UHezekheli 1
1 Kwasekusithi-ke ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjiweyo ngasemfuleni iKebari, avuleka amazulu, ngasengibona imibono kaNkulunkulu.
[I am] Ezekiel, a priest, the son of Buzi. When I was 30 years [old], I [living] among [Israeli] people who had been (exiled from/forced to leave) [and had come to Babylon]. I was living along the Kebar River/ [south of Babylon]. Almost five years after King Jehoiachin had been (exiled/forced to leave Judah), on the fifth day of the fourth [of that year, it was as though] the sky was opened and I saw visions from God. On that day,
2 Ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, okungumnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini,
3 ilizwi leNkosi leza liqonde kuHezekeli, indodana kaBuzi, umpristi, elizweni lamaKhaladiya ngasemfuleni iKebari; lesandla seNkosi saba phezu kwakhe lapho.
God gave me [in visions here] in Babylonia, and I felt the power [MTY] of Yahweh on me.
4 Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, umoya wesivunguzane wavela enyakatho, iyezi elikhulu, lomlilo ozimumetheyo, lokucwazimula inhlangothi zonke zalo, laphakathi kwalo kwavela kwangathi libala lethusi, livela phakathi komlilo.
[In one of the visions, I saw a] windstorm coming from the north. There was a huge cloud, and lightning was flashing continually, and a brilliant light surrounded the cloud. In the center of where the lightning was flashing there was something that resembled glowing bronze.
5 Laphakathi kwalo kwavela umfanekiso wezidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Lalokhu kwakuyisimo sazo: Zazilomfanekiso womuntu.
In the center of the storm I saw what resembled four living creatures. They resembled humans,
6 Njalo yileso laleso sasilobuso obune, njalo yileso laleso sazo sasilempiko ezine.
but each of them had four faces and four wings [DOU].
7 Lenyawo zazo zazizinyawo eziqondileyo, lengaphansi yezinyawo zazo yayinjengengaphansi yonyawo lwethole, zacwazimula njengombala wethusi elilolongiweyo.
Their legs were straight. Their feet resembled the hooves of calves, and the creatures shone like polished bronze.
8 Njalo kwakulezandla zomuntu ngaphansi kwempiko zazo enhlangothini zazo zozine. Njalo zozine zazilobuso bazo lempiko zazo.
On their four sides under their wings there were hands like humans have.
9 Impiko zazo zazihlangene olunye kolunye; aziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo; zahamba, yileso laleso siqonde phambili.
As the four [stood there, they formed a circle/square], with their wings touching each other. They did not turn when they were moving; they went straight ahead.
10 Njalo umfanekiso wobuso bazo wawuyibuso bomuntu, njalo zozine zazilobuso besilwane ngakwesokunene; njalo zozine zazilobuso benkabi ngakwesokhohlo; futhi zozine zazilobuso belinqe.
[of the creatures had four faces]. The face that was in front [of each one was a face that] resembled a human face. The face on the right side resembled a lion’s face. The face on the left side resembled an ox’s face. The face in back resembled an eagle’s face.
11 Babunjalo ubuso bazo; lempiko zazo zazehlukene ngaphezulu; yileso laleso sasilezimbili zihlanganisiwe kolunye, lezimbili zigubuzele imizimba yazo.
Two of each creature’s wings were lifted up and touched the wings of the creatures that were on each side. The other two wings were folded against the creature’s body.
12 Zahamba yileso laleso siqonde phambili; zaya lapho umoya owaya khona, zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
The creatures went straight ahead in whatever direction the [that controlled/guided them] wanted them to go, without changing directions while they were moving.
13 Mayelana lomfanekiso wezidalwa eziphilayo, ukubonakala kwazo kwakunjengamalahle omlilo avuthayo, njengokubonakala kwezibane; kwahamba kusiya le lale phakathi kwezidalwa eziphilayo; njalo umlilo wawulokukhazimula, njalo emlilweni kwakuphuma umbane.
[four] creatures resembled burning coals or torches. A blazing fire moved back and forth among the creatures, and lighting flashed from among them.
14 Lezidalwa eziphilayo zagijima zaphenduka njengokubonakala kokuphazima kombane.
The creatures moved back and [extremely rapidly], like [SIM] flashes of lightning.
15 Ngathi ngikhangela izidalwa eziphilayo, khangela-ke, ivili elilodwa lalisemhlabeni eceleni kwezidalwa eziphilayo, ebusweni baso obune.
