UHezekheli 8

1 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesithupha, ngenyanga yesithupha, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, ngihlezi endlini yami, labadala bakoJuda behlezi phambi kwami, isandla seNkosi uJehova sawa lapho phezu kwami.

In the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the Lord GOD’s hand fell on me there.

2 Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, umfanekiso onjengokubonakala komlilo; kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe kusiya phansi, umlilo; futhi kusukela kukhalo lwakhe kusiya phezulu kunjengokubonakala kokukhazimula, njengombala wethusi.

Then I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire—from the appearance of his waist and downward, fire, and from his waist and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.

3 Waseselula isimo sesandla, wangithatha ngesihluthu sekhanda lami; uMoya wasengiphakamisela phakathi komhlaba lamazulu, wangiletha eJerusalema emibonweni kaNkulunkulu, esivalweni sesango elingaphakathi, elikhangele ngenyakatho, lapho okwakulesihlalo sesithombe sobukhwele esibanga ubukhwele.

He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks towards the north, where there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.

4 Khangela-ke, inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli yayilapho, injengokubonakala engangikubone esihotsheni.

Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.

5 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, ake uphakamisele amehlo akho ngasendleleni yenyakatho. Ngasengiphakamisela amehlo ami ngasendleleni yenyakatho, khangela-ke, ngasenyakatho kwesango lelathi kwakulalesisithombe sobukhwele entubeni.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way towards the north.” So I lifted up my eyes the way towards the north, and saw, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

6 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, uyakubona yini abakwenzayo, amanyala amakhulu ewenzayo indlu kaIsrayeli lapha, ukuze ngiye khatshana lendawo yami engcwele? Kodwa phenduka futhi, uzabona amanyala amakhulu kulala.

He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you will again see yet other great abominations.”

7 Wasengisa emnyango weguma; lapho ngibona, njalo khangela, kwakulesikhala emdulini.

He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.

8 Wasesithi kimi: Ndodana yomuntu, ake ugebhe emdulini. Ngathi ngigebha emdulini, khangela-ke kwakulomnyango.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig now in the wall.” When I had dug in the wall, I saw a door.

9 Wasesithi kimi: Ngena, ubone izinengiso ezimbi abazenzayo lapha.

He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.”

10 Ngasengingena, ngabona, khangela-ke, sonke isimo sokuhuquzelayo lenyamazana ezinengekayo lazo zonke izithombe zendlu yakoIsrayeli, kubaziwe phezu komduli inhlangothi zonke ezizingelezeleyo.

So I went in and looked, and saw every form of creeping things, abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed around on the wall.

11 Futhi kwakumi phambi kwazo amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa akwabadala bendlu kaIsrayeli, loJahazaniya indodana kaShafani emi phakathi kwabo; yileyo laleyo ilodengezi lwayo esandleni sayo, njalo iyezi eliqatha lempepha lenyuka.

Seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel stood before them. In the middle of them Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan stood, every man with his censer in his hand; and the smell of the cloud of incense went up.

12 Wasesithi kimi: Ukubonile yini, ndodana yomuntu, lokho abadala bendlu kaIsrayeli abakwenzayo emnyameni, ngulowo emakamelweni emifanekiso yakhe? Ngoba bathi: INkosi kayisiboni; iNkosi iwutshiyile umhlaba.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘The LORD doesn’t see us. The LORD has forsaken the land.’”

13 Wasesithi kimi: Phenduka futhi, uzabona izinengiso ezinkulu kakhulu abazenzayo.

He said also to me, “You will again see more of the great abominations which they do.”

14 Wasengisa emnyango wesango lendlu yeNkosi eyayingasenyakatho; khangela-ke, kwakuhlezi abesifazana belilela uTamuzi.

Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was towards the north; and I saw the women sit there weeping for Tammuz.

15 Wasesithi kimi: Ubonile yini, ndodana yomuntu? Phenduka futhi, uzabona izinengiso ezinkulu kulalezi.

Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see yet greater abominations than these.”

16 Wasengingenisa egumeni lendlu yeNkosi elingaphakathi; khangela-ke, emnyango wethempeli leNkosi phakathi kwekhulusi lelathi kwakulamadoda phose angaba ngamatshumi amabili lanhlanu, imihlane yawo ingasethempelini leNkosi, lobuso bawo bungasempumalanga; njalo bakhonza ilanga ngasempumalanga.

He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and I saw at the door of the LORD’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs towards the LORD’s temple and their faces towards the east. They were worshipping the sun towards the east.

17 Wasesithi kimi: Ubonile yini, ndodana yomuntu? Kuyinto elula kundlu yakoJuda ukwenza izinengiso abazenzayo lapha yini? Ngoba bagcwalise ilizwe ngobudlwangudlwangu, baphendukele ukungithukuthelisa; khangela-ke, bafaka ugatsha empumulweni yabo.

Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger. Behold, they put the branch to their nose.

18 Ngakho lami ngizakwenza ngentukuthelo; ilihlo lami kaliyikuhawukela, futhi kangiyikuyekela; lanxa bekhala endlebeni zami ngelizwi elikhulu, kangiyikubezwa.

Therefore I will also deal in wrath. My eye won’t spare, neither will I have pity. Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them.”