Ezekieli 33

1 Ningĩ kiugo kĩa Jehova nĩkĩanginyĩrĩire, ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:

Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

2 “Mũrũ wa mũndũ, arĩria andũ anyu, ũmeere atĩrĩ: ‘Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ngaarehithia rũhiũ rwa njora rũũkĩrĩre bũrũri, nao andũ a bũrũri ũcio methuurĩre mũndũ ũmwe wao mamũtue mũrangĩri wao,

“You human, speak to your fellow Israelis and say this to them: ‘When I bring an enemy army [MTY] to attack a country, and the people of that country choose one of their men and appoint him to be a watchman,

3 nake one rũhiũ rwa njora rũgĩũka gũũkĩrĩra bũrũri ũcio, nake ahuhe karumbeta nĩgeetha amenyithie andũ mehũũge-rĩ,

if he sees the enemy army [MTY] coming to attack his country, and he blows a trumpet to warn the people,

4 hĩndĩ ĩyo mũndũ wothe ũrĩa ũkaigua karumbeta kau no aage kwĩhũga, naruo rũhiũ rũu rwa njora rũũke rũmũũrage-rĩ, nĩagacookererwo nĩ thakame yake mwene.

if anyone hears the trumpet and does not heed the warning, and as a result he is killed by the sword [of one of his enemies], he will be responsible for his own death [MTY].

5 Kuona atĩ nĩaiguire mũgambo wa karumbeta na akĩaga kwĩhũga-rĩ, nĩagacookererwo nĩ thakame yake mwene. Korwo nĩehũũgire-rĩ, nĩangĩehonokirie we mwene.

If he had heeded the warning, he would have (have saved his life/still be alive). But because he heard the sound of the trumpet and did not heed that warning, his death will be his own fault.

6 No rĩrĩ, mũrangĩri ũcio angĩona rũhiũ rũu rwa njora rũgĩũka, na aage kũhuha karumbeta nĩgeetha andũ mehũũge, naruo rũhiũ rũu rwa njora rũũke rũũrage ũmwe wao, mũndũ ũcio agaakua tondũ wa wĩhia wake, no niĩ-rĩ, nĩngooria mũrangĩri ũcio thakame ya mũndũ ũcio.’

But if the watchman sees the enemy army [MTY] coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, and one of his people is killed by an enemy sword, that person will die because of his sin, but I will consider that the watchman is responsible for that man’s death.’

7 “Mũrũ wa mũndũ, nĩngũtuĩte mũrangĩri wa andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli; nĩ ũndũ ũcio, igua kiugo kĩrĩa ngwaria na ũmahe ũhoro kuuma harĩ niĩ atĩ mehũũge.

So, you human, I have appointed you to be a watchman for the Israeli people [MTY]. So always listen to what I say and warn the people for me.

8 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndeera mũndũ mwaganu atĩrĩ, ‘Wee mũndũ ũyũ mwaganu, ti-itherũ nĩũgũkua,’ nawe wage kũmũringĩrĩria atigane na mĩthiĩre ĩyo yake-rĩ, mũndũ ũcio mwaganu nĩagaakua tondũ wa wĩhia wake, no wee nĩwe ngooria thakame yake.

When I say to some wicked person, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die [because of your sins,’ you must tell him that]. If you do not speak to that person to warn him that he should turn away from his sins, that wicked person will die because of his sins, but I will say that you are responsible for his death [MTY].

9 No rĩrĩ, ũngĩĩra mũndũ ũcio mwaganu ehũũge atigane na mĩthiĩre ĩyo yake, nake aage gwĩka ũguo-rĩ, nĩagaakua nĩ ũndũ wa wĩhia wake, no wee nĩũkahonokia muoyo waku.

But if you warn that wicked person that he should turn away from his sins, and he does not do that, he will die because of his sins, but you will have saved your life.

