UHEZEKIYELI 40

₁Emnyakeni wamatjhumi amabili nahlanu wokuthunjwa kwethu, ekuthomeni komnyaka, mhlana zilitjhumi enyangeni, isandla sakaSomnini besiphezu kwami mhlokho. Bekumnyaka wetjhumi nane ngemva kokuwa kweJerusalema lokha uSomnini nangisa lapho. ₂Ngathi ngisemibonweni, uZimu wangisa enarheni yakwa-Israyeli, wangihlalisa entabeni ephakeme khulu. Ngehlangothini layo langesewula gade kunemakhiwo ebeyifana nedorobho. ₃Lokha nakangibeka lapho, qala nango umuntu obegade aphazima njengekoporo. Umuntu loyo gade ajame esangweni, aphethe intambo yelineni kanye nehlanga lokulinganisa; ₄wathi kimi: “Ndodana yomuntu, zibonele ngamehlwakho, uzizwele ngeendlebe zakho, uyelele koke engizokukhombisa khona ngombana ulethelwe lokho lapha. Bikela indlu ka-Israyeli koke okubonako.”

₅Bekunomthangala ozombeleze yoke indawo yethempeli. Esandleni somuntu loyo bekunehlanga lokulinganisa ebelimamitha amathathu ubude. Ihlangelo belilide kunamahlanga wokulinganisa ajayelekileko. Walinganisa umthangala: ububanzi bawo bebulingana nehlanga linye lesilinganiso nokuphakama kwawo kulihlanga linye.

₆Umuntu loyo wangena esangweni eliqale ngepumalanga, ngokukhwela emqaqadwenalo. Walinganisa umbunjwana wesango, gade ulihlanga linye ubude. Iye, umbunjwana wokuthoma begade ulihlanga linye ubude. ₇Ilawana labalindi ngalinye esangweni gade lihlanga linye ubude nehlanga linye ububanzi bese kuthi ibanga elihlangana kwamalawana lawo libe mamitha amabili nesiquntu ububanzi. Umbunjwana wesango oya esirhodlwaneni sobungeno nawo gade ulihlanga linye ubude.

₈Nje-ke walinganisa umthangala osembujwaneni wesirhodlwana sobungeno, waba lihlanga linye. ₉Godu walinganisa isirhodlwana sobungeno, sona gade simamitha amane ububanzi. Imithangala ebuphumweni besirhodlwaneso beyilimitha ububanzi.

₁₀Ngaphakathi kwesango langepumalanga gade kunamalawana amathathu ngapha nangapha anesilinganiso esifanako neembanga ezihlangana nawo ngapha nangapha nazo bezineenlinganiso ezifanako. ₁₁Godu walinganisa obubanzi obuphakathi kweminyango evulekileko yesango, bebumamitha amahlanu. Boke ububanzi besango bebumamitha asithandathu nesiquntu. ₁₂Ngaphambi kwelawana labalindi ngalinye gade kunomthangadlana ngapha nangapha kwalo, wona bewusiquntu semitha ubude. Ilawana ngalinye belimamitha amathathu mahlangothi woke. ₁₃Nje-ke walinganisa isango ukusukela emsamo wephahla lelawana ukuya emsamo wephahla lelinye ilawana elilungene nal, kwaba mamitha alitjhumi nambili nesiquntu. ₁₄Wenza ngokufanako ngemithangala yangemaqadi yamalawana wabalindi: Isilinganiso semithangala le mahlangothi woke wesango ukufikela esirhodlweni sobungeno saba mamitha amatjhumi amathathu. ₁₅Ibanga ukusukela ebungenweni besango ukuya ngehlangothini elingekugcineni kwesirhodlwana sobungeno gade limamitha amatjhumi amabili nahlanu. ₁₆Gade kunamafesidere anomluko emalawaneni wabalindi ngaphakathi kwesango mahlangothi woke nangaphakathi kwesirhodlwana sobungeno mahlangothi woke. Phezu kwemithangaleni hlangana namalawana bekukghatjiswe ngemithi yesundu.

