UHezekheli 37
1 Isandla seNkosi sasiphezu kwami, sangikhupha ngoMoya weNkosi, sangibeka phakathi kwesihotsha esasigcwele amathambo.
The hand of Yahweh was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of Yahweh and set me down in the midst of a valley; it was full of bones.
2 Yangidlulisa kuwo ngibhoda inhlangothi zonke; khangela-ke, ayemanengi kakhulu ebusweni besihotsha, njalo khangela, ayomile kakhulu.
Then he made me pass through them round and round. Behold! A great many of them were in the valley. Behold! They were very dry.
3 Yasisithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, amathambo la angaphila yini? Ngasengisithi: Nkosi Jehova, nguwe owaziyo.
He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live again?” So I said, “Lord Yahweh, you alone know.”
4 Yasisithi kimi: Profetha phezu kwalamathambo, uthi kiwo: Lina mathambo omileyo, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones. Listen to the word of Yahweh.
5 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova kula amathambo: Khangelani, ngizakwenza umoya ungene kini, liphile.
The Lord Yahweh says this to these bones: Behold! I am about to put breath into you, and you will live.
6 Ngibeke imisipha phezu kwenu, ngivuselele inyama phezu kwenu, ngilembese ngesikhumba, ngifake umoya kini, liphile. Khona lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi.
I will place sinews over you and bring flesh onto you. I will cover you with skin and put breath within you so you will live. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.'”
7 Ngasengiprofetha njengokulaywa kwami; kwasekusiba lomsindo ngisaprofetha, khangela-ke ukunyikinyeka, amathambo asesondelelana, ithambo kuthambo lalo.
So I prophesied as I was commanded; as I prophesied, behold, a sound came, that of shaking. Then the bones drew together—bone against bone.
8 Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, kwakulemisipha phezu kwawo, yavela inyama, lesikhumba sawasibekela ngaphezulu; kodwa kwakungelamoya kiwo.
I looked and, behold, sinews were now on them, and flesh grew up and skin covered them. But there was still no breath in them.
9 Yasisithi kimi: Profetha emoyeni, profetha ndodana yomuntu, uthi emoyeni: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Woza uvela emimoyeni emine, wena moya, uphefumulele kulaba ababuleweyo ukuze baphile.
Then Yahweh said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Breath, come from the four winds, and breathe on these who have been killed, so they may live.'”
10 Ngasengiprofetha njengalokho yayingilayile; umoya wasungena kiwo, aphila, ema ngenyawo zawo, ibutho elikhulu kakhulukazi.
So I prophesied as I was commanded; the breath came into them and they lived. Then they stood on their feet, a very great army.
11 Yasisithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, la amathambo ayindlu yonke kaIsrayeli. Khangela, bathi: Amathambo ethu omile, lethemba lethu libhubhile, siqunyiwe ngokwethu.
Then Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the entire house of Israel. Behold! They are saying, 'Our bones have dried up, and our hope is gone. We have been cut off.'
12 Ngakho profetha uthi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangelani, ngizavula amangcwaba enu, ngilikhuphule emangcwabeni enu, lina bantu bami, ngilise elizweni lakoIsrayeli.
Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I will open your graves and lift you out from them, my people. I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
13 Khona lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, lapho ngivula amangcwaba enu, ngilikhuphule emangcwabeni enu, lina bantu bami.
Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I open your graves and bring you out from them, my people.
14 Besengifaka umoya wami kini, liphile, besengilibeka elizweni lenu; khona lizakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi ngikhulumile, ngakwenza, itsho iNkosi.
I will place my Spirit within you so you will live, and I will cause you to rest in your land when you know that I am Yahweh. I declare and will do it—this is Yahweh's declaration.'”
15 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:
Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
16 Wena-ke ndodana yomuntu, zithathele intonga eyodwa, ubhale phezu kwayo uthi: EkaJuda, leyabantwana bakaIsrayeli abangane bakhe; ubusuthatha enye intonga, ubhale phezu kwayo uthi: EkaJosefa, intonga kaEfrayimi, layo yonke indlu kaIsrayeli abangane bakhe.
