< Ezekiel 11 >

1 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the eastern gate of Yahweh's house, facing east, and behold, in the doorway of the gate there were twenty-five men. I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people, among them.
Lapho-ke uMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa esangweni lendlu kaThixo elikhangele empumalanga. Khonapho ekungeneni kwesango kwakulamadoda angamatshumi amabili lanhlanu, njalo phakathi kwawo ngabona uJazaniya indodana ka-Azuri kanye loPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya, abakhokheli babantu.
2 God said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who decide wicked plans in this city.
UThixo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, laba yibo abantu abenza amacebo amabi, benika lezeluleko ezimbi kulelidolobho.
3 They are saying, 'The time to build houses is not now; this city is the pot, and we are the meat.'
Bathi, ‘Masinyane nje akuyikuba yiso na isikhathi sokwakha izindlu? Idolobho leli liyimbiza yokupheka, njalo thina siyinyama.’
4 Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”
Ngakho-ke phrofetha okubi ngabo; phrofetha ndodana yomuntu.”
5 Then the Spirit of Yahweh fell on me and he said for me to say: This is what Yahweh says, “That is what you are saying, house of Israel; for I know what goes through your mind.
Lapho-ke uMoya kaThixo weza kimi wangitshela ukuba ngithi, Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Lokho yikho wena okutshoyo, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, kodwa mina ngiyakwazi okusengqondweni yakho.
6 You have multiplied the people you have killed in this city and filled its streets with them.
Sewabulala abantu abanengi phakathi kwedolobho leli wagcwalisa imigwaqo yalo ngabafileyo.”
7 Therefore, the Lord Yahweh says this: The people you have killed, whose bodies you have laid in the midst of Jerusalem, are the meat, and this city is the pot. But you are going to be brought out from the midst of this city.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Izidumbu oziphosele lapho ziyinyama njalo idolobho leli liyimbiza, kodwa wena ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwalo.
8 You have feared the sword, so I am bringing the sword upon you—this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh.
Inkemba uyayesaba, njalo inkemba yiyo engizayiletha ukuba imelane lawe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
9 I will bring you out of the midst of the city, and put you into the hands of foreigners, for I will bring judgment against you.
Ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwedolobho ngikunikele kwabezizweni ngiphinde ngikujezise.
10 You will fall by the sword. I will judge you within the borders of Israel so you will know that I am Yahweh.
Uzabulawa ngenkemba, njalo ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli. Lapho-ke uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
11 This city will not be your cooking pot, nor will you be the meat within her midst. I will judge you within the borders of Israel.
Idolobho leli kaliyikuba yimbiza yakho, kumbe wena ube yinyama phakathi kwalo; ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli.
12 Then you will know that I am Yahweh, the one whose statutes you have not walked in and whose decrees you have not carried out. Instead, you have carried out the decrees of the nations that surround you.”
Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, ngoba izimiso zami kawuzilandelanga kumbe wagcina imithetho yami kodwa ulandele izenzo zezizwe ezikuhanqileyo.”
13 It came about that as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah, died. So I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh, will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?”
Kwathi lapho ngisaphrofitha, uPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya wafa. Ngakho ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso ngakhala ngelizwi eliphezulu ngisithi, “Awu, Thixo Wobukhosi! Uzaqothula insalela ka-Israyeli na?”
14 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
15 “Son of man, your brothers! Your brothers! The men of your clan and all the house of Israel! All of them are those of whom it is said by those living in Jerusalem, 'They are far away from Yahweh! This land was given to us as our possession.'
“Ndodana yomuntu, abafowenu, abafowenu abayizihlobo zakho zegazi kanye lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli, yibo labo abantu baseJerusalema abathe ngabo: ‘Bakhatshana loThixo kakhulu; ilizwe leli saliphiwa ukuba libe yilifa lethu.’”
16 Therefore say, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Though I have removed them far off among the nations, and though I have scattered them among the lands, yet I have been a sanctuary for them for a little while in the lands where they have gone.'
“Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Lanxa ngabasa khatshana phakathi kwezizwe njalo ngabahlakazela phakathi kwamazwe, ikanti okwesikhatshana ngibe yindlu engcwele kubo emazweni abaye kuwo.’
17 Therefore say, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you from the lands where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.'
Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakubutha ezizweni ngikubuyise ngikususa emazweni owawuhlakazekele kuwo, njalo ngizakunika ilizwe lako-Israyeli futhi.’
18 Then they will go there and remove every detestable thing and every abomination from that place.
Bazabuyela kulo basuse zonke izifanekiso zalo ezihlazisayo kanye lezithombe ezenyanyekayo.
19 I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take out the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
Ngizabanika inhliziyo engehlukananga ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwabo; ngizasusa kubo inhliziyo yabo yelitshe ngibaphe inhliziyo yenyama.
20 so that they will walk in my statutes, they will carry out my decrees and do them. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.
Lapho-ke bazalandela izimiso zami baqaphele ukugcina imithetho yami. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo.
21 But to those who walk with affection toward their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their conduct on their own heads—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”
Kodwa labo abanhliziyo zabo zinikelwe ezifanekisweni zabo ezihlazisayo lasezithombeni ezenyanyekayo, lokhu abakwenzileyo ngizakwehlisela phezu kwamakhanda abo, kutsho Thixo Wobukhosi.”
22 The cherubim lifted up their wings and the wheels that were beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high up over them.
Lapho-ke amakherubhi, ayelamavili emaceleni, elula impiko zawo, njalo inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli yayingaphezu kwawo.
23 Then the glory of Yahweh went up from within the midst of the city and stood on the mountain to the east of the city.
Inkazimulo kaThixo yaya phezulu isuka phakathi kwedolobho yayakuma ngaphezu kwentaba ngasempumalanga kwedolobho.
24 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into Chaldea, to the exiles, in the vision from the Spirit of God, and the vision that I had seen went up from upon me.
UMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa kwabathunjiweyo eBhabhiloni ngombono owawulethwe nguMoya kaNkulunkulu. Emva kwalokho umbono engangiwubonile wasuka kimi,
25 Then I declared to the exiles all the things of Yahweh that I had seen.
ngasengitshela abathunjiweyo konke Thixo ayengitshengise khona.

< Ezekiel 11 >