —do thou lift up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 uthi: Uyini unyoko? Isilwanekazi; salala phakathi kwezilwane, sakhulisa imidlwane yaso phakathi kwezilwane ezintsha.
And say, What a noble lioness was thy mother! among lions did she lie down, in the midst of young lions did she raise her whelps!
3 Sakhulisa omunye wemidlwane yaso, waba libhongo, wafunda ukudabula impango, wadla abantu.
And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; [even] men he devoured.
4 Izizwe zasezisizwa ngawo, wabanjwa emgodini wazo, zawusa elizweni leGibhithe ngamaketane.
And when nations heard of him, he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with nose-rings unto the land of Egypt.
5 Kwathi sibona ukuthi sesilindile, lokuthi ithemba laso selibhubhile, sathatha omunye wemidlwane yaso, sawenza waba libhongo.
Now when she saw that she had long waited, [that] her hope was lost, she took another one of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 Wahamba waya le lale phakathi kwezilwane, waba libhongo, wafunda ukudabula impango, wadla abantu.
And he went up and down in the midst of lions, he became a young lion; and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; even men he devoured.
7 Wazazi inqaba zabo, wachitha imizi yabo; ilizwe laselisiba yinkangala, lokugcwala kwalo, ngomsindo wokubhonga kwawo.
And he broke down their palaces, and their cities laid he in ruins: and then was terrified the land, with all that filled it, because of the noise of his roaring.
8 Izizwe zasezisima zimelene lawo inhlangothi zonke zivela ezabelweni, zendlala imbule lazo phezu kwawo; wabanjwa emgodini wazo.
Then set themselves the nations against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread over him their net: in their pit was he caught.
9 Zawufaka ekhejini ngamaketane, zawusa enkosini yeBhabhiloni, zawuletha ezinqabeni, ukuze ilizwi lawo lingabe lisezwakala phezu kwezintaba zakoIsrayeli.
And they put him in a cage with nose-rings [in his nose], and they brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into strong-holds, in order that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10 Unyoko unjengevini egazini lakho, elihlanyelwe ngasemanzini; laba lezithelo ligcwele izingatsha ngenxa yamanzi amanengi.
Thy mother was like a vine, if I compare thee to aught, planted by the waters: fruitful and full of boughs was she by reason of many waters.
11 Lalilezinti eziqinileyo ezaba zintonga zababusayo, njalo ubude balo babuphakeme phakathi kwengatsha eziqatha, libonakala ngobude balo ngokwanda kwengatsha zalo.
And she had strong branches [fit] for the sceptres of rulers, and her stature grew up high between the thick-branched [trees], and she was seen through her height by means of the multitude of her tendrils.
12 Kodwa lasitshunwa ngokuthukuthela, laphoselwa emhlabathini, lomoya wempumalanga womisa isithelo salo; izinti zalo eziqinileyo zephuka zoma; umlilo waziqeda.
But she was plucked up in fury, to the ground was she cast down, and the east wind dried up her fruit: and torn off and dried up were her strong branches, a fire consumed them.
13 Khathesi selihlanyelwe enkangala, emhlabathini otshileyo lowomileyo.
And now is she planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Umlilo usuphume oluthini lwezingatsha zalo, waqeda isithelo salo, ukuze lingabi loluthi oluqinileyo lube yintonga yokubusa. Lesi yisililo, njalo sizakuba yisililo.
And fire is gone out of a branch of her boughs, and hath devoured her fruit, so that there is no more on her a strong branch for a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and it is become a lamentation.
