< Ezekiel 33 >
1 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
2 Son of man, speak to the sons of thy people, and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman,
“Mwanadamu, sema na watu wako uwaambie, ‘Nitakapoleta upanga dhidi ya nchi, nao watu wa nchi wakamchagua mmoja wa watu wao na kumfanya awe mlinzi wao,
3 if, when he sees the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warns the people,
naye auonapo upanga unakuja dhidi ya nchi na kupiga tarumbeta kuonya watu,
4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and takes no warning, if the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
kama mtu yeyote asikiapo sauti ya tarumbeta hakukubali kuonywa, basi upanga ujapo na kuutoa uhai wake, damu yake itakuwa juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took no warning; his blood shall be upon him. Whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.
Kwa kuwa alisikia sauti ya tarumbeta lakini hakukubali maonyo, damu yake itakuwa juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe. Kama angekubali maonyo, angelijiokoa mwenyewe.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come, and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes, and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at the watchman's hand.
Lakini kama mlinzi akiona upanga unakuja na asipige tarumbeta kuonya watu na upanga ukija na kutoa uhai wa mmoja wao, yule mtu ataondolewa kwa sababu ya dhambi yake, lakini damu yake nitaitaka mkononi mwa mlinzi huyo.’
7 So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
“Mwanadamu, nimekufanya wewe kuwa mlinzi kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Israeli, kwa hiyo sikia neno nisemalo na uwape maonyo kutoka kwangu.
8 When I say to the wicked man, O wicked man, thou shall surely die, and thou do not speak to warn the wicked man from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at thy hand.
Nimwambiapo mtu mwovu, ‘Ewe mtu mwovu, hakika utakufa,’ nawe hukusema neno la kumwonya ili atoke katika njia zake, yule mtu mwovu atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, mimi nitaitaka damu yake mkononi mwako.
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked man of his way to turn from it, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou have delivered thy soul.
Lakini kama utamwonya huyo mtu mwovu aache njia zake mbaya naye hafanyi hivyo, atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, lakini utakuwa umejiokoa mwenyewe.
10 And thou, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus ye speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them. How then can we live?
“Mwanadamu, sema na nyumba ya Israeli uwaambie, ‘Hili ndilo mnalosema: “Makosa yetu na dhambi zetu zimetulemea, nasi tunadhoofika kwa sababu ya hayo. Tutawezaje basi kuishi?”’
11 Say to them, As I live, says the lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but that the wicked man turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Waambie, ‘Hakika kama mimi niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, sifurahii kifo cha watu waovu, bali kwamba wageuke kutoka njia zao mbaya wapate kuishi. Geukeni! Geukeni kutoka njia zenu mbaya! Kwa nini mkafe, ee nyumba ya Israeli?’
12 And thou, son of man, say to the sons of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. And as for the wickedness of the wicked man, he shall not fall by it in the day that he turns from his wickedness, nor shall he who is righteous be able to live by it in the day that he sins.
“Kwa hiyo, mwanadamu, waambie watu wako, ‘Haki ya mtu mwenye haki haitamwokoa wakati anapoacha kutii, wala uovu wa mtu mwovu hautamsababisha yeye kuanguka anapotubu na kuacha uovu. Mtu mwenye haki, kama akitenda dhambi, hataishi kwa sababu ya uadilifu wake wa awali.’
13 When I say to the righteous man, that he shall surely live, if he trusts his righteousness, and commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his iniquity that he has committed, in it he shall die.
Kama nikimwambia mtu mwenye haki kwamba hakika utaishi, lakini akategemea hiyo haki yake na kutenda uovu, hakuna tendo lolote la haki alilotenda litakalokumbukwa, atakufa kwa ajili ya uovu alioutenda.
14 Again, when I say to the wicked man, Thou shall surely die, if he turns from his sin, and does that which is lawful and right,
Nami kama nikimwambia mtu mwovu, ‘Hakika utakufa,’ kisha akageuka kutoka dhambi yake na kufanya lile lililo haki na sawa,
15 if the wicked man restores the pledge, gives again that which he had taken by robbery, walks in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
kama akirudisha kile alichochukua rehani kwa ajili ya deni, akarudisha alichoiba na kufuata amri zile ziletazo uzima, wala hafanyi uovu, hakika ataishi, hatakufa.
16 None of his sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
Hakuna dhambi yoyote aliyoitenda itakayokumbukwa juu yake. Ametenda lile lililo haki na sawa, hakika ataishi.
