UHezekheli 8
1 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesithupha, ngenyanga yesithupha, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, ngihlezi endlini yami, labadala bakoJuda behlezi phambi kwami, isandla seNkosi uJehova sawa lapho phezu kwami.
In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me.
2 Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, umfanekiso onjengokubonakala komlilo; kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe kusiya phansi, umlilo; futhi kusukela kukhalo lwakhe kusiya phezulu kunjengokubonakala kokukhazimula, njengombala wethusi.
Then I looked and saw a figure like that of a man. From His waist down His appearance was like fire, and from His waist up He was as bright as the gleam of amber.
3 Waseselula isimo sesandla, wangithatha ngesihluthu sekhanda lami; uMoya wasengiphakamisela phakathi komhlaba lamazulu, wangiletha eJerusalema emibonweni kaNkulunkulu, esivalweni sesango elingaphakathi, elikhangele ngenyakatho, lapho okwakulesihlalo sesithombe sobukhwele esibanga ubukhwele.
He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated.
4 Khangela-ke, inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli yayilapho, injengokubonakala engangikubone esihotsheni.
And there I saw the glory of the God of Israel, like the vision I had seen in the plain.
5 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, ake uphakamisele amehlo akho ngasendleleni yenyakatho. Ngasengiphakamisela amehlo ami ngasendleleni yenyakatho, khangela-ke, ngasenyakatho kwesango lelathi kwakulalesisithombe sobukhwele entubeni.
“Son of man,” He said to me, “now lift up your eyes to the north.” So I lifted up my eyes to the north, and in the entrance north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol of jealousy.
6 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, uyakubona yini abakwenzayo, amanyala amakhulu ewenzayo indlu kaIsrayeli lapha, ukuze ngiye khatshana lendawo yami engcwele? Kodwa phenduka futhi, uzabona amanyala amakhulu kulala.
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing—to drive Me far from My sanctuary? Yet you will see even greater abominations.”
7 Wasengisa emnyango weguma; lapho ngibona, njalo khangela, kwakulesikhala emdulini.
Then He brought me to the entrance to the court, and I looked and saw a hole in the wall.
8 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, ake ugebhe emdulini. Ngathi ngigebha emdulini, khangela-ke kwakulomnyango.
“Son of man,” He told me, “dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall and discovered a doorway.
9 Wasesithi kimi: Ngena, ubone izinengiso ezimbi abazenzayo lapha.
Then He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations they are committing here.”
10 Ngasengingena, ngabona, khangela-ke, sonke isimo sokuhuquzelayo lenyamazana ezinengekayo lazo zonke izithombe zendlu yakoIsrayeli, kubaziwe phezu komduli inhlangothi zonke ezizingelezeleyo.
So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel.
11 Futhi kwakumi phambi kwazo amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa akwabadala bendlu kaIsrayeli, loJahazaniya indodana kaShafani emi phakathi kwabo; yileyo laleyo ilodengezi lwayo esandleni sayo, njalo iyezi eliqatha lempepha lenyuka.
Before them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.
12 Wasesithi kimi: Ukubonile yini, ndodana yomuntu, lokho abadala bendlu kaIsrayeli abakwenzayo emnyameni, ngulowo emakamelweni emifanekiso yakhe? Ngoba bathi: INkosi kayisiboni; iNkosi iwutshiyile umhlaba.
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”
13 Wasesithi kimi: Phenduka futhi, uzabona izinengiso ezinkulu kakhulu abazenzayo.
Again, He told me, “You will see them committing even greater abominations.”
14 Wasengisa emnyango wesango lendlu yeNkosi eyayingasenyakatho; khangela-ke, kwakuhlezi abesifazana belilela uTamuzi.
Then He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz.
15 Wasesithi kimi: Ubonile yini, ndodana yomuntu? Phenduka futhi, uzabona izinengiso ezinkulu kulalezi.
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Yet you will see even greater abominations than these.”
16 Wasengingenisa egumeni lendlu yeNkosi elingaphakathi; khangela-ke, emnyango wethempeli leNkosi phakathi kwekhulusi lelathi kwakulamadoda phose angaba ngamatshumi amabili lanhlanu, imihlane yawo ingasethempelini leNkosi, lobuso bawo bungasempumalanga; njalo bakhonza ilanga ngasempumalanga.
So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.
17 Wasesithi kimi: Ubonile yini, ndodana yomuntu? Kuyinto elula kundlu yakoJuda ukwenza izinengiso abazenzayo lapha yini? Ngoba bagcwalise ilizwe ngobudlwangudlwangu, baphendukele ukungithukuthelisa; khangela-ke, bafaka ugatsha empumulweni yabo.
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the abominations they are practicing here, that they must also fill the land with violence and continually provoke Me to anger? Look, they are even putting the branch to their nose!
18 Ngakho lami ngizakwenza ngentukuthelo; ilihlo lami kaliyikuhawukela, futhi kangiyikuyekela; lanxa bekhala endlebeni zami ngelizwi elikhulu, kangiyikubezwa.
Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”
