< Ezekiel 34 >

1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds who lead Israel. Prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the shepherds of Israel, who only look after themselves, and not the sheep! Shouldn't shepherds make sure their flock is fed?
Ndodana yomuntu, profetha umelene labelusi bakoIsrayeli, profetha uthi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova kubelusi: Maye kubelusi bakoIsrayeli abazelusayo bona! Abelusi bebengayikuzelusa izimvu yini?
3 You eat the cream, you use the wool for clothes, and you slaughter the fattened sheep, but you don't feed the flock.
Lidla amanono, lizigqokise ngoboya, lihlabe ezinonileyo, umhlambi kaliwelusi.
4 You haven't taken care of the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought home the strays, or looked for the lost. On the contrary, you ruled them using violence and cruelty.
Ezibuthakathaka kaliziqinisanga, lezigulayo kalizelaphanga, lezephukileyo kalizibophanga, lebezixotshiwe kalizibuyisanga, lebezilahlekile kalizidinganga; kodwa ngamandla langesihluku lizibusile.
5 They were scattered because they didn't have a shepherd. When they scattered they were preyed on by all the wild animals for food.
Ngokunjalo zahlakazeka ngoba kungelamelusi; zaba yikudla kuzo zonke izilo zeganga, lapho zihlakazekile.
6 My sheep strayed, going to all the mountains and high hills. They were scattered everywhere, and there was no one to go and look for them.
Izimvu zami zazulazula kuzo zonke izintaba, laphezu kwalo lonke uqaqa oluphakemeyo; yebo umhlambi wami wawuhlakazeke phezu kobuso bonke bomhlaba, njalo kungekho ozidingayo, kungekho ozibhudulayo.
7 So, you shepherds, listen to what the Lord has to say:
Ngakho, lina belusi, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.
8 As I live, declares the Lord God, because my sheep didn't have a shepherd and were preyed on by all the wild animals for food, and because my shepherds didn't look after my sheep but instead only fed themselves,
Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili, ngoba umhlambi wami usube yimpango, lomhlambi wami usube yikudla kwaso sonke isilo seganga, ngoba kungelamelusi, labelusi bami bengazidinganga izimvu zami, kodwa abelusi bezelusile bona, bengazelusanga izimvu zami;
9 so, you shepherds, you listen to what the Lord has to say!
ngakho, lina belusi, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.
10 This is what the Lord God says: Watch out, because I'm condemning the shepherds, and I will take my sheep back and stop them looking after the sheep so they won't be able to feed themselves anymore. I will take away my sheep from them, and I won't let them eat the sheep anymore.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelane labelusi, ngizabiza umhlambi wami esandleni sabo, ngibenze bayekele ukwelusa umhlambi, ukuthi abelusi bangabuyi bazeluse bona; ngiwophule umhlambi wami emlonyeni wabo, ukuze ungabi yikudla kwabo.
11 For this is what the Lord God says: Watch as I myself will go looking for my sheep, searching to find them.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, mina, ngitsho mina ngizafuna izimvu zami, ngizidinge.
12 Just like a shepherd goes looking for his lost sheep when he is with the flock, so I will look for my sheep. I will rescue them from everywhere they were scattered on a dark and dismal day.
Njengomalusi edinga umhlambi wakhe ngosuku ephakathi kwezimvu zakhe ezihlakazekileyo, ngokunjalo ngizadinga izimvu zami, ngizophule kuzo zonke izindawo lapho ezihlakazekele khona ngosuku lweyezi lolomnyama.
13 I will take them out from among the other nations. I will gather them from the different countries, and bring them back to their own country. Like a shepherd I will have them feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and everywhere that people live in the country.
Ngizazikhupha ebantwini, ngizibuthe emazweni, ngizise elizweni lazo, ngizeluse phezu kwezintaba zakoIsrayeli ngasemifuleni lakuzo zonke indawo zokuhlala zelizwe.
14 I will provide them with good pasture and places to graze in the high mountains of Israel. They will also be able to rest there in the good pasture and in the places to graze in mountains of Israel.
Ngizazelusa edlelweni elivundileyo, lesibaya sazo sizakuba sezintabeni eziphakemeyo zakoIsrayeli. Zizalala lapho esibayeni esihle, zidle edlelweni elihle ezintabeni zakoIsrayeli.
15 I myself will look after my sheep and give them a place to rest, declares the Lord God.
Mina ngizawelusa umhlambi wami, mina ngiwulalise phansi, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
16 I will go looking for the lost, bring home the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak. However, I will destroy those who are fat and strong. Because I do what's right, I will be sure to take care of them.
