< UHezekheli 5 >

1 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zithathele ingqamu ebukhali, zithathele impuco yabageli, uyihambise phezu kwekhanda lakho laphezu kwesilevu sakho; ubusuzithathela isikali sokulinganisa, wehlukanise inwele.
“Also, you human, [when you start doing those things, ] take a sharp sword and use it like [SIM] a razor to shave your head and your beard. Then put the hair that you shaved off on scales, and divide the [into three equal parts].
2 Ingxenye yesithathu uzayitshisa ngomlilo phakathi komuzi sezigcwalisekile insuku zokuvimbezela; uthathe ingxenye yesithathu utshaye inhlangothi zonke zayo ngenkemba; lengxenye yesithathu uyihlakaze emoyeni; njalo ngizahwatsha inkemba emva kwabo.
When the time during [you will symbolize that] the city will be [by enemy troops] ends, put a third of the hair inside [drawing of the] city and burn it. Take another third of the hair, [scatter it] all [the drawing of] the city, and then strike it with your sword. That will symbolize that I will strike the people of Jerusalem [their enemies’] swords. Then allow the wind to scatter the other third of the hair. That will symbolize [even if they flee from the city], I will [cause their enemies to] pursue them and attack them with swords.
3 Njalo uzathatha ezinlutshwana ngenani kuzo, uzigoqele emaphethelweni ezembatho zakho.
Take a few of your hairs and tuck them into the folds of your robe.
4 Ubusuthatha kuzo futhi, uziphosele phakathi komlilo, uzitshise emlilweni; kuzaphuma kuwo umlilo uye kuyo yonke indlu kaIsrayeli.
Then take a few of those hairs, throw them into the fire, and burn them up. [That will symbolize that] a fire will spread from Jerusalem [and destroy things] throughout Israel.
5 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Le yiJerusalema; ngiyimisile phakathi kwezizwe lamazwe inhlangothi zonke zayo.
This is what [I, ] Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘[drawing will represent] Jerusalem, [the city which] I have set in the center of the nations, with [other] countries around it.
6 Kodwa iphendule izahlulelo zami zaba yibubi okwedlula izizwe, lezimiso zami okwedlula amazwe ayihanqileyo; ngoba bazalile izahlulelo zami, lezimiso zami kabahambanga kuzo.
But the wicked people of Jerusalem rebelled against [obeying] my commands, and [they show that] they are more wicked than the people of the surrounding countries. They rejected my laws and refused to obey my commands.’
7 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba leyisile okwedlula izizwe ezilihanqileyo, lingahambanga ezimisweni zami, lingazenzanga izahlulelo zami, lingenzanga njengokwezahlulelo zezizwe ezilihanqileyo;
Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘You people of Jerusalem have been more rebellious than the people of the nations around you; you have not obeyed any of my laws [DOU]. You have not even obeyed the laws of the nations around you!’
8 ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelene lawe, ngitsho mina, njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, emehlweni ezizwe.
Therefore, this is [I, ] Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘I am opposed to [you people of] Jerusalem. I will punish you, and the [people of other] nations will see it happen.
9 Ngenze phakathi kwakho engingazange ngikwenze, lengingasayikukwenza okunjengakho, ngenxa yamanyala akho wonke.
Because of all your detestable [idols], I will punish [people of Jerusalem] like I have never done before and will never do again.
10 Ngakho oyise bazakudla amadodana phakathi kwakho, lamadodana azakudla oyise. Njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, lensali yakho yonke ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya.
As a result, parents among you will eat their children, and children will eat their [because there will be nothing else to eat]. I will punish you [severely], and I will cause those who will still be alive to be scattered in all directions [IDM].’
11 Ngakho, kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili, ngoba ungcolisile indawo yami engcwele ngazo zonke izinengiso zakho langamanyala akho wonke, ngakho lami ngizakunciphisa, futhi ilihlo lami kaliyikuhawukela, futhi lami kangiyikuyekela.
Therefore, I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that as surely as I am alive, because you have polluted my temple with all your disgusting [statues of idols] and by the other detestable things that you do, I will no longer bless you. I will not pity [you] or act mercifully [toward you].
12 Ingxenye yesithathu yakho izakufa ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo, langendlala bazaqedwa phakathi kwakho; lengxenye yesithathu izakuwa ngenkemba enhlangothini zonke zakho; lengxenye yesithathu ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya, ngihwatshe inkemba emva kwabo.
One-third of your people will die inside the city because of the plagues [they will experience] or by (famine/lack of food). One-third of your people will be killed [your enemies’] swords outside the city. And one-third I will cause to be scattered in all directions; [your enemies] will [still] pursue you and kill you with their swords.
13 Ngokunjalo ukuthukuthela kwami kuzapheleliswa, ngenze ukufutheka kwami kuphumule phezu kwabo, ngiduduzeke; njalo bazakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile ekutshisekeni kwami, lapho sengiphelelise ukufutheka kwami kubo.
Then I will no longer be angry with you; I will stop punishing [MTY] you after I have gotten revenge on you. And when I stop punishing you, you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken to you because I have been very strongly concerned [what you have done].
14 Futhi ngizakwenza ube lunxiwa ube lihlazo phakathi kwezizwe ezikuhanqileyo, emehlweni akhe wonke owedlulayo.
I will cause your [city] to be a ruins, with the result that [people of other] nations that are around you will pass by and see it and sneer at you.
15 Ngakho kuzakuba lihlazo, lenhlekisa, imfundiso, lesesabiso ezizweni ezikuhanqileyo nxa ngisenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho ngolaka langokufutheka langokukhuza kokufutheka; mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
They will make fun of you and taunt you. When I severely punish you because of my being very angry [DOU] with you, they will be horrified and they will be warned. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.
16 Lapho ngithumela phezu kwabo imitshoko emibi yendlala, ezakuba ngeyokubhubhisa, engizayithumela ukulibhubhisa, ngizakwandisa indlala phezu kwenu, ngephule udondolo lwesinkwa kini.
When I cut off your food supply and cause there to be more famine, [it will be as though] [MET] I am shooting at you with my arrows that will destroy you.
17 Ngokunjalo ngizathuma phezu kwenu indlala lezilo ezimbi, ezizakwemuka abantwana; lomatshayabhuqe wesifo legazi kudabule phakathi kwakho; ngilethe inkemba phezu kwakho. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
I will cause you to experience a famine, and I will send wild beasts to attack you and your children, and [all] your children will be killed. You will experience plagues and wars, and I will cause [your enemies] to attack you with their swords. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.”

< UHezekheli 5 >