< UHezekheli 21 >

1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]
2 Ndodana yomuntu, misa ubuso bakho ngaseJerusalema, utshumayele ngasezindaweni ezingcwele, uprofethe umelane lelizwe lakoIsrayeli;
“You human, turn toward Jerusalem. Preach about what will happen to the temple [there]. Preach about what will happen to the Israeli people.
3 uthi elizweni lakoIsrayeli: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngimelene lawe, njalo ngizahwatsha inkemba yami esikhwameni sayo, ngiqume ngisuse kuwe olungileyo lomubi.
Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh says: I am opposed to you.
4 Ngenxa yokuthi ngizaquma ngisuse kuwe olungileyo lomubi, ngakho inkemba yami izaphuma esikhwameni sayo iye kuyo yonke inyama, kusukela eningizimu kuze kube senyakatho;
[what I will do to you will be as though] [MET] I will pull my sword from its sheath [and strike you]. I will kill everyone, including righteous people and wicked people [DOU]. I will get rid of everyone, from the south to the north.
5 ukuthi yonke inyama ikwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi ngiyihwatshile inkemba yami esikhwameni sayo; kayisayikubuyela futhi.
Then everyone will know [it is as though] I, Yahweh, have struck people with my sword, and I will not put it back in its sheath again.’
6 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, bubula ngokudabuka kokhalo, langokubaba ububule phambi kwamehlo abo.
Therefore, you human, groan! Groan in front of the Israeli people very sadly and sorrowfully [IDM, DOU].
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 when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ tell them, ‘Because of the news that they soon will hear. Everyone will be very fearful [IDM], and their knees will become as weak as [SIM] water. [A great disaster] will soon occur. That is what Yahweh the Lord is promising.’”
8 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
Yahweh gave me another message. [He said],
9 Ndodana yomuntu, profetha uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Wothi: Inkemba, inkemba iloliwe, futhi ilolongiwe.
“You human, prophesy and say [to them], ‘This is what Yahweh says: I have sharpened my sword and polished it.
10 Ilolelwe ukuthi ibulale lokubulala, yalolongelwa ukuthi ibe lokuphazima; sizathokoza yini? Iyintonga yendodana yami, idelela sonke isigodo.
It is sharpened in order that I can [many people with it]; it is polished so that it will flash like lightning. The people of Judah will not [their being punished like this], but they did not repent [I only struck them] with a stick.
11 Njalo uyinikele ukuthi ilolongwe ukuze iphathwe ngesandla; le inkemba iyalolwa njalo yona ilolongelwe ukuyinikela esandleni sombulali.
A sword should be polished, and be grasped [in someone’s hand]. It should be sharpened and polished, ready for someone to use it to kill people.
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.
[So, ] you human, cry and wail, because I will use my sword to kill my people, including the leaders of Israel. They and all the other people, my people, will be killed by swords, so beat your [to show that you are sad].
13 Ngoba kuyikuhlolwa, pho, kuzakuba njani nxa intonga idelela? Kakuyikuba khona, kutsho iNkosi uJehova.
I am about to test my people, and the kings [MTY] of Judah will not escape being punished. That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say.
14 Ngakho wena, ndodana yomuntu, profetha, utshaye isandla esandleni, lenkemba kayiphindwe okwesithathu; yinkemba yababuleweyo, yinkemba yabakhulu ababuleweyo, ebahanqayo.
So, you human, prophesy; clap your [to show that you are very happy about what is going to happen]. My sword will strike them again and again; it is a sword for slaughtering many people, while I attack them from every side.
15 Ngimise umcijo wenkemba umelene lamasango abo wonke, ukuze inhliziyo incibilike lezikhubekiso zande. Hawu! Yenziwe ukuthi iphazime, ilolongwe ukuthi ibulale.
In order that people will be very much afraid [IDM] and many people will be killed, I have [soldiers holding] my swords at every [city] gate, ready to slaughter people. Those swords will flash like lightning, as the [soldiers] grasp them to slaughter people.
16 Hamba ngendlela enye kumbe ngenye, ngakwesokunene, umise ngakwesokhohlo, lapho ubuso bakho obumiswe khona.
Their swords [APO] will slash to the right and [then] to the left, whichever way they turn the blades.
17 Lami-ke ngizatshaya isandla sami esandleni sami, ngiphumuze intukuthelo yami. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
Then I will clap my [triumphantly]; and [then] I will no longer be angry. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.’”
18 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:
Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]
19 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zimisele izindlela ezimbili, ukuze inkemba yenkosi yeBhabhiloni ibuye; elizweni linye zizaphuma zombili; njalo khetha indawo, uyikhethe enhlokweni yendlela yomuzi.
