< UHezekheli 3 >
1 Yasisithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, dlana lokho ozakuthola; dlana lumqulu, uhambe uyekhuluma kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli.
And he said to me: “Son of man, eat whatever you will find; eat this scroll, and, going forth, speak to the sons of Israel.”
2 Ngasengivula umlomo wami, yasingidlisa lowomqulu.
And I opened my mouth, and he fed me that scroll.
3 Yasisithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, yenza isisu sakho sidle, ugcwalise amathumbu akho ngalumqulu engikunika wona. Ngasengisidla; njalo waba emlonyeni wami njengoluju ngenxa yobumnandi.
And he said to me: “Son of man, your stomach shall eat, and your interior shall be filled with this scroll, which I am giving to you.” And I ate it, and in my mouth it became as sweet as honey.
4 Yasisithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, hamba uye endlini yakoIsrayeli, ukhulume ngamazwi ami kubo.
And he said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and you shall speak my words to them.
5 Ngoba kawuthunywanga ebantwini abalenkulumo ejulileyo lolimi olunzima, kodwa endlini yakoIsrayeli.
For you will be sent, not to a people of profound words or of an unknown language, but to the house of Israel,
6 Hatshi ebantwini abanengi abalenkulumo ejulileyo lolimi olunzima, abamazwi abo ongeke uwezwe. Isibili, uba bengikuthume kubo, bona bebezakukuzwa.
and not to many peoples of profound words or of an unknown language, whose words you would not be able to understand. But if you were sent to them, they would listen to you.
7 Kodwa indlu kaIsrayeli kayiyikuvuma ukukulalela, ngoba kabavumi ukungilalela; ngoba yonke indlu yakoIsrayeli ilobuso obuqinileyo, njalo balukhuni ngenhliziyo.
Yet the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you. For they are not willing to listen to me. Certainly, the entire house of Israel has a brazen forehead and a hardened heart.
8 Khangela, ngenze ubuso bakho baqina bumelene lobuso babo, lebunzi lakho liqine limelene lebunzi labo.
Behold, I have made your face stronger than their faces, and your forehead harder than their foreheads.
9 Ngenze ibunzi lakho libe njengendayimana elukhuni kulensengetshe. Ungabesabi, ungatshaywa luvalo yibuso babo, lanxa beyindlu evukelayo.
I have made your face like hardened iron and like flint. You should not fear them, and you should not have dread before their face. For they are a provoking house.”
10 Futhi yathi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, wonke amazwi ami engizawakhuluma kuwe, emukele enhliziyweni yakho, uzwe ngendlebe zakho.
And he said to me: “Son of man, listen with your ears, and take into your heart, all my words, which I am speaking to you.
11 Hamba-ke, uye kwabathunjiweyo, ebantwaneni babantu bakho, ukhulume kubo, uthi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova; loba bezakuzwa loba bezayekela.
And go forth and enter to those of the transmigration, to the sons of your people. And you shall speak to them. And you shall say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Perhaps it may be that they will listen and be quieted.”
12 UMoya wasengiphakamisa; ngasengisizwa emva kwami ilizwi lomdumo omkhulu, lisithi: Kayidunyiswe inkazimulo yeNkosi ivela endaweni yayo.
And the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great commotion, saying, “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from his place,”
13 Ngezwa futhi umsindo wempiko zezidalwa eziphilayo, ezazithintana, lomsindo wamavili maqondana lazo, lomsindo womdumo omkhulu.
and the voice of the wings of the living creatures striking against one another, and the voice of the wheels following the living creatures, and the voice of a great commotion.
14 UMoya wasengiphakamisa, wangisusa; ngasengihamba ngokubaba ekuvutheni komoya wami; kodwa isandla seNkosi sasilamandla phezu kwami.
Then the Spirit lifted me and took me away. And I went forth in bitterness, with the indignation of my spirit. For the hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me.
15 Ngasengifika kwabathunjiweyo eTelabibi, ababehlala ngasemfuleni iKebari; ngahlala lapho ababehlala khona, ngahlala khona insuku eziyisikhombisa ngithithibele phakathi kwabo.
And I went to those of the transmigration, to the stockpile of new crops, to those who were living beside the river Chebar. And I sat where they were sitting. And I remained there for seven days, while mourning in their midst.
