Ezekiel 5
1 “You, son of man, take a sharp sword. You shall take it as a barber’s razor to yourself, and shall cause it to pass over your head and over your beard. Then take balances to weigh and divide the hair.
Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, zithathele ingqamu ebukhali, zithathele impuco yabageli, uyihambise phezu kwekhanda lakho laphezu kwesilevu sakho; ubusuzithathela isikali sokulinganisa, wehlukanise inwele.
2 A third part you shall burn in the fire in the middle of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled. You shall take a third part, and strike with the sword around it. A third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
Ingxenye yesithathu uzayitshisa ngomlilo phakathi komuzi sezigcwalisekile insuku zokuvimbezela; uthathe ingxenye yesithathu utshaye inhlangothi zonke zayo ngenkemba; lengxenye yesithathu uyihlakaze emoyeni; njalo ngizahwatsha inkemba emva kwabo.
3 You shall take a small number of these and bind them in the folds of your robe.
Njalo uzathatha ezinlutshwana ngenani kuzo, uzigoqele emaphethelweni ezembatho zakho.
4 Of these again you shall take, and cast them into the middle of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From it a fire will come out into all the house of Israel.
Ubusuthatha kuzo futhi, uziphosele phakathi komlilo, uzitshise emlilweni; kuzaphuma kuwo umlilo uye kuyo yonke indlu kaIsrayeli.
5 “The Lord GOD says: ‘This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the middle of the nations, and countries are around her.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Le yiJerusalema; ngiyimisile phakathi kwezizwe lamazwe inhlangothi zonke zayo.
6 She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they have rejected my ordinances, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them.’
Kodwa iphendule izahlulelo zami zaba yibubi okwedlula izizwe, lezimiso zami okwedlula amazwe ayihanqileyo; ngoba bazalile izahlulelo zami, lezimiso zami kabahambanga kuzo.
7 “Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my ordinances, neither have followed the ordinances of the nations that are around you;
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngoba leyisile okwedlula izizwe ezilihanqileyo, lingahambanga ezimisweni zami, lingazenzanga izahlulelo zami, lingenzanga njengokwezahlulelo zezizwe ezilihanqileyo;
8 therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.
ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelene lawe, ngitsho mina, njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, emehlweni ezizwe.
9 I will do in you that which I have not done, and which I will not do anything like it any more, because of all your abominations.
Ngenze phakathi kwakho engingazange ngikwenze, lengingasayikukwenza okunjengakho, ngenxa yamanyala akho wonke.
10 Therefore the fathers will eat the sons within you, and the sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments on you; and I will scatter the whole remnant of you to all the winds.
Ngakho oyise bazakudla amadodana phakathi kwakho, lamadodana azakudla oyise. Njalo ngizakwenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho, lensali yakho yonke ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya.
11 Therefore as I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you. My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity.
Ngakho, kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili, ngoba ungcolisile indawo yami engcwele ngazo zonke izinengiso zakho langamanyala akho wonke, ngakho lami ngizakunciphisa, futhi ilihlo lami kaliyikuhawukela, futhi lami kangiyikuyekela.
12 A third part of you will die with the pestilence, and they will be consumed with famine within you. A third part will fall by the sword around you. A third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.
Ingxenye yesithathu yakho izakufa ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo, langendlala bazaqedwa phakathi kwakho; lengxenye yesithathu izakuwa ngenkemba enhlangothini zonke zakho; lengxenye yesithathu ngizayihlakaza kuwo wonke umoya, ngihwatshe inkemba emva kwabo.
13 “‘Thus my anger will be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I will be comforted. They will know that I, the LORD, have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath on them.
Ngokunjalo ukuthukuthela kwami kuzapheleliswa, ngenze ukufutheka kwami kuphumule phezu kwabo, ngiduduzeke; njalo bazakwazi ukuthi mina iNkosi ngikhulumile ekutshisekeni kwami, lapho sengiphelelise ukufutheka kwami kubo.
14 “‘Moreover I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are around you, in the sight of all that pass by.
Futhi ngizakwenza ube lunxiwa ube lihlazo phakathi kwezizwe ezikuhanqileyo, emehlweni akhe wonke owedlulayo.
15 So it will be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes—I, the LORD, have spoken it—
Ngakho kuzakuba lihlazo, lenhlekisa, imfundiso, lesesabiso ezizweni ezikuhanqileyo nxa ngisenza izahlulelo phakathi kwakho ngolaka langokufutheka langokukhuza kokufutheka; mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
16 when I send on them the evil arrows of famine that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you. I will increase the famine on you and will break your staff of bread.
Lapho ngithumela phezu kwabo imitshoko emibi yendlala, ezakuba ngeyokubhubhisa, engizayithumela ukulibhubhisa, ngizakwandisa indlala phezu kwenu, ngephule udondolo lwesinkwa kini.
17 I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood will pass through you. I will bring the sword on you. I, the LORD, have spoken it.’”
Ngokunjalo ngizathuma phezu kwenu indlala lezilo ezimbi, ezizakwemuka abantwana; lomatshayabhuqe wesifo legazi kudabule phakathi kwakho; ngilethe inkemba phezu kwakho. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
