UHezekheli 22
1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, uzakwehlulela yini, wahlulele umuzi wegazi? Yebo uzawazisa zonke izinengiso zawo.
“You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations.
3 Ubususithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Umuzi ochitha igazi phakathi kwawo, ukuze isikhathi sawo sifike, wenze izithombe ezimelene lawo, ukuze uzingcolise.
You shall say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her!
4 Wena usulecala ngegazi olichithileyo, wazingcolisa ngezithombe zakho ozenzileyo, wasondeza insuku zakho, usufikile eminyakeni yakho. Ngalokho ngikwenzile waba lihlazo ezizweni lenhlekisa kuwo wonke amazwe.
You have become guilty in your blood that you have shed, and are defiled in your idols which you have made! You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries.
5 Abaseduze labakhatshana lawe bazakuhleka usulu, wena ongcolileyo ngebizo, ogcwele isiphithiphithi.
Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult.
6 Khangela, iziphathamandla zakoIsrayeli zaziphakathi kwakho, yileso laleso ngengalo yaso, ukuthi sichithe igazi.
“‘“Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood.
7 Baphathe uyihlo lonyoko ngokweyisa kuwe; benze ngocindezelo kowemzini phakathi kwakho; bacindezele izintandane lomfelokazi kuwe.
In you have they treated father and mother with contempt. Among you they have oppressed the foreigner. In you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow.
8 Uzidelele izinto zami ezingcwele, wangcolisa amasabatha ami.
You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths.
9 Abantu abahlebayo babekuwe ukuze bachithe igazi; badla kuwe phezu kwezintaba; benza amanyala phakathi kwakho.
Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood. In you they have eaten on the mountains. They have committed lewdness among you.
10 Bembule ubunqunu baboyise phakathi kwakho; bathobise kuwe owesifazana ongcoliswe yikuba semfuleni.
In you have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity.
11 Futhi omunye wenze amanyala lomfazi kamakhelwane wakhe, lomunye wangcolisa umalokazana wakhe ngokuhlazisayo, lomunye uthobise udadewabo phakathi kwakho, indodakazi kayise.
One has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife, and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. Another in you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.
12 Phakathi kwakho bemukele izipho ukuze bachithe igazi; uyemukela inzalo lokwengezelelweyo, uphangile umakhelwane wakho ngocindezelo, wangikhohlwa, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
In you have they taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord GOD.
13 Khangela-ke ngitshayile isandla sami ngenzuzo yakho embi oyenzileyo, langegazi lakho ebeliphakathi kwakho.
“‘“Behold, therefore I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at the blood which has been shed within you.
14 Inhliziyo yakho izakuma yini, kumbe izandla zakho ziqine, ensukwini engizaphathana lawe kizo? Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile, njalo ngizakwenza.
Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I will deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken it, and will do it.
15 Ngikuhlakaze phakathi kwezizwe, ngikusabalalise phakathi kwamazwe, ngiqede ukungcola kwakho kuwe.
I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries. I will purge your filthiness out of you.
16 Njalo uzangcoliswa phakathi kwakho emehlweni abezizwe; ubususazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi.
You will be profaned in yourself in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”
17 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
18 Ndodana yomuntu, indlu kaIsrayeli isibengamanyele kimi; bonke balithusi, lezenge, lensimbi, lomnuso, phakathi kwesithando; bangamanyele esiliva.
“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me. All of them are bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the middle of the furnace. They are the dross of silver.
19 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba lonke selibengamanyele, ngakho khangelani, ngizalibuthelela phakathi kweJerusalema.
Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the middle of Jerusalem.
20 Njengoba bebuthelela isiliva lethusi lensimbi lomnuso lezenge phakathi kwesithando, ukuze bafuthe umlilo phezu kwakho ukukuncibilikisa; ngokunjalo ngizalibuthelela ekuthukutheleni kwami lelakeni lwami, ngilitshiye, ngilincibilikise.
As they gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the middle of the furnace, to blow the fire on it, to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will lay you there and melt you.
21 Yebo, ngizalibuthelela, ngivuthele phezu kwenu emlilweni wentukuthelo yami, beselincibilikiswa phakathi kwawo.
Yes, I will gather you, and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you will be melted in the middle of it.
22 Njengesiliva sincibilikiswa phakathi kwesithando, ngokunjalo lizancibilikiswa phakathi kwaso; njalo lizakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi ngithulule ulaka lwami phezu kwenu.
As silver is melted in the middle of the furnace, so you will be melted in the middle of it; and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out my wrath on you.’”
23 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
24 Ndodana yomuntu, wothi kiyo: Wena uyilizwe elingahlanjululwanga, lelinganethwanga ngosuku lwentukuthelo.
“Son of man, tell her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed nor rained on in the day of indignation.’
25 Ugobe lwabaprofethi bayo phakathi kwayo lunjengesilwane esibhongayo esidlithiza impango; bayidlile imiphefumulo, bathatha inotho lezinto eziligugu, benza abafelokazi baba banengi phakathi kwayo.
There is a conspiracy of her prophets within it, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They take treasure and precious things. They have made many widows within it.
26 Abapristi bayo baphathe umlayo wami ngodlakela, bangcolisa izinto zami ezingcwele; kabenzanga mehluko phakathi kokungcwele lokungcolileyo; kabazisanga umehluko phakathi kokungcolileyo lokuhlambulukileyo; bafihla amehlo abo kumasabatha ami; ngakho ngangcoliswa phakathi kwabo.
Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths. So I am profaned among them.
27 Iziphathamandla zayo phakathi kwayo zinjengezimpisi ezidlithiza impango, ukuthi zichithe igazi, zibhubhise imiphefumulo, ukuze zizuze inzuzo embi.
Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.
28 Labaprofethi bayo babacombe ngekalaga, bebona okuyize, bebavumisa amanga, besithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova; kanti iNkosi ingakhulumanga.
Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying, ‘The Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.
29 Abantu belizwe bacindezele ngocindezelo, baphanga impango, bacindezela umyanga loswelayo, bacindezela owezizwe kungelakulunga.
The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. Yes, they have troubled the poor and needy, and have oppressed the foreigner wrongfully.
30 Njalo ngadinga umuntu phakathi kwabo ongabiya uthango, ame esikhexeni phambi kwami emele ilizwe ukuze ngingalichithi, kodwa kangimtholanga.
“I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.
31 Ngakho ngithululele intukuthelo yami phezu kwabo, ngibaqede ngomlilo wolaka lwami; ngehlisele indlela yabo phezu kwekhanda labo, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have brought their own way on their heads,” says the Lord GOD.
