UHezekeli 33

33 ¹Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi, lathi:

²“Ndodana yomuntu, khuluma kubantu bakini, uthi kubo: Lapho ngiletha inkemba phezu kwezwe, abantu balelo zwe bathatha umuntu oyedwa phakathi kwabo, bamenze umlindi wabo, ³bese ebona inkemba iza phezu kwezwe, avuthele icilongo ukuze axwayise abantu, ⁴khona-ke uma umuntu ezwa icilongo kodwa engalunaki ixwayiso, inkemba ifike imthathe, igazi lakhe liphezu kwekhanda lakhe. ⁵Walizwa icilongo kodwa akalinakanga ixwayiso; igazi lakhe liphezu kwakhe. Ukube wayelinakile ixwayiso, wayeyosindisa ukuphila kwakhe. ⁶Kodwa uma umlindi ebona inkemba iza, angalivutheli icilongo, abantu bangaxwayiswa, inkemba ifike ithathe omunye wabo, lowo muntu ufa ngenxa yecala lakhe, kodwa igazi lakhe ngiyolibiza kumlindi.

⁷“Wena, ndodana yomuntu, ngikwenze umlindi wendlu ka-Israyeli. Lapho uzwa izwi liphuma emlonyeni wami, ubaxwayise uvela kimi.” ⁸Lapho ngithi komubi: “Wena omubi, uyokufa nokufa,” kodwa wena ungakhulumi ukumxwayisa ukuba aphenduke endleleni yakhe, uyokufa ngenxa yecala lakhe, kodwa igazi lakhe ngiyolifuna kuwe. ⁹Kodwa uma umxwayisa omubi ukuba aphenduke endleleni yakhe, kepha angaphenduki kuyo, uyofa ngenxa yesono sakhe; kodwa wena usindisile ukuphila kwakho.

Phendukani Niphile

¹⁰“Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, yithi endlini ka-Israyeli: Nisho kanje nithi: ‘Iziphambeko zethu nezono zethu ziphezu kwethu, siyabola phakathi kwazo. Singaphila kanjani na?’” ¹¹Yithi kubo: Kuphila kwami, kusho iNkosi uBaba, angithokozi ngokufa komubi, kodwa ngithokoza ngokuba omubi aphenduke endleleni yakhe aphile. Phendukani, phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi! Nifelani na, ndlu ka-Israyeli?

¹²“Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, tshela abantu bakini: Ukulunga kolungileyo ngeke kumsindise ngosuku avukela ngalo, nobubi bomubi ngeke bumwise ngosuku aphenduka ngalo kubo; nolungileyo ngeke aphile ngokulunga kwakhe ngosuku ona ngalo. ¹³Uma ngithi kolungileyo: ‘Uyophila nokuphila,’ bese ethemba ukulunga kwakhe, enze okubi, akukho nokukodwa kwemisebenzi yakhe elungileyo okuyokhunjulwa; uyofa ngenxa yokubi akwenzayo. ¹⁴Uma ngithi komubi: ‘Uyokufa nokufa,’ bese ephenduka esonweni sakhe, enze okulungileyo nokuqondileyo, ¹⁵uma omubi ebuyisa isibambiso, akhokhe lokho akwebayo, alandele imithetho yokuphila, engenzi lutho olubi—uyophila nokuphila; ngeke afe. ¹⁶Akukho sono asenzayo esiyokhunjulwa ngakuye. Wenze okulungileyo nokuqondileyo; uyophila nokuphila.

¹⁷“Abantu bakini bathi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi uBaba ayilungile’—kanti eyabo indlela yiyo engalungile. ¹⁸Lapho olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, enze okubi, uyokufa ngenxa yakho. ¹⁹Lapho omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe, enze okulungileyo nokuqondileyo, uyophila ngakho. ²⁰Kodwa nina nithi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi uBaba ayilungile.’ Ngiyonahlulela, yilowo nalowo ngezindlela zakhe, ndlu ka-Israyeli.”

IJerusalema Liwile

²¹Ngonyaka weshumi nambili wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngosuku lwesihlanu, kwafika kimi obalekileyo evela eJerusalema, wathi: “Umuzi usuwile.” ²²Isandla sikaBaba wethu sasiphezu kwami kusihlwa ngaphambi kokufika kobalekileyo, uBaba wethu wawuvula umlomo wami ngaphambi kokuba lowo muntu afike kimi ekuseni. Wavuleka umlomo wami, angabe ngisathula.

²³Izwi likaBaba wethu lase lifika kimi, lathi:

²⁴Ndodana yomuntu, abahlala kulezi zindawo ezichithekileyo ezweni lika-Israyeli balokhu bethi: “U-Abrahama wayengumuntu oyedwa kuphela, kodwa walidla ifa lezwe; thina sibaningi—ngempela izwe silinikwe ukuba libe yifa lethu.” ²⁵Ngakho yithi kubo: Isho kanje iNkosi uBaba: Nidla inyama inegazi, niphakamisela amehlo enu ezithombeni zenu, nichithe igazi—pho nizakulidla yini izwe? ²⁶Nithembele ezinkembeni zenu, nenze izinto ezinengekayo, ngulowo nalowo uphinga nomfazi kamakhelwane wakhe—pho nizakulidla yini izwe?

²⁷Yithi kubo: Isho kanje iNkosi uBaba: “Kuphila kwami, abasezindaweni ezichithekileyo bayokuwa ngenkemba, abasendle elivulekileyo ngiyobanikela ezilwaneni zasendle ukuba zibadle, abasezinqabeni nasemihumeni bayokufa ngesifo. ²⁸Ngiyokwenza izwe libe yincithakalo nehlane; amandla alo okuziqhenya ayophela; izintaba zika-Israyeli ziyochithakala, kungabi khona odabula kuzo. ²⁹Khona-ke bayokwazi ukuthi nginguBaba wabo, lapho ngenza izwe libe yihlane nencithakalo ngenxa yazo zonke izinto ezinengekayo abazenzayo.”

³⁰Wena, ndodana yomuntu: abantu bakini bakhuluma ngawe eceleni kwezindonga nasemnyango wezindlu, omunye nomunye, ngulowo nalowo nomfowabo, bethi: “Wozani manje, sizwe ukuthi yiliphi izwi eliphuma kuBaba wethu. ³¹Beza kuwe njengokwenza kwabantu, bahlale phambi kwakho njengabantu bami, bezwe amazwi akho—kodwa abawenzi. Ngokuba ngemilomo yabo bakhuluma uthando, kanti izinhliziyo zabo zigijimela inzuzo yabo. ³²Bheka, kubo wena unjengengoma yothando, eculwa ngezwi elimnandi, edlalwa kahle; bayawezwa amazwi akho kodwa abawenzi. ³³Lapho kugcwaliseka—futhi kuyogcwaliseka—bayokwazi ukuthi umphrofethi ube phakathi kwabo.”