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, What was thy mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the 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 catch the prey, he devoured men.
4 Izizwe zasezisizwa ngawo, wabanjwa emgodini wazo, zawusa elizweni leGibhithe ngamaketane.
The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit: and they brought him with hooks 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 waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another 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 among the lions, he became a young lion: and he learned to catch the prey, he devoured men.
7 Wazazi inqaba zabo, wachitha imizi yabo; ilizwe laselisiba yinkangala, lokugcwala kwalo, ngomsindo wokubhonga kwawo.
And he knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, 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 the nations set against him on every side from the provinces: and they 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 in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strong holds, that his voice should no more be heard 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, in thy blood, planted 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.
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their 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 off and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 Khathesi selihlanyelwe enkangala, emhlabathini otshileyo lowomileyo.
And now she is 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 the rods of her branches, it hath devoured her fruit, so that there is in her no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
