UHezekheli 29
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi, ngenyanga yetshumi, ngolwetshumi lambili lwenyanga, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi, lisithi:
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 Ndodana yomuntu, misa ubuso bakho bumelene loFaro inkosi yeGibhithe, uprofethe umelene laye, njalo umelene layo yonke iGibhithe.
“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
3 Khuluma uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelane lawe, Faro, nkosi yeGibhithe, umgobho omkhulu olele phakathi kwemifula yawo, othi: Umfula wami ngowami, ngazenzela wona.
Speak and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the middle of his rivers, that has said, ‘My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.’
4 Kodwa ngizafaka izingwegwe emihlathini yakho, ngenze inhlanzi zemifula yakho zinamathele emaxolweni akho, ngikukhuphule phakathi kwemifula yakho, lazo zonke inhlanzi zemifula yakho zizanamathela emaxolweni akho.
I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales. I will bring you up out of the middle of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales.
5 Njalo ngizakutshiya enkangala, wena lazo zonke inhlanzi zemifula yakho; uzawela ebusweni beganga; kawuyikuhlanganiswa, kawuyikubuthwa; ngizakunikela ube yikudla kuzo izilo zeganga lenyoni zamazulu.
I’ll cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You’ll fall on the open field. You won’t be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky.
6 Labo bonke abahlali beGibhithe bazakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, ngoba bebeludondolo lomhlanga kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli.
“‘“All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 Lapho bekubamba ngesandla, wephula wadabula lonke ihlombe labo; lalapho beseyama kuwe, wephuka, wenza zonke inkalo zabo zama.
When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and paralysed all of their thighs.”
8 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizaletha inkemba phezu kwakho, ngiqume kusuke kuwe umuntu lenyamazana.
“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you.
9 Lelizwe leGibhithe lizakuba yincithakalo lenkangala. Khona bezakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi. Ngoba uthe: Umfula ngowami, mina-ke ngiwenzile.
The land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. “‘“Because he has said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it,’
10 Ngakho, khangela, ngimelene lawe, ngimelene lemifula yakho; ngenze ilizwe leGibhithe libe yizincithakalo isibili lenkangala, kusukela emphotshongweni kusiya eSevene kuze kube semngceleni weEthiyophiya.
therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.
11 Kakulanyawo lomuntu oluzadlula kilo, kakulanyawo lwenyamazana oluzadlula kilo; futhi kaliyikuhlalwa okweminyaka engamatshumi amane.
No foot of man will pass through it, nor will any animal foot pass through it. It won’t be inhabited for forty years.
12 Ngoba ngizakwenza ilizwe leGibhithe libe yincithakalo phakathi kwamazwe wonke achithekileyo; lemizi yalo phakathi kwemizi engamanxiwa izakuba yincithakalo okweminyaka engamatshumi amane; njalo ngizahlakaza amaGibhithe phakathi kwezizwe, ngiwasabalalise emazweni.
I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities amongst the cities that are laid waste will be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians amongst the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.”
13 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi amane ngizabutha amaGibhithe ebantwini abahlakazekele khona.
“‘For the Lord GOD says: “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered.
14 Njalo ngizabuyisela abathunjwa beGibhithe, ngibenze babuyele elizweni lePatrosi, elizweni lokuzalwa kwabo; lapho-ke bazakuba ngumbuso ophansi.
I will reverse the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth. There they will be a lowly kingdom.
15 Lizakuba phansi kulayo imibuso, futhi kalisayikuziphakamisa phezu kwezizwe; ngoba ngizabanciphisa ukuze bangabuyi babuse phezu kwezizwe.
It will be the lowest of the kingdoms. It won’t lift itself up above the nations any more. I will diminish them so that they will no longer rule over the nations.
16 Njalo kalisayikuba lithemba kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli, eletha ukukhunjulwa kwesiphambeko, lapho bephenduka ukulandela bona. Kodwa bazakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi uJehova.
It will no longer be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to memory, when they turn to look after them. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”’”
17 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa, ngenyanga yokuqala, ngolokuqala lwenyanga, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi, lisithi:
It came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
18 Ndodana yomuntu, uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni wenza ibutho lakhe lakhonza inkonzo enkulu limelene leTire; lonke ikhanda laphucwa, lalo lonke ihlombe lasutshulwa; kanti yena kalamvuzo, lebutho lakhe, ngenxa yeTire, ngenxa yenkonzo ayikhonza emelene layo.
“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet he had no wages, nor did his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.
19 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizanikela ilizwe leGibhithe kuNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni; njalo uzathatha ixuku layo, athumbe ukuthunjwa kwayo, aphange impango yayo; njalo kuzakuba liholo lebutho lakhe.
Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will carry off her multitude, take her plunder, and take her prey. That will be the wages for his army.
20 Ngimnike ilizwe leGibhithe kube ngumvuzo akhonza ngawo kulo, ngoba bangisebenzela, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he served, because they worked for me,’ says the Lord GOD.
21 Ngalolosuku ngizakwenza uphondo lwendlu kaIsrayeli lukhahlele, ngikunike ukukhamisa komlomo phakathi kwabo. Njalo bazakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi.
“In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth amongst them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
