Ezekiel 21
1 The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 “Son of man, set your face towards Jerusalem, and proclaim towards the sanctuaries, and prophesy against Eretz-Israel.
“Ndodana yomuntu, khangelisa ubuso bakho eJerusalema utshumayele okubi ngendawo engcwele. Phrofetha okubi ngelizwe lako-Israyeli
3 Tell Eretz-Israel, ‘The LORD says: “Behold, I am against you, and will draw my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.
uthi kulo: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngixabane lani. Ngizahwatsha inkemba yami emxhakeni wayo ngisuse kuwe abalungileyo lababi.
4 Seeing then that I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore my sword will go out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north.
Ngoba ngizasusa abalungileyo lababi, inkemba yami izahwatshelwa ukumelana labo bonke abavela eningizimu kanye lasenyakatho.
5 All flesh will know that I, the LORD, have drawn my sword out of its sheath. It will not return any more.”’
Lapho-ke abantu bonke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo sengihwatshe inkemba yami emxhakeni wayo, kayiyikubuyela futhi.’
6 “Therefore sigh, you son of man. You shall sigh before their eyes with a broken heart and with bitterness.
Ngakho-ke bubula ndodana yomuntu! Bubula phambi kwabo ngenhliziyo edabukileyo kanye losizi olukhulu.
7 It shall be, when they ask you, ‘Why do you sigh?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the news, for it comes! Every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes, and it shall be done, says the Lord GOD.’”
Nxa bekubuza besithi, ‘Kungani na ububula?’ uzakuthi, ‘Ngenxa yezindaba ezifikayo. Zonke inhliziyo zizenyela lezandla zonke zibe buthakathaka, imimoya yonke izaphela amandla lamadolo wonke abe buthakathaka njengamanzi.’ Kuyeza! Ngempela kuzakwenzakala, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”
8 The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
9 “Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘The LORD says: “A sword! A sword! It is sharpened, and also polished.
“Ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Umhedla, umhedla, ilolwe njalo yalolongwa,
10 It is sharpened that it may make a slaughter. It is polished that it may be as lightning. Should we then make mirth? The rod of my son condemns every tree.
Ilolelwe ukubulala, ilolongelwe ukuphazima njengombane. Kambe sizathokoza na ngentonga yobukhosi yendodana yami uJuda? Inkemba iyazeyisa zonke izigodo ezinjalo.
11 It is given to be polished, that it may be handled. The sword is sharpened. Yes, it is polished to give it into the hand of the killer.”’
Inkemba ibekelwe ukuba ilolongwe, ukuba iphathwe ngesandla; iyalolwa ilolongwe, yenziwe ilungele isandla sombulali.
12 Cry and wail, son of man; for it is on my people. It is on all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Therefore beat your thigh.
Hlaba umkhosi ulile, ndodana yomuntu, ngoba imelane labantu bami; imelane lamakhosana wonke ako-Israyeli. Aphoselwa kuyo inkemba ndawonye labantu bami. Ngakho-ke bamba isihlathi sakho.
13 “For there is a trial. What if even the rod that condemns will be no more?” says the Lord GOD.
Ukuhlolwa kuyeza impela. Njalo kuzakuba njani nxa intonga kaJuda yobukhosi, edelelwa yinkemba, ingasaqhubeki? kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’
14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands together. Let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the fatally wounded. It is the sword of the great one who is fatally wounded, which enters into their rooms.
Ngakho-ke, ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uqakeze izandla zakho. Inkemba kayigadle kabili, lanxa kungaba kathathu. Yinkemba yokubulala, inkemba yokubulala kakhulu, ebahanqayo ivela macele wonke.
15 I have set the threatening sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied. Ah! It is made as lightning. It is pointed for slaughter.
Ukuze inhliziyo zibe buthakathaka labawileyo babebanengi, sengibeke inkemba yokubulala kuwo wonke amasango abo. Bheka! Yenzelwe ukuphazima njengombane, iphathelwe ukubulala.
16 Gather yourselves together. Go to the right. Set yourselves in array. Go to the left, wherever your face is set.
Wena nkemba, geca kwesokudla, uphinde kwesenxele, loba kungaphi ubukhali bakho obuphendukela khona.