Ngizadinga ezilahlekileyo, ngibuyise ezixotshiweyo, ngibophe ezephukileyo, ngiqinise ezigulayo; kodwa ezinonileyo leziqinileyo ngizazibhubhisa, ngizeluse ngesahlulelo.
17 My flock, this is what the Lord God says to you: Watch, because I will judge between one sheep and the next, between the rams and the goats.
Lina-ke, mhlambi wami, itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizakwahlulela phakathi kwemvu lemvu, phakathi kwezinqama lezimpongo.
18 Aren't you satisfied with feeding in good pasture? Do you have to trample down the rest of the pasture with your feet? Aren't you satisfied to drink the clear water? Do you have to muddy the rest of it with your feet?
Kuyinto encane kini yini ukuthi lidle edlelweni elihle, linyathelele phansi ngenyawo zenu insali yamadlelo enu, lokuthi linathe amanzi acengekileyo, kodwa lidunge aseleyo ngenyawo zenu?
19 Why does my flock have to feed on what your feet have trampled down, and drink the water that your feet have muddied?
Kodwa umhlambi wami udla lokhu elikunyathele ngenyawo zenu, wanatha lokho elikudunge ngenyawo zenu.
20 That's why the Lord God says to them: Watch, because I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova kuzo: Khangelani, mina, ngitsho mina ngizakwahlulela phakathi kwezimvu ezinonileyo lezimvu ezicakileyo.
21 Since you push others around with your sides and your shoulders, and use your horns to attack all the weak ones until you have chased them away,
Ngoba lisunduza ngomhlubulo langehlombe, lihlabe zonke ezigulayo ngezimpondo zenu, lize lizihlakazele ngaphandle;
22 I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be your victims. I will judge between one sheep and the next.
ngakho ngizasindisa umhlambi wami, njalo kawusayikuba yimpango; ngahlulele phakathi kwemvu lemvu.
23 I will put one shepherd in charge of them, my servant David, and he will take care of them. He will take care of them and be their shepherd.
Ngimise umelusi oyedwa phezu kwazo, azeluse, inceku yami uDavida; yena uzazelusa, yena abe ngumelusi wazo.
24 I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be their leader. I the Lord have spoken.
Mina-ke Nkosi ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wazo, lenceku yami uDavida ibe yisiphathamandla phakathi kwazo. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.
25 I will make an agreement of peace with them, and get rid of the wild animals from the country, so that they can live safely in the wilderness and sleep securely in the forest.
Njalo ngizakwenza lazo isivumelwano sokuthula, ngenze izilo ezimbi ziphele elizweni; njalo zizahlala zivikelekile enkangala, zilale emahlathini.
26 I will bless them and everywhere around my hill. I will send rain at the right time. They will be showers of blessing.
Futhi ngizakwenza zona lezindawo ezihanqe uqaqa lwami kube yisibusiso; ngenze umkhizo wehle ngesikhathi sawo, kuzakuba lemikhizo yesibusiso.
27 The trees in the orchards will produce their fruit; the earth will grow its crops; and my flock will be live in safety in their country. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I break their yokes of slavery, and set them free from those who made them slaves.
Lesihlahla sasendle sizathela izithelo zaso, lomhlaba uveze isivuno sawo; njalo zizakuba ngezivikelekileyo elizweni lazo, zazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, nxa sengephule izikeyi zejogwe lazo, ngizophule esandleni salabo abazisebenzisayo.
28 They won't be the victims of other nations anymore, and wild animals won't eat them. They will live in safety, and no one will terrorize them.
Njalo kazisayikuba yimpango yabezizwe, njalo izilo zelizwe kazisayikuzidla; kodwa zizahlala zivikelekile, njalo kakukho okungazethusa.
29 I will make their fields produce remarkable harvests, and they won't suffer famine in their country again or be mocked by others.
Njalo ngizazivusela isilimo esilebizo njalo kazisayikususwa yindlala elizweni, kazisayikuthwala ihlazo labezizwe.
30 Then they will know that I am with them as the Lord their God, and that the people of Israel belong to me, declares the Lord God.
Ngalokho zizakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wazo, ngilazo, lokuthi zona, indlu kaIsrayeli, zingabantu bami, itsho iNkosi uJehova.
31 You are my sheep, the sheep that I feed. You are my people, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”
Lina-ke, mhlambi wami, mhlambi wedlelo lami, lingabantu; mina nginguNkulunkulu wenu, itsho iNkosi uJehova.

< Ezekiel 34 >