₁₇Nje-ke umuntu loyo wangingenisa ngesirhodlweni sangaphandle kwethempeli. Qala, bekunamalawu nomgangadelo wamatje mazombe nesirhodlweso. Amalawu amatjhumi amathathu lawo gade aqale emgangadelweni. ₁₈Umgangadelo gade usemaqadi kwamasango begodu ulingana nobubanzi bawo. Lowo-ke gade kumgangadelo ophasi. ₁₉Walinganisa ibanga ukusukela esangweni eliphasi ukuya esangweni lesirhodlo sethempeli, gade kumamitha amatjhumi amahlanu ngepumalanga kanye nangetlhagwini.

₂₀Walinganisa ubude nobubanzi besango eliqale ngetlhagwini, ngesirhodlweni sangaphandle. ₂₁Amalawana labalindi amathathu ngapha nangapha, nemithangala hlangana namalawana lawo kanye nesirhodlwana sobungeno gade anesilinganiso esifana naleso sesango lokuthoma. Gade simamitha amatjhumi amabili nahlanu ubude namamitha alitjhumi nambili nesiquntu ububanzi. ₂₂Amafesideralo, isirhodlwana sobungeno kanye nemikghabiswalo yesundu gade inesilinganiso sesango eliqale ngepumalanga. Begade linemiqaqado elikhomba eyenyukela kilo; isirhodlwana salo sobungeno besingaphakathi. ₂₃Njengangepumalanga gade kunesango elingenela ngesirhodlweni esingaphakathi esiqalene nesango langetlhagwini. Walinganisa ibanga eliphakathi kwamasango amabili lawo ngetlhagwini; kwaba mamitha amatjhumi amahlanu.

₂₄Wangisa ngesewula, qala, bekunesango eliqale ngesewula. Walinganisa imithangadlana ehlanganisa amalawana angaphakathi kwesango kanye nesirhodlwana sobungeno bakhona; begade zinesilinganiso esifana namanye amasango. ₂₅Isangwelo nesirhodlwana sobungeno salo besinamafesidere mahlangothi woke njengamafesidere wamanye amasango. Gade limamitha amatjhumi amabili nahlanu ubude namamitha alitjhumi nambili nesiquntu ububanzi. ₂₆Bekunemiqaqado elikhomba eya kilo; isirhodlwana sobungeno singaphakathi kwalo. Gade linemikghabiso yemithi yesundu ebusweni bemithangadlana ehlanganisa amalawana esirhodlweni sobungeno ngapha nangapha. ₂₇Isirhodlo sangaphakathi naso gade sinesango eliqale ngesewula; walinganisa ukusukela esangweneli ukuya kelingaphandle ngesewula; gade kumamitha amatjhumi amahlanu.

₂₈Nje-ke, wangingenisa ngesirhodlweni esingaphakathi ngesango langesewula, walinganisa isangwelo; gade lilingana namanye. ₂₉Amalawanalo, imithangadlanalo ehlanganisa amalawana lawo kanye nesirhodlwana sobungeno gade kulingana namanye. Isangwelo nesirhodlwana salo sobungeno belinamafesidere mahlangothi woke. Gade limamitha amatjhumi amabili nahlanu ubude namamitha alitjhumi nambili nesiquntu ububanzi. ₃₀(Iinrhodlwana zobungeno magegana nesirhodlo sangaphakathi gade zimamitha alitjhumi nambili nesiquntu ubude namamitha amabili nesiquntu ububanzi.) ₃₁Isirhodlwana sobungeno sesango eliqale ngesewula besingehlangothini lesirhodlwana sangaphandle. Imithangadlana ehlanganisa amalawana nayo beyinemikghabiso yemithi yesundu. Bekunemiqaqado ebunane ekhuphukela esangwenelo.

