< Ezekiel 1 >

1 And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day of the month I being in the midst of them of the captivity, by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine ngosuku lwesihlanu, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjwayo, eduze komfula uKhebhari, amazulu avuleka ngabona umbono kaNkulunkulu.
2 On the fifth of the month, that was the fifth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin,
Ngosuku lwesihlanu lwenyanga ngomnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini
3 in very deed came the word of Yahweh unto Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar, —yea the hand of Yahweh, came on him there.
ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuHezekhiyeli umphristi, indodana kaBhuzi, phansi komfula uKhebhari elizweni lamaBhabhiloni. Khonapho isandla sikaThixo sasiphezu kwakhe.
4 So then I beheld and lo! a tempestuous wind coming out of the North, a great cloud and a fire catching hold of itself, and it had a brightness round about, —and out of the midst thereof, as burnished copper to look upon out of the midst of the fire;
Ngakhangela, ngabona isiphepho sisiza sivela enyakatho, kuliyezi elikhulukazi lokuphazima kombane njalo lizungezwe yikukhanya okubenyezelayo. Phakathi laphakathi komlilo kwakungathi yinsimbi evuthayo,
5 and out of the midst thereof, a likeness of four living ones, and this was their appearance, the likeness of a man, had they;
njalo phakathi komlilo kwakulokwakungathi yizidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Ngokukhangeleka isimo sazo sasingesomuntu,
6 and four faces each, and four wings each, had they;
kodwa ngasinye sazo sasilobuso obune lempiko ezine.
7 and their feet were straight feet, —and the sole of their feet was like the sole of the foot of a calf, but sparkling, as shining bronze to look upon;
Imilenze yazo yayiqondile; inyawo zazo zinjengezethole njalo zinkanyazela njengethusi elilolongiweyo.
8 and the hands of a man! were under their wings, on their four sides, —and their faces and their wings belonged to the four of them:
Ngaphansi kwempiko zazo emaceleni azo amane zazilezandla zomuntu. Zonke zozine zazilobuso lempiko,
9 joined to each other, were their wings, —they turned not when they went, each one straight before him, did they go;
njalo impiko zazo zazithintana. Esinye lesinye sazo saya phambili; kaziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo.
10 and the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, with the face of a lion to the right of the four of them, and the face of an ox on the left, of the four of them, —the face of an eagle, also had they four;
Ubuso bazo babukhangeleka kanje: Esinye lesinye sazo sasilobuso bomuntu, njalo eceleni langakwesokudla esinye lesinye sasilobuso besilwane, ngakwesenxele silobuso benkabi; njalo ngasinye sasilobuso bengqungqulu.
11 and their wings were spread above, — two of each joined one another, and two covered their bodies;
Babunjalo ubuso bazo. Impiko zazo zazichayekele phezulu; ngasinye silamaphiko amabili olunye luthinta uphiko lwesinye isidalwa emaceleni womabili, lempiko ezimbili zigubuzele umzimba waso.
12 and each one straight before him, did they go, —whithersoever the spirit was minded to go, they went, they turned not when they went.
Esinye lesinye saya phambili. Loba kungaphi lapho umoya owaya khona lazo zaya khona zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
13 As for the likeness of the living ones, their appearance was like live coals of fire burning up like the appearance of torches, the same went to and fro between the living ones, —and the fire had brightness and out of the fire, went forth a lightning.
Isimo sezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengamalahle avuthayo omlilo loba njengezibane. Umlilo wahamba usiya phambili lasemuva phakathi kwezidalwa; wawukhazimula, njalo umbane uphazima uphuma kuwo.
14 And the living ones ran and returned, —like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Izidalwa zagijima zisiya emuva laphambili njengokuphazima kombane.
15 And I looked at the living ones, —and lo! one wheel upon the earth beside the living ones for each of his four faces,
Kwathi lapho ngizikhangele izidalwa eziphilayo, ngabona ivili phansi eceleni kwesidalwa ngasinye silobuso obune.
16 The appearance of the wheels and of their structure was like a Tarshish-stone to look upon, and they four had one likeness, —and their appearance and their structure were just as would be a wheel in the midst of a wheel.
