UHezekheli 36

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

“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: Mountains of Israel, listen to this message from the Lord.

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

This is what the Lord God says: The enemy said about you, ‘Aha! These old high places now belong to us,’

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;

so you must prophesy and announce that this is what the Lord God says: They have turned you into a wasteland, attacking you from every direction, so that you became the property of other nations and people gossiped about you and slandered you.

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.

So now, mountains of Israel, listen to the message from the Lord God. This is what the Lord God says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the deserted ruins and abandoned towns, that the other nations around you have looted and mocked.

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.

Yes, this is what the Lord God says: I have spoken passionately against these other nations, and against all the Edomites, who took over my country and made it theirs, happily celebrating as they looted the land and treated me with complete contempt.

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

So prophesy concerning the country of Israel and tell the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, that this is what the Lord God says: Just watch, for I have spoken passionately about this because you have had to put up with this mockery from other nations.

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

This is what the Lord God says: I hold up my hand and swear that the other nations around you will suffer their own shame.

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

But you, mountains of Israel, will grow trees that will produce fruit for my people Israel, for soon they'll be coming home.

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

Look, I am for you and I will help you. Your land will be ploughed, and crops will be sown.

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

You will support the people of Israel as they return and grow in number. People will live in the towns again and rebuild the ruins.

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.

The number of your people will grow— they will have many children. The animals too will have many young. I will make sure that you're inhabited just as you used to be, and I will make you more prosperous that you were before. Then you will 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.

I will have my people Israel walk on you mountains. You will be theirs; you will belong to them, and you will no longer rob your nation of their children.

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

This is what the Lord God says: Because people say to you, ‘You eat people, and rob your nation of their children,’

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

from now on you won't eat people or rob your nation of their children, declares the Lord God.

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

I'm going to stop these nations insulting you, and you won't have to put up with their taunts any more, or make the nation fall, declares the Lord God.”

16 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:

Another message from 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, when the people of Israel were living in their country, they made it unclean by the way they behaved, by what they did. The way they were behaving in my presence was like the ceremonial uncleanness of a woman's period.

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

So I became angry with them because of murders they committed in the country, and because they made it unclean by worshiping idols.

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

I scattered them among the different nations and countries. I judged them according to the way they had behaved and what they did.

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

But wherever they went among the nations, they ruined my reputation, because people said about them, ‘These are the Lord's people, but they had to leave his country.’

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

So I had to take care of my reputation for holiness which the people of Israel had ruined among the nations where they'd gone.

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.

Tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: I'm not doing this for you, people of Israel, but for my reputation for holiness, which you ruined among the nations where you went.

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

I will reveal the holy nature and importance of my reputation, which has been ruined among the nations, the reputation you have ruined among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when I reveal my holiness through you as they watch.

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

For I will bring you back from among the nations, gathering you from all the different countries, and I will lead you back into your own country.

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

I will also pour pure water over you, and you will be clean. I will wash you clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols.

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

I will give you a new mind and I will put a new spirit inside you. I will take away your stubborn mind and I will give you a loving mind.

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

I will put my Spirit inside you so you will follow my laws and remember to do what I tell you.

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

Then you will live in the country I gave to your forefathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

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

I will save you from everything that makes you unclean. I will make sure you have plenty of grain. I won't send you any famines.

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

I will also make sure you have good harvests from your orchards and fields, so that you won't be mocked by other nations anymore because of famine.

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

Then you will remember your evil ways and terrible things you've done, and you'll hate yourselves for your sins and disgusting actions.

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

You need to realize that I'm not doing this for your sake, declares the Lord God. You should be ashamed and embarrassed for what you've done, people of Israel!

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

This is what the Lord God says: On the day I make you clean from all your sins, I will have you live in your towns again and make sure the ruins are rebuilt.

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

The land that was deserted will be cultivated again instead of looking abandoned to everyone passing by.

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

Then they will say, ‘This deserted land is now like the garden of Eden. The towns that were demolished, abandoned, and destroyed have been restored and strengthened, and people are living in them.’

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

Then those nations around you that are left will acknowledge that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was demolished, and that I have replanted what was destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will carry it out.

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

This is what the Lord God says: I will once again answer the prayers of the people of Israel. This is what I will do for them: I will have them increase in number like a flock.

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

Just like all the many flocks that are brought to Jerusalem to be sacrificed during the religious festivals, so the towns that were once demolished will be full of flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”