UHezekheli 36

1 Wena-ke ndodana yomuntu, profetha kuzo izintaba zakoIsrayeli, uthi: Lina zintaba zakoIsrayeli, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.

“But as for you, son of man, prophesy over the mountains of Israel, and you shall say: O mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord.

2 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba isitha sitshilo simelene lani: Aha, ngitsho izindawo zasendulo eziphakemeyo ziyilifa lethu;

Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy has said about you: ‘It is well! The everlasting heights have been given to us as an inheritance!’

3 ngakho profetha uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba, yebo, ngoba bakwenze incithakalo, baliginya inhlangothi zonke, ukuze libe yilifa kuyo insali yabezizwe, liphakanyiswa endebeni zolimi, laba lunyeyo lwabantu;

because of this, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God: Because you have been made desolate, and you have been trampled on every side, and you have been made into an inheritance for the remainder of the nations, and because you rose up, over the tip of the tongue and over the shame of the people,

4 ngakho, lina zintaba zakoIsrayeli, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi uJehova: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova ezintabeni, lemaqaqeni, emifuleni, lezihotsheni, lemanxiweni achithekileyo, lemizini etshiyiweyo, esibe yimpango lenhlekisa kunsali yezizwe ezizingelezeleyo.

because of this, O mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the torrents, and to the valleys, and to the deserts, and to the ruins, and to the forsaken cities, which have been depopulated and ridiculed by the remainder of the nations all around:

5 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Isibili ngomlilo wobukhwele bami sengikhulume ngimelene lensali yabezizwe, ngimelene leEdoma yonke, abazinikele ilizwe lami ukuthi libe yilifa ngentokozo yenhliziyo yonke, ngengqondo yokudelela, ngenxa yokuliphosa libe yimpango.

Because of this, thus says the Lord God: In the fire of my zeal, I have spoken about the remainder of the nations, and about all of Idumea, who have given my land to themselves, joyfully, as an inheritance, and with all the heart and mind, and who have cast it out, so that they may lay waste to it.

6 Ngakho profetha ngelizwe lakoIsrayeli, uthi ezintabeni, lemaqaqeni, emifuleni, lezihotsheni: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngikhulumile ebukhweleni bami lelakeni lwami, ngoba lithwele ihlazo lezizwe.

Therefore, prophesy over the soil of Israel, and you shall say to the mountains, and to the hills, to the ridges, and to the valleys: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in my zeal and in my fury, because you have endured the shame of the Gentiles.

7 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Mina ngiphakamisile isandla sami. Isibili izizwe ezilihanqileyo, yizo ezizathwala ihlazo lazo.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I have lifted up my hand, so that the Gentiles, who are all around you, will themselves bear their shame.

8 Kodwa lina, zintaba zakoIsrayeli, lizaveza ingatsha zenu, lithele isithelo senu kubantu bami uIsrayeli, ngoba basondela ukubuya.

But as for you, O mountains of Israel, spring forth your branches, and bear your fruit, to my people Israel. For they are close to their advent.

9 Ngoba, khangelani, ngilani, ngiphendukele ngakini, njalo lizalinywa lihlanyelwe.

For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be plowed, and you will receive seed.

10 Njalo ngizakwandisa abantu phezu kwenu, yonke indlu kaIsrayeli, yona yonke; lemizi izahlalwa, lamanxiwa azakwakhiwa.

And I will multiply men among you and among all the house of Israel. And the cities shall be inhabited, and the ruinous places shall be restored.

11 Njalo ngizakwandisa phezu kwenu umuntu lenyamazana, njalo kuzakwanda kuthele izithelo; ngilenze lihlale njengasezindaweni zenu zendulo, ngikwenze kube kuhle kulezikhathi zenu zokuqala. Khona lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi.

