< Ezekiel 11 >

1 And the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me into the east gate of the house of Yahweh which looketh eastward, and lo! in the opening of the gate, twenty-five men, —and I saw in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah princes of the people.
Lapho-ke uMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa esangweni lendlu kaThixo elikhangele empumalanga. Khonapho ekungeneni kwesango kwakulamadoda angamatshumi amabili lanhlanu, njalo phakathi kwawo ngabona uJazaniya indodana ka-Azuri kanye loPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya, abakhokheli babantu.
2 Then said he unto me, Son of man, These, are the men who are devising iniquity, and who are counselling wicked counsel in this city;
UThixo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, laba yibo abantu abenza amacebo amabi, benika lezeluleko ezimbi kulelidolobho.
3 who are saying, Not near! let us build houses, — It, is the caldron, and, we, are the flesh!
Bathi, ‘Masinyane nje akuyikuba yiso na isikhathi sokwakha izindlu? Idolobho leli liyimbiza yokupheka, njalo thina siyinyama.’
4 Therefore, prophesy against them, —prophesy. Son of man.
Ngakho-ke phrofetha okubi ngabo; phrofetha ndodana yomuntu.”
5 Then fell upon me the Spirit of Yahweh, and he said unto me Say—Thus, saith Yahweh, Thus have ye said O house of Israel, Yea, the things that come up on your spirit, I, know every one.
Lapho-ke uMoya kaThixo weza kimi wangitshela ukuba ngithi, Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: “Lokho yikho wena okutshoyo, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, kodwa mina ngiyakwazi okusengqondweni yakho.
6 Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, - And have filled her streets with slain.
Sewabulala abantu abanengi phakathi kwedolobho leli wagcwalisa imigwaqo yalo ngabafileyo.”
7 Therefore Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Your slain. whom ye have laid in her midst, They are the flesh, and She is the caldron, —when ye are taken out of her midst.
Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Izidumbu oziphosele lapho ziyinyama njalo idolobho leli liyimbiza, kodwa wena ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwalo.
8 A sword, have ye feared, — And a sword, will I bring in upon you, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.
Inkemba uyayesaba, njalo inkemba yiyo engizayiletha ukuba imelane lawe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
9 So will I take you forth out of her midst, and will deliver you into the hand of foreigners, —and will execute upon you judgments.
Ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwedolobho ngikunikele kwabezizweni ngiphinde ngikujezise.
10 By the sword, shall ye fall, Upon the boundary of Israel, will I judge you, —So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh.
Uzabulawa ngenkemba, njalo ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli. Lapho-ke uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
11 This city shall not serve you for a caldron, Neither shall, ye, serve in the midst thereof for flesh, —Near the boundary of Israel, will I judge you,
Idolobho leli kaliyikuba yimbiza yakho, kumbe wena ube yinyama phakathi kwalo; ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli.
12 So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh. In whose statutes, ye have not walked And whose appointments, ye have not executed, — But according to the appointments of the nations that are round about you, have ye done.
Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, ngoba izimiso zami kawuzilandelanga kumbe wagcina imithetho yami kodwa ulandele izenzo zezizwe ezikuhanqileyo.”
13 And it came to pass as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died, —so then I fell down upon my face and made outcry with a loud voice and said— Alas! My Lord Yahweh! A full end, art thou making of the remnant of Israel?
Kwathi lapho ngisaphrofitha, uPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya wafa. Ngakho ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso ngakhala ngelizwi eliphezulu ngisithi, “Awu, Thixo Wobukhosi! Uzaqothula insalela ka-Israyeli na?”
14 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
15 Son of man Thine own brethren, thine own brethren the men of thy kindred, even all the house of Israel all of it are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far away from Yahweh, To us, it is that the land, hath been given, for a possession!
“Ndodana yomuntu, abafowenu, abafowenu abayizihlobo zakho zegazi kanye lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli, yibo labo abantu baseJerusalema abathe ngabo: ‘Bakhatshana loThixo kakhulu; ilizwe leli saliphiwa ukuba libe yilifa lethu.’”
16 Therefore, say, Thus saith My Lord. Yahweh, Although I have removed them far away among the nations, And although I have dispersed them throughout the lands Yet have I become to them a sanctuary for a little while, in the lands which they have entered
“Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Lanxa ngabasa khatshana phakathi kwezizwe njalo ngabahlakazela phakathi kwamazwe, ikanti okwesikhatshana ngibe yindlu engcwele kubo emazweni abaye kuwo.’
17 Therefore say, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, Therefore will I assemble you from among the peoples, And gather you out of the lands wherein ye have been dispersed, - And will give you the soil of Israel.
Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakubutha ezizweni ngikubuyise ngikususa emazweni owawuhlakazekele kuwo, njalo ngizakunika ilizwe lako-Israyeli futhi.’
18 So shall they come in thither, — and take away all her detestable things, and all her abominations, out of her;
Bazabuyela kulo basuse zonke izifanekiso zalo ezihlazisayo kanye lezithombe ezenyanyekayo.
19 And I will give them another heart, And a new spirit, will I put within you, —And will take away the heart of stone out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh:
Ngizabanika inhliziyo engehlukananga ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwabo; ngizasusa kubo inhliziyo yabo yelitshe ngibaphe inhliziyo yenyama.
20 To the end that in my statutes, they may walk, And mine appointments, they may keep, and do them, — So shall they become my people, And I will become their God.
Lapho-ke bazalandela izimiso zami baqaphele ukugcina imithetho yami. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo.
21 But as for them who having a heart for their detestable things and for their abominations after their own heart, do walk, Their way upon their own heads, will I render, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.
Kodwa labo abanhliziyo zabo zinikelwe ezifanekisweni zabo ezihlazisayo lasezithombeni ezenyanyekayo, lokhu abakwenzileyo ngizakwehlisela phezu kwamakhanda abo, kutsho Thixo Wobukhosi.”
22 Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, the wheels also going in unison with them, — the glory of the God of Israel, being over them above.
Lapho-ke amakherubhi, ayelamavili emaceleni, elula impiko zawo, njalo inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli yayingaphezu kwawo.
23 Thus went up the glory of Yahweh, out from the midst of the city, —and stood on the mountain, which is on the east of the city.
Inkazimulo kaThixo yaya phezulu isuka phakathi kwedolobho yayakuma ngaphezu kwentaba ngasempumalanga kwedolobho.
24 And, the spirit lifted me up, and brought me to Chaldea unto them of the captivity, in the vision by the Spirit of God, —thus went up from me, the vision which I had seen.
UMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa kwabathunjiweyo eBhabhiloni ngombono owawulethwe nguMoya kaNkulunkulu. Emva kwalokho umbono engangiwubonile wasuka kimi,
25 So I spake unto them of the captivity, —all the words of Yahweh which he had shewed me.
ngasengitshela abathunjiweyo konke Thixo ayengitshengise khona.

< Ezekiel 11 >