₃₂Wangingenisa ngesirhodlweni sangaphakathi ngehlangothini elingepumalanga; walinganisa isango, gade lilingana namanye. ₃₃Amalawanalo, imithangadlana yalo ehlanganisa amalawana kanye nesirhodlwana sobungeno gade kulingana namanye. Gade kunamafesidere ngapha nangapha kwesango nesirhodlwana sobungeno; kumamitha amatjhumi amabili nahlanu ubude namamitha alitjhumi nambili nesiquntu ububanzi. ₃₄Isirhodlwana sobungeno besiqale esirhodlweni sangaphandle; imithangadlana yakhona ehlanganisa amalawana beyinemikghabiso yemithi yesundu ngapha nangapha kwesango; kunemiqaqado ebunane ekhuphukela kilo.

₃₅Wangingenisa ngesangweni langetlhagwini, nalo walilinganisa. Gade lilingana namanye, ₃₆okutjho amalawanalo, imithangadlana ehlanganisa amalawana kanye nesirhodlwana sobungeno sakhona. Nalo gade linamafesidere ngapha nangapha. Isangweli belimamitha amatjhumi amabili nahlanu ubude namamitha alitjhumi nambili nesiquntu ububanzi. ₃₇Isirhodlwana sobungeno besingehlangothini lesirhodlwana sangaphandle; imithangadlana ehlanganisa amalawana beyinemikghabiso yemithi yesundu ngapha nangapha. Gade kunemiqaqado ebunane ekhuphukela kilo.

₃₈Bekunelawu elinomnyango ophumela ngesirhodlwaneni sobungeno sesango; lapho bekuhlanzelwa khona imihlabelo yokutjhiswa. ₃₉Ngesirhodlwaneni sobungeno gade kunamatafula amabili ngapha nangapha lapha bekuhlatjelwa khona umhlabelo wokutjhiswa, wehlambululo newehlawulo. ₄₀Emithangaleni engaphandle yesirhodlwana sobungenweso hlanu kobungeno besango eligale ngetlhagwini gade kunamatafula amabili, godu ngaphaya kobungeno kunamanye amatafula amabili. ₄₁Nje-ke gade kunamatafula amane ngehlangothini linye lobungeno namane ngakelinye. Gade kumatafula abunane sele awoke lapha bekuhlatjelwa khona imihlabelo. ₄₂Amatafula amane wemihlabelo yokutjhiswa gade enziwe ngamatje abaziweko, asiquntu nesiqunjwana semitha ubude nobubanzi nesiqunjwana semitha ukuphakama. Phezu kwawo gade kubekwe izitja zokuhlaba imihlabelo yokutjhiswa kanye neminye imihlabelo. ₄₃Gade kunopherho magegana neboda; ubude bawo bebulingana nobubanzi besandla. Amatafula gade angewenyama yomhlabelo.

₄₄Esirhodlweni esingaphakathi, ngaphandle kobungeno besango, gade kunamalawu amabili wabavumi. Elinye lingehlangothini lesango langetlhagwini liqale ngesewula bese elinye lingesangweni elingesewula, liqale ngetlhagwini. ₄₅Yeke wathi kimi: “Ilaweli eliqale ngesewula ngelabaphristi abayelela ukulotjhwa emakhiweni ocwengileko, ₄₆bese ilawu eliqale ngetlhagwini ngelabaphristi abayelele imisebenzi e-aldarini. Labo-ke bekumadodana kaTsadoki, okungiwo wodwa wamaLevi angatjhidela eduze kwakaSomnini kobana asebenze phambi kwakhe.”

₄₇Walinganisa isirhodlo sangaphakathi: gade silingana mahlangothi woke, simamitha amatjhumi amahlanu ubude nobubanzi. I-aldari gade liphambi kwethempeli.

₄₈Wangingenisa esirhodlwaneni sobungeno sethempeli, walinganisa amaboda emahlangothini wobungeno; gade amamitha amabili nesiquntu ububanzi ngapha nangapha. Ububanzi bobungeno besango gade bumamitha alikhomba bese amaboda aya emahlangothini wesirhodlwana sobungeno alimitha nesiquntu ngapha nangapha. ₄₉Ububanzi besirhodlwana sobungeno bebumamitha alitjhumi namamitha asithandathu ubude. Gade kunemiqaqado ekhuphukela kiso begodu kunesika ngapha nangapha ngaphambi kwaso.