Nansi isimo lokwakhiwa kwamavili: Ayecazimula njengekhrisoli, njalo wonke womane ayefanana. Elinye lelinye lalingathi lenziwa lanquma kwelinye ivili.
17 Upon their four sides, when they went, so did they go, —they turned not when they went.
Ekuhambeni, ayesiya loba kuliphi lamacele amane lapho izidalwa ezazikhangele khona, njalo amavili ayengaphenduki lapho izidalwa zihamba.
18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were terrible, -and their rings full of eyes round about, had they four.
Amarimu awo ayephakeme njalo esesabeka, njalo womane amarimu ayelamehlo indawo yonke.
19 And when the living ones went, the wheels went beside them, —and when the living ones were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up:
Lapho izidalwa eziphilayo zihamba, lamavili eceleni kwazo ayehamba, njalo lapho izidalwa eziphilayo ziphakama emhlabathini amavili lawo ayephakama lazo.
20 whithersoever the spirit was minded to go, they went—thither was the spirit minded to go, —and the wheels would be lifted up along with them, for the spirit of the living one was in the wheels:
Loba kungaphi lapho umoya owaya khona lazo zaya khona, njalo lamavili ayephakama lazo, ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
21 when they went, these went, and when they stood, these stood, —and when they were lifted up from off the earth, the wheels were lifted up along with them, for the spirit of the living one was in the wheels.
Kwakusithi izidalwa zingahamba lawo ahambe, kuthi izidalwa zingema lawo ame; njalo kuthi lapho izidalwa ziphakama emhlabathini lawo aphakame lazo, ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
22 And there was a likeness over the heads of the living one—an expanse, like terrible crystal to look upon, -stretched forth over their heads above.
Ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo kwakwendlaleke okwakungathi ngumkhathi, kucazimula njengongqwaqwane, njalo kusesabeka.
23 And under the expanse, their wings were straight, one towards another, —each one had two covering on this side, and each one had two covering on that side, their bodies.
Ngaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zazelulekile olunye kolunye, njalo esinye lesinye sasilezimpiko ezimbili ezembese umzimba waso.
24 And I heard the sound of their wings, as the sound of many waters, as the sound of the Almighty, when they went, the sound of a storm as the sound of a host, —when they stood, they let down their wings,
Lapho izidalwa zihamba ngezwa umsindo wezimpiko zazo, unjengokuhlokoma kwamanzi ahamba ngesiqubu, njengelizwi likaSomandla, njengokuxokozela kwebutho. Lapho sezimi, zehlisa impiko zazo.
25 And there was a voice above the expanse that was over their head, —when they stood, they let down their wings.
Emva kwalokho kweza ilizwi elavela ngaphezu komkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda azo lapho zazimi impiko zazo zehlisiwe.
26 And above the expanse that was over their heads, as the appearance of a sapphire stone, was the likeness of a throne, —and upon the likeness of a throne, was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above.
Ngaphezu komkhathi phezu kwamakhanda azo kwakulokwakungathi yisihlalo sobukhosi esenziwe ngesafire, njalo ngaphezulu esihlalweni sobukhosi kwakulolutho olwalufana lomuntu.
27 And I saw as burnished copper to look upon, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upwards and from the appearance of his loins and downwards, saw I as the appearance of fire, and he had brightness round about:
Lokho ngakubona kokwakungathi lukhalo lwakhe kusiya phezulu ekhanya angathi yinsimbi evuthayo, kungathi kugcwele umlilo, njalo kusukela ekhalweni kusehla wayengathi ngumlilo, njalo ehonqolozelwe yikukhanya okucazimulayo.
28 as the appearance of the bow which is in a cloud on a day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about, that was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh, and when I saw, I fell upon my face, and heard a voice of one speaking.
Ukukhanya okucazimulayo okwakumzungezile kwakunjengomchilo wamakhosikazi emayezini ngosuku lokuna kwezulu. Lokhu kwakuyisimo sesifanekiso senkazimulo kaThixo. Ngathi ngikubona ngawela phansi ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lalowo owayekhuluma.

< Ezekiel 1 >