UHezekeli 17

17 ¹Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi, lathi:

²“Ndodana yomuntu, phica isiphicaphicwano, ukhulume umfanekiso endlini yakwa-Israyeli, ³uthi: iNkosi uBaba isho kanje: ‘Ukhozi olukhulu olunamaphiko amakhulu, nezinsiba ezinde, nezimpaphe ezigcwele ezimibalabala lwafika eLebanoni, lwathatha isihloko somsedari. ⁴Lwaphula isihloko samahlumela alo asemasha, lwasiyisa ezweni lokuhweba; lwasibeka emzini wabahwebi. ⁵Lwase luthatha enye yembewu yezwe, lwayitshala emhlabathini ovundile; lwayibeka ngasemanzini amaningi ukuze ikhule njengomnyezane. ⁶Wahluma waba ngumvini ophansi osabalele, amagatsha awo aphendukela okhozini, nezimpande zawo zahlala ngaphansi kwawo. Ngakho waba ngumvini, wakhipha amagatsha, wamila amahlumela. ⁷Kodwa kwakukhona olunye ukhozi olukhulu olunamaphiko amakhulu nezimpaphe eziningi, lo mvini wagobisa izimpande zawo kulo, welulela amagatsha awo kulo ukuze uthole amanzi amaningi kulo kunasesivandeni lapho wawutshalwe khona. ⁸Wawutshaliwe emhlabathini omuhle ngasemanzini amaningi, ukuze ukhule amagatsha, uthele izithelo, ube ngumvini ohloniphekile.’

⁹Yitsho: iNkosi uBaba isho kanje: “Uyakuchuma yini? Akayikuzisiphula yini izimpande zawo, ahluthule izithelo zawo, ukuze wonke amaqabunga awo amasha abune? Akuyikudingeka ingalo enamandla noma isixuku esikhulu sokuwusiphula ngezimpande zawo. ¹⁰Noma ngabe utshaliwe, uyakuchuma yini? Akayikubuna nya yini lapho umoya wasempumalanga uwushaya— ubune khona esivandeni lapho wakhula khona?”

¹¹Izwi likaBaba wethu laphinda lafika kimi, lathi:

¹²“Yitsho endlini evukelayo: Anazi yini ukuthi lezi zinto zisho ukuthini? Batshele: Inkosi yaseBabiloni yafika eJerusalema, yathatha inkosi yayo neziphathimandla zayo, yabayisa eBabiloni. ¹³Yathatha omunye wenzalo yasebukhosini, yenza isivumelwano naye ngesifungo, yathumba izikhulu zezwe, ¹⁴ukuze umbuso uthobeke, ungaphinde uvuke futhi, kodwa ngokugcina isivumelwano sakhe usinde. ¹⁵Kodwa uZedekiya wayivukela inkosi yaseBabiloni, wathuma izithunywa eGibhithe ukuyothola amahhashi nebutho elikhulu. Uyakuphumelela yini? Lowo owenza lokhu uyakuphunyuka yini? Angasephula yini isivumelwano aphunyuke?’

¹⁶“Kuphila kwami, kusho iNkosi uBaba, uyakufela eBabiloni, lapho kuhlala khona inkosi eyamenza inkosi—isifungo sayo asidelela, isivumelwano sayo asephula. ¹⁷‘UFaro kanye nebutho lakhe elikhulu nezixuku ezinamandla akayikumsiza empini, lapho kwakhiwa amadundulu okuvimbezela nezingange zokuvimbezela ukuze kuqedwe imiphefumulo eminingi. ¹⁸Wasidelela isifungo, wasephula isivumelwano; wayenikele ngesandla sakhe, kodwa wenza konke lokhu—akayikuphunyuka.’

¹⁹Ngakho iNkosi uBaba isho kanje: “Kuphila kwami, isifungo sami asidelela nesivumelwano sami asephula ngiyakukwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakhe. ²⁰‘Ngiyakwendlala inetha lami phezu kwakhe; uyakubanjwa ogibeni lwami. Ngiyakumyisa eBabiloni, ngimahlulele khona ngenxa yokungathembeka angenza kimi. ²¹Wonke amaqhawe amahle emabuthweni akhe ayakuwa ngenkemba, abasindayo bahlakazwe emimoyeni yonke. Khona-ke niyakwazi ukuthi mina, uBaba wenu, ngikhulumile.’

²²iNkosi uBaba isho kanje: “Mina ngokwami ngiyakuthatha igatshana esihlokweni esiphakeme somsedari, ngilitshale. Esihlokweni samahlumela awo amasha ngiyakwephula ihlumela elithambile, mina ngokwami ngilitshale entabeni ephakeme, enqamileyo. ^a a v22 Lapho imibuso yabantu yehluleka khona, uBaba wethu uthembisa ukutshala ihlumela elithambile elingelakhe—iNkosi ezayo evela enzalweni kaDavide, egcwaliseka kuJesu, ekhula ibe umbuso ovikela zonke izizwe. ²³Entabeni ephakeme yakwa-Israyeli ngiyakulitshala, lona liyakukhipha amagatsha, lithele izithelo, libe ngumsedari ohloniphekile. Ngaphansi kwawo kuyakuhlala zonke izinhlobo zezinyoni, zakhe izidleke emthunzini wamagatsha awo. ²⁴Yonke imithi yasendle iyakwazi ukuthi mina nginguBaba, owehlisa umuthi omude, aphakamise umuthi omfushane, owomisa umuthi oluhlaza, awuhlumise umuthi owomileyo. Mina, uBaba, ngikhulumile, ngiyakukwenza.”