And I will fill you again with men and with cattle. And they will be multiplied, and they will increase. And I will cause you to live as from the beginning, and I will give you even greater gifts than those you had from the start. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

12 Yebo ngizakwenza abantu bahambe phezu kwenu, abantu bami uIsrayeli; badle ilifa lakho, wena ube yilifa labo, kawusayikubenza bafelwe ngabantwana futhi.

And I will lead men over you, over my people Israel, and they will possess you as an inheritance. And you shall be to them as an inheritance. And you shall no longer be permitted to be without them.

13 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba bathi kini: Wena ungumudli wabantu, wenze izizwe zakho zifelwe ngabantwana.

Thus says the Lord God: Because they are saying about you, ‘You are a woman who devours men, and you are strangling your own nation,’

14 Ngakho kawusayikudla abantu, kawusayikukhubekisa izizwe zakho, itsho iNkosi uJehova.

because of this, you shall no longer consume men, and you shall no longer harm your own nation, says the Lord God.

15 Njalo kangisayikuzwakalisa kuwe ihlazo lezizwe, kawusayikuthwala inhloni zabantu, kawusayikukhubekisa izizwe, itsho iNkosi uJehova.

Neither will I permit men to discover in you the shame of the Gentiles any more. And you shall never again bear the reproach of the peoples. And you shall not send your people away any more, says the Lord God.”

16 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

17 Ndodana yomuntu, abendlu kaIsrayeli besahlala elizweni lakibo, balingcolisa ngendlela yabo langezenzo zabo; indlela yabo phambi kwami yayifanana lokungcola kowesifazana osemfuleni.

“Son of man, the house of Israel lived on their own soil, and they defiled it with their ways and with their intentions. Their way, in my sight, became like the uncleanness of a menstruous woman.

18 Ngakho ngathululela ulaka lwami phezu kwabo ngenxa yegazi ababelichithe elizweni, langenxa yezithombe zabo ababelingcolise ngazo.

And so I poured out my indignation upon them, because of the blood which they shed upon the land, and because they defiled it with their idols.

19 Ngasengibahlakaza phakathi kwezizwe, basabalaliswa phakathi kwamazwe; ngabahlulela njengokwendlela yabo lanjengokwezenzo zabo.

And I dispersed them among the Gentiles, and they have been scattered among the lands. I have judged them according to their ways and their plans.

20 Lapho befika kwabezizwe, lapho abaya khona, bangcolisa ibizo lami elingcwele, lapho kwathiwa ngabo: Laba ngabantu beNkosi, baphume elizweni layo.

And when they walked among the Gentiles, to whom they had entered, they defiled my holy name, though it was being said about them: ‘This is the people of the Lord,’ and ‘They went forth from his land.’

21 Kodwa ngalihawukela ibizo lami elingcwele, indlu kaIsrayeli eyayilingcolise phakathi kwezizwe, lapho abaya khona.

But I have spared my holy name, which the house of Israel has defiled among the Gentiles, to whom they entered.

22 Ngakho tshono kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kangikwenzi ngenxa yenu, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, kodwa ngenxa yebizo lami elingcwele, elilingcolisileyo phakathi kwezizwe, lapho elaya khona.

For this reason, you shall say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: I will act, not for your sake, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have defiled among the Gentiles, to whom you entered.

23 Njalo ngizangcwelisa ibizo lami elikhulu, elingcoliswe phakathi kwezizwe, elilingcolisileyo phakathi kwazo; lezizwe zizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, itsho iNkosi uJehova, lapho ngizangcweliswa kini emehlweni abo.

And I will sanctify my great name, which was defiled among the Gentiles, which you have defiled in their midst. So may the Gentiles know that I am the Lord, says the Lord of hosts, when I will have been sanctified in you, before their eyes.

24 Ngoba ngizalithatha ezizweni, ngilibuthe emazweni wonke, ngililethe elizweni lenu.

Certainly, I will take you away from the Gentiles, and I will gather you together from all the lands, and I will lead you into your own land.

25 Khona ngizafafaza amanzi ahlambulukileyo phezu kwenu, lihlambuluke; kukho konke ukungcola kwenu, lakuzo zonke izithombe zenu, ngizalihlambulula.

