Ezekiel 17
1 Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 “You human, tell this story/parable [DOU] to the people [MTY] of Israel.
“Ndodana yomuntu, yenza umzekeliso utshele indlu yako-Israyeli umfanekiso.
3 [Say to them, ] ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: A huge eagle that had strong wings and long beautiful feathers of many colors flew to Lebanon. It grasped the top of a cedar [tree]
Wothi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ingqungqulu enkulu elezimpiko ezilamandla, izinsiba ezinde njalo zinengi zimibalabala yafika eLebhanoni. Ibambe isihloko somsedari,
4 and broke it off. Then the eagle carried it away to [Babylonia], a country that had many merchants/businessmen, and planted it in one of the cities there.
yephula ihlumela elalingaphezu kwawo wonke yalisa elizweni labathengisi lapho eyalihlanyela khona edolobheni labathengisi.
5 Then that eagle took a seedling from [your] country and planted it in a fertile field. He planted it like people plant a willow tree, alongside [a stream that had] plenty of water.
Yathatha enye yenhlanyelo yelizwe lakini yayifaka emhlabathini ovundileyo: Yayihlanyela njengomnyezane phansi kwamanzi amanengi,
6 It grew and became a low grapevine that spread [along the ground]. Its branches turned up towards the eagle, but its roots grew down into the ground. So it became a [good] vine and produced [lots of] branches and leaves.
yahluma yaba livini elifitshane elinabayo. Ingatsha zalo zaphendukela kuyo, kodwa impande zalo zaba ngaphansi kwalo. Ngakho laba livini laba lezingatsha ezilamahlamvu amanengi.
7 But there was another huge eagle that had strong wings and beautiful feathers. And [some of] the roots of the vine grew toward that eagle, and its branches [also] turned toward it, hoping that the eagle would bring more water to it.
Kodwa kwakulenye ingqungqulu enkulu elezimpiko ezilamandla lezinsiba ezinengi. Khathesi ivini lakhuphela impande zalo kuyo zisuka esivandeni elalihlanyelwe kuso njalo lelulela ingatsha zalo kuyo zifuna amanzi.
8 [That happened in spite of the fact that] the vine had [already] been planted in good soil, where there was plenty of water, with the result that it had produced branches and produced grapes and had become a very healthy/productive vine.’
Lalihlanyelwe emhlabathini omuhle phansi kwamanzi amanengi ukuze liveze ingatsha, lithele izithelo libe livini elihle.’
9 Then [after you have told that to the people, say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: That vine] will certainly not [RHQ] remain healthy/productive. It will be [RHQ] pulled up by its roots by the eagle [that planted it], and all its fruit will be stripped off and its leaves will wither. And it will not need someone with strong arms or many people to pull it out by its roots.
Wothi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Kambe lizakhula kuhle na? Kaliyikusitshunwa izithelo zalo ziqhululwe ukuba libune na? Wonke amahlumela alo azabuna. Akuyikusweleka ingalo elamandla kumbe abantu abanengi ukuba balisiphune.
10 Even if that vine is transplanted, it certainly will not continue to grow [RHQ]. When the hot wind from the east blows against it, it will completely wither, there where it was planted! [RHQ]’”
Lanxa lingayagxunyekwa kwenye indawo lingakhula kuhle na? Kambe kaliyikubuna okupheleleyo nxa umoya wasempumalanga ulihangula libune esivandeni elakhulela kuso na?’”
11 Then Yahweh gave this message to me:
Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:
12 “Ask these rebellious [Israeli] people, ‘Do you know what this parable/story means?’ Tell them that it signifies that the King of Babylon went to Jerusalem [with his army] and captured the King of Judah and his officials, and took them back to Babylon.
“Tshono kule indlu ehlamukayo uthi, ‘Kalazi ukuthi izinto lezi zitshoni na?’ Tshono kubo uthi, ‘Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni yaya eJerusalema yathumba inkosi yalo kanye lezikhulu zalo yabuyela labo eBhabhiloni.
13 Then he took one of the king’s close relatives [and appointed him to be the king], and made an agreement with him, forcing him to solemnly promise [to remain loyal]. The King of Babylon also took to Babylon the other important citizens of Judah,
Yathatha omunye wabenzalo yasesikhosini, yenza isivumelwano laye, yamfungisa. Yathumba lamanye amadoda elizwe adumileyo,
14 in order that the kingdom of Judah would not be able to become powerful again. The King of Babylon intended that the kingdom [of Judah] would not continue to exist if the people did not obey that agreement [that he made with the King of Babylon].
ukuze umbuso uye phansi, ungavuki futhi, ume nje kuphela ngokugcina isivumelwano sayo.
