UHezekheli 19
1 Wena-ke, phakamisa isililo ngezikhulu zakoIsrayeli,
Moreover, take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 uthi: Uyini unyoko? Isilwanekazi; salala phakathi kwezilwane, sakhulisa imidlwane yaso phakathi kwezilwane ezintsha.
and say: —How lay thy mother at ease, a lioness among lions! Among young lions she nourished 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 seize the prey; he devoured men.
4 Izizwe zasezisizwa ngawo, wabanjwa emgodini wazo, zawusa elizweni leGibhithe ngamaketane.
And when the nations heard of him, he was taken in their pit, And they brought him with nose-rings to the land of Egypt.
5 Kwathi sibona ukuthi sesilindile, lokuthi ithemba laso selibhubhile, sathatha omunye wemidlwane yaso, sawenza waba libhongo.
And when she saw that she waited in vain, and that her hope was lost, She took another of her whelps, and she 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 among the lions; he became a young lion, And he learned to seize the prey; he devoured men.
7 Wazazi inqaba zabo, wachitha imizi yabo; ilizwe laselisiba yinkangala, lokugcwala kwalo, ngomsindo wokubhonga kwawo.
He knew their widows, and laid waste their cities, And the land was desolate, and all that was therein, before the voice of his roaring.
8 Izizwe zasezisima zimelene lawo inhlangothi zonke zivela ezabelweni, zendlala imbule lazo phezu kwawo; wabanjwa emgodini wazo.
Then the nations set themselves against him on every side from the provinces, And spread their net over him; He was taken in their pit.
9 Zawufaka ekhejini ngamaketane, zawusa enkosini yeBhabhiloni, zawuletha ezinqabeni, ukuze ilizwi lawo lingabe lisezwakala phezu kwezintaba zakoIsrayeli.
And they put him with nose rings into a cage, And carried him to the king of Babylon. And they carried him to a stronghold, That his voice might be heard no more Upon the mountains of Israel.
10 Unyoko unjengevini egazini lakho, elihlanyelwe ngasemanzini; laba lezithelo ligcwele izingatsha ngenxa yamanzi amanengi.
Thy mother was like a vine planted like thyself by the waters; She was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters;
11 Lalilezinti eziqinileyo ezaba zintonga zababusayo, njalo ubude balo babuphakeme phakathi kwengatsha eziqatha, libonakala ngobude balo ngokwanda kwengatsha zalo.
She had strong rods for sceptres of rulers, And her stature was high among the thick branches, So that she was conspicuous in her height, And the multitude of her branches.
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, She was cast down to the ground, And the east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong rods were broken and withered; The fire consumed them.
13 Khathesi selihlanyelwe enkangala, emhlabathini otshileyo lowomileyo.
And now she is planted in the desert, 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 a fire is gone forth out of a rod of her branches, Which hath devoured her fruit, So that she hath no strong rod for a ruler's sceptre. This is a lamentation, and it shall be for a lamentation.
