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.
On the fifth day of the sixth month [of that year], almost six years after we Israeli people had been (exiled/forced to go to Babylon), I was sitting in my house. The elders of Judah were sitting in front of me. Suddenly the power [MTY] of Yahweh the Lord came on 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.
[in a vision] I saw someone who resembled a man. Below his waist, [his body] was like fire, and above his waist [his body] was glowing like very hot metal.
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 reached out what seemed to be a hand and grabbed me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up high above the earth, and in visions God took me [from Babylon] to Jerusalem. He took me [to the temple], to the north gate, to the place where there was an idol that caused Yahweh to be very disgusted and furious.
4 Khangela-ke, inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli yayilapho, injengokubonakala engangikubone esihotsheni.
And there in front of me was the brilliant light that indicated the presence of the God whom the Israeli [people previously worshiped. It was] like the vision that I had seen alongside the Kebar River/Canal.
5 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, ake uphakamisele amehlo akho ngasendleleni yenyakatho. Ngasengiphakamisela amehlo ami ngasendleleni yenyakatho, khangela-ke, ngasenyakatho kwesango lelathi kwakulalesisithombe sobukhwele entubeni.
Yahweh said to me, “You human, look toward the north!” So I looked, and I saw in the entrance of the gate near the altar that idol that caused Yahweh to be disgusted and furious.
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.
He said to me, “You human, do you see what those Israeli people [MTY] are doing? They are doing detestable things here, things that will cause me to abandon my temple. But you will see things that are even more detestable.”
7 Wasengisa emnyango weguma; lapho ngibona, njalo khangela, kwakulesikhala emdulini.
Then he brought me to the entrance of the courtyard. I looked and saw a hole in the wall.
8 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, ake ugebhe emdulini. Ngathi ngigebha emdulini, khangela-ke kwakulomnyango.
He said to me, “You human, dig through the wall here.” So I dug through the wall, and I saw a doorway inside.
9 Wasesithi kimi: Ngena, ubone izinengiso ezimbi abazenzayo lapha.
He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things that they are doing there!”
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 through the doorway and looked, and I saw, all over the [of a big room, drawings of] all kinds of creatures that scurry across the ground and [other] detestable animals, and drawings of all the idols that the people of [were worshiping].
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.
In front of them stood 70 elders of Israel. Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, was standing among them. Each of them was holding a pan in which incense was burning, and fragrant smoke of the burning incense was rising up.
12 Wasesithi kimi: Ukubonile yini, ndodana yomuntu, lokho abadala bendlu kaIsrayeli abakwenzayo emnyameni, ngulowo emakamelweni emifanekiso yakhe? Ngoba bathi: INkosi kayisiboni; iNkosi iwutshiyile umhlaba.
Yahweh said to me, “You human, look at [RHQ] what the Israeli elders are doing here in the darkness, each of them standing in front of the shrine of his own idol! They are saying, ‘Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has deserted this country.’”
13 Wasesithi kimi: Phenduka futhi, uzabona izinengiso ezinkulu kakhulu abazenzayo.
He also said, “But you will see things that are even more detestable!”
14 Wasengisa emnyango wesango lendlu yeNkosi eyayingasenyakatho; khangela-ke, kwakuhlezi abesifazana belilela uTamuzi.
Then he took me to the entrance at the north gate of the temple. I saw women sitting there, mourning for [the death of the god of the people of Babylonia], Tammuz.
15 Wasesithi kimi: Ubonile yini, ndodana yomuntu? Phenduka futhi, uzabona izinengiso ezinkulu kulalezi.
He said to me, “You human, you see this [RHQ], but you will see things that are more detestable than this!”
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.
Then he took me into the courtyard outside the temple. There at the entrance of the temple, between the porch and the altar, were about 25 men. Their backs were toward the temple and their faces were toward the east, and they were bowing down to [worship] the sun [as it rose] in the east.
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.
He said to me, “You human, you see [RHQ] what they are doing. [Do you think that] it is not important that these men of Judah are doing these detestable things here? [But they are doing other terrible things]. They are acting violently throughout their country, and continually causing me to be angry. Look at them! They are insulting me by their actions [IDM]!
18 Ngakho lami ngizakwenza ngentukuthelo; ilihlo lami kaliyikuhawukela, futhi kangiyikuyekela; lanxa bekhala endlebeni zami ngelizwi elikhulu, kangiyikubezwa.
So I will show them that I am very angry. I will not pity them or act mercifully toward them. And even if they shout to me [to help them], I will not pay attention to them.”