And I will pour clean water over you, and you shall be cleansed from all your filth, and I will cleanse you from all your idols.

26 Ngilinike inhliziyo entsha, ngifake umoya omutsha phakathi kwenu, ngisuse inhliziyo yelitshe enyameni yenu, ngilinike inhliziyo yenyama.

And I will give to you a new heart, and I will place in you a new spirit. And I will take away the heart of stone from your body, and I will give to you a heart of flesh.

27 Ngifake uMoya wami phakathi kwenu, ngilenze ukuthi lihambe ngezimiso zami, ligcine izahlulelo zami lizenze.

And I will place my Spirit in your midst. And I will act so that you may walk in my precepts and keep my judgments, and so that you may fulfill them.

28 Lizahlala-ke elizweni engalinika oyihlo, libe ngabantu bami, lami ngibe nguNkulunkulu wenu.

And you shall live in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

29 Njalo ngizalisindisa kukho konke ukungcola kwenu; ngibize amabele, ngiwandise, ngingabeki ndlala phezu kwenu.

And I will save you from all your filth. And I will call for grain, and I will multiply it, and I will not impose a famine upon you.

30 Ngandise isithelo sesihlahla, lesivuno sensimu, ukuze lingaphindi lemukele ihlazo lendlala phakathi kwezizwe.

And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you may no longer bear the disgrace of famine among the nations.

31 Khona lizakhumbula izindlela zenu ezimbi lezenzo zenu ezingalunganga; linengeke ngani ngokwenu ngobubi benu langenxa yezinengiso zenu.

And you shall remember your very wicked ways and your intentions, which were not good. And you will be displeased by your own iniquities and your own crimes.

32 Kangikwenzi ngenxa yenu, itsho iNkosi uJehova; kakwaziwe kini. Banini lenhloni libe lehlazo ngenxa yezindlela zenu, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli.

It is not for your sakes that I will act, says the Lord God; let this be known to you. Be confounded and ashamed over your own ways, O house of Israel.

33 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Mhla ngilihlambulula kubo bonke ububi benu, ngizakwenza imizi ihlalwe, lamanxiwa akhiwe.

Thus says the Lord God: In the day when I will have cleansed you from all your iniquities, and when I will have caused the cities to be inhabited, and when I will have restored the ruinous places,

34 Lelizwe elichithekileyo lizalinywa, endaweni yokuthi beliyinkangala emehlweni abo bonke abadlulayo.

and when the deserted land will have been cultivated, which previously was desolate to the eyes of all who passed by,

35 Njalo bazakuthi: Lelilizwe ebeselichithekile selinjengesivande seEdeni; lemizi eyinkangala lengamanxiwa lediliziweyo isibiyelwe yahlalwa.

then they shall say: ‘This uncultivated land has become a garden of delight, and the cities, which were deserted and destitute and overturned, have been settled and fortified.’

36 Khona izizwe ezisele zilizingelezele zizakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngakha indawo ezidiliziweyo, ngihlanyele ezichithekileyo. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile, ngizakwenza.

And the Gentiles, those who remain around you, shall know that I, the Lord, have built up what was destroyed, and have planted what was uncultivated. I, the Lord, have spoken and acted.

37 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Langalokhu ngizacelwa yindlu kaIsrayeli, ukuthi ngiyenzele khona; ngizabandisa ngabantu njengomhlambi.

Thus says the Lord God: Even in this time, the house of Israel shall find me, so that I may act for them. I will multiply them like a flock of men,

38 Njengomhlambi ongcwele, njengomhlambi weJerusalema emikhosini yawo emisiweyo, ngokunjalo imizi echithekileyo izagcwala ngemihlambi yabantu. Khona bazakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi.

like a holy flock, like the flock of Jerusalem in her solemnities. So shall the deserted cities be filled with flocks of men. And they shall know that I am the Lord.”