UHezekeli 23

23 ¹Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi:

²“Ndodana yomuntu, kwakukhona abesifazane ababili, amadodakazi kamama munye. ³Baziphatha okwezifebe eGibhithe, besebancane. Lapho amabele abo aphathwaphathwa, izingono zabo zobuntombi zacukunywa. ⁴U-Oholah wayemdala, u-Oholibah engudadewabo. Baba ngabami, bazala amadodana namadodakazi. Amagama abo: u-Oholah uyiSamariya, u-Oholibah uyiJerusalema. ^a a v4 La magama womabili angumdlalo wamazwi: u-Oholah usho ukuthi “itende lakhe siqu” — ukukhonza kukaSamariya azenzele khona — kanti u-Oholibah usho ukuthi “itende lami likuye,” ngokuba indlu engcwele kaBaba uqobo yayimi eJerusalema.

⁵“U-Oholah waziphatha okwesifebe esengowami; wakhanukela izithandwa zakhe, ama-Asiriya, amaqhawe empi, ⁶embethe okuluhlaza, ababusi nezinduna, bonke beyizinsizwa ezithandekayo, abagibeli begibele amahhashi. ⁷Wabanika ubufebe bakhe—amadoda ahle kunawo onke ase-Asiriya—wazingcolisa ngazo zonke izithombe zalabo ayebakhanukela. ⁸Waqhubeka nobufebe abuqala eGibhithe, lapho esemncane amadoda alala naye khona, aphatha amabele akhe obuntombi, athululela inkanuko yawo kuye. ⁹Ngakho-ke ngamnikela ezithandweni zakhe, kuma-Asiriya ayewakhanukela. ¹⁰Bamhlubula bamshiya enqunu, bathumba amadodana namadodakazi akhe, bambulala ngenkemba; waba yihlazo phakathi kwabesifazane, nesahlulelo sawela phezu kwakhe.

¹¹“Udadewabo u-Oholibah wakubona lokhu, nokho inkanuko yakhe yayonakele kakhulu kuneyakadadewabo, nobufebe bakhe babubi kakhulu. ¹²Wakhanukela ama-Asiriya—ababusi, izinduna, amaqhawe ahlome ngokugcwele, abagibeli bamahhashi, bonke beyizinsizwa ezithandekayo. ¹³Ngabona ukuthi naye wayezingcolisile; bobabili babehambe ngendlela efanayo.

¹⁴“Kodwa waqhubekisela phambili ubufebe bakhe. Wabona amadoda aqoshwe odongeni, imifanekiso yamaBhabhiloni ebomvu klebhu, ¹⁵enamabhande ezinkalweni zawo, neziyeke ezehlayo emakhanda awo, onke abukeka njengezikhulu, imifanekiso yamaBhabhiloni elizwe lawo lokuzalwa kwakuyiBhabhiloniya. ¹⁶Kwathi nje emane ewabona wawakhanukela, wathumela izithunywa kuwo eBhabhiloniya. ¹⁷AmaBhabhiloni afika kuye, embhedeni wothando, amngcolisa ngobufebe bawo. Esengcolisiwe, wawafulathela enengwa yiwo. ¹⁸Lapho eqhakambisa ubufebe bakhe embula ubunqunu bakhe, ngamfulathela nginengwa nguye, njengoba nganginengwe udadewabo. ¹⁹Wandisa ubufebe bakhe, ekhumbula izinsuku zobusha bakhe, lapho aziphatha khona okwesifebe ezweni laseGibhithe, ²⁰wakhanukela khona izithandwa zakhe, ezaziphethe izitho zangasese ezinjengezezimbongolo, nokuchitheka kwazo kwakunjengokwamahhashi. ²¹Ngakho walangazelela amanyala obusha bakho, lapho amaGibhithe ephatha amabele obusha bakho.”

²²Ngakho-ke, Oholibah, usho kanje uBaba oyiNkosi: “Ngizokuvusela izithandwa zakho, lezo owazifulathela unengwa yizo, ngizilethe kuwe zivela nhlangothi zonke.

²³“Amadoda aseBhabhiloni nawo onke amaKhaledi, iPhekodi, iShowa, neKhowa, nawo onke ama-Asiriya: izinsizwa ezinhle, bonke ababusi nezinduna, izinduna zempi, amadoda adumileyo, bonke begibele amahhashi. ²⁴Bazokuhlasela bevela enyakatho ngezinqola zempi, nezinqola, nesixuku sezizwe, bakuhlele nxazonke ngezihlangu ezinkulu nezincane nangezigqoko zokuzivikela. Ngizobeka isahlulelo ezandleni zabo, bakwahlulele ngemithetho yabo siqu. ²⁵Ngizobhekisa umona wami kuwe, benze kuwe ngolaka. Bazonquma ikhala lakho nezindlebe zakho; abasindayo bakho bazokuwa ngenkemba. Bazothumba amadodana namadodakazi akho, nensali yakho izoqedwa ngumlilo. ²⁶Bazokuhlubula izingubo zakho, basuse nemihlobiso yakho emihle. ²⁷Ngakho ngizowaqeda amanyala akho nobufebe owabuqala eGibhithe, ukuze ungaphinde uwabheke ngokulangazela noma ukhumbule iGibhithe futhi.”

