UHezekeli Ungumlindi Wendlu Yakwa-Israyeli
1Izwi likaSimakade lafika kimi, lathi: 2“Ndodana yomuntu, khuluma kubantu bakini, uthi kubo: ‘Ngiyakwehlisela inkemba phezu kwezwe, bese abantu bakhona bekhetha omunye umuntu phakathi kwabo, bambeke abe ngumlindi wabo, 3kuyothi lapho yena esebona kwehlela inkemba phezu kwezwe, ashaye icilongo, axwayise abantu. 4Umuntu oyokuzwa ukukhala kwecilongo nokho angaxwayi, kuthi inkemba yehle imbhubhise, igazi lakhe liyakuba sekhanda lakhe. 5Ngokuba ukuzwile ukukhala kwecilongo nokho akaze exwaya; igazi lakhe liyakuba kuye, ngokuba ukuba ubexwayile, ngabe uyisindisile impilo yakhe. 6Kepha-ke uma umlindi eyibonile inkemba yehla, akaze alishaya icilongo ukuba abantu baxwaye, inkemba ize yehlele kubo, ibhubhise umuntu phakathi kwabo, lowo muntu uyakubhubha ngenxa yokona kwakhe, kodwa igazi lakhe ngiyakulibiza esandleni somlindi.’
7“Ndodana yomuntu, wena-ke, ngikubeke umlindi wendlu yakwa-Israyeli. Lalela ilizwi eliphuma emlonyeni wami, ubaxwayise, lokho kuvela kimi. 8Kuyakuthi lapho ngithi komubi: ‘Muntu omubi, uyakufa nokufa,’ bese wena ungakhulumi ukuba uxwayise umuntu omubi ayishiye indlela yakhe, lowo muntu omubi uyakufa ngenxa yokona kwakhe, kodwa igazi lakhe ngiyakulibiza kuwe. 9Kepha uma umxwayisile omubi ukuba ayishiye indlela yakhe, nokho yena akaze ayishiya indlela yakhe, uyakufa nokufa ngenxa yobubi bakhe, kodwa wena uyakube uyihlengile impilo yakho.
10“Wena ndodana yomuntu, tshela indlu yakwa-Israyeli, uthi kuyo: ‘Nisho kanje, nithi: “Ngenxa yokuthi iziphambeko zethu nezono zethu kuphezu kwethu, siyazaca ngenxa yazo, pho-ke sizophila kanjani na?” ’
11“Batshele, uthi kubo: ‘Ngifunga ngiyagomela, kusho iNkosi uSimakade, angithokoziswa ngukufa komubi, kodwa ngithokoza uma isoni siphenduka endleleni yaso, siphile. Phendukani, nishiye izindlela zenu ezimbi, nina ndlu yakwa-Israyeli niyakufelani na?’
12“Kepha wena ndodana yomuntu, batshele abantu bakini, uthi kubo: ‘Ukulunga kolungileyo akusoze kwamsindisa ngosuku ayokona ngalo, nokona komubi akuyukumkhubekisa ngosuku ayophenduka ngalo ekuphambukeni kwakhe, nolungileyo akayukuphila ngakho ngosuku lokona kwakhe.’
13“Kuyakuthi lapho ngithi kolungileyo uyakuphila nokuphila, kodwa yena ethembele ekulungeni kwakhe, bese enza okubi; akusayukukhunjulwa ngisho nesisodwa sezenzo zakhe ezilungileyo, kepha uyakufela ebubini abenzileyo. 14Lapho ngithi komubi: ‘Uyakufa nokufa,’ bese yena ephenduka esonweni sakhe, enze okufaneleyo nokulungileyo, 15yena lowo omubi abuyise isibambiso, akhokhe ayekuthathile, ahambe ngezimiso zokuphila, angakwenzi okubi, impela uyakuphila, angafi. 16Akayukukhunjulelwa nesisodwa sezono zakhe azenzileyo, ngokuba ukwenzile okufaneleyo nokulungileyo; uyakuphila.
17“Kepha abantu bakini, bathi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi ayilungile.’ Kepha yindlela yabo engalungile. 18Lapho olungileyo eyeka ukwenza okulungileyo, bese enza okubi, uyakufela kukho. 19Nalapho omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe, enze okufaneleyo nokulungileyo, uyakuphila ngakho. 20Nokho nisho kanje, nithi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi ayilungile.’
“Nina ndlu yakwa-Israyeli ngiyakunehlulela, kube yilowo nalowo ngokwenza kwakhe.”
Ukuwa KweJerusalema
21Kwathi ngonyaka we-12 wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngosuku lweshumi enyangeni, kwafika kimi ophunyukileyo eJerusalema, wathi: “Umuzi unqotshiwe.”
22Kwathi kusihlwa, engakafiki lowo owayekade ephunyuke eJerusalema, isandla sikaSimakade saba phezu kwami, wawuvula umlomo wami engakafiki kimi ekuseni. Wavulwa-ke umlomo wami, angabe ngisaba yisimungulu.
Izono Zabantu
23Izwi likaSimakade lafika kimi, lathi: 24“Ndodana yomuntu, izakhamuzi ezindaweni ezichithakele kwa-Israyeli, zithi: ‘U-Abhrahama wayeyedwa, wadla ifa lezwe, kodwa thina sibaningi, siliphiwe lona libe yifa lethu.’ 25Ngakho-ke batshele lokhu, uthi kubo: ‘Isho kanje iNkosi uSimakade, ithi: “Nina nidla okunegazi, niphakamisa amehlo enu ezithombeni zenu, nichitha igazi. Pho niyakulidla kanjani izwe libe yifa lenu na? 26Nethembele enkembeni yenu, nenza izinengiso; ningcolisa, kube yilowo nalowo umkamakhelwane wakhe. Pho-ke niyakulidla kanjani izwe libe yifa lenu na?” ’
27“Uyakuthi kubo: ‘Isho kanje iNkosi uSimakade, ithi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela ngithi, labo abasezindaweni ezichithakele impela bayokufa ngenkemba, osendle ngiyakumnikela ezilwaneni ukuba zimudle, nabasezinqabeni nasemigedeni bayobulawa wubhubhane. 28Izwe ngiyakulenza libe yincithakalo neze, ukuzidla ngamandla alo kuyakuphela nya; izintaba zakwa-Israyeli ziyakubhujiswa ukuze kungabi bikho odlula kuzo. 29Kulapho-ke bayakungazi khona ukuthi nginguSimakade, lapho izwe sengilenze laba yincithakalo neze, ngenxa yazo zonke izinengiso zabo abazenzileyo.” ’
30“Wena-ke ndodana yomuntu, abantu bakini bakhuluma ngawe ngasezindongeni naseminyango yezindlu, bakhuluma omunye komunye, omunye kumfowabo, bathi: ‘Woza uzokuzwa ukuthi yizwi elithini elivela kuSimakade.’ 31Bafika kuwe bengabantu, bahlale phambi kwakho njengabantu bami, balalele amazwi akho, nokho abawagcini. Ngomlomo wabo babonakalisa uthando olukhulu, kodwa inhliziyo yabo ibe ilandela inzuzo yabo engafanele. 32Uyabona-ke, unjengesihlabelelo sothando, unephimbo elimnandi kubo, ulushaya kamnandi ugubhu, bayawezwa amazwi akho, kodwa abenzi lutho ngawo.
33“Kuyakuthi lapho sekwenzeka lokhu; ngempela kuyeza, bayokwazi lapho ukuthi kwakukhona umphrofethi phakathi kwabo.”