17 Yet the sons of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. But as for them, their way is not equitable.
“Lakini watu wako wanasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si sawa.’ Lakini ni njia zao ambazo si sawa.
18 When the righteous man turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he shall even die in it.
Kama mtu mwenye haki akigeuka kutoka uadilifu wake na kufanya uovu, atakufa kwa ajili ya huo uovu.
19 And when the wicked man turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
Naye mtu mwovu kama akigeuka kutoka uovu wake na kufanya lile lililo haki na sawa, kwa kufanya hivyo ataishi.
20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equitable. O house of Israel, I will judge you everyone according to his ways.
Lakini, ee nyumba ya Israeli, unasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si sawa.’ Lakini nitamhukumu kila mmoja wenu sawasawa na njia zake mwenyewe.”
21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that a man who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is smitten.
Mwaka wa kumi na mbili wa uhamisho wetu, mwezi wa kumi, siku ya tano, mtu aliyekuwa ametoroka kutoka Yerusalemu akanijia na kusema, “Mji wa Yerusalemu umeanguka!”
22 Now the hand of Jehovah had been upon me in the evening, before he who escaped came. And he had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning. And my mouth was opened, and I was no more mute.
Basi jioni kabla mtu huyo hajaja, mkono wa Bwana, ulikuwa juu yangu, naye alifungua kinywa changu kabla ya mtu yule aliyenijia asubuhi hajafika. Basi kinywa changu kilifunguliwa na sikuweza tena kunyamaza.
23 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
24 Son of man, those who inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land, but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
“Mwanadamu, watu wanaoishi katika magofu hayo katika nchi ya Israeli wanasema hivi, ‘Abrahamu alikuwa mtu mmoja tu, hata hivyo akaimiliki nchi. Lakini sisi ni wengi, hakika tumepewa nchi kuwa milki yetu.’
25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the lord Jehovah: Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. And shall ye possess the land?
Kwa hiyo waambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Kwa kuwa mnakula nyama pamoja na damu na kuinulia sanamu zenu macho na kumwaga damu, je, mtaimiliki nchi?
26 Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every man his neighbor's wife. And shall ye possess the land?
Mnategemea panga zenu, mnafanya mambo ya machukizo na kila mmoja wenu humtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake. Je, mtaimiliki nchi?’
27 Thus shall thou say to them. Thus says the lord Jehovah: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and he who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.
“Waambie hivi: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Hakika kama niishivyo, wale waliobaki katika magofu wataanguka kwa upanga, wale walio nje mashambani nitawatoa wararuliwe na wanyama pori, nao wale walio katika ngome na kwenye mapango watakufa kwa tauni.
28 And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment. And the pride of her power shall cease. And the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through.
Nitaifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa na utupu na kiburi cha nguvu zake zitafikia mwisho, nayo milima ya Israeli itakuwa ukiwa ili mtu yeyote asipite huko.
29 Then they shall know that I am Jehovah when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.
Kisha watajua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana, nitakapokuwa nimeifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa na utupu kwa sababu ya mambo yote ya machukizo waliyotenda.’
30 And as for thee, son of man, the sons of thy people talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, each one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that comes forth from Jehovah.
“Kwa habari yako wewe, mwanadamu, watu wako wanaongea habari zako wakiwa karibu na kuta na kwenye milango ya nyumba, wakiambiana kila mmoja na mwenzake, ‘Njooni msikie ujumbe ule utokao kwa Bwana.’
31 And they come to thee as the people come, and they sit before thee as my people. And they hear thy words, but do not do them. For with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.
Watu wangu wanakujia, kama wafanyavyo, nao wanaketi mbele yako kama watu wangu na kusikiliza maneno yako, lakini hawayatendi. Kwa maana udanganyifu u katika midomo yao, lakini mioyo yao ina tamaa ya faida isiyo halali.
32 And, lo, thou are to them as a very lovely song of he who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument. For they hear thy words, but they do not do them.
Naam, mbele yao umekuwa tu kama yeye aimbaye nyimbo za mapenzi kwa sauti nzuri za kuvutia na kupiga vyombo kwa ustadi, kwa kuwa wanasikia maneno yako lakini hawayatendi.
33 And when this comes to pass, (behold, it comes), then they shall know that a prophet has been among them.
“Wakati mambo haya yote yatakapotimia, kwa kuwa hakika yatatokea, ndipo watakapojua kwamba nabii amekuwepo miongoni mwao.”