UHezekheli 18

1 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Litshoni, ukuthi lisebenzise lesisaga ngelizwe lakoIsrayeli, lisithi: Oyise badlile izithelo zevini ezimunyu, lamazinyo abantwana asetshelela?

Son of man, what mean you by this parable among the children of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten unripe grapes, and the children's teeth have been set on edge?

3 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili kakusayikuba kini ukusebenzisa lesisaga koIsrayeli.

[As] I live, says the Lord, surely this parable shall no more be spoken in Israel.

4 Khangela, yonke imiphefumulo ngeyami; njengomphefumulo kayise, unjalo lomphefumulo wendodana, kungokwami. Umphefumulo owonayo, wona uzakufa.

For all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son, they are mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.

5 Kodwa uba umuntu elungile, enze ukwahlulela lokulunga,

But the man who shall be just, who executes judgment and righteousness,

6 engadleli phezu kwezintaba, engaphakamiseli amehlo akhe ezithombeni zendlu yakoIsrayeli, engangcolisi umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe, engasondeli kowesifazana osemfuleni,

who shall not eat upon the mountains, and shall not at all lift up his eyes to the devices of the house of Israel, and shall not defile his neighbor's wife, and shall not draw near to her that is removed,

7 engacindezeli muntu, ebuyisela kowebolekayo isibambiso sakhe, engaphangi impango, enika olambileyo isinkwa sakhe, esembesa oze ngesembatho,

and shall not oppress any man, [but] shall return the pledge of the debtor, and shall be guilty of no plunder, shall give his bread to the hungry, and clothe the naked;

8 enganiki ngenzuzo, engathathi okwengezelelweyo, ebuyisa isandla sakhe esiphambekweni, esenza isahlulelo esiqinisileyo phakathi komuntu lomuntu,

and shall not lend his money upon usury, and shall not receive usurious increase, and shall turn back his hand from injustice, shall execute righteous judgment between a man and his neighbor,

9 ehamba ngezimiso zami, egcina izahlulelo zami, ukwenza iqiniso; yena uqondile, uzaphila isibili, itsho iNkosi uJehova.

and has walked in my commandments and kept mine ordinances, to do them; he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord.

10 Uba ezala indodana engumphangi, umchithi wegazi, lowenza okufanana lokunye kwalezizinto,

And if he beget a mischievous son, shedding blood and committing sins,

11 longenzi zonke lezozinto, kodwa ngitsho edlela phezu kwezintaba, engcolisa umfazi womakhelwane wakhe,

who has not walked in the way of his righteous father, but has even eaten upon the mountains, and has defiled his neighbor's wife,

12 ecindezela umyanga loswelayo, ephanga impango, engabuyiselanga isibambiso, ephakamisele amehlo akhe ezithombeni, enze okunengekayo,

and has oppressed the poor and needy, and has committed robbery, and not restored a pledge, and has set his eyes upon idols, has wrought iniquities,

13 enika ngenzuzo, athathe ngokwengezelelweyo, uzaphila yini? Kayikuphila; wenze zonke lezizinengiso; uzakufa lokufa, amacala akhe egazi azakuba phezu kwakhe.

has lent upon usury, and taken usurious increase; he shall by no means live: he has wrought all these iniquities; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

14 Khangela-ke, uzala indodana ebona zonke izono zikayise azenzileyo, ibona, ingenzi njengalezizinto,

And if he beget a son, and [the son] see all his father's sins which he has wrought, and fear, and not do according to them,

15 ingadleli phezu kwezintaba, ingaphakamiseli amehlo ayo ezithombeni zendlu yakoIsrayeli, ingangcolisi umfazi womakhelwane wayo,

and [if he] has not eaten on the mountains, and has not set his eyes on the devices of the house of Israel, and has not defiled his neighbor's wife,

16 ingacindezeli muntu, ingagodli isibambiso, ingaphangi impango, isipha olambileyo isinkwa sayo, yembese oze ngesembatho,

and has not oppressed a man, and has not retained the pledge, nor committed robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has clothed the naked,

17 isuse isandla sayo kongumyanga, ingemukeli inzuzo lokwengezelelweyo, isenza izahlulelo zami, ihambe ngezimiso zami, yona kayiyikufela isiphambeko sikayise, izaphila isibili.

and has turned back his hand from unrighteousness, has not received interest or usurious increase, has wrought righteousness, and walked in mine ordinances; he shall not die for the iniquities of his father, he shall surely live.