17 I will also strike my hands together, and I will cause my wrath to rest. I, the LORD, have spoken it.”
Lami futhi ngizaqakeza izandla zami, njalo ulaka lwami luzadeda. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.”
18 The LORD’s word came to me again, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
19 “Also, you son of man, appoint two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. They both will come out of one land, and mark out a place. Mark it out at the head of the way to the city.
“Ndodana yomuntu, canda imigwaqo emibili yenkemba yenkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba ihambe kuyo, yomibili iqalise elizweni linye. Yenza insika yesiqondiso lapho okuphambuka khona umgwaqo oya edolobheni.
20 You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.
Canda omunye umgwaqo wenkemba ukuba izemelana leRabha yama-Amoni, lomunye ukumelana loJuda kanye leJerusalema elivikelweyo.
21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shook the arrows back and forth. He consulted the teraphim. He looked in the liver.
Ngoba inkosi yaseBhabhiloni izakuma lapho imigwaqo eyehlukana khona, lapho okuhlangana khona imigwaqo emibili, ukuba ifune ibika: Izaphosa inkatho ngemitshoko, izabuza izithombe zayo, izahlola isibindi.
22 In his right hand was the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, and to build forts.
Esandleni sayo sokudla kuzakuza inkatho yeJerusalema, lapho ezamisa khona imigqala yokudiliza, lokunika umlayo wokubulala, lokuhlaba umkhosi wempi, lokumisa imigqala yokudiliza amasango, lokwakha amadundulu kanye lokumisa izindawo zokuvimbezela.
23 It will be to them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to memory, that they may be taken.
Kuzakhanya angathi libika amanga kulabo asebefungele ukuthobeka kuyo, kodwa yona izabakhumbuza icala labo ibathumbe.
24 “Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have caused your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear; because you have come to memory, you will be taken with the hand.
Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: ‘Njengoba lina bantu lingikhumbuze icala lenu ngokuhlamuka kwenu okusobala, libonakalisa izono zenu kukho konke elikwenzayo njengoba lenze lokhu, lizathunjwa.
25 “‘You, deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
Wena nkosana yako-Israyeli exhwalileyo njalo embi, usuku lwakho selufikile, lesikhathi sokujeziswa kwakho sesifike emaphethelweni,
26 the Lord GOD says: “Remove the turban, and take off the crown. This will not be as it was. Exalt that which is low, and humble that which is high.
nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Khupha iqhiye, yethula umqhele. Akuyikuba njengoba kwakunjalo: Abaphansi bazaphakanyiswa kuthi abaphakemeyo behliselwe phansi.
27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. This also will be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it.”’
Unxiwa! Unxiwa! Ngizawenza ube lunxiwa! Kawuyikubuyiselwa kuze kufike lowo ongowakhe ngokuqondileyo, onguye engizamnika wona.’
28 “You, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘The Lord GOD says this concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach: “A sword! A sword is drawn! It is polished for the slaughter, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning;
Njalo wena, ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ngama-Amoni kanye lezithuko zawo: Inkemba, inkemba, ihwatshelwe ukubulala, ilolongelwe ukuqothula lokuphazima njengombane!
29 while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies to you, to lay you on the necks of the wicked who are deadly wounded, whose day has come in the time of the iniquity of the end.
Langaphezu kwemibono yamanga ngawe, lokuhlahlula okungamanga ngawe, izabekwa entanyeni zababi okumele babulawe, abasuku lwabo selufikile, abasikhathi sokujeziswa kwabo sesifike emaphethelweni aso.
30 Cause it to return into its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your birth, I will judge you.
Buyisela inkemba emxhakeni wayo. Endaweni owadalelwa kuyo, elizweni labokhokho bakho, ngizakwahlulela khona.
31 I will pour out my indignation on you. I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath. I will deliver you into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy.
Ngizathululela ulaka lwami phezu kwakho ngiphefumlele lentukuthelo yami etshisayo kuwe; ngizakunikela ebantwini abalesihluku, abantu abakwaziyo ukuqothula.
32 You will be for fuel to the fire. Your blood will be in the middle of the land. You will be remembered no more; for I, the LORD, have spoken it.”’”
Uzakuba zinkuni zomlilo, igazi lakho lizachithelwa elizweni lakini, kawuyikukhunjulwa futhi; ngoba mina Thixo sengikhulumile.’”