While I looked at the four living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them.
16 Ukubonakala kwamavili lomsebenzi wawo kwakufanana lombala webherule; njalo zozine zazilesimo sinye; lokubonakala kwazo lomsebenzi wazo kwakunjengokuthi livili phakathi kwevili.
Each of the wheels was the same, and they all shone like [SIM] (chrysolite/a valuable green stone). Each seemed to have one wheel inside another wheel.
17 Ekuhambeni kwawo ahamba ngezinhlangothi zawo zozine; kawaphendukanga ekuhambeni kwawo.
Whenever they moved, they would go straight in one of the four directions that they faced; they did not [in another direction] while they moved.
18 Mayelana lamarimu awo, ayephakeme kangangokuthi ayesesabeka; njalo amarimu awo ayegcwele amehlo inhlangothi zonke zawo zozine.
The rims of the wheels were covered with eyes.
19 Ekuhambeni kwezidalwa eziphilayo amavili ahamba eceleni kwazo; lekuphakanyisweni kwezidalwa eziphilayo emhlabeni lamavili aphakanyiswa.
Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them. [So] whenever the creatures rose from the ground, the [also] rose up.
20 Lapho umoya owawusiya khona zaya khona, kulapho umoya owawuzakuya khona; lamavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lawo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
Wherever the [that controlled the creatures] wanted the creatures to go, they went, and the wheels went with them, because the [that controlled/guided them] was in the wheels [DOU].
21 Lapho lezi zihamba, lawo ahamba; lalapho lezi zisima, lawo ema; lalapho lezi ziphakanyiswa emhlabeni, amavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lazo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
Whenever the creatures moved, the wheels moved. Whenever the creatures [still], the wheels stopped. Whenever the creatures rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up with them.
22 Njalo isimo somkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengombala wekristali elesabekayo, seluliwe phezu kwamakhanda azo ngaphezulu.
Above the heads of the creatures there was something that resembled a dome. It shone like ice (OR, crystal) shines, and it was awesome.
23 Langaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zaziqondile, olunye lusiya kolunye; yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese imizimba yazo ngapha, njalo yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese ngaphayana.
Under the dome, the creatures stretched out their wings. Each one had two wings; [each wing] stretched towards the creature [was next to] it, and two wings that were against the creature’s body.
24 Lekuhambeni kwazo ngezwa umsindo wempiko zazo unjengomsindo wamanzi amanengi, njengelizwi likaSomandla, umsindo wokuhlokoma, njengomsindo wenkamba; lapho zisima zehlisa impiko zazo.
Whenever the creatures moved, their wings made a sound that resembled the roar made by a rushing stream. It also sounded like the voice of Almighty God, and like [SIM] the noise of a huge army marching. Whenever the creatures stood [on the ground], they lowered their wings.
25 Kwasekusiba lelizwi elavela phezu komkhathi ongaphezu kwekhanda lazo lapho sezimi sezehlise impiko zazo.
While they [on the ground] with their wings lowered, there was a voice from the dome that was over their heads.
26 Langaphezu komkhathi owawuphezu kwekhanda lazo kwakunjengesimo selitshe lesafire, umfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi; langaphezu komfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi kwakulomfanekiso onjengokubonakala komuntu phezu kwakho ngaphezulu.
Above the dome was something that resembled [huge] [that was made of a huge] (sapphire/valuable blue stone). Sitting on the throne was someone that resembled a human.
27 Ngasengibona njengombala wethusi, njengokubonakala komlilo phakathi kwakho inhlangothi zonke, kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphezulu, njalo kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphansi, ngabona kunjengokubonakala komlilo, lokukhazimula inhlangothi zakhe zonke.
I saw that above his waist his body resembled metal that was glowing as though it [a very hot] fire inside it. And I saw that below his waist there was a very brilliant light that surrounded him.
28 Njengokubonakala komchilo wamakhosikazi osemayezini ngosuku lwezulu, kwakunjalo ukubonakala kokukhazimula inhlangothi zonke. Lokhu kwakuyikubonakala kwesimo senkazimulo yeNkosi. Ngathi ngikubona, ngathi mbo ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lowakhulumayo.
[shone] like [SIM] a rainbow shines in the clouds on a rainy day. That was the brilliant light that represented the presence of Yahweh. When I saw it, I prostrated myself on the ground, and I heard him speak.
