UHezekheli 33

1 Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi futhi, lisithi:

Again the word of YHWH came unto me, saying,

2 Ndodana yomuntu, khuluma kubantwana babantu bakho, uthi kubo: Ilizwe, lapho ngiletha inkemba phezu kwalo, labantu belizwe bathathe umuntu emingceleni yakibo, bambeke abe ngumlindi wabo,

Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:

3 lapho ebona inkemba isiza phezu kwelizwe, avuthele uphondo, axwayise abantu,

If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;

4 kuzakuthi loba ngubani ozwa umsindo wophondo, kodwa angaxwayi, lapho inkemba ifika, imsuse, igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe.

Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

5 Uzwile ukukhala kophondo, kodwa angaxwayi; igazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwakhe. Kodwa oxwayayo uzawophula umphefumulo wakhe.

He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

6 Kodwa nxa umlindi ebona inkemba isiza, angavutheli uphondo, abantu bengaxwayiswa, aluba inkemba ifika, isuse umuntu phakathi kwabo, yena ususwa esesonweni sakhe, kodwa igazi lakhe ngizalibiza esandleni somlindi.

But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

7 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, ngikubeke waba ngumlindi endlini kaIsrayeli; ngakho uzakuzwa ilizwi elivela emlonyeni wami, ubaxwayise ngokuvela kimi.

So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

8 Uba ngisithi komubi: Mubi, uzakufa lokufa; uba wena ungakhulumi ukuxwayisa omubi atshiye indlela yakhe, lowo omubi uzafela esonweni sakhe, kodwa igazi lakhe ngizalibiza esandleni sakho.

When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

9 Kodwa wena uba umxwayisa omubi ngendlela yakhe ukuthi aphenduke kuyo; uba engaphenduki endleleni yakhe, yena uzafela ebubini bakhe, kodwa wena usuwophule umphefumulo wakho.

Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10 Ngakho, wena ndodana yomuntu, tshono kuyo indlu kaIsrayeli: Likhuluma ngokunjalo lisithi: Ngoba iziphambeko zethu lezono zethu ziphezu kwethu, thina sicikizeke sikuzo, pho, sizaphila njani?

Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?

11 Tshono kubo: Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili kangithokozi ngokufa komubi, kodwa ngokuthi omubi aphenduke endleleni yakhe aphile. Phendukani, phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi; ngoba lizafelani, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli?

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Sovereign YHWH, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

12 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, tshono ebantwaneni babantu bakiniuthi: Ukulunga kolungileyo kakuyikumophula ngosuku lwesiphambeko sakhe; mayelana lenkohlakalo yokhohlakeleyo, kayikuwa ngayo ngosuku azaphenduka ngalo enkohlakalweni yakhe; lolungileyo kayikuba lakho ukuphila ngokulunga kwakhe ngosuku ona ngalo.

Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

13 Lapho ngizakutsho kolungileyo ukuthi uzaphila isibili; uba yena ethembela ekulungeni kwakhe, enze isiphambeko, konke ukulunga kwakhe kakuyikukhunjulwa; kodwa ngenxa yobubi bakhe abenzileyo, uzabufela.

When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

14 Futhi uba ngisitsho kokhohlakeleyo ukuthi: Uzakufa lokufa; uba ephenduka esonweni sakhe, enze isahlulelo lokulungileyo,

Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

15 okhohlakeleyo ebuyisela isibambiso, abhadale impango, ahambe ngezimiso zempilo, ukuthi angenzi isiphambeko, uzaphila isibili, kayikufa.

If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16 Kakukho lasinye sezono zakhe azenzileyo esizakhunjulwa kuye; wenzile isahlulelo lokulungileyo; uzaphila isibili.

None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17 Kodwa abantwana babantu bakini bathi: Indlela yeNkosi kayilingani; kanti ngeyabo indlela engalinganiyo.

Yet the children of thy people say, The way of YHWH is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

18 Nxa olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, enze isiphambeko, uzakufa ngenxa yaso.

When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

19 Kodwa uba okhohlakeleyo ephenduka kunkohlakalo yakhe, enze isahlulelo lokulungileyo, yena uzaphila ngakho.

But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

20 Kanti lithi: Indlela yeNkosi kayilingani. Wena ndlu kaIsrayeli, ngizalahlulela, ngulowo lalowo njengendlela zakhe.

Yet ye say, The way of YHWH is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

21 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngenyanga yetshumi, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, owayephunyukile eJerusalema wafika kimi esithi: Umuzi usutshayiwe.

And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.

22 Kwathi isandla seNkosi saba phezu kwami kusihlwa, ophunyukileyo engakafiki, savula umlomo wami, waze wafika kimi ekuseni. Ngokunjalo umlomo wami wavuleka, kangabe ngisaba yisimungulu.

Now the hand of YHWH was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

23 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi, lisithi:

Then the word of YHWH came unto me, saying,

24 Ndodana yomuntu, abahlali balawomanxiwa elizwe lakoIsrayeli bakhuluma besithi: UAbrahama wayemunye, wadla ilifa lelizwe; kodwa thina sibanengi; ilizwe silinikiwe ukuba yilifa.

Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.

25 Ngakho tshono kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Lidla okulegazi, liphakamisele amehlo enu ezithombeni zenu, lichithe igazi; kambe lizakudla ilifa lelizwe yini?

Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?

26 Lima phezu kwenkemba yenu, lenze isinengiso, lingcolise, ngulowo lalowo umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe; kambe lizakudla ilifa lelizwe yini?

Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?

27 Tshono njalo kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Kuphila kwami, isibili labo abasemanxiweni bazakuwa ngenkemba; lalowo osegcekeni ngizamnikela ezilweni ukuthi zimudle, lalabo abasezinqabeni labasezimbalwini bazakufa ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo.

Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Sovereign YHWH; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

28 Ngoba ngizalenza ilizwe libe lunxiwa lencithakalo, lokuziqhenya kwamandla alo kuzaphela, lezintaba zakoIsrayeli zibe yinkangala, ukuze kungabi khona odlulayo.

For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

29 Khona bazakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, lapho sengenze ilizwe laba yinkangala lesesabiso ngenxa yawo wonke amanyala abo abawenzileyo.

Then shall they know that I am YHWH, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

30 Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, abantwana babantu bakini basakhuluma ngawe ngasemidulwini laseminyango yezindlu, njalo omunye ekhuluma komunye, ngulowo lalowo kumfowabo, besithi: Wozani, ngiyacela, lizwe ukuthi yilizwi bani eliphuma eNkosini.

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from YHWH.

31 Njalo bayeza kuwe njengokuza kwabantu, bahlale phambi kwakho njengabantu bami, bezwe amazwi akho, kodwa bangawenzi; ngoba ngomlomo wabo babonakalisa uthando olukhulu, kodwa inhliziyo yabo ilandela inzuzo yabo embi.

And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

32 Khangela-ke, kubo unjengengoma ethandekayo, ilizwi elimnandi, lowazi kuhle ukutshaya ichacho; ngoba besizwa amazwi akho kodwa bengawenzi.

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

33 Kodwa ekufikeni kwalokhu (khangela, kuzafika), khona bazakwazi ukuthi bekukhona umprofethi phakathi kwabo.

And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come, ) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.