Ezekiel 5
1 “Son of man, go and shave your head and your beard using a sharp sword like a barber's razor. Then divide up the hair using a set of scales.
“Khathesi, ndodana yomuntu, thatha inkemba ebukhali uyisebenzise njengempuco yomgeli ekuphuceni ikhanda lakho kanye lezindevu zakho. Emva kwalokho thatha izilinganiso wehlukanise inwele.
2 Once the days of the siege have finished, burn up one third of the hair inside the city; slash at another third with a sword around the city; and scatter another third in the wind. I will let loose a sword behind them to chase them.
Lapho insuku zokuvinjezelwa kwenu seziphelile, tshisa ingxenye yesithathu yezinwele ngomlilo phakathi kwedolobho. Thatha ingxenye yesithathu uyigwaze ngenkemba ubhoda lonke idolobho, uhlakazele ingxenye yesithathu emoyeni. Ngoba ngizabalandela ngiphethe inkemba ekhokhiweyo.
3 Take just a few hairs and tuck them into the hem of your clothes.
Kodwa thatha inwele ezilutshwane uzithungele emiphethweni yesembatho sakho.
4 Take some of these and toss them into the fire to burn them. A fire will spread from there to burn everyone in Israel.
Thatha njalo emilutshwana yayo uyiphosele emlilweni uyitshise. Umlilo uzamemetheka usuka lapho uye kuyo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli.
5 This is what the Lord God says: This represents Jerusalem. I placed her right in the middle of the nations, surrounded by other countries.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: Le yiJerusalema engiyimise phakathi kwezizwe, kulamazwe kuwo wonke amacele ayo.
6 But she rebelled against my rules, acting more wickedly than the nations, and she defied my regulations more than the countries surrounding her. Her people rejected my rules and refused to follow my regulations.
Kodwa ngenxa yobubi bayo isihlamukele imithetho yami lezimiso zami okudlula izizwe lamazwe ayihanqileyo. Iyalile imithetho yami kayaze yalandela izimiso zami.
7 Consequently this is what the Lord God says: You have caused more trouble than the nations around you. You refused to follow my rules and keep my regulations. In fact you didn't even live up to the standards of the nations surrounding you.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: Ube ngoxhwale okudlula izizwe ezikuhanqileyo njalo kawulandelanga izimiso zami kumbe ugcine imithetho yami. Futhi kalilaleli lezimiso zezizwe ezilihanqileyo.
8 So this is what the Lord God says: Watch out, because it's me who is condemning you, Jerusalem! I'm going to carry out my sentence against you while the other nations watch.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi ukuthi: Mina ngokwami ngimelane lawe, wena Jerusalema, njalo ngizabeka isijeziso phezu kwakho izizwe zikhangele.
9 Because of all the disgusting things you've done, I'm going to do to you what I've never done before—and I won't ever do again.
Ngenxa yezithombe zakho zonke ezinengekayo, kuwe ngizakwenza engingakaze ngikwenze ngaphambili njalo engingayikukwenza futhi.
10 In your city parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. I'm going to punish you and scatter in every directions those who are left.
Ngakho phakathi kwenu oyise bazakudla abantwana babo, labantwana bazakudla oyise. Ngizabeka isijeziso phezu kwakho kuthi bonke abasindileyo bakho ngibahlakazele emoyeni.
11 As I live, declares the Lord God, because you have made my sanctuary unclean with all your offensive idols and disgusting practices, I will stop treating you well. I won't be kind to you—I won't show you any pity.
Ngakho ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, ngoba ungcolise indlu yami engcwele ngezifanekiso zakho zonke ezingamanyala langezenzo zakho ezenyanyekayo, mina ngokwami ngizasusa umusa wami; angiyikuba lesihawu kuwe loba ngiyekele ukukubhubhisa.
12 A third of your people will die from disease or starvation inside the city; a third will be killed by the sword outside the city walls; and a third I will scatter in the wind in all directions, and let loose a sword behind them to chase them.
Ingxenye yesithathu yabantu bakho izabulawa yisifo loba ibhujiswe yindlala phakathi kwakho; ingxenye yesithathu izakufa ngenkemba ngaphandle kwemiduli yakho; ingxenye yesithathu ngizayihlakazela emoyeni ngiphinde ngiyilandele ngiphethe inkemba.
13 Once my anger is over and I've finished punishing them, then I'll be satisfied. When I've finished punishing them, then they'll know that I, the Lord, meant what I said when I spoke so strongly.
Lapho-ke ukuthukuthela kwami kuzaphela, lolaka lwami kubo luzadeda, njalo ngizabe sengiphindisele. Njalo lapho ulaka lwami sengiluqedele kubo, bazakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo ngikhulume ngokutshiseka kwami.
14 I'm going to ruin you and humiliate you in front of the nations surrounding you, in the sight of every passer-by.
Ngizakwenza ube lunxiwa lehlazo phakathi kwezizwe ezikuhanqileyo, emehlweni abo bonke abadlula khona.
15 You will be criticized and mocked, you'll be a warning and something horrifying to the surrounding nations when I carry out my sentence against you in my rage and furious anger. I the Lord have spoken.
Uzakuba lihlazo lenhlekisa, isixwayiso lento eyesabekayo ezizweni ezikuhanqileyo lapho sengibeka isijeziso phezu kwakho ngentukuthelo langolaka, ngikhuza kabuhlungu. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.
16 When I pour down on you deadly arrows of famine and destruction they're intended to kill you. I will make your famine worse by stopping your food supply.
Lapho ngikutshoka ngemitshoko yami ebhubhisayo, langemitshoko echithayo yendlala, ngizatshoka ukuba ngikutshabalalise. Ngizakwandisela indlala ngivale ukulethwa kokudla kwakho.
17 I will send famine and wild animals to attack you. You'll have no children left. Disease and killing will sweep over you, and I will bring armies to attack you. I the Lord have spoken.”
Ngizakulethela indlala lezinyamazana zeganga ukuba kukuhlasele, kuzakutshiya ungaselamntwana. Isifo lokuchithwa kwegazi kuzadabula phakathi kwakho, njalo ngizaletha inkemba ukuba ikuhlasele. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile.”
