UHezekheli 34
1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 Ndodana yomuntu, profetha umelene labelusi bakoIsrayeli, profetha uthi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova kubelusi: Maye kubelusi bakoIsrayeli abazelusayo bona! Abelusi bebengayikuzelusa izimvu yini?
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and tell them, even the shepherds, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep?
3 Lidla amanono, lizigqokise ngoboya, lihlabe ezinonileyo, umhlambi kaliwelusi.
You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep.
4 Ezibuthakathaka kaliziqinisanga, lezigulayo kalizelaphanga, lezephukileyo kalizibophanga, lebezixotshiwe kalizibuyisanga, lebezilahlekile kalizidinganga; kodwa ngamandla langesihluku lizibusile.
You haven’t strengthened the diseased. You haven’t healed that which was sick. You haven’t bound up that which was broken. You haven’t brought back that which was driven away. You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor.
5 Ngokunjalo zahlakazeka ngoba kungelamelusi; zaba yikudla kuzo zonke izilo zeganga, lapho zihlakazekile.
They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
6 Izimvu zami zazulazula kuzo zonke izintaba, laphezu kwalo lonke uqaqa oluphakemeyo; yebo umhlambi wami wawuhlakazeke phezu kobuso bonke bomhlaba, njalo kungekho ozidingayo, kungekho ozibhudulayo.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth. There was no one who searched or sought.”
7 Ngakho, lina belusi, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.
“‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the LORD’s word:
8 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili, ngoba umhlambi wami usube yimpango, lomhlambi wami usube yikudla kwaso sonke isilo seganga, ngoba kungelamelusi, labelusi bami bengazidinganga izimvu zami, kodwa abelusi bezelusile bona, bengazelusanga izimvu zami;
“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd, and my shepherds didn’t search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep,
9 ngakho, lina belusi, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.
therefore, you shepherds, hear the LORD’s word!”
10 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelane labelusi, ngizabiza umhlambi wami esandleni sabo, ngibenze bayekele ukwelusa umhlambi, ukuthi abelusi bangabuyi bazeluse bona; ngiwophule umhlambi wami emlonyeni wabo, ukuze ungabi yikudla kwabo.
The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. The shepherds won’t feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.”
11 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, mina, ngitsho mina ngizafuna izimvu zami, ngizidinge.
“‘For the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
12 Njengomalusi edinga umhlambi wakhe ngosuku ephakathi kwezimvu zakhe ezihlakazekileyo, ngokunjalo ngizadinga izimvu zami, ngizophule kuzo zonke izindawo lapho ezihlakazekele khona ngosuku lweyezi lolomnyama.
As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is amongst his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 Ngizazikhupha ebantwini, ngizibuthe emazweni, ngizise elizweni lazo, ngizeluse phezu kwezintaba zakoIsrayeli ngasemifuleni lakuzo zonke indawo zokuhlala zelizwe.
I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 Ngizazelusa edlelweni elivundileyo, lesibaya sazo sizakuba sezintabeni eziphakemeyo zakoIsrayeli. Zizalala lapho esibayeni esihle, zidle edlelweni elihle ezintabeni zakoIsrayeli.
I will feed them with good pasture, and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold. They will feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
15 Mina ngizawelusa umhlambi wami, mina ngiwulalise phansi, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down,” says the Lord GOD.
16 Ngizadinga ezilahlekileyo, ngibuyise ezixotshiweyo, ngibophe ezephukileyo, ngiqinise ezigulayo; kodwa ezinonileyo leziqinileyo ngizazibhubhisa, ngizeluse ngesahlulelo.
“I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.”’
17 Lina-ke, mhlambi wami, itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizakwahlulela phakathi kwemvu lemvu, phakathi kwezinqama lezimpongo.
“As for you, O my flock, the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats.
18 Kuyinto encane kini yini ukuthi lidle edlelweni elihle, linyathelele phansi ngenyawo zenu insali yamadlelo enu, lokuthi linathe amanzi acengekileyo, kodwa lidunge aseleyo ngenyawo zenu?
Does it seem a small thing to you to have fed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? And to have drunk of the clear waters, but must you foul the residue with your feet?
19 Kodwa umhlambi wami udla lokhu elikunyathele ngenyawo zenu, wanatha lokho elikudunge ngenyawo zenu.
As for my sheep, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet.’
20 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova kuzo: Khangelani, mina, ngitsho mina ngizakwahlulela phakathi kwezimvu ezinonileyo lezimvu ezicakileyo.
“Therefore the Lord GOD says to them: ‘Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
21 Ngoba lisunduza ngomhlubulo langehlombe, lihlabe zonke ezigulayo ngezimpondo zenu, lize lizihlakazele ngaphandle;
Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad,
22 ngakho ngizasindisa umhlambi wami, njalo kawusayikuba yimpango; ngahlulele phakathi kwemvu lemvu.
therefore I will save my flock, and they will no more be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 Ngimise umelusi oyedwa phezu kwazo, azeluse, inceku yami uDavida; yena uzazelusa, yena abe ngumelusi wazo.
I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.
24 Mina-ke Nkosi ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wazo, lenceku yami uDavida ibe yisiphathamandla phakathi kwazo. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David prince amongst them. I, the LORD, have spoken it.
25 Njalo ngizakwenza lazo isivumelwano sokuthula, ngenze izilo ezimbi ziphele elizweni; njalo zizahlala zivikelekile enkangala, zilale emahlathini.
“‘I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
26 Futhi ngizakwenza zona lezindawo ezihanqe uqaqa lwami kube yisibusiso; ngenze umkhizo wehle ngesikhathi sawo, kuzakuba lemikhizo yesibusiso.
I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing.
27 Lesihlahla sasendle sizathela izithelo zaso, lomhlaba uveze isivuno sawo; njalo zizakuba ngezivikelekileyo elizweni lazo, zazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, nxa sengephule izikeyi zejogwe lazo, ngizophule esandleni salabo abazisebenzisayo.
The tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them.
28 Njalo kazisayikuba yimpango yabezizwe, njalo izilo zelizwe kazisayikuzidla; kodwa zizahlala zivikelekile, njalo kakukho okungazethusa.
They will no more be a prey to the nations, neither will the animals of the earth devour them; but they will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid.
29 Njalo ngizazivusela isilimo esilebizo njalo kazisayikususwa yindlala elizweni, kazisayikuthwala ihlazo labezizwe.
I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, and not bear the shame of the nations any more.
30 Ngalokho zizakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wazo, ngilazo, lokuthi zona, indlu kaIsrayeli, zingabantu bami, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
They will know that I, the LORD, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord GOD.
31 Lina-ke, mhlambi wami, mhlambi wedlelo lami, lingabantu; mina nginguNkulunkulu wenu, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord GOD.”
