UHezekheli 21
1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 Ndodana yomuntu, misa ubuso bakho ngaseJerusalema, utshumayele ngasezindaweni ezingcwele, uprofethe umelane lelizwe lakoIsrayeli;
“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, 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.
Tell the land of Israel, ‘The LORD says: “Behold, I am against you, and will draw my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you 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 then that I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore my sword will go 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.
All flesh will know that I, the LORD, have drawn my sword out of its sheath. It will not return any more.”’
6 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, bubula ngokudabuka kokhalo, langokubaba ububule phambi kwamehlo abo.
“Therefore sigh, you son of man. You shall sigh before their eyes with a broken heart and with bitterness.
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.
It shall be, when they ask you, ‘Why do you sigh?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the news, for it comes! Every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes, and it shall be done, says the Lord GOD.’”
8 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
9 Ndodana yomuntu, profetha uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Wothi: Inkemba, inkemba iloliwe, futhi ilolongiwe.
“Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘The LORD says: “A sword! A sword! It is sharpened, and also polished.
10 Ilolelwe ukuthi ibulale lokubulala, yalolongelwa ukuthi ibe lokuphazima; sizathokoza yini? Iyintonga yendodana yami, idelela sonke isigodo.
It is sharpened that it may make a slaughter. It is polished that it may be as lightning. Should we then make mirth? The rod of my son condemns every tree.
11 Njalo uyinikele ukuthi ilolongwe ukuze iphathwe ngesandla; le inkemba iyalolwa njalo yona ilolongelwe ukuyinikela esandleni sombulali.
It is given to be polished, that it may be handled. The sword is sharpened. Yes, it is polished to give it into the hand of the killer.”’
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 wail, son of man; for it is on my people. It is on all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Therefore beat your thigh.
13 Ngoba kuyikuhlolwa, pho, kuzakuba njani nxa intonga idelela? Kakuyikuba khona, kutsho iNkosi uJehova.
“For there is a trial. What if even the rod that condemns will be no more?” says the Lord GOD.
14 Ngakho wena, ndodana yomuntu, profetha, utshaye isandla esandleni, lenkemba kayiphindwe okwesithathu; yinkemba yababuleweyo, yinkemba yabakhulu ababuleweyo, ebahanqayo.
“You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands together. Let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the fatally wounded. It is the sword of the great one who is fatally wounded, which enters into their rooms.
15 Ngimise umcijo wenkemba umelene lamasango abo wonke, ukuze inhliziyo incibilike lezikhubekiso zande. Hawu! Yenziwe ukuthi iphazime, ilolongwe ukuthi ibulale.
I have set the threatening sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied. Ah! It is made as lightning. It is pointed for slaughter.
16 Hamba ngendlela enye kumbe ngenye, ngakwesokunene, umise ngakwesokhohlo, lapho ubuso bakho obumiswe khona.
Gather yourselves together. Go to the right. Set yourselves in array. Go to the left, wherever your face is set.
17 Lami-ke ngizatshaya isandla sami esandleni sami, ngiphumuze intukuthelo yami. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
I will also strike my hands together, and I will cause my wrath to rest. I, the LORD, have spoken it.”
18 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came to me again, 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.
“Also, you son of man, appoint two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. They both will come out of one land, and mark out a place. Mark it out at the head of the way to the city.
20 Misa indlela, ukuze inkemba ize eRabathi yabantwana bakoAmoni, lakoJuda eJerusalema ebiyelweyo.
You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.
21 Ngoba inkosi yeBhabhiloni yema kunina wendlela, enhlokweni yezindlela ezimbili, ukuze ivumise ukuvumisa; ikhuhluze imitshoko, ibuze izithombe, ikhangele esibindini.
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shook the arrows back and forth. He consulted the teraphim. He looked 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 was the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, and to build forts.
23 Njalo kuzakuba kubo njengokuvumisa kwamanga emehlweni abo, kubo abafunge izifungo; kodwa izakhumbula isiphambeko, ukuze babanjwe.
It will be to them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to memory, 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 the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have caused your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear; because you have come to memory, you will be taken with the hand.
25 Wena-ke, siphathamandla esingcolileyo esikhohlakeleyo sakoIsrayeli, osuku lwaso selufikile, ngesikhathi sobubi bokucina,
“‘You, deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in 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.
the Lord GOD says: “Remove the turban, and take off the crown. This will not be as it was. Exalt that which is low, and humble 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 will be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give 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.
“You, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘The Lord GOD says this concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach: “A sword! A sword is drawn! It is polished for the slaughter, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning;
29 Besakubonela okuyize, besakuvumisela amanga, ukuthi bakubeke ezintanyeni zababuleweyo babakhohlakeleyo, abasuku lwabo selufikile ngesikhathi sesiphambeko sokucina.
while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies to you, to lay you on the necks of the wicked who are deadly wounded, whose day has come in the time of the iniquity of the end.
30 Buyisela inkemba esikhwameni sayo. Ngizakwahlulela endaweni owadalelwa kuyo, elizweni lomdabuko wakho.
Cause it to return into its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your birth, I will judge you.
31 Njalo ngizathululela intukuthelo yami phezu kwakho; ngivuthele ngimelene lawe ngomlilo wolaka lwami; ngikunikele esandleni sabantu abalolunya, abayizingcwethi zokuchitha.
I will pour out my indignation on you. I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath. I will deliver you into the hand of brutish men, skillful to destroy.
32 Uzakuba yikudla komlilo; igazi lakho libe phakathi kwelizwe; kawuyikukhunjulwa; ngoba mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
You will be for fuel to the fire. Your blood will be in the middle of the land. You will be remembered no more; for I, the LORD, have spoken it.”’”
