< UHezekheli 4 >

1 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zithathele isitina, usibeke phambi kwakho, ubhale ngokugubha kiso umuzi, iJerusalema;
“You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even 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.
Lay siege against it, build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it. Also set camps against it and plant battering rams against it all around.
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.
Take for yourself an iron pan and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city. Then set your face toward it. It will be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This shall 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.
“Moreover lie on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it. According to the number of the days that you shall lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity.
5 Ngoba mina ngikumisele iminyaka yesiphambeko sabo, njengokwenani lezinsuku, izinsuku ezingamakhulu amathathu layisificamunwemunye; ngokunjalo uzathwala isiphambeko sendlu kaIsrayeli.
For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even three hundred ninety days. 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.
“Again, when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side, and shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have appointed forty days, each day for a year, to you.
7 Ngakho uzamisa ubuso bakho ekuvinjezelweni kweJerusalema, lengalo yakho izakwembulwa, uprofethe umelene layo.
You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered; and you shall prophesy against it.
8 Khangela-ke, ngizabeka izibopho phezu kwakho, ukuze ungaphenduki usuka komunye umhlubulo usiya komunye umhlubulo, uze uqede izinsuku zokuvimbezela kwakho.
Behold, I put ropes on you, and you shall not turn yourself from one side to the other, until you have accomplished 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.
“Take for yourself also wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel. Make bread of it. According to the number of the days that you will lie on your side, even three hundred ninety days, you shall eat of it.
10 Lokudla kwakho ozakudla kuzakuba ngesilinganiso, amashekeli angamatshumi amabili ngelanga; ukudle isikhathi ngesikhathi.
Your food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day. From time to time you shall eat it.
11 Lamanzi uzawanatha ngesilinganiso, ingxenye yesithupha yehini, uwanathe isikhathi ngesikhathi.
You shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin. From time to time you shall drink.
12 Njalo uzakudla iqebelengwana lebhali, ulipheke emehlweni abo ngamalongwe aphuma emuntwini.
You shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man.”
13 INkosi yasisithi: Ngokunjalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazakudla isinkwa sabo esingcolileyo phakathi kwezizwe engizabaxotshela kuzo.
Yahweh said, “Even thus will the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive 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.
Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now I have not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals. No abominable meat has come into my mouth!”
15 Yasisithi kimi: Bona, ngikunike amalongwe enkomo esikhundleni samalongwe omuntu, njalo uzalungisa isinkwa sakho ngawo.
Then he said to me, “Behold, I have given you cow’s dung for man’s dung, and you shall prepare your bread on it.”
16 Yathi futhi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, khangela, ngizakwephula udondolo lwesinkwa eJerusalema; njalo bazakudla isinkwa ngesisindo langokunqineka, banathe amanzi ngesilinganiso langovalo;
Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem. They will eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness. They will drink water by measure, and in dismay;
17 ukuze baswele isinkwa lamanzi, bethuke omunye lomunye, bacikizeke ngobubi babo.
that they may lack bread and water, be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.

< UHezekheli 4 >