UHezekheli 34

1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

2 Ndodana yomuntu, profetha umelene labelusi bakoIsrayeli, profetha uthi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova kubelusi: Maye kubelusi bakoIsrayeli abazelusayo bona! Abelusi bebengayikuzelusa izimvu yini?

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who are shepherding themselves. Should not shepherds guard the flock?

3 Lidla amanono, lizigqokise ngoboya, lihlabe ezinonileyo, umhlambi kaliwelusi.

You eat the fatty portions and you dress in wool. You slaughter the fatlings of the flock. You do not shepherd at all.

4 Ezibuthakathaka kaliziqinisanga, lezigulayo kalizelaphanga, lezephukileyo kalizibophanga, lebezixotshiwe kalizibuyisanga, lebezilahlekile kalizidinganga; kodwa ngamandla langesihluku lizibusile.

You have not strengthened those who have diseases, nor do you heal the ones who are ill. You do not bind up the ones who are broken, and you do not restore the outcasts or seek the lost. Instead, you rule over them through strength and violence.

5 Ngokunjalo zahlakazeka ngoba kungelamelusi; zaba yikudla kuzo zonke izilo zeganga, lapho zihlakazekile.

Then they were scattered without a shepherd, and they became food for all the living beasts in the fields, after they were scattered.

6 Izimvu zami zazulazula kuzo zonke izintaba, laphezu kwalo lonke uqaqa oluphakemeyo; yebo umhlambi wami wawuhlakazeke phezu kobuso bonke bomhlaba, njalo kungekho ozidingayo, kungekho ozibhudulayo.

My flock strays on all of the mountains and on every high hill, and it is dispersed over the entire surface of the earth. Yet no one is searching for them.

7 Ngakho, lina belusi, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.

Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:

8 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi uJehova, isibili, ngoba umhlambi wami usube yimpango, lomhlambi wami usube yikudla kwaso sonke isilo seganga, ngoba kungelamelusi, labelusi bami bengazidinganga izimvu zami, kodwa abelusi bezelusile bona, bengazelusanga izimvu zami;

As I live—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—because my flock has become plunder and food for all the beasts in the fields, because there was no shepherd and none of my shepherds sought my flock, but the shepherds guarded themselves and did not shepherd my flock.

9 ngakho, lina belusi, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi.

Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:

10 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngimelane labelusi, ngizabiza umhlambi wami esandleni sabo, ngibenze bayekele ukwelusa umhlambi, ukuthi abelusi bangabuyi bazeluse bona; ngiwophule umhlambi wami emlonyeni wabo, ukuze ungabi yikudla kwabo.

The Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock from their hand. Then I will dismiss them from shepherding the flock; neither will the shepherds any longer shepherd themselves since I will take away my flock from their mouths, so that my flock will no longer be food for them.

11 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, mina, ngitsho mina ngizafuna izimvu zami, ngizidinge.

For the Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! I myself will seek out my flock and I will look after them,

12 Njengomalusi edinga umhlambi wakhe ngosuku ephakathi kwezimvu zakhe ezihlakazekileyo, ngokunjalo ngizadinga izimvu zami, ngizophule kuzo zonke izindawo lapho ezihlakazekele khona ngosuku lweyezi lolomnyama.

like a shepherd seeking his flock on the day he is within the midst of his scattered flock. Thus I will seek my flock, and I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on the day of clouds and darkness.

13 Ngizazikhupha ebantwini, ngizibuthe emazweni, ngizise elizweni lazo, ngizeluse phezu kwezintaba zakoIsrayeli ngasemifuleni lakuzo zonke indawo zokuhlala zelizwe.

Then I will bring them out from among the peoples; I will gather them from the lands and bring them to their land. I will put them in pastures on the mountainsides of Israel, by the streams, and in every settlement in the land.

14 Ngizazelusa edlelweni elivundileyo, lesibaya sazo sizakuba sezintabeni eziphakemeyo zakoIsrayeli. Zizalala lapho esibayeni esihle, zidle edlelweni elihle ezintabeni zakoIsrayeli.

I will put them in good pastures; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing places. They will lie down there in good places for grazing, in abundant pastures, and they will graze on the mountains of Israel.

15 Mina ngizawelusa umhlambi wami, mina ngiwulalise phansi, itsho iNkosi uJehova.

I myself will shepherd my flock, and I myself will make them lie down—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—

16 Ngizadinga ezilahlekileyo, ngibuyise ezixotshiweyo, ngibophe ezephukileyo, ngiqinise ezigulayo; kodwa ezinonileyo leziqinileyo ngizazibhubhisa, ngizeluse ngesahlulelo.

