UHezekheli 4

1 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zithathele isitina, usibeke phambi kwakho, ubhale ngokugubha kiso umuzi, iJerusalema;

“Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem.

2 wenze ukuvinjezelwa umelene lawo, wakhe inqaba umelene lawo, ubuthelele idundulu umelene lawo, wenze izinkamba umelene lawo, umise izinqama zokudiliza inhlangothi zonke zimelene lawo.

Then lay siege against it: Construct a siege wall, build a ramp to it, set up camps against it, and place battering rams around it on all sides.

3 Futhi wena uzithathele umganu wensimbi, uwumise ube ngumduli wensimbi phakathi kwakho lomuzi; umise ubuso bakho bumelene lawo, njalo ube sekuvinjezelweni, futhi uzawuvimbezela. Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kundlu kaIsrayeli.

Then take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Turn your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

4 Futhi wena lala ngomhlubulo wakho wangasekhohlo, ubeke isiphambeko sendlu kaIsrayeli phezu kwayo; njengokwenani lezinsuku ozalala phezu kwawo uzathwala isiphambeko sabo.

Then lie down on your left side and place the iniquity of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their iniquity for the number of days you lie on your side.

5 Ngoba mina ngikumisele iminyaka yesiphambeko sabo, njengokwenani lezinsuku, izinsuku ezingamakhulu amathathu layisificamunwemunye; ngokunjalo uzathwala isiphambeko sendlu kaIsrayeli.

For I have assigned to you 390 days, according to the number of years of their iniquity. So you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

6 Lapho usuziphelelisile lezo, lala okwesibili ngomhlubulo wakho wangakwesokunene, uthwale isiphambeko sendlu kaJuda insuku ezingamatshumi amane; ngikunike usuku lube ngumnyaka, usuku lube ngumnyaka.

When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned to you 40 days, a day for each year.

7 Ngakho uzamisa ubuso bakho ekuvinjezelweni kweJerusalema, lengalo yakho izakwembulwa, uprofethe umelene layo.

You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.

8 Khangela-ke, ngizabeka izibopho phezu kwakho, ukuze ungaphenduki usuka komunye umhlubulo usiya komunye umhlubulo, uze uqede izinsuku zokuvimbezela kwakho.

Now behold, I will tie you up with ropes so you cannot turn from side to side until you have finished the days of your siege.

9 Futhi wena zithathele ingqoloyi lebhali lendumba lamalentili lenyawuthi lespelite, ukubeke esitsheni esisodwa, uzenzele kube yisinkwa; njengokwenani lezinsuku olala ngazo ngomhlubulo wakho, izinsuku ezingamakhulu amathathu lesificamunwemunye uzakudla sona.

But take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a single container and make them into bread for yourself. This is what you are to eat during the 390 days you lie on your side.

10 Lokudla kwakho ozakudla kuzakuba ngesilinganiso, amashekeli angamatshumi amabili ngelanga; ukudle isikhathi ngesikhathi.

You are to weigh out twenty shekels of food to eat each day, and you are to eat it at set times.

11 Lamanzi uzawanatha ngesilinganiso, ingxenye yesithupha yehini, uwanathe isikhathi ngesikhathi.

You are also to measure out a sixth of a hin of water to drink, and you are to drink it at set times.

12 Njalo uzakudla iqebelengwana lebhali, ulipheke emehlweni abo ngamalongwe aphuma emuntwini.

And you shall eat the food as you would a barley cake, after you bake it over dried human excrement in the sight of the people.”

13 INkosi yasisithi: Ngokunjalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazakudla isinkwa sabo esingcolileyo phakathi kwezizwe engizabaxotshela kuzo.

Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.”

14 Ngasengisithi: Hawu Nkosi Jehova! Khangela, umphefumulo wami kawuzanga ungcoliswe; ngoba kwasebutsheni bami kuze kube lakhathesi kangizanga ngidle okuzifeleyo kumbe okudatshuliweyo, njalo kakulanyama enengekayo eseyake yangena emlonyeni wami.

“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”

15 Yasisithi kimi: Bona, ngikunike amalongwe enkomo esikhundleni samalongwe omuntu, njalo uzalungisa isinkwa sakho ngawo.

“Look,” He replied, “I will let you use cow dung instead of human excrement, and you may bake your bread over that.”

16 Yathi futhi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, khangela, ngizakwephula udondolo lwesinkwa eJerusalema; njalo bazakudla isinkwa ngesisindo langokunqineka, banathe amanzi ngesilinganiso langovalo;

Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure.

17 ukuze baswele isinkwa lamanzi, bethuke omunye lomunye, bacikizeke ngobubi babo.

So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.