Ezekiel 21
1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 “Son of man, face towards Jerusalem and condemn their places of worship. Prophesy against the people living in Israel
“Ndodana yomuntu, khangelisa ubuso bakho eJerusalema utshumayele okubi ngendawo engcwele. Phrofetha okubi ngelizwe lako-Israyeli
3 and tell them that this is what the Lord says: Watch out, because I'm going to attack you! I'm going to take out my sword and destroy you, both the good and the bad.
uthi kulo: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngixabane lani. Ngizahwatsha inkemba yami emxhakeni wayo ngisuse kuwe abalungileyo lababi.
4 Because I'm going to destroy both the good and the bad, I will attack everyone from the north to the south.
Ngoba ngizasusa abalungileyo lababi, inkemba yami izahwatshelwa ukumelana labo bonke abavela eningizimu kanye lasenyakatho.
5 Then the whole world will know that I, the Lord, have taken out my sword, and won't put it back again.
Lapho-ke abantu bonke bazakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo sengihwatshe inkemba yami emxhakeni wayo, kayiyikubuyela futhi.’
6 You, son of man, you are to groan. Groan as if you're broken up inside, showing terrible sadness while they watch you.
Ngakho-ke bubula ndodana yomuntu! Bubula phambi kwabo ngenhliziyo edabukileyo kanye losizi olukhulu.
7 When they ask, ‘What are you groaning for?’ you are to tell them, ‘Because of the news that's coming. All of you will lose your courage and you'll be paralyzed with fear. All of you will be weak with worry—you won't be able to stand up!’ Watch out, because it's coming! It's going to happen! declares the Lord God.”
Nxa bekubuza besithi, ‘Kungani na ububula?’ uzakuthi, ‘Ngenxa yezindaba ezifikayo. Zonke inhliziyo zizenyela lezandla zonke zibe buthakathaka, imimoya yonke izaphela amandla lamadolo wonke abe buthakathaka njengamanzi.’ Kuyeza! Ngempela kuzakwenzakala, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.”
8 Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
9 “Son of man, prophesy! Tell them this is what the Lord says: There's a sword, a sword that's being sharpened and polished.
“Ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Umhedla, umhedla, ilolwe njalo yalolongwa,
10 It's sharpened for killing and polished so it will flash like lightning! (Are we to be happy, saying, ‘The scepter of my son despises every other stick’?)
Ilolelwe ukubulala, ilolongelwe ukuphazima njengombane. Kambe sizathokoza na ngentonga yobukhosi yendodana yami uJuda? Inkemba iyazeyisa zonke izigodo ezinjalo.
11 The sword is being polished right now, ready to be used. It's sharp and polished, ready to be handed over to the killer.
Inkemba ibekelwe ukuba ilolongwe, ukuba iphathwe ngesandla; iyalolwa ilolongwe, yenziwe ilungele isandla sombulali.
12 Weep and wail, son of man, and slap your thigh in grief, for the sword is going to be used to attack my people, to attack all the leaders of Israel! They will be thrown away, killed by the sword along with my people.
Hlaba umkhosi ulile, ndodana yomuntu, ngoba imelane labantu bami; imelane lamakhosana wonke ako-Israyeli. Aphoselwa kuyo inkemba ndawonye labantu bami. Ngakho-ke bamba isihlathi sakho.
13 They will be tested. What if the scepter that despises others doesn't continue? declares the Lord God.
Ukuhlolwa kuyeza impela. Njalo kuzakuba njani nxa intonga kaJuda yobukhosi, edelelwa yinkemba, ingasaqhubeki? kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’
14 So son of man, prophesy and clap your hands. The sword will attack twice, and then a third time. It is a sword of death, killing many people by coming at them from every direction.
Ngakho-ke, ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uqakeze izandla zakho. Inkemba kayigadle kabili, lanxa kungaba kathathu. Yinkemba yokubulala, inkemba yokubulala kakhulu, ebahanqayo ivela macele wonke.
15 I have placed a sword at all the gates of their city so that they may lose their courage, and many may fall. Oh no! It's made to flash like lightning and used to kill.
Ukuze inhliziyo zibe buthakathaka labawileyo babebanengi, sengibeke inkemba yokubulala kuwo wonke amasango abo. Bheka! Yenzelwe ukuphazima njengombane, iphathelwe ukubulala.
16 Slash right and left, whichever way you're facing.
Wena nkemba, geca kwesokudla, uphinde kwesenxele, loba kungaphi ubukhali bakho obuphendukela khona.
17 I will also clap my hands, and then my anger will be over. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Lami futhi ngizaqakeza izandla zami, njalo ulaka lwami luzadeda. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.”
18 Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
19 “Son of man, mark the two roads that the king of Babylon's army could take, beginning from the same country. Make a signpost where the road forks, leading to two different cities.
