Ezekiel 18
1 Izwi likaSimakade lafika kimi, lathi:
2 “Kungani nisho lesi saga kwa-Israyeli, esithi: “ ‘Oyise badla amagilebhisi amuncu, amazinyo abantwana aba buthuntu,’ na?
3 “Ngifunga ngiyagomela,” kusho iNkosi uSimakade, “asisayukubuye sishiwo lesi saga kwa-Israyeli.
4 Bheka, yonke imiphefumulo ingeyami. Umphefumulo kayise kanjalo nomphefumulo wengane ingeyami; umphefumulo owonayo, uyakufa.
5 “Uma umuntu olungileyo enza ubulungiswa nokulunga,
6 engadli ezintabeni, engaphakamiseli amehlo akhe ezithombeni zendlu yakwa-Israyeli, enganukubezi umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe, engasondeli kowesifazane osesikhathini,
7 engacindezeli muntu, ebuyisela kotshelekayo isibambiso sakhe, engaphangi nokuphanga, kepha epha abalambileyo isinkwa sakhe, embathisa abanqunu,
8 engabolekisi ukuze athole inzalo, engamukeli nzuzo ngokungafanele, eziqoqa ebubini, enza ubulungiswa phakathi kwabantu abaphikisanayo,
9 futhi ehamba ngezimiso zami, egcina izehlulelo zami ukuze enze iqiniso; ungolungileyo, impela uyakuphila nokuphila,” kusho iNkosi uSimakade.
10 “Uma ezala indodana eyisidlova, echitha igazi, noma eyenza okunye kwalokho,
11 nakuba uyise engakwenzanga lokho: idla ezintabeni, inukubeza umfazi kamakhelwane wayo,
12 icindezela abampofu nabantulayo, iphanga nokuphanga, ingasibuyisi isibambiso, iphakamisela amehlo ayo ezithombeni, yenza izinengiso,
13 ibolekisa ukuze ithole inzalo, ithatha inzalo; ngabe iyakuphila yini na? Qha, ayiyukuphila, ngokuba yenze zonke lezo zinengiso; iyakubulawa nokubulawa, igazi layo libe phezu kwayo.
14 “Uma le ndoda izala indodana bese ibona konke okubi okwenziwa nguyise, kodwa ingakwenzi lokho:
15 ingadli ezintabeni, ingaphakamiseli amehlo ayo ezithombeni zendlu yakwa-Israyeli, ingamnukubezi umfazi kamakhelwane wayo,
16 ingacindezeli muntu, ingasamukeli isibambiso, ingaphangi nokuphanga, kodwa ipha abampofu isinkwa sayo, yembathisa abanqunu,
17 ingabancishi abampofu, ingamukeli inzalo nenzuzo, yenza izehlulelo zami, futhi ihamba ngezimiso zami; ayiyukufa ngenxa yokona kukayise, iyakuphila nokuphila.
18 Uyise, ngokuba yena waba yiqola, waphanga nokuphanga umfowabo, wenza okungalungile phakathi kwabantu bakubo; uyakufa ngenxa yokona kwakhe.
19 “Kepha nithi: ‘Kungani indodana ingalithwali icala likayise na?’ Uma indodana yenzile ubulungiswa nokulunga, yagcina zonke izimiso zami, yazenza, ngalokho iyakuphila nokuphila.
20 Umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa. Indodana ayiyukukuthwala ukona kukayise, noyise akayukukuthwala ukona kwendodana. Olungileyo uyakuphila ngokulunga, nowonayo uyakujeziselwa ukona kwakhe.
21 “Kepha uma omubi ephenduka kuzo zonke izono zakhe azenzileyo, agcine zonke izimiso zami, enze ubulungiswa nokulunga, uyakuphila nokuphila, akayukufa.
22 Akuyukukhunjulwa nasinye kuzo zonke iziphambeko zakhe azenzileyo, kodwa uyakuphila ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe akwenzileyo.
23 Ngikwenamela ngempela yini ukufa komubi, kunokuba aphenduke, aphile na?” kusho iNkosi uSimakade.
24 “Kepha-ke uma olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, enze okubi, enze nazo zonke izinengiso ezenziwa yizikhohlakali, ngabe uyakuphila yini na? Impela zonke izenzo zakhe ezilungileyo azenzileyo akukho nesisodwa esiyakukhunjulwa, uyakufela eziphambekweni azenzileyo nasezonweni one ngazo.
25 “Kepha nithi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi ayilungile.’ Ake nizwe nina ndlu yakwa-Israyeli: indlela yami ayilungile yini na? Akusizo yini izindlela zenu ezingalungile na?
26 Lapho olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, bese enza okubi, uyakufa ngakho, uyakufa ngenxa yokubi akwenzileyo.
27 Lapho omubi ephenduka ebubini bakhe abenzileyo, enze ubulungiswa nokulunga, uyakuwusindisa umphefumulo wakhe.
28 Ngokuba ubonile, waphenduka eziphambekweni zakhe zonke azenzileyo, impela uyakuphila akayukufa.
29 Kepha indlu yakwa-Israyeli ithi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi ayilungile.’ Wena ndlu yakwa-Israyeli, izindlela zami azilungile yini na? Akusizo yini izindlela zenu ezingalungile na?
30 “Ngakho-ke ngiyakunehlulela nina ndlu ka-Israyeli, yilowo nalowo ngokwezindlela zakhe, kusho iNkosi uSimakade. Buyani, phendukani, eziphambekweni zenu zonke, ukuze ububi bungabi yisikhubekiso kini.
31 Lahlani zonke iziphambeko zenu eniphambuke ngazo, nizenzele inhliziyo entsha nomoya omusha; uyakufelani wena ndlu ka-Israyeli na?
32 Angikwenameli ukufa kofayo, ngakho-ke phendukani, niphile,” kusho iNkosi uSimakade.