UHezekheli 21

1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2 Ndodana yomuntu, misa ubuso bakho ngaseJerusalema, utshumayele ngasezindaweni ezingcwele, uprofethe umelane lelizwe lakoIsrayeli;

Son of man, set thy face against Jerusalem, and drop [words] against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,

3 uthi elizweni lakoIsrayeli: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngimelene lawe, njalo ngizahwatsha inkemba yami esikhwameni sayo, ngiqume ngisuse kuwe olungileyo lomubi.

and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and I will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

4 Ngenxa yokuthi ngizaquma ngisuse kuwe olungileyo lomubi, ngakho inkemba yami izaphuma esikhwameni sayo iye kuyo yonke inyama, kusukela eningizimu kuze kube senyakatho;

Seeing that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh, from the south to the north;

5 ukuthi yonke inyama ikwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi ngiyihwatshile inkemba yami esikhwameni sayo; kayisayikubuyela futhi.

and all flesh shall know that I Jehovah have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath: it shall not return any more.

6 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, bubula ngokudabuka kokhalo, langokubaba ububule phambi kwamehlo abo.

Sigh then, thou son of man; with breaking of the loins, and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.

7 Kuzakuthi-ke nxa besithi kuwe: Wena ububulelani? uzaphendula: Ngenxa yombiko; ngoba uyeza; layo yonke inhliziyo izancibilika, lazo zonke izandla zizakuba buthakathaka, lawo wonke umoya udangale, lawo wonke amadolo ageleze njengamanzi. Khangela kuyeza, kuzakwenzeka, itsho iNkosi uJehova.

And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore dost thou sigh? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall languish, and all knees shall melt into water: behold, it cometh; it is here, saith the Lord Jehovah.

8 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

9 Ndodana yomuntu, profetha uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Wothi: Inkemba, inkemba iloliwe, futhi ilolongiwe.

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished.

10 Ilolelwe ukuthi ibulale lokubulala, yalolongelwa ukuthi ibe lokuphazima; sizathokoza yini? Iyintonga yendodana yami, idelela sonke isigodo.

It is sharpened for sore slaughter, it is furbished that it may glitter. Shall we then make mirth, [saying, ] The sceptre of my son contemneth all wood?

11 Njalo uyinikele ukuthi ilolongwe ukuze iphathwe ngesandla; le inkemba iyalolwa njalo yona ilolongelwe ukuyinikela esandleni sombulali.

And he hath given it to be furbished that it may be handled. The sword, — it is sharpened, and it is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer.

12 Khala, uqhinqe isililo, ndodana yomuntu, ngoba yona izakuba phezu kwabantu bami, izakuba phezu kwazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoIsrayeli; zizaphoselwa enkembeni kanye labantu bami; ngakho, tshaya ethangazini lakho.

Cry and howl, son of man; for it shall be against my people, it shall be against all the princes of Israel: they are given up to the sword along with my people: smite therefore upon the thigh.

13 Ngoba kuyikuhlolwa, pho, kuzakuba njani nxa intonga idelela? Kakuyikuba khona, kutsho iNkosi uJehova.

For the trial [is made]; and what if even the contemning sceptre shall be no [more]? saith the Lord Jehovah.

14 Ngakho wena, ndodana yomuntu, profetha, utshaye isandla esandleni, lenkemba kayiphindwe okwesithathu; yinkemba yababuleweyo, yinkemba yabakhulu ababuleweyo, ebahanqayo.

And thou, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; for [the strokes of] the sword shall be doubled the third time: it is the sword of the slain, the sword that hath slain the great one, which encompasseth them privily.

15 Ngimise umcijo wenkemba umelene lamasango abo wonke, ukuze inhliziyo incibilike lezikhubekiso zande. Hawu! Yenziwe ukuthi iphazime, ilolongwe ukuthi ibulale.

In order that the heart may melt, and the stumbling-blocks be multiplied, I have set the threatening sword against all their gates: ah! it is made glittering, it is whetted for the slaughter.

16 Hamba ngendlela enye kumbe ngenye, ngakwesokunene, umise ngakwesokhohlo, lapho ubuso bakho obumiswe khona.

Gather up [strength], go to the right hand, turn thee, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is appointed.

17 Lami-ke ngizatshaya isandla sami esandleni sami, ngiphumuze intukuthelo yami. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.

