Ezekiel 1
1 On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I was with the other exiles by the River Kebar. The heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
Kwasekusithi-ke ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu, ngenyanga yesine, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, lapho ngangiphakathi kwabathunjiweyo ngasemfuleni iKebari, avuleka amazulu, ngasengibona imibono kaNkulunkulu.
2 (On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
Ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, okungumnyaka wesihlanu wokuthunjwa kwenkosi uJehoyakhini,
3 a message from Lord was given to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of Babylonia by the River Kebar. There Lord's power came over him.)
ilizwi leNkosi leza liqonde kuHezekeli, indodana kaBuzi, umpristi, elizweni lamaKhaladiya ngasemfuleni iKebari; lesandla seNkosi saba phezu kwakhe lapho.
4 I looked up and saw a windstorm racing in from the north, a tremendous cloud with fire flashing like lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The middle of the fire looked like glowing metal
Ngasengibona, khangela-ke, umoya wesivunguzane wavela enyakatho, iyezi elikhulu, lomlilo ozimumetheyo, lokucwazimula inhlangothi zonke zalo, laphakathi kwalo kwavela kwangathi libala lethusi, livela phakathi komlilo.
5 and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
Laphakathi kwalo kwavela umfanekiso wezidalwa ezine eziphilayo. Lalokhu kwakuyisimo sazo: Zazilomfanekiso womuntu.
6 but they each had four faces and four wings.
Njalo yileso laleso sasilobuso obune, njalo yileso laleso sazo sasilempiko ezine.
7 They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
Lenyawo zazo zazizinyawo eziqondileyo, lengaphansi yezinyawo zazo yayinjengengaphansi yonyawo lwethole, zacwazimula njengombala wethusi elilolongiweyo.
8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
Njalo kwakulezandla zomuntu ngaphansi kwempiko zazo enhlangothini zazo zozine. Njalo zozine zazilobuso bazo lempiko zazo.
9 and each of their wings touched the wings of the one next to it. As they moved they didn't turn—they all moved straight in one direction.
Impiko zazo zazihlangene olunye kolunye; aziphendukanga ekuhambeni kwazo; zahamba, yileso laleso siqonde phambili.
10 This what their faces looked like. They had a human face to the front, a lion's face to the right, a bull's face to the left, and lastly an eagle's face.
Njalo umfanekiso wobuso bazo wawuyibuso bomuntu, njalo zozine zazilobuso besilwane ngakwesokunene; njalo zozine zazilobuso benkabi ngakwesokhohlo; futhi zozine zazilobuso belinqe.
11 These were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. They all had two wings that touched the wings of the one beside it, as well as two wings that covered its body.
Babunjalo ubuso bazo; lempiko zazo zazehlukene ngaphezulu; yileso laleso sasilezimbili zihlanganisiwe kolunye, lezimbili zigubuzele imizimba yazo.
12 Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
Zahamba yileso laleso siqonde phambili; zaya lapho umoya owaya khona, zingaphenduki ekuhambeni kwazo.
13 These beings looked like bright burning coals or torches. Blazing fire moved to and fro between the beings, and lightning flashed out from the fire.
Mayelana lomfanekiso wezidalwa eziphilayo, ukubonakala kwazo kwakunjengamalahle omlilo avuthayo, njengokubonakala kwezibane; kwahamba kusiya le lale phakathi kwezidalwa eziphilayo; njalo umlilo wawulokukhazimula, njalo emlilweni kwakuphuma umbane.
14 The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
Lezidalwa eziphilayo zagijima zaphenduka njengokubonakala kokuphazima kombane.
15 As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
Ngathi ngikhangela izidalwa eziphilayo, khangela-ke, ivili elilodwa lalisemhlabeni eceleni kwezidalwa eziphilayo, ebusweni baso obune.
16 The wheels looked like they were made of topaz, and all four wheels were the same. In the middle of each wheel was what looked like another wheel set crossways.
Ukubonakala kwamavili lomsebenzi wawo kwakufanana lombala webherule; njalo zozine zazilesimo sinye; lokubonakala kwazo lomsebenzi wazo kwakunjengokuthi livili phakathi kwevili.
17 They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
Ekuhambeni kwawo ahamba ngezinhlangothi zawo zozine; kawaphendukanga ekuhambeni kwawo.
18 The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
Mayelana lamarimu awo, ayephakeme kangangokuthi ayesesabeka; njalo amarimu awo ayegcwele amehlo inhlangothi zonke zawo zozine.
19 As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
Ekuhambeni kwezidalwa eziphilayo amavili ahamba eceleni kwazo; lekuphakanyisweni kwezidalwa eziphilayo emhlabeni lamavili aphakanyiswa.
20 They would go wherever the Spirit went. The wheels would lift up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
Lapho umoya owawusiya khona zaya khona, kulapho umoya owawuzakuya khona; lamavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lawo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
21 When the beings moved, the wheels moved; when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they flew up from the ground, the wheels flew up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
Lapho lezi zihamba, lawo ahamba; lalapho lezi zisima, lawo ema; lalapho lezi ziphakanyiswa emhlabeni, amavili aphakanyiswa eqondene lazo; ngoba umoya wezidalwa eziphilayo wawusemavilini.
22 Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
Njalo isimo somkhathi ngaphezu kwamakhanda ezidalwa eziphilayo sasinjengombala wekristali elesabekayo, seluliwe phezu kwamakhanda azo ngaphezulu.
23 Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.
Langaphansi komkhathi impiko zazo zaziqondile, olunye lusiya kolunye; yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese imizimba yazo ngapha, njalo yileso laleso silezimbili ezembese ngaphayana.
24 When the beings moved, I heard the sound their wings made. It was like the roar of a thundering waterfall, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army on the march. Whenever they stopped, they folded their wings.
Lekuhambeni kwazo ngezwa umsindo wempiko zazo unjengomsindo wamanzi amanengi, njengelizwi likaSomandla, umsindo wokuhlokoma, njengomsindo wenkamba; lapho zisima zehlisa impiko zazo.
25 A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
Kwasekusiba lelizwi elavela phezu komkhathi ongaphezu kwekhanda lazo lapho sezimi sezehlise impiko zazo.
26 Above the expanse over their heads I saw what looked like a throne made of lapis lazuli. Sitting on the throne high above was a being who looked like a man.
Langaphezu komkhathi owawuphezu kwekhanda lazo kwakunjengesimo selitshe lesafire, umfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi; langaphezu komfanekiso wesihlalo sobukhosi kwakulomfanekiso onjengokubonakala komuntu phezu kwakho ngaphezulu.
27 From what seemed to be his waist upwards, he looked like glowing metal with fire inside and everywhere around. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, I saw what looked like fire. He was surrounded by very bright light.
Ngasengibona njengombala wethusi, njengokubonakala komlilo phakathi kwakho inhlangothi zonke, kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphezulu, njalo kusukela ekubonakaleni kokhalo lwakhe langaphansi, ngabona kunjengokubonakala komlilo, lokukhazimula inhlangothi zakhe zonke.
28 The bright light surrounding him was like a rainbow shining through the clouds on a rainy day. This was what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell facedown on the ground, and then I heard someone speaking to me.
Njengokubonakala komchilo wamakhosikazi osemayezini ngosuku lwezulu, kwakunjalo ukubonakala kokukhazimula inhlangothi zonke. Lokhu kwakuyikubonakala kwesimo senkazimulo yeNkosi. Ngathi ngikubona, ngathi mbo ngobuso, ngasengisizwa ilizwi lowakhulumayo.
