Ezekiel 33
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
2 “Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land choose a man from among them, appointing him as 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 and he sees the sword coming against that land and blows the ram’s horn to warn the people.
naye auonapo upanga unakuja dhidi ya nchi na kupiga tarumbeta kuonya watu,
4 Then if anyone hears the sound of the horn but fails to heed the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on 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 Since he heard the sound of the horn but failed to heed the warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life.
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 coming and fails to blow the horn to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one will be taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’
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 As for you, O son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word from My mouth and give them the 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 If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to dissuade him from his way, then that wicked man will die in his iniquity, yet I will hold you accountable for his blood.
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 But if you warn the wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not turn from it, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.
Lakini kama utamwonya huyo mtu mwovu aache njia zake mbaya naye hafanyi hivyo, atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, lakini utakuwa umejiokoa mwenyewe.
10 Now as for you, son of man, tell the house of Israel that this is what they have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy upon us, and we are wasting away because of them! How 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 surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you 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 Therefore, son of man, say to your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked man cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. Nor will the righteous man be able to survive by his righteousness on the day 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 If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but he then trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity, then none of his righteous works will be remembered; he will die because of the iniquity he has committed.
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 But if I tell the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and he turns from his sin and does what is just and right—
Nami kama nikimwambia mtu mwovu, ‘Hakika utakufa,’ kisha akageuka kutoka dhambi yake na kufanya lile lililo haki na sawa,
15 if he restores a pledge, makes restitution for what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without practicing iniquity—then he will surely live; he will 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 the sins he has committed will be held against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.
Hakuna dhambi yoyote aliyoitenda itakayokumbukwa juu yake. Ametenda lile lililo haki na sawa, hakika ataishi.
17 Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just.
“Lakini watu wako wanasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si sawa.’ Lakini ni njia zao ambazo si sawa.
18 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he will die for it.
Kama mtu mwenye haki akigeuka kutoka uadilifu wake na kufanya uovu, atakufa kwa ajili ya huo uovu.
19 But if a wicked man turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live because of this.
Naye mtu mwovu kama akigeuka kutoka uovu wake na kufanya lile lililo haki na sawa, kwa kufanya hivyo ataishi.
20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to his ways, O house of Israel.”
Lakini, ee nyumba ya Israeli, unasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si sawa.’ Lakini nitamhukumu kila mmoja wenu sawasawa na njia zake mwenyewe.”
21 In the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth day of the tenth month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and reported, “The city has been taken!”
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 evening before the fugitive arrived, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer 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 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
24 “Son of man, those living in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’
“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 tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then 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 You have relied on your swords, you have committed detestable acts, and each of you has defiled his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’
Mnategemea panga zenu, mnafanya mambo ya machukizo na kila mmoja wenu humtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake. Je, mtaimiliki nchi?’
27 Tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, those in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I will give to be devoured by wild animals, and those in the strongholds and caves will die by plague.
“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 I will make the land a desolate waste, and the pride of her strength will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will become desolate, so that no one will 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 will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the abominations 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 As for you, son of man, your people are talking about you near the city walls and in the doorways of their houses. One speaks to another, each saying to his brother, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD!’
“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 So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest 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 Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice.
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 So when it comes to pass—and surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
“Wakati mambo haya yote yatakapotimia, kwa kuwa hakika yatatokea, ndipo watakapojua kwamba nabii amekuwepo miongoni mwao.”
