UHezekeli 33

₁Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi: ₂“Ndodana yomuntu, khuluma kubantwana babantu bakho, uthi kubo: ‘Lapho ngehlisela phezu kwezwe inkemba, abantu bezwe bese bethatha umuntu phakathi kwabo, bambeke umlindi wabo, ₃nalapho yena esebona inkemba yehla phezu kwezwe, abethe icilongo, axwayise abantu, ₄okuzwayo ukukhala kwecilongo angaxwayi kodwa, bese yehla inkemba, imsuse, igazi lakhe liyakuba sekhanda lakhe. ₅Ukukhala kwecilongo wakuzwa, kepha akaxwayanga; igazi lakhe liyakuba kuye; uma exwayile, nga ezophulile. ₆Kepha uma umlindi ebona inkemba yehla, angabethi icilongo, abantu bangaxwayi, bese yehla inkemba, isuse umuntu kubo, uyasuswa ngenxa yobubi bakhe kepha igazi lakhe ngiyakulibiza esandleni somlindi.’

₇“Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, ngikubeke umlindi kuyo indlu yakwa-Israyeli; yizwa izwi lomlomo wami, ubaxwayise, kuvela kimi. ₈Lapho ngithi komubi: ‘Muntu omubi, uyakufa nokufa,’ bese wungakhulumi ukuba uxwayise omubi ashiye indlela yakhe, lowo muntu omubi uyakufa ngenxa yobubi bakhe, kepha igazi lakhe ngiyakulibiza esandleni sakho. ₉Kepha uma umxwayisa omubi ukuba ashiye indlela yakhe, abuye kuyo, angabuyi kodwa endleleni yakhe, uyakufa ngenxa yobubi bakhe, kepha wena uzikhululile.

₁₀“Wena ndodana yomuntu, yisho kuyo indlu yakwa-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Nisho kanje, nithi: “Impela iziphambeko zethu nezono zethu ziphezu kwethu, siyonda ngenxa yazo; pho, siyakuphila kanjani na?” ’ ₁₁Yisho kubo, uthi: ‘Kuphila kwami, isho iNkosi uJehova, angithokozi ngokufa komubi, kuphela ngokubuya komubi endleleni yakhe aze aphile. Buyani, buyani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi; niyakufelani nina ndlu yakwa-Israyeli na?’

₁₂“Kepha wena ndodana yomuntu, yisho kubantwana babantu bakho, uthi: ‘Ukulunga kolungileyo akuyikumophula ngosuku lwesiphambeko sakhe, nobubi-ke bomubi akayikuwa ngabo ngosuku lokubuya kwakhe ebubini bakhe, nolungileyo akanakuphila ngakho ngosuku lokona kwakhe.’ ₁₃Lapho ngisho kolungileyo ukuthi uyakuphila nokuphila, yena abesethemba ekulungeni kwakhe kodwa, enze okubi, akuyikukhunjulwa nesisodwa sezenzo zakhe ezilungileyo, kepha uyakufela kokubi akwenzileyo. ₁₄Lapho ngithi komubi: ‘Uyakufa nokufa,’ yena abesephenduka kodwa esonweni sakhe, enze okufaneleyo nokulungileyo, ₁₅yena lo mubi abuyise isibambiso, akhokhe ayekuthathile, ahambe ngezimiso zokuphila, angenzi okubi, uyakuphila nokuphila, angafi. ₁₆Akayikukhunjulelwa nesisodwa sezono zakhe azenzileyo; wenzile okufaneleyo nokulungileyo; uyakuphila nokuphila.

₁₇“Kodwa abantwana babantu bakho bathi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi ayilingani.’ Kepha ngeyabo indlela engalingani. ₁₈Lapho olungileyo ebuya ekulungeni kwakhe, enze okubi, uyakufa ngakho. ₁₉Nalapho omubi ebuya ebubini bakhe, enze okufaneleyo nokulungileyo, uyakuphila ngakho. ₂₀Nokho nisho nithi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi ayilingani.’ Ngiyakunahlulela nina ndlu yakwa-Israyeli, kube yilowo nalowo ngendlela yakhe.”

₂₁Kwathi ngomnyaka weshumi nambili wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, kwafika kimi ophunyukileyo eJerusalema, wathi: “Umuzi unqotshiwe.” ₂₂Isandla sikaJehova sasiphezu kwami kusihlwa, engakafiki ophunyukileyo, kepha wavula umlomo wami engakafiki kimi ekuseni; wavulwa umlomo wami, angabe ngisaba yisimungulu.

₂₃Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi: ₂₄“Ndodana yomuntu, abakhe ezincithakalweni ezweni lakwa-Israyeli basho bathi: ‘U-Abrahama wayemunye, wadla ifa lezwe; kepha thina sibaningi, siphiwe lona libe yifa lethu.’ ₂₅Ngalokho thana kubo: ‘Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Nidla okunegazi, niphakamisa amehlo enu ezithombeni zenu, nichitha igazi. Pho, niyakudla ifa lezwe na? ₂₆Niyethemba enkembeni yenu, nenza izinengiso, ningcolisa, kube yilowo nalowo umkamakhelwane wakhe. Pho, niyakudla ifa lezwe na?’

₂₇“Uyakusho kanje kubo, uthi: ‘Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Kuphila kwami, abasezincithakalweni, ngempela, bayakuwa ngenkemba, nosendle ngiyakumnika izilwane ukuba adliwe, nabasezinqabeni nasemihumeni bayakufa ngesifo. ₂₈Ngiyakwenza izwe libe yincithakalo nokuyize, kuphele ukuzidla kwamandla alo; izintaba zakwa-Israyeli ziyakuchithwa ukuze kungabikho odlulayo. ₂₉Bayakwazi ukuthi nginguJehova, lapho ngenzile izwe libe yincithakalo nokuyize ngenxa yazo zonke izinengiso zabo abazenzileyo.’

₃₀“Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, abantwana babantu bakho bakhuluma ngawe ngasezindongeni naseminyango yezindlu, basho omunye komunye, omunye kumfowabo, bathi: ‘Woza uzwe ukuthi yizwi lini eliphuma kuJehova.’ ₃₁Bafika kuwe njengokufika kwabantu, bahlala phambi kwakho njengabantu bami, bezwa amazwi akho, abawenzi kodwa, ngokuba ngomlomo wabo babonakalisa uthando olukhulu, kepha inhliziyo yabo ilandela inzuzo yabo. ₃₂Bheka, uyisihlabelelo esithandekayo sonephimbo elimnandi kubo, obetha kahle ngogubhu, ngokuba bezwa amazwi akho, abawenzi kodwa.

₃₃“Lapho lokhu kufika – bheka, kuyeza! – bayakwazi ukuthi kwakukhona umprofethi phakathi kwabo.”