< Izikiel 18 >
1 Okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru m ntị, sị, sị,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 “Gịnị ka unu bụ mmadụ na-ekwu mgbe unu na-atụ ilu a banyere ala Izrel? “‘Ndị bụ nna eriela mkpụrụ vaịnị na-achaghị acha, eze ụmụntakịrị a na-eru ha izizi.’
“Why is it that you circulate among yourselves this parable, as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers ate a bitter grape, and the teeth of the sons have been affected.’
3 “Dịka m na-adị ndụ, otu a ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị kwubiri, unu agaghị atụkwa ilu a ọzọ nʼala Izrel.
As I live, says the Lord God, this parable shall no longer be a proverb for you in Israel.
4 Nʼihi na mkpụrụobi niile bụ nke m, ma nke nna ma nke nwa, ha niile bụ nke m. Mkpụrụobi ọbụla mehiere bụ nke ga-anwụ.
Behold, all souls are mine. Just as the soul of the father is mine, so also is the soul of the son. The soul that sins, the same shall die.
5 “Ọ bụrụ na-enwere otu onye ezi omume nke na-eme naanị ihe ziri ezi na ihe dị mma,
And if a man is just, and he accomplishes judgment and justice,
6 onye na-adịghị eje nʼugwu iri oriri maọbụ welie anya ya nʼebe arụsị niile nke Izrel dị, onye na-adịghị emerụ nwunye onye agbataobi ya, maọbụ dinakwuru nwanyị nọ nʼoge nsọ ya.
and if he does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and if he has not violated the wife of his neighbor, nor approached a menstruating woman,
7 Onye na-adịghị emegbu ndị mmadụ, kama ọ na-akwụghachi ụgwọ o ji, maọbụ na-enyeghachi ihe ọ naara dịka ihe mbe, ọ dịghị apụnara mmadụ ihe o nwere nʼike, kama ọ na-enye ndị agụụ na-agụ nri, na-enyekwa ndị gbaa ọtọ akwa mkpuchi.
and if he has not grieved any man, but has restored the collateral to the debtor, if he has seized nothing by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,
8 Ọ dịghị agbazinye mmadụ ego nara mụrụ nwa, ọ dịghị ana ụma site nʼaka ha. Ọ na-esite nʼihe ọjọọ sepụ aka ya, na-ekpekwa ikpe ziri ezi nʼetiti mmadụ na ibe ya.
if he has not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase, if he has averted his hand from iniquity, and has executed true judgment between man and man,
9 Ọ na-edebezu iwu m niile, na-agbaso ụkpụrụ m niile nʼikwesị ntụkwasị obi. Onye ezi omume ka nwoke ahụ bụ; ọ ghaghị ịdịkwa ndụ, otu a ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.
if he has walked in my precepts and kept my judgments, so that he acts in accord with truth, then he is just; he shall certainly live, says the Lord God.
10 “Ọ bụrụ na o nwere nwa nwoke na-akpa ike, na-akwafu ọbara, na-emekwa ihe ndị ọzọ dị iche iche,
But if he raises a son who is a robber, who sheds blood, and who does any of these things,
11 ọ bụ ezie na nna ya emeghị ihe ndị a: “Ma ọ na-eri nri nʼụlọ arụsị dị nʼugwu, na-emerụ nwunye onye agbataobi ya;
(even though he himself does not do any of these things, ) and who eats upon the mountains, and who defiles the wife of his neighbor,
12 Ọ na-emegbu ndị ogbenye na ndị nọ na mkpa. Ọ na-apụnara mmadụ ihe nʼike. Ọ dịghị eweghachi ihe o naara na mbe. Ọ na-efe arụsị, na-emekwa ihe arụ ndị ọzọ dị iche iche.
who grieves the needy and the poor, who seizes with violence, who does not restore the collateral, and who lifts up his eyes to idols, committing abomination,
13 Ọ na-anara ndị ọ gbazinyere ego ọmụrụnwa na ụma. O kwesiri ka onye dị otu a dị ndụ? Ọ gaghị adị ndụ. Nʼihi na o meela ihe ndị a niile rụrụ arụ. A ga-egbu ya. Ọbara ya ga-adịkwa nʼisi ya.
who lends upon usury, and who takes an increase, then shall he live? He shall not live. Since he has done all these detestable things, he shall certainly die. His blood shall be upon him.
14 “Ọ bụrụkwa na nwoke a nwere nwa nwoke nke hụrụ ihe ọjọọ ndị a niile nna ya na-eme, ma kpebie na ọ gakwaghị ebi ụdị ndụ ahụ.