16 Kwasekusithi ekucineni kwensuku eziyisikhombisa, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi, lisithi:
Then, when seven days had passed, the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
17 Ndodana yomuntu, ngikwenzile waba ngumlindi kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli. Ngakho zwana ilizwi elivela emlonyeni wami, ubaxwayise kuvela kimi.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. And so, you shall listen to the word from my mouth, and you shall announce it to them from me.
18 Lapho ngisithi kokhohlakeleyo: Uzakufa lokufa; wena-ke ungamxwayisi, loba ungakhulumi ukumxwayisa okhohlakeleyo ukuthi asuke endleleni yakhe ekhohlakeleyo, ukuze agcine impilo yakhe, lowo okhohlakeleyo uzafela ebubini bakhe; kodwa igazi lakhe ngizalibiza esandleni sakho.
If, when I say to the impious man, ‘You shall certainly die,’ you do not announce it to him, and you do not speak so that he may turn aside from his impious way and live, then the same impious man will die in his iniquity. But I will attribute his blood to your hand.
19 Kodwa uba wena umxwayisa okhohlakeleyo, angaphenduki ekukhohlakaleni kwakhe lendleleni yakhe ekhohlakeleyo, yena uzafela ebubini bakhe; kodwa wena ukhulule umphefumulo wakho.
But if you announce it to the impious man, and he is not converted from his impiety and from his impious way, then indeed he will die in his iniquity. But you will have delivered your own soul.
20 Futhi, uba olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, enze isiphambeko, njalo ngibeke isikhubekiso phambi kwakhe, yena uzakufa; ngoba wena ungamxwayisanga, uzafela esonweni sakhe, lokulunga kwakhe akwenzileyo kungakhunjulwa; kodwa igazi lakhe ngizalibiza esandleni sakho.
Moreover, if the just man turns aside from his justice and commits iniquity, I will place a stumbling block before him. He shall die, because you have not announced to him. He shall die in his sin, and his justices that he did shall not be remembered. Yet truly, I will attribute his blood to your hand.
21 Kodwa uba wena umxwayisa olungileyo, ukuze olungileyo angoni, yena-ke angaze ona, isibili yena uzaphila, ngoba exwayisiwe; futhi wena uwukhulule umphefumulo wakho.
But if you announce to the just man, so that the just man may not sin, and he does not sin, then he shall certainly live, because you have announced to him. And you will have delivered your own soul.”
22 Isandla seNkosi sasesiphezu kwami lapho, yasisithi kimi: Sukuma, uphume uye egcekeni, lalapho ngizakhuluma lawe.
And the hand of the Lord was over me. And he said to me: “Rise up, and go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.”
23 Ngasengisukuma ngaphuma ngaya egcekeni; khangela-ke, inkazimulo yeNkosi yayimi khona, njengenkazimulo engangiyibone ngasemfuleni iKebari; ngasengisithi mbo ngobuso bami.
And I rose up, and I went out to the plain. And behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory that I saw beside the river Chebar. And I fell upon my face.
24 UMoya wasengena kimi, wangimisa ngenyawo zami, wakhuluma kimi wathi kimi: Hamba uyezivalela phakathi kwendlu yakho.
And the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet. And he spoke to me, and he said to me: “Enter and enclose yourself in the midst of your house.
25 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, khangela, bazafaka izibopho phezu kwakho, bakubophe ngazo, ukuze ungaphumi phakathi kwabo.
And as for you, son of man, behold: they shall put chains upon you and bind you with them. And you shall not go out from their midst.
26 Njalo ngizakwenza ulimi lwakho lunamathele olwangeni lwakho, ukuze ube yisimungulu, njalo ungabi ngumuntu okhuzayo kubo; ngoba bayindlu evukelayo.
And I will cause your tongue to adhere to the roof of your mouth. And you will be mute, not like a man who reproaches. For they are a provoking house.
27 Kodwa lapho ngikhuluma lawe, ngizavula umlomo wakho, ubususithi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ozwayo kezwe, loyekelayo kayekele; ngoba bayindlu evukelayo.
But when I will speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Whoever is listening, let him hear. And whoever is quieted, let him be quieted. For they are a provoking house.”