“Ndodana yomuntu, canda imigwaqo emibili yenkemba yenkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba ihambe kuyo, yomibili iqalise elizweni linye. Yenza insika yesiqondiso lapho okuphambuka khona umgwaqo oya edolobheni.
20 Have one sign point down the road for an attack on the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and another to attack Judah and the fortified city of Jerusalem.
Canda omunye umgwaqo wenkemba ukuba izemelana leRabha yama-Amoni, lomunye ukumelana loJuda kanye leJerusalema elivikelweyo.
21 The king of Babylon is standing at the fork in the road where the two roads meet looking for a prophetic sign: he casts lots using arrows, he asks advice from idols, and he examines the liver of sacrificial animals.
Ngoba inkosi yaseBhabhiloni izakuma lapho imigwaqo eyehlukana khona, lapho okuhlangana khona imigwaqo emibili, ukuba ifune ibika: Izaphosa inkatho ngemitshoko, izabuza izithombe zayo, izahlola isibindi.
22 He holds the sign for Jerusalem in his right hand. This is where he is going to set up battering rams, to give the command to attack, to shout the war-cry. There he will order the battering rams to smash the gates, set up an attack ramp, and build a siege wall.
Esandleni sayo sokudla kuzakuza inkatho yeJerusalema, lapho ezamisa khona imigqala yokudiliza, lokunika umlayo wokubulala, lokuhlaba umkhosi wempi, lokumisa imigqala yokudiliza amasango, lokwakha amadundulu kanye lokumisa izindawo zokuvimbezela.
23 To those who have sworn to be loyal to Nebuchadnezzar this will look like a false sign, but it will reveal their guilt and they will be taken prisoner.
Kuzakhanya angathi libika amanga kulabo asebefungele ukuthobeka kuyo, kodwa yona izabakhumbuza icala labo ibathumbe.
24 So this is what the Lord God says: Because you have revealed your guilt and demonstrated your rebellion, showing your sins in everything you've done, now that you've made all this clear, you will be taken prisoner.
Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: ‘Njengoba lina bantu lingikhumbuze icala lenu ngokuhlamuka kwenu okusobala, libonakalisa izono zenu kukho konke elikwenzayo njengoba lenze lokhu, lizathunjwa.
25 As for you, you unclean, wicked prince of Israel, the time has come to complete your punishment.
Wena nkosana yako-Israyeli exhwalileyo njalo embi, usuku lwakho selufikile, lesikhathi sokujeziswa kwakho sesifike emaphethelweni,
26 This is what the Lord God says: Take off your turban, and your crown. Things won't continue as they were. Give power to the common people and bring down the powerful!
nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Khupha iqhiye, yethula umqhele. Akuyikuba njengoba kwakunjalo: Abaphansi bazaphakanyiswa kuthi abaphakemeyo behliselwe phansi.
27 I'm going to destroy everything, make it all a ruin! It won't be restored until its owner arrives, the one I've given the authority to judge.
Unxiwa! Unxiwa! Ngizawenza ube lunxiwa! Kawuyikubuyiselwa kuze kufike lowo ongowakhe ngokuqondileyo, onguye engizamnika wona.’
28 Prophesy, son of man, and announce that this is what the Lord God says about the Ammonites and their insults: A sword! A sword is ready for killing, polished to destroy, to flash like lightning,
Njalo wena, ndodana yomuntu, phrofetha uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ngama-Amoni kanye lezithuko zawo: Inkemba, inkemba, ihwatshelwe ukubulala, ilolongelwe ukuqothula lokuphazima njengombane!
29 even as your prophets give you false visions and prophecies that are lies. This sword will cut the necks of the wicked, killing them—those whose day has come for their punishment to be completed.
Langaphezu kwemibono yamanga ngawe, lokuhlahlula okungamanga ngawe, izabekwa entanyeni zababi okumele babulawe, abasuku lwabo selufikile, abasikhathi sokujeziswa kwabo sesifike emaphethelweni aso.
30 Sword, go back to where you came from! I'm going to judge you right where you were created, in your homeland.
Buyisela inkemba emxhakeni wayo. Endaweni owadalelwa kuyo, elizweni labokhokho bakho, ngizakwahlulela khona.
31 I will deal with you in my anger; I will breathe my fire of anger on you; I will hand you over to cruel men who are experts in destruction.
Ngizathululela ulaka lwami phezu kwakho ngiphefumlele lentukuthelo yami etshisayo kuwe; ngizakunikela ebantwini abalesihluku, abantu abakwaziyo ukuqothula.
32 You will be burned up like firewood. Your blood will be shed where you live. You will be forgotten, for I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Uzakuba zinkuni zomlilo, igazi lakho lizachithelwa elizweni lakini, kawuyikukhunjulwa futhi; ngoba mina Thixo sengikhulumile.’”
