Ezekieli 18
1 Kiugo kĩa Jehova nĩkĩanginyĩrĩire, ngĩũrio atĩrĩ:
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Inyuĩ andũ aya, mũkoragwo mũkiuga atĩa rĩrĩa mũkwaria thimo ĩno igũrũ rĩa bũrũri wa Isiraeli: “‘Maithe ma ciana marĩĩaga thabibũ ngagatu, namo magego ma ciana makaigua thithi’?
“What's this proverb you people are quoting about the country of Israel: ‘The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste’?
3 “Mwathani Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa niĩ ndũũraga muoyo-rĩ, mũtigacooka kũgweta thimo ĩno thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli.
As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
4 Nĩgũkorwo roho o wothe ũrĩ muoyo nĩ wakwa; roho wa ithe nĩ wakwa o na wa mũriũ no wakwa. Roho ũrĩa wĩhagia nĩguo ũgaakua.
Can't you see that everyone belongs to me? Whether parents or children, they are all mine. It's the person who sins who will die.
5 “Mũndũ aahota gũkorwo nĩ mũthingu, na ekaga maũndũ ma kĩhooto na marũngĩrĩru.
Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
6 We ndarĩĩaga irio iria irutagĩrwo mahooero-inĩ marĩa marĩ irĩma igũrũ, kana agatiirĩra maitho mĩhianano ya andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli. We ndathaahagia mũtumia wa mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ, kana agakoma na mũndũ-wa-nja rĩrĩa arĩ na ihinda rĩa mweri.
He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman during her period.
7 Ndahinyagĩrĩria mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ, no nĩacookagĩria mũndũ ũrĩa marĩ thiirĩ nake kĩrĩa ooete kĩrĩ gĩa kũrũgamĩrĩra thiirĩ. We ndatunyanaga indo, no arĩa ahũtu nĩamaheaga irio ciake, na arĩa marĩ njaga akamahe nguo.
He doesn't exploit anyone. He gives back what a debtor has given him as security. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
8 Ningĩ ndakombanagĩra nĩguo etie uumithio ũtarĩ wa kĩhooto, kana agetia uumithio mũkĩru. We nĩagiragia guoko gwake gũtigeeke ũũru, na nĩatuithanagia ciira na kĩhooto gatagatĩ ka mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ.
He doesn't lend with interest or make a profit from loans. He refuses to do wrong and makes sure he's truly fair in his decisions between people.
9 Mũndũ ũcio nĩarũmagĩrĩra watho wakwa wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo, na akahingia watho wakwa na wĩhokeku. Mũndũ ũcio nĩ mũthingu; ti-itherũ nĩagatũũra muoyo, ũguo nĩguo Mwathani Jehova ekuuga.
He follows my rules and keeps my regulations faithfully. Such a man lives by what's right and he will certainly live, declares the Lord God.
10 “Mũndũ ũcio angĩkorwo arĩ na mwanake mũtunyani, mũitithia wa thakame kana wĩkaga ũndũ o na ũmwe wa maũndũ macio mangĩ mooru
What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed
11 (o na harĩa ithe ateekire ũndũ o na ũmwe wa mo): “We nĩarĩĩaga irio iria irutĩirwo mahooero-inĩ marĩa marĩ irĩma-igũrũ. Nĩathũkagia mũtumia wa mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ.
even though the father doesn't act like that at all. The son goes to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal. He has sex with someone else's wife.
12 Nĩahinyagĩrĩria mũthĩĩni na mũbatari. Nĩatunyanaga indo. Ndacookagia kĩrĩa oete gĩa kũrũgamĩrĩra thiirĩ. Nĩatiiragĩra mĩhianano maitho. Nĩekaga maũndũ marĩa marĩ magigi.
He exploits the poor and those in need. He robs others, and he doesn't give back what a debtor has given him as security. He worships idols. He commits disgusting sins.