And I myself will smite my hands together, and I will satisfy my fury: I Jehovah have spoken [it].

18 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

19 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zimisele izindlela ezimbili, ukuze inkemba yenkosi yeBhabhiloni ibuye; elizweni linye zizaphuma zombili; njalo khetha indawo, uyikhethe enhlokweni yendlela yomuzi.

And thou, son of man, set thee two ways, by which the sword of the king of Babylon may come — out of one land shall they both come — and make thee a signpost, make it at the head of the way to the city.

20 Misa indlela, ukuze inkemba ize eRabathi yabantwana bakoAmoni, lakoJuda eJerusalema ebiyelweyo.

Appoint a way for the coming of the sword to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah at the fenced [city] of Jerusalem.

21 Ngoba inkosi yeBhabhiloni yema kunina wendlela, enhlokweni yezindlela ezimbili, ukuze ivumise ukuvumisa; ikhuhluze imitshoko, ibuze izithombe, ikhangele esibindini.

For the king of Babylon standeth at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shaketh [his] arrows, he inquireth of the teraphim, he looketh in the liver.

22 Esandleni sakhe sokunene kwakulokuvumisa ngeJerusalema, ukumisa izinqama zokudiliza, ukuvula umlomo ekubulaleni, ukuphakamisa ilizwi ngokumemeza, ukumisa izinqama zokudiliza imelene lamasango, ukubuthelela idundulu, ukwakha umduli wokuvimbezela.

In his right hand is the lot of Jerusalem to appoint battering-rams, to open the mouth for bloodshed, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering-rams against the gates, to cast mounds, to build siege-towers.

23 Njalo kuzakuba kubo njengokuvumisa kwamanga emehlweni abo, kubo abafunge izifungo; kodwa izakhumbula isiphambeko, ukuze babanjwe.

And this shall be a false divination in their sight, for them that have sworn oaths; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.

24 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba lenze ububi benu bukhunjulwe, ngokwembulwa kweziphambeko zenu, kuze kuthi izono zenu zibonakale kuzo zonke izenzo zenu, ngoba likhunjulwe, lizabanjwa ngesandla.

Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye make your iniquity to be remembered in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear; because ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.

25 Wena-ke, siphathamandla esingcolileyo esikhohlakeleyo sakoIsrayeli, osuku lwaso selufikile, ngesikhathi sobubi bokucina,

And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end,

26 itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Susa iqhiye, wethule umqhele; lokhu kakuyikuba yikho; phakamisa ophansi, wehlisele phansi ophakemeyo.

— thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Remove the mitre and take off the crown; what is shall be no [more]. Exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high.

27 Ngizakwenza kube lunxiwa, unxiwa, unxiwa; lokhu kungabi kusaba khona, kuze kufike lowo olelungelo, ngimnike khona.

I will overturn, overturn, overturn it! This also shall be no [more], until he come whose right it is; and I will give it [to him].

28 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, profetha uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova ngabantwana bakoAmoni, lamayelana lehlazo labo; wothi: Inkemba, inkemba ihwatshiwe, ilolongelwe ukubulala, ukuze iqede, ukuze iphazime.

And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus speaketh the Lord Jehovah concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach; and thou shalt say, A sword, a sword is drawn; for the slaughter is it furbished, that it may consume, that it may glitter:

29 Besakubonela okuyize, besakuvumisela amanga, ukuthi bakubeke ezintanyeni zababuleweyo babakhohlakeleyo, abasuku lwabo selufikile ngesikhathi sesiphambeko sokucina.

whilst they see vanity for thee, whilst they divine a lie unto thee, to lay thee upon the necks of the wicked that are slain, whose day is come at the time of the iniquity of the end.

30 Buyisela inkemba esikhwameni sayo. Ngizakwahlulela endaweni owadalelwa kuyo, elizweni lomdabuko wakho.

Restore [it] to its sheath. I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy birth.

31 Njalo ngizathululela intukuthelo yami phezu kwakho; ngivuthele ngimelene lawe ngomlilo wolaka lwami; ngikunikele esandleni sabantu abalolunya, abayizingcwethi zokuchitha.

And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow upon thee the fire of my wrath, and give thee into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy.

32 Uzakuba yikudla komlilo; igazi lakho libe phakathi kwelizwe; kawuyikukhunjulwa; ngoba mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.

Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt not be remembered: for I Jehovah have spoken.