UHezekheli 24
1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi, ngomnyaka wesificamunwemunye, ngenyanga yetshumi, ngolwetshumi lwenyanga, lisithi:
The word of Yahweh came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, and on the tenth day of the month, saying,
2 Ndodana yomuntu, zibhalele ibizo losuku, lwalona lolusuku; inkosi yeBhabhiloni yazimisa ukumelana leJerusalema ngalona lolusuku.
“Son of man, write for yourself the name of this day, this exact day, for this exact day the king of Babylon has besieged Jerusalem.
3 Njalo tshono umfanekiso kuyo indlu evukelayo uthi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Beka imbiza, ibeke, futhi uthele amanzi kuyo,
So speak a proverb against this rebellious house, a parable. Say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Place the cooking pot. Place it and pour water into it.
4 ubuthele iziqa zayo kiyo, zonke iziqa ezinhle, umlenze lomkhono, uyigcwalise ngekhethelo lamathambo.
Gather pieces of food within it, every good piece—the thigh and shoulder— and fill it with the best bones.
5 Thatha ikhethelo lomhlambi, ubuthelele lamathambo ngaphansi kwayo, kwenze kubile kuhle, kuphekwe lamathambo awo phakathi kwayo.
Take the best of the flock and pile up the bones under it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.
6 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Maye kuwo umuzi wegazi, imbiza omengulo wayo uphakathi kwayo, lomengulo wayo kawuphumanga kuyo! Khupha isiqa ngesiqa, inkatho kayingaweli kuyo.
Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: Woe to the city of blood, a cooking pot that has rust in it and that rust will not come out of it. Take piece after piece from it, but do not cast lots for it.
7 Ngoba igazi lawo liphakathi kwawo, ulibeke edwaleni elize, kawulithululelanga phezu komhlabathi ukuligqibela ngenhlabathi.
For her blood is in the midst of her. She has set it on the smooth rock; she has not poured it out on the ground to cover it with dust,
8 Ukuze ngivuse intukuthelo, ukuze ngiphindisele impindiselo, ngibekile igazi lawo edwaleni elize, ukuze lingagqitshelwa.
so it brings fury up to exact vengeance. I placed her blood on the smooth rock so it could not be covered.
9 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Maye kuwo umuzi wegazi! Lami ngizakwenza ibonda libe likhulu.
Therefore, the Lord Yahweh says this: Woe to the city of blood. I will also enlarge the pile of wood.
10 Yandisa izinkuni, uphembe umlilo, uqede inyama, uxubanise izinongo, lamathambo atshiswe.
Stack up the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well and mix in the spices and let the bones be charred.
11 Ubusuyibeka phezu kwamalahle ayo ingelalutho, ukuze kutshise kuvuthe ithusi layo, lokungcola kwayo kuncibilike phakathi kwayo, kuqedwe umengulo wayo.
Then set the pot on its coals empty, in order to heat and scorch its bronze, so its uncleanness within it will be melted, its corrosion consumed.'
12 Izidinisile ngomtshikatshika, lomengulo wayo omnengi kawuphumanga kuyo. Umengulo wayo usemlilweni.
She has become weary because of toil, but her corrosion has not gone out of her by the fire.
13 Kulamanyala ekungcoleni kwakho; ngoba ngikuhlambulule, kodwa kawuhlambulukanga, kawuyikuhlambuluka ekungcoleni kwakho futhi, ngize ngihlalise ukuthukuthela kwami phezu kwakho.
Your shameful behavior is in your uncleanness. Because I tried to cleanse you but still you would not be cleansed from your uncleanness, you will not be cleansed anymore until I have satisfied my fury upon you.
14 Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile; kuzafika, ngikwenze; kangiyikuyekela, kangiyikuba lesihawu, kangiyikuzisola; njengokwendlela zakho lanjengokwezenzo zakho bazakugweba, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
I, Yahweh, have declared it, and I will do it. I will not relent nor will I rest from it. As your ways were, and as your activities, they will judge you!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”
15 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi, lisithi:
Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
16 Ndodana yomuntu, khangela, ngizasusa kuwe isiloyiso samehlo akho ngokutshaya; kodwa ungalili, ungakhali inyembezi, futhi inyembezi zakho zingaveli.
“Son of man! Behold, I am taking the desire of your eyes from you with a plague, but you must not mourn nor weep, and your tears must not flow.
17 Bubula, uthule, ungenzi isililo ngabafileyo, ubophe iqhiye yakho phezu kwakho, ufake amanyathela akho enyaweni zakho, ungambombozi indevu zendebe yakho yangaphezulu, ungadli isinkwa sabantu.
You must groan silently. Do not conduct a funeral for the dead. Tie your turban on you and place your sandals on your feet, but do not veil your facial hair or eat the bread of men who mourn for having lost their wives.”
18 Ngasengikhuluma labantu ekuseni, lakusihlwa umkami wafa. Ngasengisenza ekuseni njengokulaywa kwami.
So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning I did what I had been commanded to do.
19 Abantu basebesithi kimi: Kawuyikusitshela yini ukuthi lezizinto ziyini kithi, ukuthi wenze nje?
The people asked me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean, the things that you are doing?”
20 Ngasengisithi kubo: Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi lisithi:
So I said to them, “The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
21 Tshono kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizangcolisa indawo yami engcwele, udumo lwamandla enu, isiloyiso samehlo enu, lokuzwelwa ngumphefumulo wenu; njalo amadodana enu lamadodakazi enu eliwatshiyileyo azakuwa ngenkemba.
'Say to the house of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I will desecrate my sanctuary—the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind will fall by the sword.
22 Khona lizakwenza njengoba ngenzile; kaliyikumbomboza indevu zendebe yangaphezulu, kaliyikudla isinkwa sabantu.
Then you will do exactly as I have done: you will not veil your facial hair, nor eat the bread of mourning men!
23 Lamaqhiye enu azakuba phezu kwamakhanda enu, lamanyathela enu ezinyaweni zenu; kaliyikulila kaliyikukhala inyembezi; kodwa lizacikizeka ngenxa yeziphambeko zenu, libubule, omunye komunye.
Instead, your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet; you will not mourn nor weep, for you will melt away in your iniquities, and each man will groan for his brother.
24 Ngokunjalo uHezekeli uzakuba yisibonakaliso kini; lizakwenza njengakho konke akwenzileyo; lapho sekufika lokhu, lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi uJehova.
So Ezekiel will be a sign for you, as everything that he has done you will do when this comes. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh!'”
25 Futhi, wena ndodana yomuntu, kakuyikuba njalo yini ngalolosuku lapho engizasusa kubo inqaba yabo, intokozo yobuhle babo, isiloyiso samehlo abo, lokuphakama komphefumulo wabo, amadodana abo lamadodakazi abo,
“But you, son of man, on the day that I capture their temple, which is their joy, their pride, and what they see and desire—and when I take away their sons and daughters—
26 ngalolosuku kuzafika kuwe ophunyukileyo, ukwenza indlebe zakho zizwe?
on that day, a refugee will come to you to give you the news!
27 Ngalolosuku umlomo wakho uzavulekela yena ophunyukileyo; njalo uzakhuluma, ungabe usaba yisimungulu; ngokunjalo uzakuba yisibonakaliso kubo; khona bazakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi.
On that day your mouth will be opened up to that refugee and you will speak—you will no longer be silent. You will be a sign for them so that they will know that I am Yahweh.”