13 We nĩakombanagĩra nĩguo etie uumithio ũtarĩ wa kĩhooto, na agetia uumithio mũkĩru. Mũndũ ta ũcio-rĩ, nĩagatũũra muoyo? Ndangĩtũũra muoyo! Nĩ ũndũ nĩekĩte maũndũ macio mothe marĩ magigi-rĩ, ti-itherũ no nginya akooragwo na thakame yake ĩmũcookerere we mwene.
He lends with interest and makes a profit from loans. Is someone like this going to live? No, he won't! Because he has done all these offensive things, he will die for certain, and he will be responsible for his own death.
14 “No rĩrĩ, mũriũ ũcio angĩkorwo arĩ na mwana ũrĩa wonaga mehia macio mothe ithe ekaga, na o na gũtuĩka nĩamoonaga, we ndekaga maũndũ macio mooru:
Now what if this man has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed. He sees them but doesn't do the same.
15 “We ndarĩĩaga irio iria irutĩirwo mahooero-inĩ marĩa marĩ irĩma igũrũ, kana agatiirĩra maitho mĩhianano ya andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli. Ndathaahagia mũtumia wa mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ.
He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife.
16 Ndahinyagĩrĩria mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ, na ndeetagia kĩndũ gĩa kũrũgamĩrĩra thiirĩ. Ndatunyanaga indo, no irio ciake aciheaga arĩa ahũtu, na akahe arĩa marĩ njaga nguo.
He doesn't exploit anyone. He doesn't demand security for a loan. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
17 Nĩarigagĩrĩria guoko gwake gũtikehie, na ndakombanagĩra nĩguo etie uumithio ũtarĩ wa kĩhooto, kana etie uumithio mũkĩru. Nĩahingagia watho wakwa, na akarũmĩrĩra watho wakwa wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo. Ũcio-rĩ, ndagakua nĩ ũndũ wa mehia ma ithe; ti-itherũ nĩagatũũra muoyo.
He refuses to do wrong and does not charge interest or make a profit on loans. He keeps my regulations and follows my laws. A man like that won't die because of his father's sins, he will certainly live!
18 No rĩrĩ, ithe nĩagaakua nĩ ũndũ wa mehia make mwene, tondũ we nĩekire maũndũ ma ũrĩa-ngʼũũrũ, na agĩtunya mũrũ wa ithe indo, na agĩĩka maũndũ marĩa mooru gatagatĩ-inĩ ka andũ ao.
But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
19 “No inyuĩ mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ kĩĩ gĩkũgiria mũriũ agae mahĩtia ma ithe?’ Kuona atĩ mũriũ ũcio nĩekĩte maũndũ marĩa marĩ kĩhooto na magĩrĩru, na akamenyerera watho wakwa wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo, na akaũhingia-rĩ, ti-itherũ nĩegũtũũra muoyo.
You ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son pay for his father's sins?’ If the son has done what is fair and right, keeping all my laws, then he'll live, he won't be punished.
20 Roho ũrĩa wĩhagia nĩguo ũgaakua. Mwana ndakagaya waganu wa ithe, kana ithe agae waganu wa mwana. Ũthingu wa mũndũ ũrĩa mũthingu nowe mwene ũgaacookererwo nĩguo, naguo waganu wa mũndũ ũrĩa mwaganu nowe ũgaacookererwo nĩguo.
It's the person who sins who will die. A son won't pay for his father's sins, and a father won't pay for his son's sins. The good consequences of living right will come to those who are good; the evil consequences of wickedness will come to those who are evil.
21 “No rĩrĩ, mũndũ mwaganu angĩgarũrũka atigane na mehia mothe marĩa ekĩte, na arũmie watho wakwa wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo, na ekage maũndũ ma kĩhooto na marĩa magĩrĩire, ti-itherũ nĩegũtũũra muoyo; we ndagakua.
However, if someone who is wicked stops sinning and keeps my laws, doing what is fair and right, they will certainly live—they won't die.
