UHezekheli 37
1 Isandla seNkosi sasiphezu kwami, sangikhupha ngoMoya weNkosi, sangibeka phakathi kwesihotsha esasigcwele amathambo.
The LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in the LORD’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.
2 Yangidlulisa kuwo ngibhoda inhlangothi zonke; khangela-ke, ayemanengi kakhulu ebusweni besihotsha, njalo khangela, ayomile kakhulu.
He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry.
3 Yasisithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, amathambo la angaphila yini? Ngasengisithi: Nkosi Jehova, nguwe owaziyo.
He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord GOD, you know.”
4 Yasisithi kimi: Profetha phezu kwalamathambo, uthi kiwo: Lina mathambo omileyo, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.
Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear the LORD’s word.
5 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova kula amathambo: Khangelani, ngizakwenza umoya ungene kini, liphile.
The Lord GOD says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live.
6 Ngibeke imisipha phezu kwenu, ngivuselele inyama phezu kwenu, ngilembese ngesikhumba, ngifake umoya kini, liphile. Khona lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi.
I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”
7 Ngasengiprofetha njengokulaywa kwami; kwasekusiba lomsindo ngisaprofetha, khangela-ke ukunyikinyeka, amathambo asesondelelana, ithambo kuthambo lalo.
So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, kwakulemisipha phezu kwawo, yavela inyama, lesikhumba sawasibekela ngaphezulu; kodwa kwakungelamoya kiwo.
I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.
9 Yasisithi kimi: Profetha emoyeni, profetha ndodana yomuntu, uthi emoyeni: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Woza uvela emimoyeni emine, wena moya, uphefumulele kulaba ababuleweyo ukuze baphile.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’”
10 Ngasengiprofetha njengalokho yayingilayile; umoya wasungena kiwo, aphila, ema ngenyawo zawo, ibutho elikhulu kakhulukazi.
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Yasisithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, la amathambo ayindlu yonke kaIsrayeli. Khangela, bathi: Amathambo ethu omile, lethemba lethu libhubhile, siqunyiwe ngokwethu.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’
12 Ngakho profetha uthi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangelani, ngizavula amangcwaba enu, ngilikhuphule emangcwabeni enu, lina bantu bami, ngilise elizweni lakoIsrayeli.
Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 Khona lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, lapho ngivula amangcwaba enu, ngilikhuphule emangcwabeni enu, lina bantu bami.
You will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people.
14 Besengifaka umoya wami kini, liphile, besengilibeka elizweni lenu; khona lizakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi ngikhulumile, ngakwenza, itsho iNkosi.
I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’”
15 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came again to me, saying,
16 Wena-ke ndodana yomuntu, zithathele intonga eyodwa, ubhale phezu kwayo uthi: EkaJuda, leyabantwana bakaIsrayeli abangane bakhe; ubusuthatha enye intonga, ubhale phezu kwayo uthi: EkaJosefa, intonga kaEfrayimi, layo yonke indlu kaIsrayeli abangane bakhe.
“You, son of man, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.’ Then take another stick, and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions.’
17 Ubusuzisondeza, enye kwenye kuwe, zibe yintonga eyodwa; njalo zizakuba ngeyodwa esandleni sakho.
Then join them for yourself to one another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.
18 Lalapho abantwana babantu bakini bekhuluma kuwe besithi: Kawuyikusitshela yini ukuthi lezi ziyini kuwe?
“When the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’
19 Tshono kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizathatha intonga kaJosefa, esesandleni sikaEfrayimi, lezizwe zakoIsrayeli abangane bakhe, ngizibeke kuyo, kuyo intonga kaJuda, ngizenze zibe yintonga eyodwa, zibe ngeyodwa esandleni sami.
tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in my hand.
20 Njalo izintonga obhale kizo zizakuba sesandleni sakho phambi kwamehlo abo.
The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.”’
21 Ubususithi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangelani, ngizathatha abantwana bakoIsrayeli phakathi kwezizwe, abaye kizo, ngibabuthe inhlangothi zonke, ngibalethe elizweni labo;
Say to them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from amongst the nations where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.
22 ngibenze babe yisizwe esisodwa elizweni phezu kwezintaba zakoIsrayeli; njalo inkosi eyodwa izakuba yinkosi yabo bonke; njalo kabasayikuba yizizwe ezimbili, kabasayikwehlukaniswa babe yimibuso emibili futhi.
I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. One king will be king to them all. They will no longer be two nations. They won’t be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.
23 Kabasayikuzingcolisa ngezithombe zabo, langamanyala abo, langasiphi seziphambeko zabo; kodwa ngizabasindisa baphume kuzo zonke indawo zabo zokuhlala, abona kizo, ngibahlambulule. Ngalokho bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo.
They won’t defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. So they will be my people, and I will be their God.
24 Njalo inceku yami uDavida izakuba yinkosi phezu kwabo; labo bonke bazakuba lomalusi munye; futhi bazahamba kuzahlulelo zami, bagcine izimiso zami, bazenze.
“‘“My servant David will be king over them. They all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in my ordinances and observe my statutes, and do them.
25 Bahlale elizweni engalinika inceku yami uJakobe, ababehlala kulo oyihlo, yebo, bazahlala kulo, bona, labantwana babo, labantwana babantwana babo, kuze kube phakade. Futhi uDavida inceku yami uzakuba yisiphathamandla sabo kuze kube phakade.
They will dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived. They will dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever. David my servant will be their prince forever.
26 Futhi ngizakwenza isivumelwano sokuthula labo; sizakuba yisivumelwano esilaphakade labo; ngibamise, ngibandise, ngibeke indawo yami engcwele phakathi kwabo kuze kube phakade.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will place them, multiply them, and will set my sanctuary amongst them forever more.
27 Ithabhanekele lami lalo lizakuba kubo, njalo ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo, labo bazakuba ngabantu bami.
My tent also will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
28 Lezizwe zizakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi ngenza uIsrayeli abe ngcwele, nxa indawo yami engcwele izakuba phakathi kwabo kuze kube phakade.
The nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is amongst them forever more.”’”
