Ezekiel 24

1 Almost nine [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the tenth day of the tenth month [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:

Naʻe toe hoko foki ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ʻi hono hiva ʻoe taʻu, ʻi hono hongofulu ʻoe māhina, mo hono hongofulu ʻoe ʻaho ʻi he māhina, ʻo pehē,

2 “You human, write down what day of the month this is. On this [the army of] King of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem.

Foha ʻoe tangata, tohi ʻe koe ʻae hingoa ʻoe ʻaho ko eni: he naʻe teuteu ʻae tuʻi ʻo Papilone ki Selūsalema ʻi he ʻaho ko eni.

3 Tell those rebellious Israeli people [MTY] [in Babylon] a parable. Say this to them: This is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Pour water into the [cooking] pot and put the pot [the fire].

Pea ke lea ʻaki ha fakatātā ki he fale angatuʻu, mo ke pehē kiate kinautolu, ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua; Fokotuʻu ʻae kulo, fokotuʻu ia pea lilingi ha vai ki ai:

4 Put into the pot some pieces of [from one of your best sheep]: Put in the leg and shoulder, [which are] the best pieces. [Then] fill [the rest of] the pot with the best bones.

Tānaki ʻae ngaahi konga ki ai, ʻae konga lelei kotoa pē, ʻae alanga mui mo e alanga muʻa; fakafonu ʻaki ia ʻae ngaahi hui lelei.

5 Pile wood on the fire, and cook the bones and the meat in the boiling water.’

Fili mai ʻaia ʻoku lelei hake ʻi he fanga manu, pea ʻai ʻae ngaahi hui ki lalo ʻi ai, pea ʻai ke lelei ʻaupito, pea fakamoho ʻae hui ʻi ai.”

6 [Do that] because this is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Terrible things will happen [Jerusalem]; it is city that is full of murderers [MTY], [a city that is like] [MET] a scorched pot whose black residue inside cannot be removed. Take the pieces [of meat] out of the pot, but do not choose which pieces to take out.

Ko ia ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua; “Malaʻia ki he kolo kuo pani toto, ʻae kulo ko ia, ʻoku kei ʻi ai ʻae ʻuli, kuo teʻeki ke mavahe hono ʻuli mei ai! Toʻo taki taha mai ʻae konga mei ai, pea ʻoua naʻa filifilimānako.

7 The blood of the people who were murdered in Jerusalem is still there; they were murdered on the bare rocks, not on the soil, where their blood could be covered.

He ʻoku ʻi loto ʻiate ia ʻa hono toto kuo ne ʻai ia ki he funga maka; naʻe ʻikai te ne lilingi ia ki he kelekele ke ʻufiʻufi ia ʻaki ʻae efu:

8 But I am the one who caused the blood of those who were murdered [MTY] to be smeared on the bare rock, where their blood could not be covered; I did that in order [I could see it and] then be angry and get revenge.’

Ka koeʻuhi ke tupu ʻae houhau mo fakahoko hono tautea; kuo u tuku ai hono toto ki he funga maka, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa ʻufiʻufi ia.”

9 Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘Terrible things will happen to that city that is full of murderers [MTY]! [It will be as though] I also will pile high [the wood in the fire].

Ko ia ʻoku pehē ai ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua; “Malaʻia ki he kolo pani toto! ʻIo, te u fokotuʻu ke lahi ʻae fefie ki he afi.

10 [So], heap on the wood and light the fire! Cook the meat well, and mix some spices with it; cook it until the bones are charred.

‌ʻAi pe ʻae fefie, pea tafu ʻae afi, pea tutu ʻae kakano, pea ʻai ke fifisi lahi, pea tuku ke vela ʻae ngaahi hui.

11 Then set the empty pot on the [of the fire] until the pot becomes [very] hot and the copper glows, with the result that the impurities and the rust will be burned up.

Pea toki ʻai maha pe ia ki he afi, koeʻuhi ke vela ai hono palasa, ʻio, ke vela, pea koeʻuhi ke molū hono fakalielia ʻi ai, pea ke ʻosi mei ai ʻae ʻuli ʻoku tētē.

12 [It is as though] I tried to get rid of that rust, but I was not able to do it, [not even] by putting that pot in a fire.

Kuo ne fakaongosia ia ʻi he ngaahi loi, pea naʻe ʻikai mahuʻi meiate ia ʻa hono ʻuli: ko e [meʻa ]ʻuli ʻi ai ʻe tō ki he afi.

13 The [in the pot represents] your immoral behavior. I tried to cleanse you from your wicked behavior, but you did not allow me to do that. So you will not be [from the guilt of your sin] [I have punished you and] I am no longer angry.

‌ʻOku fakalielia hoʻo [meʻa ]ʻuli: pea koeʻuhi kuo u fakamaʻa koe kae ʻikai te ke maʻa, ʻe ʻikai toe fakamaʻa koe, kaeʻoua ke u ʻai ke hoko ʻa hoku houhau kiate koe.

14 I, Yahweh, have said [that I will surely punish you]. [And it is time] for me to do that. I will not change my mind; I will not refrain from punishing you, and I will not pity you. I will judge you [and punish you] as you deserve to be punished for your sinful behavior. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh the Lord, have said it.”’”