I will seek the lost and restore the outcast. I will bind up the broken sheep and heal the sick sheep but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd with justice.

17 Lina-ke, mhlambi wami, itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizakwahlulela phakathi kwemvu lemvu, phakathi kwezinqama lezimpongo.

So now you, my flock—this is what the Lord Yahweh says—behold, I will be a judge between sheep and sheep and between rams and male goats.

18 Kuyinto encane kini yini ukuthi lidle edlelweni elihle, linyathelele phansi ngenyawo zenu insali yamadlelo enu, lokuthi linathe amanzi acengekileyo, kodwa lidunge aseleyo ngenyawo zenu?

Is it not enough to feed on the good pasture, that you must trample down with your feet what is left of the pasture; and to drink from clear waters, that you must muddy the rivers with your feet?

19 Kodwa umhlambi wami udla lokhu elikunyathele ngenyawo zenu, wanatha lokho elikudunge ngenyawo zenu.

Must my sheep eat what you have trampled with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova kuzo: Khangelani, mina, ngitsho mina ngizakwahlulela phakathi kwezimvu ezinonileyo lezimvu ezicakileyo.

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this to them: Behold! I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the thin ones,

21 Ngoba lisunduza ngomhlubulo langehlombe, lihlabe zonke ezigulayo ngezimpondo zenu, lize lizihlakazele ngaphandle;

for you have pushed them with your sides and shoulders, and you have gored all of the weak ones with your horns until you have scattered them away from the land.

22 ngakho ngizasindisa umhlambi wami, njalo kawusayikuba yimpango; ngahlulele phakathi kwemvu lemvu.

I will save my flock and they will no longer be plunder, and I will judge between one sheep and another!

23 Ngimise umelusi oyedwa phezu kwazo, azeluse, inceku yami uDavida; yena uzazelusa, yena abe ngumelusi wazo.

I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will shepherd them, he will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.

24 Mina-ke Nkosi ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wazo, lenceku yami uDavida ibe yisiphathamandla phakathi kwazo. Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile.

For I, Yahweh, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among them—I, Yahweh, have declared this.

25 Njalo ngizakwenza lazo isivumelwano sokuthula, ngenze izilo ezimbi ziphele elizweni; njalo zizahlala zivikelekile enkangala, zilale emahlathini.

Then I will make a covenant of peace with them and remove the evil wild animals from the land, so that they will live securely in the wilderness and safely sleep in the forests.

26 Futhi ngizakwenza zona lezindawo ezihanqe uqaqa lwami kube yisibusiso; ngenze umkhizo wehle ngesikhathi sawo, kuzakuba lemikhizo yesibusiso.

I will also bring blessings on them and on the places around my hill, for I will send out showers in due season. These will be showers of blessing.

27 Lesihlahla sasendle sizathela izithelo zaso, lomhlaba uveze isivuno sawo; njalo zizakuba ngezivikelekileyo elizweni lazo, zazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi, nxa sengephule izikeyi zejogwe lazo, ngizophule esandleni salabo abazisebenzisayo.

Then the trees of the field will produce their fruit, and the earth will yield its produce. My sheep will be secure in their land; then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I break the bars of their yoke, and when I rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

28 Njalo kazisayikuba yimpango yabezizwe, njalo izilo zelizwe kazisayikuzidla; kodwa zizahlala zivikelekile, njalo kakukho okungazethusa.

They will no longer be plunder for the nations, and the wild animals on the earth will no longer devour them. For they will live securely, and no one will frighten them.

29 Njalo ngizazivusela isilimo esilebizo njalo kazisayikususwa yindlala elizweni, kazisayikuthwala ihlazo labezizwe.

For I will provide them a land known for its crops; so they will not be victims of famine in the land, and they will not bear the scorn of the nations.

30 Ngalokho zizakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wazo, ngilazo, lokuthi zona, indlu kaIsrayeli, zingabantu bami, itsho iNkosi uJehova.

Then they will know that I, Yahweh their God, am with them. They are my people, the house of Israel—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.

31 Lina-ke, mhlambi wami, mhlambi wedlelo lami, lingabantu; mina nginguNkulunkulu wenu, itsho iNkosi uJehova.

For you are my sheep, the flock of my pasture, and my people, and I am your God—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”