UHezekheli 11
1 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.
Then the Spirit picked me up and took me to the eastern entrance of the Lord's Temple. Twenty-five men were gathered there at the entrance. I recognized among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.
2 UThixo wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, laba yibo abantu abenza amacebo amabi, benika lezeluleko ezimbi kulelidolobho.
The Lord told me, “Son of man, it's these men who are making evil plans and giving bad advice to the people in this city.
3 Bathi, ‘Masinyane nje akuyikuba yiso na isikhathi sokwakha izindlu? Idolobho leli liyimbiza yokupheka, njalo thina siyinyama.’
They're saying, ‘Is this the time for us to be building houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat inside it.’
4 Ngakho-ke phrofetha okubi ngabo; phrofetha ndodana yomuntu.”
So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!”
5 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.
The Spirit of the Lord came upon me and told me to say: This is what the Lord says: “People of Israel, that's what you're saying! I know what you're thinking inside!
6 Sewabulala abantu abanengi phakathi kwedolobho leli wagcwalisa imigwaqo yalo ngabafileyo.”
You murder more and more people in this city. You've filled its streets with the dead!
7 Ngakho-ke nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: “Izidumbu oziphosele lapho ziyinyama njalo idolobho leli liyimbiza, kodwa wena ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwalo.
So this is what the Lord God says: Those you've killed in this city are the meat, and the city is the pot; but I'm going to take you out of it.
8 Inkemba uyayesaba, njalo inkemba yiyo engizayiletha ukuba imelane lawe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
You're afraid of being killed by the sword, so I will bring invaders with swords to attack you, declares the Lord God.
9 Ngizakuxotshela ngaphandle kwedolobho ngikunikele kwabezizweni ngiphinde ngikujezise.
I'm going to take you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners, and I'm going to carry out my sentence against you.
10 Uzabulawa ngenkemba, njalo ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli. Lapho-ke uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.
You will be killed by the sword, and I will punish you right up to the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
11 Idolobho leli kaliyikuba yimbiza yakho, kumbe wena ube yinyama phakathi kwalo; ngizakwahlulela emingceleni yako-Israyeli.
The city won't be like a pot for you, and you won't be the meat inside it either. I will punish you right up to the borders of Israel.
12 Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo, ngoba izimiso zami kawuzilandelanga kumbe wagcina imithetho yami kodwa ulandele izenzo zezizwe ezikuhanqileyo.”
Then you will know that I am the Lord. For you didn't follow my rules and you didn't keep my laws. Instead you kept the laws of the nations around you.”
13 Kwathi lapho ngisaphrofitha, uPhelathiya indodana kaBhenayiya wafa. Ngakho ngathi mbo phansi ngobuso ngakhala ngelizwi eliphezulu ngisithi, “Awu, Thixo Wobukhosi! Uzaqothula insalela ka-Israyeli na?”
While I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. I fell facedown on the ground and shouted loudly, “Lord God, are you going to completely destroy what's left of the people of Israel?”
14 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
A message from Lord came to me, saying,
15 “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.’”
“Son of man, your brothers, including your relatives, your fellow exiles, and all the other Israelites, are those the people of Jerusalem were referring to when they said, ‘They are far away from the Lord. This country was given to us and we are to own it.’
16 “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.’
So tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Even though I sent them far away to live among the foreign nations, scattering them among the different countries, I have been taking care of them for a while in the countries where they went.
17 Ngakho-ke wothi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakubutha ezizweni ngikubuyise ngikususa emazweni owawuhlakazekele kuwo, njalo ngizakunika ilizwe lako-Israyeli futhi.’
Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: I'm going to gather you from the other nations and bring you back from the countries where you've been scattered, and I will return the country of Israel to you.
18 Bazabuyela kulo basuse zonke izifanekiso zalo ezihlazisayo kanye lezithombe ezenyanyekayo.
When they come back, they are going to get rid of all its offensive idols and disgusting practices from the country.
19 Ngizabanika inhliziyo engehlukananga ngifake lomoya omutsha phakathi kwabo; ngizasusa kubo inhliziyo yabo yelitshe ngibaphe inhliziyo yenyama.
I will give them single-minded commitment and a whole new spirit. I will take away their hard-hearted attitude and replace it with one that is loving.
20 Lapho-ke bazalandela izimiso zami baqaphele ukugcina imithetho yami. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wabo.
This way they can follow my rules, keep my regulations, and do what I say. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
21 Kodwa labo abanhliziyo zabo zinikelwe ezifanekisweni zabo ezihlazisayo lasezithombeni ezenyanyekayo, lokhu abakwenzileyo ngizakwehlisela phezu kwamakhanda abo, kutsho Thixo Wobukhosi.”
But for those who still choose to worship offensive idols and engage in disgusting practices, I will let them experience the consequences of their own actions, declares the Lord God.”
22 Lapho-ke amakherubhi, ayelamavili emaceleni, elula impiko zawo, njalo inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli yayingaphezu kwawo.
Then the cherubim opened their wings and took off, with the wheels alongside them, and with the glory of the God of Israel above them.
23 Inkazimulo kaThixo yaya phezulu isuka phakathi kwedolobho yayakuma ngaphezu kwentaba ngasempumalanga kwedolobho.
The glory of the Lord rose from inside the city and went over to the mountain to the east of the city.
24 UMoya wangiphakamisela phezulu wangisa kwabathunjiweyo eBhabhiloni ngombono owawulethwe nguMoya kaNkulunkulu. Emva kwalokho umbono engangiwubonile wasuka kimi,
In the vision given to me by the Spirit of God, the Spirit picked me up and carried me back to Babylonia to where the exiles were. After the vision left me,
25 ngasengitshela abathunjiweyo konke Thixo ayengitshengise khona.
I explained to the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.