18 Uyise, ngoba ecindezele ngocindezelo, waphanga impango kumfowabo, wenza okungalunganga phakathi kwabantu bakibo, khangela-ke, uzafela ebubini bakhe.

But if his father grievously afflict, or plunder, he has wrought enmity in the midst of my people, and shall die in his iniquity.

19 Kanti lithi: Kungani indodana ingathwali isiphambeko sikayise? Nxa indodana yenzile isahlulelo lokulunga, igcinile zonke izimiso zami, yazenza, izaphila isibili.

But you will say, Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father? Because the son has wrought judgment and mercy, has kept all my statues, and done them, he shall surely live.

20 Umphefumulo owonayo, wona uzakufa. Indodana kayiyikuthwala isiphambeko sikayise, loyise kayikuthwala isiphambeko sendodana. Ukulunga kolungileyo kuzakuba phezu kwakhe, lenkohlakalo yokhohlakeleyo izakuba phezu kwakhe.

But the soul that sins shall die: and the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the iniquity of the transgressor shall be upon him.

21 Kodwa uba omubi ephenduka ezonweni zakhe zonke azenzileyo, agcine zonke izimiso zami, enze isahlulelo lokulunga, uzaphila isibili, kayikufa.

And if the transgressor turn away from all his iniquities which he has committed, and keep all my commandments, and do justice and mercy, he shall surely live, and shall by no means die.

22 Iziphambeko zakhe zonke azenzileyo kaziyikukhunjulelwa kuye; ekulungeni kwakhe akwenzileyo, uzaphila.

None of his trespasses which he has committed shall be remembers: in his righteousness which he has done he shall live.

23 Ngiyathokoza lokuthokoza ngokufa kokhohlakeleyo yini? itsho iNkosi uJehova; kakusikuthi aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe, aphile yini?

Shall I at all desire death of the sinner, says the Lord, as I [desire] that he should turn from [his] evil way, and live?

24 Kodwa nxa olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, esenza isiphambeko, enze njengokwezinengiso zonke azenzayo omubi, uzaphila yini? Ukulunga kwakhe konke akwenzileyo kakuyikukhunjulwa; esiphambekweni sakhe aphambeke ngaso, lesonweni sakhe asonileyo, uzafela kikho.

But when the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, according to all the transgressions which the transgressor has wrought, none of his righteousness which he has wrought shall be at all remembered: in his trespass wherein he has trespassed, and in his sins wherein he has sinned, in them shall he die.

25 Kanti lithi: Indlela yeNkosi kayilingani. Zwanini-ke, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli; indlela yami kayilingani yini? Kayisizo yini izindlela zenu ezingalinganiyo?

Yet you have said, The way of the Lord is not straight. Hear now, all the house of Israel; will not my way be straight? Is your way straight?

26 Lapho olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, enze iziphambeko, afele kuzo, eziphambekweni azenzileyo uzakufa.

When the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits a trespass, and dies in the trespass he has committed, he shall [even] die in it.

27 Futhi nxa omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe abenzileyo, enze isahlulelo lokulunga, yena uzagcina umphefumulo wakhe uphila.

And when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and shall do judgment and justice, he has kept his soul,

28 Ngoba ebona, ephenduka kuzo zonke iziphambeko zakhe azenzileyo, uzaphila isibili, kayikufa.

and has turned away from all his ungodliness which he has committed: he shall surely live, he shall not die.

29 Kanti indlu kaIsrayeli ithi: Indlela yeNkosi kayilingani. Wena ndlu kaIsrayeli, indlela zami kazilingani yini? Kayisizo yini indlela zenu ezingalinganiyo?

Yet the house of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not right. Is not my way right, O house of Israel? is not your way wrong?

30 Ngakho ngizalahlulela, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, ngulowo lalowo njengokwendlela zakhe, itsho iNkosi uJehova. Phendukani, libuye lisuke eziphambekweni zenu zonke; ukuze ububi bungabi yisikhubekiso kini.

I will judge you, O house of Israel, says the Lord, each one according to his way: be converted, and turn from all your ungodliness, and it shall not become to you the punishment of iniquity.

31 Lahlani lisuse kini zonke iziphambeko zenu eliphambeke ngazo, lizenzele inhliziyo entsha lomoya omutsha; ngoba lizafelani, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli?

Cast away from yourselves all your ungodliness wherein you have sinned against me; and make to yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: for why should you die, O house of Israel?

32 Ngoba kangithokozi ngokufa kofayo, itsho iNkosi uJehova; ngakho phendukani liphile.

For I desire not the death of him that dies, says the Lord.