10 “Mũrũ wa mũndũ, ĩra andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ mũroiga atĩrĩ: “Mahĩtia na mehia maitũ nĩmatũritũhĩire, na ithuĩ tũkahwererekera nĩ ũndũ wamo. Twakĩhota atĩa gũtũũra muoyo?”’

You human, say to the Israeli people, ‘This is what you all are saying: “[The guilt that we have for] disobeying God’s laws and sinning is like a heavy weight on us, and it is hurting us, and we are slowly dying. So what can we do to continue to remain alive?”’

11 Meere ũũ, ‘Mwathani Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa niĩ ndũũraga muoyo-rĩ, ndikenagio nĩ gĩkuũ kĩa andũ arĩa aaganu, no nĩ kaba magarũrũke matigane na mĩthiĩre ĩyo yao, nĩguo matũũre muoyo. Garũrũkai! Garũrũkai, mũtigane na mĩthiĩre ĩyo yanyu mĩũru! Mũgũgĩkua nĩkĩ, inyuĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli?’

Say to them, ‘Yahweh the Lord says, “As surely as I am alive, I am not happy when wicked people die; I would prefer that they turn away from their wicked behavior and continue to live. So repent! Turn away from your evil behavior! You Israeli people, do you really want to die [RHQ]?”’

12 “Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, wee mũrũ wa mũndũ, ĩra andũ anyu atĩrĩ, ‘Ũthingu wa mũndũ ũrĩa mũthingu ndũkamũhonokia rĩrĩa akaaga gwathĩka, naguo waganu wa mũndũ ũrĩa mwaganu-rĩ, ndũgatũma agwe rĩrĩa akaagarũrũka atigane naguo. Mũndũ ũrĩa mũthingu angĩĩhia-rĩ, ndagetĩkĩrio atũũre muoyo nĩ ũndũ wa ũthingu ũrĩa ararĩ naguo.’

Therefore, you human, say to your fellow Israelis, ‘If righteous people start to disobey me, their being righteous previously will not save them [from being punished]. And if wicked people turn away from their wicked behavior, they will not die because of the sins that they committed [previously]. And if righteous people start to sin, they will not be allowed to remain alive because of their formerly being righteous.’

13 Ingĩĩra mũndũ ũrĩa mũthingu atĩ ti-itherũ nĩegũtũũra muoyo, no hĩndĩ ĩyo we mwene ehie ehokete ũthingu ũcio wake, gũtirĩ gĩĩko kĩa ũthingu o na kĩmwe kĩa iria aneeka gĩkaaririkanwo; agaakua nĩ ũndũ wa ũũru ũcio ekĩte.

If I tell righteous people that they will surely remain alive, but then they trust/think that because they have been righteous previously, they can start to do evil [and not be punished], I will not think about the righteous things that they did previously; they will die because of the evil things that they are doing.

14 Ningĩ ingĩĩra mũndũ ũrĩa mwaganu atĩrĩ, ‘Ti-itherũ nĩũgũkua,’ nowe agarũrũke atigane na mehia make, eke maũndũ marĩa marĩ ma kĩhooto na magĩrĩire,

And if I say to some wicked person, ‘You will surely die [because of your sins],’ that person may turn away from his sinful behavior and do what is just and right [DOU].

15 angĩcookia kĩrĩa ooete gĩa kũrũgamĩrĩra thiirĩ, na acookie kĩrĩa aiyĩte, na arũmagĩrĩre irĩra cia watho wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo iria iheanaga muoyo, na ndageke ũndũ mũũru-rĩ, ti-itherũ nĩagatũũra muoyo; ndagakua.

For example, he may return what he took from another person to guarantee [that that person would pay back what he owes], or he may return things that he has stolen, and he may obey the laws that will enable [those who obey them] to remain alive, and he will not continue to do evil things. If that happens, he will surely remain alive; he will not die [because of the sins that he committed previously].

