Ezekiel 31

1 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, a message from the Lord came to me, saying,

Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye, ngenyanga yesithathu, ngolokuqala lwenyanga, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi, lisithi:

2 “Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his many people: Who is as great as you?

Ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuFaro inkosi yeGibhithe lexukwini lakhe: Ufanana lobani ebukhulwini bakho?

3 Look at Assyria. It was like a cedar in Lebanon, with its beautiful branches providing shade in the forest. It was so high that its top reached the clouds.

Khangela, iAsiriya yayingumsedari eLebhanoni, omuhle ngengatsha, njengegusu elilomthunzi, njalo umude ngokuphakama, lesihloko sawo sasiphakathi kwengatsha eziqatha.

4 Deep springs of water made it grow tall and sent streams all around it to water all the other trees.

Amanzi awukhulisa, inziki yawuphakamisa, imifula yawo yageleza yazingelezela indawo ohlanyelwe kiyo, wakhuphela izifudlana zawo kuzo zonke izihlahla zeganga.

5 It became really tall, higher than any other tree in the forest. Its branches grew thick and long because it was so well-watered.

Ngakho-ke ubude bawo baphakama bedlula zonke izihlahla zeganga, lengatsha zawo zanda, lamahlumela awo aba made, ngenxa yamanzi amanengi, lapho uwaphumisa.

6 All kinds of birds nested in its branches, while underneath it different wild animals had their young, and all the powerful nations lived in its shade.

Lazo zonke izinyoni zamazulu zakha izidleke zazo ezingatsheni zawo, lenyamazana zonke zeganga zazalela ngaphansi kwengatsha zawo, langaphansi komthunzi wawo kwahlala izizwe zonke ezinkulu.

7 It was beautiful and majestic with its long branches, because its roots reached down to the plentiful water.

Ngokunjalo wawumuhle ebukhulwini bawo, ebudeni bengatsha zawo; ngoba impande yawo yayingasemanzini amanengi.

8 The cedars in God's garden were no match for it. No pine tree had such great branches, nor did any plane tree. No tree in God's garden was as beautiful.

Imisedari esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu yayingewufiphaze; izihlahla zamafiri zazingafanani lengatsha zawo; lezingelamaxolo zazingafanani lamahlumela awo; futhi kwakungekho sihlahla esivandeni sikaNkulunkulu esinjengawo ebuhleni bawo.

9 I made it beautiful with its many branches. All the trees of Eden in God's garden envied it.

Ngawenza waba muhle ngobunengi bezingatsha zawo, kwaze kwathi zonke izihlahla zeEdeni, ezazisesivandeni sikaNkulunkulu, zaba lomhawu ngawo.

10 So this is what the Lord God says: Since it became so tall, reaching up into the clouds, it grew proud because of its height.

Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Ngenxa yokuthi uziphakamisile ngobude, uthutshise isihloko sawo ngaphakathi kwezingatsha eziqatha, lenhliziyo yawo yaziphakamisa ngobude bawo;

11 So I handed it over to the leader of a foreign nation who will punish it for its wickedness. I have thrown it out.

ngakho ngizawunikela esandleni solamandla wezizweni; uzakwenza lokwenza lawo; ngiwuxotshile ngenxa yenkohlakalo yawo.

12 Foreigners from the cruelest of all the nations chopped it down and left it lying there. Its branches lie fallen and broken in the mountains and valleys of the countryside. Everybody in earth came out of its shadow and abandoned it.

Njalo abemzini, abesabekayo bezizwe, bawuqumile bawutshiya; lengatsha zawo ziwele ezintabeni lakuzo zonke izihotsha; lamahlumela akhe ephulwe kuyo yonke imifula yelizwe; labo bonke abantu bomhlaba behlile basuka emthunzini wawo, bawutshiya.

13 Birds came to live on its fallen trunk, and wild animals hid among its fallen branches.

Zonke inyoni zamazulu zizahlala phezu kwencithakalo yawo, lazo zonke inyamazana zeganga zizakuba phezu kwengatsha zawo.

14 This was in order that no other trees growing by the water would grow up so high and have their tops reach the clouds. This was so that no other trees, however much water they had, would be as tall as them, For they all will die and go down into earth, just like human beings who go down into the grave.

Ukuze kungabi khona kuzo zonke izihlahla ngasemanzini eziziphakamisayo ngenxa yobude bazo, futhi zingafuqi isihloko sazo ngaphakathi kwezingatsha eziqatha, futhi zingemi ngokwazo ngobude bazo, zonke ezinatha amanzi; ngoba zonke zinikelwe ekufeni endaweni engaphansi yomhlaba, phakathi kwabantwana babantu, kulabo abehlela egodini.

15 This is what the Lord God says: On the day it was brought down to Sheol, I had the deep waters mourn for it; I stopped its rivers flowing; I held back all its waters. I covered Lebanon in darkness, and all the trees in the forest withered. (Sheol h7585)

Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Mhla usehlela engcwabeni ngenza isililo, ngasibekela inziki ngenxa yawo, ngavimba izifula zayo, lamanzi amanengi amiswa; ngenza iLebhanoni ibe mnyama ngenxa yawo, lezihlahla zonke zeganga zabuna ngenxa yawo. (Sheol h7585)

16 I made the nations tremble when they heard it fall, when I threw it down into Sheol with those who die. Then all the trees of Eden, the finest and best in Lebanon, all the trees that had plenty of water, were happy that this tree joined them in the earth below. (Sheol h7585)

Ngenza izizwe zithuthumele ngomdumo wokuwa kwawo, lapho ngiwehlisela esihogweni lalabo abehlela egodini; lazo zonke izihlahla zeEdeni, ikhethelo lokuhle kweLebhanoni, zonke ezinatha amanzi, zaziduduza endaweni engaphansi yomhlaba. (Sheol h7585)

17 They also went down with it into Sheol, to those who had been killed by the sword. They had been part of its army living in its shade among the nations. (Sheol h7585)

Lazo zehlela esihogweni kanye lawo, kulabo ababebulewe ngenkemba; lababeyingalo yawo ababehlala ngaphansi komthunzi wawo phakathi kwezizwe. (Sheol h7585)

18 Who is as great and glorious as you among the trees of Eden? But you too will be brought down to the earth below to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie there with the heathen, with those killed by the sword. This is what will happen to Pharaoh and all his many people, declares the Lord God.”

Ufanana lobani ngokunjalo ngodumo langobukhulu phakathi kwezihlahla zeEdeni? Kanti uzakwehliselwa kanye lezihlahla zeEdeni endaweni engaphansi yomhlaba, ulale phakathi kwabangasokanga, kanye labo ababulewe ngenkemba. Lo nguFaro lexuku lakhe lonke, itsho iNkosi uJehova.