22 Gũtirĩ ihĩtia o na rĩmwe rĩa marĩa aaneka rĩgaacooka kũririkanwo. Tondũ wa maũndũ ma ũthingu marĩa ekĩte-rĩ, nĩegũtũũra muoyo.
None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.
23 Mwathani Jehova ekũũria atĩrĩ: Anga niĩ nĩngenagio nĩ gĩkuũ kĩa andũ arĩa aaganu? Githĩ ti kwenda ingĩenda magarũrũke matigane na mĩthiĩre ĩyo yao nĩguo matũũre muoyo?
Do I like it when wicked people die? declares the Lord God. Of course not—I would be delighted if they stopped sinning and lived!
24 “No angĩkorwo mũndũ mũthingu no agarũrũke atigane na ũthingu wake, na ehie na eke maũndũ marĩ magigi ta marĩa mekagwo nĩ mũndũ mwaganu-rĩ, anga nĩagagĩtũũra muoyo? Hatirĩ ũndũ o na ũmwe wa maũndũ ma ũthingu marĩa aaneka ũkaaririkanwo. Tondũ wa mahĩtia ma kwaga kwĩhokeka na tondũ wa mehia marĩa ekĩte-rĩ, no agaakua.
But if someone who is living according to what's right stops and does wrong, doing the same offensive things as the wicked, will that person live? Of course not! In fact, all the good things they did previously will be forgotten. That person will die because of their betrayal of me and the sins they've committed.
25 “No inyuĩ muugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Njĩra ya Mwathani ti ya kĩhooto.’ Ta thikĩrĩriai inyuĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli: Njĩra yakwa-rĩ, ti ya kĩhooto? Atĩrĩrĩ, githĩ njĩra cianyu ticio itarĩ cia kĩhooto?
Even so you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ People of Israel, listen to me! Is it what I'm doing that isn't right? Isn't it what you're doing that isn't right?
26 Mũndũ mũthingu angĩgarũrũka atigane na ũthingu wake ehie, agaakua nĩ ũndũ wa mehia make; agaakua nĩ ũndũ wa mehia macio ekĩte.
If someone who lives according to what's right stops doing right and does wrong, they will die. They will die because of wrong things they've done.
27 No mũndũ mwaganu angĩgarũrũka atigane na waganu ũrĩa ekĩte, na eke maũndũ ma kĩhooto na marĩa magĩrĩire-rĩ, we nĩakahonokia muoyo wake.
But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
28 Nĩ ũndũ nĩeciiragia ũhoro wa mahĩtia make mothe marĩa aneeka, na akagarũrũka agatigana namo-rĩ, ti-itherũ nĩagatũũra muoyo; we ndagakua.
Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.
29 No andũ a nyũmba ĩno ya Isiraeli mekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Njĩra ya Mwathani ti ya kĩhooto.’ Anga njĩra ciakwa ti cia kĩhooto, inyuĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli? Githĩ njĩra cianyu ticio itarĩ cia kĩhooto?
But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord's way isn't right.’ Are my ways unfair, people of Israel? Isn't it your ways that aren't fair?
30 “Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, inyuĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli, nĩngũmũtuĩra ciira, o mũndũ o mũndũ kũringana na mĩthiĩre yake, ũguo nĩguo Mwathani Jehova ekuuga. Mwĩrirei! Tiganai na mahĩtia manyu mothe; namo mehia manyu matigatũma mwanangwo.
Consequently I'm going to judge you, people of Israel! I will judge each of you depending on what you've done, declares the Lord God. Repent and stop rebelling so that your sins won't bring you down.
31 Tiganai na waganu wothe ũrĩa mwĩkĩte, mũgĩe na ngoro njerũ na roho mwerũ. Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma mũkue, inyuĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli?
Get rid of all your rebellious sins! Change your way of thinking and have a new spirit. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?
32 Nĩgũkorwo ndikenagio nĩ gĩkuũ kĩa mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ, ũguo nĩguo Mwathani Jehova ekuuga. Mwĩrirei mũtũũre muoyo!
I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