16 Gũtirĩ rĩĩhia o na rĩmwe ekĩte rĩgaacooka kũririkanwo nĩguo orio. Nĩekĩte maũndũ marĩa marĩ ma kĩhooto na magĩrĩire; ti-itherũ nĩagatũũra muoyo.

I will not think about the sins that he has committed; he will surely remain alive.

17 “No andũ anyu moigaga atĩrĩ, ‘Njĩra ya Mwathani ti ya kĩhooto.’ No nĩ njĩra yao ĩtarĩ ya kĩhooto.

Your fellow Israelis say, ‘What Yahweh does is not fair.’ But it is your behavior that is not fair.

18 Mũndũ mũthingu angĩtigana na ũthingu wake eeke maũndũ mooru-rĩ, nĩagaakua nĩ ũndũ wamo.

If a righteous person turns away from doing what is righteous and starts to do what is evil, [it is fair that] he die because of his sins.

19 Nake mũndũ mwaganu angĩgarũrũka atigane na waganu wake, eeke maũndũ marĩa marĩ ma kĩhooto na magĩrĩire-rĩ, nĩagatũũra muoyo nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩka ũguo.

And if a wicked person turns away from his wicked behavior and does what is right and fair [DOU], [it is fair] for him to remain alive because of doing that.

20 No rĩrĩ, inyuĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli, mugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Njĩra ya Mwathani ti ya kĩhooto.’ No rĩrĩ, niĩ ngaatuĩra o mũndũ wanyu ciira kũringana na mĩthiĩre yake we mwene.”

But you Israeli people still say, ‘What Yahweh does is not fair.’ But I will judge each of you for what you do.”

21 Mwaka-inĩ wa ikũmi na ĩĩrĩ kuuma twathaamio, mũthenya wa ĩtano wa mweri wa ikũmi-rĩ, mũndũ worĩte kuuma Jerusalemu agĩũka kũrĩ niĩ, akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Itũũra rĩrĩa inene nĩrĩgwĩte!”

Almost twelve years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the fifth day of the tenth month [of that year], a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me [in Babylon] and said, “Jerusalem has been captured!”

22 Na rĩrĩ, hwaĩ-wa-ira, mũndũ ũcio ataanakinya, guoko kwa Jehova kwarĩ igũrũ rĩakwa, nake akĩhingũra kanua gakwa, mũndũ ũcio atanooka kũrĩ niĩ rũciinĩ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩtumũrwo kanua, na ndiacookire gũkira.

The evening before that man arrived, Yahweh took control [MTY] of me, and when that man arrived, Yahweh enabled me to speak again; I was no longer forced to be silent.

23 Ningĩ kiugo kĩa Jehova gĩkĩnginyĩrĩra, ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:

Then Yahweh gave a message to me. He said,

24 “Mũrũ wa mũndũ, andũ acio matũũraga kũu kwanangĩku bũrũri-inĩ wa Isiraeli maroiga atĩrĩ, ‘Iburahĩmu aarĩ o mũndũ ũmwe, no nĩegwatĩire bũrũri ũyũ. No ithuĩ tũrĩ aingĩ; ti-itherũ bũrũri ũyũ nĩ ithuĩ tũheetwo ũtuĩke igai riitũ.’

“You human, the people who are living in the ruins in Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one person, but Yahweh [promised him that he and his descendants] would possess this land. But we are many; so surely this land has been given to us [by Yahweh] to continue to possess.’

25 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio meere atĩrĩ, ‘Mwathani Jehova ekuuga ũũ: Kuona atĩ inyuĩ mũrĩĩaga nyama irĩ o na thakame, na mũkainamĩrĩra mĩhianano yanyu, na mũgaitithia thakame-rĩ, inyuĩ no mũkĩĩgwatĩre bũrũri ũyũ ũtuĩke wanyu?