“So now you, son of man, take one stick for yourself and write on it, 'For Judah and for the people of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the branch of Ephraim, and for all the people of Israel, their companions.'
17 Ubusuzisondeza, enye kwenye kuwe, zibe yintonga eyodwa; njalo zizakuba ngeyodwa esandleni sakho.
Bring both of them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.
18 Lalapho abantwana babantu bakini bekhuluma kuwe besithi: Kawuyikusitshela yini ukuthi lezi ziyini kuwe?
When your people speak to you and say, 'Will you not tell us what these things of yours mean?'
19 Tshono kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizathatha intonga kaJosefa, esesandleni sikaEfrayimi, lezizwe zakoIsrayeli abangane bakhe, ngizibeke kuyo, kuyo intonga kaJuda, ngizenze zibe yintonga eyodwa, zibe ngeyodwa esandleni sami.
then say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I am taking the branch of Joseph that is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his companions and joining it to the branch of Judah, so that they will make one branch, and they will become one in my hand.'
20 Njalo izintonga obhale kizo zizakuba sesandleni sakho phambi kwamehlo abo.
Hold in your hand the branches that you wrote on before their eyes.
21 Ubususithi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangelani, ngizathatha abantwana bakoIsrayeli phakathi kwezizwe, abaye kizo, ngibabuthe inhlangothi zonke, ngibalethe elizweni labo;
Declare to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I am about to take the people of Israel from among the nations where they went. I will gather them from the surrounding lands and I will bring them to their land.
22 ngibenze babe yisizwe esisodwa elizweni phezu kwezintaba zakoIsrayeli; njalo inkosi eyodwa izakuba yinkosi yabo bonke; njalo kabasayikuba yizizwe ezimbili, kabasayikwehlukaniswa babe yimibuso emibili futhi.
I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and there will be one king as king over all of them, and they will no longer be two nations. They will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.
23 Kabasayikuzingcolisa ngezithombe zabo, langamanyala abo, langasiphi seziphambeko zabo; kodwa ngizabasindisa baphume kuzo zonke indawo zabo zokuhlala, abona kizo, ngibahlambulule. Ngalokho bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo.
Then they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, their disgusting things, or any of their other sins. For I will save them from all of their faithless actions with which they have sinned, and I will purify them, so they will be my people and I will be their God.
24 Njalo inceku yami uDavida izakuba yinkosi phezu kwabo; labo bonke bazakuba lomalusi munye; futhi bazahamba kuzahlulelo zami, bagcine izimiso zami, bazenze.
David my servant will be king over them. So there will be one shepherd over them all, and they will walk according to my decrees and they will keep my statutes and obey them.
25 Bahlale elizweni engalinika inceku yami uJakobe, ababehlala kulo oyihlo, yebo, bazahlala kulo, bona, labantwana babo, labantwana babantwana babo, kuze kube phakade. Futhi uDavida inceku yami uzakuba yisiphathamandla sabo kuze kube phakade.
They will live in the land that I have given to my servant Jacob, where your fathers had stayed. They will live in it forever—they, their children, and their grandchildren, for David my servant will be their chief forever.
26 Futhi ngizakwenza isivumelwano sokuthula labo; sizakuba yisivumelwano esilaphakade labo; ngibamise, ngibandise, ngibeke indawo yami engcwele phakathi kwabo kuze kube phakade.
I will establish a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will establish them and multiply them and set my holy place in their midst forever.
27 Ithabhanekele lami lalo lizakuba kubo, njalo ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo, labo bazakuba ngabantu bami.
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 Lezizwe zizakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi ngenza uIsrayeli abe ngcwele, nxa indawo yami engcwele izakuba phakathi kwabo kuze kube phakade.
Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh who sets Israel apart, when my holy place is among them forever.'”