Ko au ko Sihova kuo u lea ki ai: ʻe hoko pe ia, pea te u fai ia ʻeau; ʻe ʻikai te u fakaholomui, pea ʻe ʻikai te u mamae, pe te u fakatomala; ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua, te nau fakamaauʻi koe ʻo fakatatau ki ho hala, pea tatau mo hoʻo ngāue kuo ke fai.”

15 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:

Naʻe hoko foki ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ʻo pehē,

16 “You human, I am going to suddenly take from [your wife], whom you love very much. [when she dies], do [show that you are] sad or lament or cry.

“Foha ʻoe tangata, vakai, ʻoku ou toʻo atu ʻaia ʻoku holi ki ai ho mata, ʻi he tā pe taha: ka ʻe ʻikai te ke mamahi pe tangi, pea ʻe ʻikai tafe hifo ho loʻimata.

17 Groan quietly; do not cry [openly] for her. [Keep] your turban wrapped around your head, [instead of being barefoot, keep] your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your [to show that you are sad]. And do not eat the kind of food that people who are mourning usually eat.”

‌ʻOua naʻa tangi, pea ʻoua naʻa fai ha mamahi, koeʻuhi ko e pekia; ʻai pe ʻae tatā ki ho ʻulu, pea ʻai mo e topuvaʻe ki ho vaʻe, pea ʻoua naʻa puke ngutu, pea ʻoua naʻa kai ʻae mā ʻae kau tangilāulau.”

18 [one morning] I talked to the [as usual], and that evening my wife [suddenly] died. The next morning I did what [Yahweh] had told me to do.

Ko ia naʻaku lea ki he kakai ʻi he pongipongi: pea ʻi heʻene hoko ki he efiafi naʻe pekia ʻa hoku uaifi; pea naʻaku fai ʻi he pongipongi ʻe taha ʻo hangē ko ia naʻe fekau mai.

19 Then the people asked me, “What do the things that you are doing signify to us?”

Pea naʻe pehē mai ʻe he kakai kiate au, “ʻE ʻikai te ke fakahā mai hono ʻuhinga ʻoe ngaahi meʻa ni kiate kimautolu, pe ko e hā kuo ke fai pehē ai?”

20 So I said to them, “[This is what] Yahweh told me:

Pea naʻaku tali ʻaki ʻeni kiate kinautolu, naʻe hoko mai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ʻo pehē,

21 ‘Tell the Israeli people [MTY] that I am about to destroy the temple, [the building] that you are very proud of, the building that you delight to look at. Your children whom you [in Jerusalem when you were forced to come to Babylon] will be killed [their enemies’] swords.

“Lea ki he fale ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua; Vakai te u fakalieliaʻi ʻa hoku fale tapu, ʻaia ko homou mālohiʻanga, ʻaia ʻoku holi ki ai ho mata, pea mamae ki ai ho laumālie; pea ko ho ngaahi foha mo ho ngaahi ʻofefine kuo mou tuku ʻe hinga ʻi he heletā.

22 [When that happens], you will do like I have done: You will not cover the lower part of your faces, or eat the kinds of food that people who are mourning usually eat.

Pea te mou fai ʻo hangē ko ia kuo u fai: ʻe ʻikai te mou pupuni ngutu, pe te mou kai ʻi he mā ʻae kakai tangilāulau.

23 [You will keep] your turbans wrapped around your heads and [keep] your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or cry, but your bodies will become very thin and slowly die because of your sins. And you will groan to each other.

Pea ʻe tatā pe homou ʻulu, pea ʻai mo e topuvaʻe ki homou vaʻe ʻe ʻikai te mou mamahi pe fai ʻae tangi ka te mou fakaʻauʻausino pe, koeʻuhi ko hoʻomou hia, pea femamahiʻaki pe ʻiate kimoutolu

24 Ezekiel will be a warning to you, and you must do what he has done. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh the [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”

Ko ia ko ʻIsikieli ko e fakaʻilonga ia kiate kimoutolu: te mou fai ʻekimoutolu ʻo hangē ko ia kotoa pē kuo ne fai ʻe ia: pea ka hoko mai eni, te mou ʻilo ko au ko Sihova ko e ʻOtua.

25 [Then Yahweh said to me], “You human, [soon] I will destroy their sacred temple, which they rejoice about and which they respect and delight to look at, and [I will get rid of] their sons and daughters also.

“Ko eni foki, ʻa koe foha ʻoe tangata, ʻi he ʻaho ko ia te u toʻo atu ai meiate kinautolu honau mālohi, mo e fiefia ʻo ʻenau nāunau, ʻae holi ʻa honau mata, mo ia kuo tukupau honau loto ki ai, ʻa honau ngaahi foha mo honau ngaahi ʻofefine, ʻikai ʻe pehē,

26 On that day, someone will escape [from Jerusalem] and come and tell you what has happened [there].

Ko ia ʻe hao ʻi he ʻaho ko ia ʻe haʻu kiate koe ke fakaongo ia ki ho telinga?

27 When that happens, you will be able to speak again [MTY] [without constraint]. You two will talk together [DOU]. You will be a warning to the people; and they will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”

‌ʻI he ʻaho ko ia ʻe matoʻo ho ngutu kiate ia kuo hao, pea te ke lea, pea ʻe ʻikai te ke kei noa: pea ko e fakaʻilonga koe kiate kinautolu; pea te nau ʻilo ko Sihova au.”