“You human, [a map], and on it mark two roads for the King of Babylonia to march [along with his army, carrying] their swords. When they depart from their country, they will come to a sign post where the road divides.
20 Misa indlela, ukuze inkemba ize eRabathi yabantwana bakoAmoni, lakoJuda eJerusalema ebiyelweyo.
[If they continue on the one road, ] they will attack [city], the capital of the Ammon people-group. [If they continue on the other road, ] they will come to Judah and to Jerusalem, [a city] with walls around it.
21 Ngoba inkosi yeBhabhiloni yema kunina wendlela, enhlokweni yezindlela ezimbili, ukuze ivumise ukuvumisa; ikhuhluze imitshoko, ibuze izithombe, ikhangele esibindini.
[When the army of] Babylonia comes to where the road divides, [they will stop], and the king will perform magic rituals [to decide which road to go on]. He will throw arrows; [then] consult his [about which road to go on], and he will (examine/look at) the [of a sheep].
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.
With his right hand he will pick up the arrow marked ‘Jerusalem’. He will [command his soldiers to go to Jerusalem. When they arrive there, they] will set up (rams/devices to [down the walls], ) and [then] the king will give the command for them to slaughter [the people]. They will shout [a battle-cry], and they will set up the rams against the [city] gates. They will build a dirt ramp [against the walls around the city], and set up things to bash those walls.
23 Njalo kuzakuba kubo njengokuvumisa kwamanga emehlweni abo, kubo abafunge izifungo; kodwa izakhumbula isiphambeko, ukuze babanjwe.
The [in Jerusalem] who had promised [to be loyal to the King of Babylonia will think that those rituals must be wrong. They will think that his army should not be attacking them]. But he will remind them of the sins [MTY] that they had committed, [his army] will capture them.
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, [tell the Israeli people that] this is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘You people have allowed everyone to see that you are openly [against the King of Babylonia], and by doing that you have shown that everything that you do is sinful. Therefore you will be captured and [to Babylonia].’
25 Wena-ke, siphathamandla esingcolileyo esikhohlakeleyo sakoIsrayeli, osuku lwaso selufikile, ngesikhathi sobubi bokucina,
Also, say, ‘You very wicked [DOU] king of Israel, it is your [to die]. It is the time for you to be punished.’
26 itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Susa iqhiye, wethule umqhele; lokhu kakuyikuba yikho; phakamisa ophansi, wehlisele phansi ophakemeyo.
And this is what Yahweh the Lord says [to you soldiers from Babylonia]: ‘Take off [the king’s] turban and his crown, because now things will be different than they were [before]. [in Jerusalem] who had no authority will now be given authority, and those who had authority will have their authority taken from them.
27 Ngizakwenza kube lunxiwa, unxiwa, unxiwa; lokhu kungabi kusaba khona, kuze kufike lowo olelungelo, ngimnike khona.
[Jerusalem] will be completely ruined. I will cause it to be ruined, and it will not be rebuilt/restored until the king to whom the city truly belongs comes; I will give it to [to rule it].’”
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, you human, prophesy and say [this]: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says about the Ammon people-group, and about what they have said to insult [Israel]: [“The King of Babylon says, ] ‘[My soldiers have] swords’ [APO]; they have pulled out those swords to slaughter many people. They have polished them in order to kill people, and to make those swords flash like lightning.
29 Besakubonela okuyize, besakuvumisela amanga, ukuthi bakubeke ezintanyeni zababuleweyo babakhohlakeleyo, abasuku lwabo selufikile ngesikhathi sesiphambeko sokucina.
[Your prophets] have given you false visions about [what will happen to] you, and they have given you messages that are not true. So swords will strike the necks of those wicked people; it is time for them to be killed; it is the day when they will be [for their sins].
30 Buyisela inkemba esikhwameni sayo. Ngizakwahlulela endaweni owadalelwa kuyo, elizweni lomdabuko wakho.
You must put your swords back in their sheaths [because the days for you to slaughter your enemies are ended]. I will judge those people in the country where they were born.
31 Njalo ngizathululela intukuthelo yami phezu kwakho; ngivuthele ngimelene lawe ngomlilo wolaka lwami; ngikunikele esandleni sabantu abalolunya, abayizingcwethi zokuchitha.
I will pour out my punishment [MTY] on them. Because I am very angry with them, my breath on them will scorch them [like] fire [MET]. I will allow brutal men to capture them, men who are experts in killing people.
32 Uzakuba yikudla komlilo; igazi lakho libe phakathi kwelizwe; kawuyikukhunjulwa; ngoba mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
You will be [like] fuel [MET] [that is burned] in a fire. Your blood will be shed in your own land. No one will remember you any more. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.” '”

< UHezekheli 21 >