15 But the King of Judah rebelled against the King of Babylon by sending officials to Egypt to request from them horses and a large army [to fight against the army of Babylonia]. But the King of Judah will certainly not [RHQ] be sucessful. Rulers who [rebel like that and] and refuse to obey solemn agreements will never [RHQ] escape.
Kodwa inkosi yamhlamukela ngokuthuma isithunywa eGibhithe ukuba ziyethatha amabhiza kanye lebutho elikhulu. Kambe izaphumelela na? Kambe lowo owenza izinto ezinje uzaphunyuka na? Kambe uzakwephula isivumelwano kodwa aphunyuke na?
16 [I], Yahweh the Lord, declare that [as surely] as I am alive, the King of Judah will die in Babylon, in the city where the King of Babylon appointed him to be the King [MTY] [of Judah]. He will die because he despised the solemn agreement and refused to do what he promised to do.
Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, uzafela eBhabhiloni, elizweni lenkosi eyambeka esihlalweni sobukhosi, esifungo sayo wasidelela wephula lesivumelwano sayo.
17 The King of Egypt with all his very huge army [DOU] will not [be able to] help the King of Judah: [The soldiers from Babylonia] will build ramps up against the walls of Jerusalem and set up devices to batter the walls. They will [enter Jerusalem and] kill many of its people.
UFaro lebutho lakhe elilamandla kanye lexuku elikhulu akuyikumsiza empini, lapho sekwakhiwe amadundulu kwamiswa lemiduli yokuvimbezela ukuba kuchithwe imiphefumulo eminengi.
18 The King of Judah despised the solemn agreement by disregarding the treaty. Although he had solemnly promised to be under the control of the King of Babylon, [he sent officials to request help from Egypt]. Therefore he will not escape being punished [by the King of Babylon].
Wadelela isifungo ngokwephula isivumelwano. Ngoba wazibopha ngesifungo kodwa wasesenza zonke lezizinto akayikuphunyuka.
19 Therefore this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: 'Just as surely as I am alive, I will cause the King of Judah to be punished [IDM] for ignoring the solemn agreement that he made [with the King of Babylon] and then refusing to obey it.
Ngakho nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe isifungo sami asidelayo kanye lesivumelwano sami asephulayo.
20 [It will be as though] I will spread a net to capture him, and he will be caught in it. He will [be captured and] taken to Babylon and punished because he rebelled against me.
Ngizamendlalela imbule lami, njalo uzabanjwa yisifu sami. Ngizamusa eBhabhiloni, ngenzele khona ukumahlulela kwami ngoba wayengathembekanga kimi.
21 Most [HYP] of his soldiers who try to escape will be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and those who survive will be scattered in all directions. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].'”
Wonke amabutho akhe abalekayo azabulawa ngenkemba, abasindayo bazahlakazelwa emimoyeni. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo sengikhulumile.
22 This is [also] what Yahweh the Lord says: “[It will be as though] I will take a shoot from the top of a very tall cedar [tree] and plant it [DOU] in another place. I will plant it on a very high [DOU] mountain.
Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Mina ngokwami ngizathatha ihlumela kuso kanye isihloko somsedari ngilihlanyele; ngizakwephula ihlumela elibuthakathaka eklintini lawo eliphezulu kakhulu kulamanye ngilihlanyele phezu kwentaba ende ephakemeyo.
23 [It will be as though] I will plant it on a mountain in Israel, and it will grow and become a beautiful cedar [tree]. Many [HYP] kinds of birds will make their nests in the tree, and they will have shade in its branches.
Ngizalihlanyela ezingqongeni zentaba yako-Israyeli; lizaveza ingatsha lithele lezithelo njalo libe ngumsedari omuhle. Izinyoni zezinhlobo zonke zizakwakhela izidleke zazo kuwo; zizathola ukusitheka emthunzini wezingatsha zawo.
24 And [it will be as though] all the trees in the field will know that I, Yahweh, get rid of tall trees and make little ones grow. I cause [big] green trees to wither, and I cause dry trees to become green. I, Yahweh have said this, and I will [certainly] do what I have said that I will do.”
Zonke izihlahla zeganga zizakwazi ukuthi mina Thixo ngifinyeza isihlahla eside ngenze esifitshane sikhule sibeside. Ngomisa isihlahla esiluhlaza ngenze esomileyo sihlume. Mina Thixo sengikhulumile, njalo ngizakwenza.’”
