UZekhariya 11
1 Vula iminyango yakho, wena Lebhanoni, ukuze umlilo uqhunqise imisedari yakho!
Open your doors, Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars.
2 Lila, wena sihlahla sephayini, ngoba imisedari isiwile; ngoba izihlahla zobukhosi ziqhunqile! Lilani, mi-okhi yaseBhashani; igusu elivitshileyo selicakazelwe phansi!
Wail, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen, because the stately ones are destroyed. Wail, you oaks of Bashan, for the strong forest has come down.
3 Lalela ukulila kwabelusi; amadlelo abo amahle asetshabalalisiwe! Lalela ukubhonga kwezilwane; ihlathi elihle leJodani liqhunqile!
A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! For their glory is destroyed—a voice of the roaring of young lions! For the pride of the Jordan is ruined.
4 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uNkulunkulu wami, uthi: “Sana emadlelweni umhlambi wezimvu zokuhlatshwa.
Yahweh my God says: “Feed the flock of slaughter.
5 Abathengi bazo bayazihlaba bangajeziswa. Labo abazithengisayo bathi, ‘Makadunyiswe uThixo, senginothile!’ Abelusi bazo ngokwabo labo kabaziyekeli.
Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, for I am rich;’ and their own shepherds don’t pity them.
6 Ngoba kangisayikuba lozwelo ebantwini belizwe,” kutsho uThixo. “Ngulowo lalowo ngizamnikela kumakhelwane wakhe lenkosini yakhe. Bazalincindezela ilizwe, kodwa kangiyikubalamulela ezandleni zabo.”
For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land,” says Yahweh; “but, behold, I will deliver every one of the men into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They will strike the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.”
7 Ngakho ngizafaka emadlelweni izimvu ezasezikhethelwe ukuya esilaheni, ikakhulu lezo ezaziphathwa kabuhlungu. Ngasengithatha ingwegwe ezimbili ngabiza enye ngokuthi nguThandeka kwathi enye ngathi nguNhlanganiso, ngasengizelusa izimvu.
So I fed the flock to be slaughtered, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. The one I called “Favor” and the other I called “Union”, and I fed the flock.
8 Ngenyanga eyodwa ngaxotsha abelusi abathathu. Izimvu zanengeka ngami, lami zangidina
I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me.
9 ngathi, “Kangisayikuba ngumelusi wenu. Yekela efayo ife, lebhubhayo ibhubhe. Yekela lezo eziseleyo zidlane inyama yazo.”
Then I said, “I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other’s flesh.”
10 Ngasengithatha ingwegwe yami ethiwa nguThandeka ngayephula, ngidiliza isivumelwano engangisenzile lezizwe zonke.
I took my staff Favor and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples.
11 Sadilizwa ngalelolanga, yikho abadubekayo emhlambini ababengikhangele bakwazi ukuthi lokho kwakulilizwi likaThixo.
It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was Yahweh’s word.
12 Ngabatshela ngathi, “Nxa libona kufanele, ngiphani iholo lami; nxa njalo kungenjalo, yekelani.” Yikho basebengiholisa inhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu.
I said to them, “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
13 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Iphosele kumbumbi,” imali engaka ababengilinganisele yona! Ngasengizithatha lezonhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amathathu ngaziphosela kumbumbi wembiza endlini kaThixo.
Yahweh said to me, “Throw it to the potter—the handsome price that I was valued at by them!” I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in Yahweh’s house.
14 Ngasengiqamula ingwegwe yami yesibili ethiwa nguNhlanganiso, ngiqamula ubuzalwane phakathi kukaJuda lo-Israyeli.
Then I cut apart my other staff, Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Thatha futhi izikhali zomelusi oyisithutha.
Yahweh said to me, “Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
16 Ngoba ngizamisa umelusi welizwe leli ongezukunanza ngezilahlekileyo, angawadingi amazinyane, angawelaphi alimeleyo, angawaphi ukudla aphilayo, kodwa adle inyama yezinonileyo, adlithize lamangqina azo.
For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.
17 Maye kumelusi oyisithutha, ohlamukela izifuyo! Sengathi angadliwa yinkemba igalele engalweni lelihlweni lakhe lakwesokunene! Sengathi ingalo yakhe ingahle yome qha, ilihlo lakhe langakwesokunene lihle life kokuphela!”
Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”