²⁸Usho kanje uBaba oyiNkosi: “Ngikunikela kulabo obazondayo, labo owabafulathela unengwa yibo. ²⁹Bazokuphatha ngenzondo, bathathe konke owakusebenzela, bakushiye unqunu uze, kubhekwe ubunqunu bobufebe bakho. Amanyala akho nobufebe bakho, ³⁰kukulethele lokhu, ngokuba waziphatha okwesifebe nezizwe wazingcolisa ngezithombe zazo. ³¹Uhambe ezinyathelweni zikadadewenu; ngakho ngizobeka inkomishi yakhe esandleni sakho.”

³²Usho kanje uBaba oyiNkosi: “Uzophuza inkomishi kadadewenu, ejulile ebanzi; uzohlekwa udelelwe, ngokuba iphethe okuningi kangaka. ³³Uzogcwaliswa ngukudakwa nangosizi— inkomishi yokwesaba nokuchithakala, inkomishi kadadewenu uSamariya. ³⁴Uzoyiphuza uyiqede nya, ukhekhethe izingcucu zayo, udwengule amabele akho; ngokuba ngikhulumile, kusho uBaba oyiNkosi. ^b b v34 “Udwengule amabele akho” — ukuzihwaya noma ukuzishaya isifuba kwakuwuphawu losizi olukhulu emazweni asempumalanga yakudala.

³⁵Ngakho usho kanje uBaba oyiNkosi: “Ngenxa yokuthi wangikhohlwa wangilahla ngemuva kwakho, kumele uthwale amanyala akho nobufebe bakho.

³⁶UBaba wethu wathi kimi: “Ndodana yomuntu, uzobahlulela yini u-Oholah no-Oholibah? Khona-ke bakhombe izinto zabo ezinengekayo.

³⁷“Baphinge, kunegazi ezandleni zabo. Baphinga nezithombe zabo, baze badlulisa nabantwana abangizalela bona emlilweni babe ngukudla kwezithombe zabo. ³⁸Benza nalokhu kimi: ngalona lolo suku bangcolisa indlu yami engcwele, bawona namaSabatha ami. ³⁹Ngalona lolo suku behlaba abantwana babo bebanikela ezithombeni zabo, bangena endlini yami engcwele beyingcolisa. Yilokho abakwenza ngaphakathi endlini yami.

⁴⁰“Baze bathumela amadoda avela kude—izithunywa zahamba, wona afika. Wawagezela, wazicaba amehlo, wafaka imihlobiso yakho. ⁴¹Wahlala esihlalweni esihle, kunetafula elilungiselelwe phambi kwaso, lapho wabeka khona impepho yami namafutha ami. ⁴²Umsindo wesixuku esinganakile sasinaye; kanye nesixuku sabantu, kwalethwa izidakwa zivela ehlane, zafaka izigqizo ezihlakaleni zabesifazane, nemiqhele emihle emakhanda abo.” ⁴³Ngakho ngathi ngalona wesifazane osaguge ngenxa yokuphinga, ‘Manje bazoqhubeka bemsebenzisa ebufebeni, naye uyavuma.’ ⁴⁴“Balala naye njengokulala nesifebe; ngakho bangena ku-Oholah naku-Oholibah, laba besifazane abanamanyala. ⁴⁵Kodwa amadoda alungileyo azobahlulela njengabesifazane abaphingayo nababulali, ngokuba bangabesifazane abaphingayo abanegazi ezandleni zabo.”

⁴⁶Ngokuba usho kanje uBaba oyiNkosi: “Lethani isixuku sizobahlasela, nibanikele ekwesabeni nasekuphangweni. ⁴⁷Isixuku sizobakhanda ngamatshe sibagalele ngezinkemba zaso; bazobulala amadodana namadodakazi abo, bashise izindlu zabo. ⁴⁸Ngakho ngizowaqeda amanyala ezweni, ukuze bonke abesifazane baxwayiswe bangalingisi amanyala enu. ⁴⁹Bazowuphindisela phezu kwenu amanyala enu; nizothwala icala lokukhonza izithombe kwenu, nazi ukuthi nginguBaba oyiNkosi.”