So send a message to them. Say, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: You eat meat that still has the animal’s blood in it. You still worship idols. And you still murder others [MTY]. So, (should this land belong to you?/this land should certainly not belong to you!) [RHQ]

26 Inyuĩ mwĩhokaga rũhiũ rwanyu rwa njora, na mũgeeka maũndũ marĩ magigi, na o mũndũ wanyu agathaahia mũtumia wa mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ. Inyuĩ no mũkĩĩgwatĩre bũrũri ũyũ ũtuĩke wanyu?’

You rely on using your swords [to obtain things that you want]. You do many detestable things. Each of you has sex with other men’s wives. So (why should you continue to possess the land of Israel?/you should not continue to possess this land!) [RHQ]’

27 “Meere atĩrĩ: ‘Mwathani Jehova ekuuga ũũ: Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa niĩ ndũũraga muoyo, acio matigaire kũu kwanangĩku makaaniinwo na rũhiũ rwa njora, nao arĩa marĩ mĩgũnda-inĩ ngaamaneana kũrĩ nyamũ cia gĩthaka imatambuurange, nao arĩa marĩ ciĩhitho-inĩ nũmu na ngurunga-inĩ makooragwo nĩ mũthiro.

Send this message to them: ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: As surely as I am alive, those who are left in the ruins [in Jerusalem] will also be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and those who are living in the countryside will be killed by wild animals, and those who are living in forts and caves will die from a plague.

28 Nĩngatũma bũrũri ũcio wanangĩke ũkire ihooru, naguo hinya ũrĩa wĩtĩĩagĩra nĩũgaathira, na irĩma icio cia Isiraeli nĩigakirio ihooru, kwage mũndũ ũngĩtuĩkanĩria kuo.

I will cause your country to become a desolate wasteland. You will no longer be proud of being a strong country. The mountains of Israel will become very desolate, with the result that no one will walk across them.

29 Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩmakamenya atĩ niĩ nĩ niĩ Jehova, rĩrĩa ngaananga bũrũri ũcio ũkire ihooru, nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ marĩa mothe marĩ magigi maneeka.’

Then, when I have caused your country to become a desolate wasteland because of all the detestable things that you have done, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’

30 “No wee mũrũ wa mũndũ-rĩ, andũ anyu maraaranĩria ũhoro waku marĩ thingo-inĩ, na mĩrango-inĩ ya nyũmba, makeerana atĩrĩ, ‘Ũkaai mũigue ndũmĩrĩri ĩrĩa yũkĩte kuuma kũrĩ Jehova.’

As for you, you human, your fellow Israelis [here in Babylon] are talking about you along the city walls and at the doors of their houses. They are saying to each other, ‘Come and listen to the message that has come from Yahweh!’

31 Andũ akwa mokaga kũrĩ we, o ta ũrĩa mamenyerete gwĩka, na magaikara thĩ mbere yaku mathikĩrĩrie ciugo ciaku, no rĩrĩ, matiĩkaga ũrĩa ciugĩte. Merutagĩra na tũnua twao, no ngoro ciao ikorokagĩra uumithio ũtarĩ wa kĩhooto.

My people come to you as they often have done, and they sit in front of you to listen to what you say. But they do not do what you tell them that they must do. With their mouths they say that they love me, but in their inner beings they are eager to acquire things by doing what is unjust.

32 Ti-itherũ harĩ o-rĩ, wee ũtuĩkĩte o ta mũndũ ũrĩa ũinaga nyĩmbo cia wendo arĩ na mũgambo mwega, na akahũũra kĩnanda wega, nĩgũkorwo nĩmaiguaga ciugo ciaku no matiĩkaga ũrĩa ciugĩte.

To them, you are only a man who sings love songs with a beautiful voice, and you play a musical instrument well. They hear what you say, but they do not do what you tell them to do.

33 “Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa maũndũ macio mothe makaahinga, na ti-itherũ nĩmakahinga, hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩmakamenya atĩ thĩinĩ wao nĩ kwarĩ na mũnabii.”

The terrible things that I have said will happen to them will surely happen. And then they will know that a prophet has been among them, [and that you are that prophet].”