But if he raises a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins that he has done, is afraid and so does not act in a way similar to him,
15 “Ọ dịghị eri nri nʼụlọ arụsị dị nʼelu ugwu maọbụ welie anya lee arụsị niile nke Izrel. Ọ dịghị emerụ nwunye onye agbataobi ya.
who does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and who does not violate the wife of his neighbor,
16 Ọ dịghị emegbu onye ọbụla, maọbụ anara ihe mbe nʼihi ego ọ gbazinyere mmadụ. Ọ dịghị apụnara mmadụ ihe o nwere nʼike, kama na ọ na-enye ndị agụ na-agụ ihe oriri ya, na-enyekwa ndị gbaa ọtọ akwa mkpuchi;
and who has not grieved any man, nor withheld the collateral, nor seized by violence, but instead has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,
17 ọ bụrụ na ọ dịghị etinye aka na mmehie ọbụla, na ọ naghị anara ọmụrụnwa na ụma nʼaka ndị o binyere ego, na ọ na-erubekwara iwu m niile isi, na-agbaso ụkpụrụ m niile. Onye dị otu a agaghị anwụ nʼihi mmehie nke nna ya mere. Ọ ga-adị ndụ.
who has averted his hand from injuring the poor, who has not taken usury and an overabundance, who has acted according to my judgments and walked in my precepts, then this one shall not die for the iniquity of his father; instead, he shall certainly live.
18 Ma nna ya ga-anwụ nʼihi mmehie niile o mere, nʼihi na ọ bụ onye na-ewe ihe na-abụghị nke ya, onye na-apụnara ndị ọzọ ihe ha nwere nʼike. Ọ bụkwa onye na-eme ihe ọjọọ dị iche iche nʼetiti ndị ya.
As for his father, because he oppressed and did violence to his brother, and worked evil in the midst of his people, behold, he has died by his own iniquity.
19 “Ma unu na-ajụ, ‘Gịnị mere nwa adịghị eketa oke nʼahụhụ nke ajọ omume nna ya?’ Ihe dị otu ahụ apụghị ime, ebe ọ bụ na nwa ya emeela ihe ziri ezi ma leziekwa anya debezuo ụkpụrụ m niile, ọ ghaghị ịdị ndụ.
And you say, ‘Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father?’ Clearly, since the son has worked judgment and justice, has observed all my precepts, and has done them, he shall certainly live.
20 Onye ahụ mere mmehie bụ onye ga-anwụ. Nwa agaghị ata ahụhụ nʼihi ihe nna ya metara, nna agakwaghị ata ahụhụ nʼihi ihe nwa ya metara. Onye ezi omume ga-anata ụgwọ ezi omume o mere, ma onye ajọ omume ga-anata ụgwọ nʼihi ajọ ihe o mere.
The soul that sins, the same shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The justice of the just man shall be upon himself, but the impiety of the impious man shall be upon himself.
21 “Ma ọ bụrụ na onye ajọ omume esite na mmehie niile o mere chigharịa, malite idebe ụkpụrụ m niile, ma na-emekwa ihe ziri ezi na nke dị mma, onye ahụ aghaghị ịdị ndụ, ọ gaghị anwụ.
But if the impious man does penance for all his sins which he has committed, and if he keeps all my precepts, and accomplishes judgment and justice, then he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.
22 Ọ dịghị ajọ omume niile bụ nke ha mere a ga-echeta megide ha. Ha ga-adị ndụ nʼihi ihe ezi omume ha mere.
I will not remember all his iniquities, which he has worked; by his justice, which he has worked, he shall live.
23 Ọ na-atọ m ụtọ bụ ọnwụ nke ndị ajọ omume? Ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara. Kama, ọ bụghị mgbe ha si nʼụzọ ha chigharịa, dịrị ndụ, ka obi na-atọ m ụtọ?
How could it be my will that an impious man should die, says the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?
24 “Ma ọ bụrụ na onye ezi omume esite nʼezi omume ya chigharịa, mee mmehie na-emekwa ihe arụ nke ndị ajọ mmadụ na-eme, ha ọ ga-adị ndụ? Mba! Ọ dịghị ihe ezi omume nke onye dị otu a mere nke a ga-echetakwa. Nʼihi ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi ha, ha bụ ndị ikpe mara, nʼihi mmehie ndị ha mere, ha ga-anwụ.
But if a just man turns himself away from his justice, and does iniquity in accord with all the abominations that the impious man so often does, why should he live? All his justices, which he has accomplished, shall not be remembered. By the transgression, in which he has transgressed, and by his sin, in which he has sinned, by these he shall die.
25 “Ma unu na-asị, ‘Ụzọ Onyenwe anyị ezighị ezi!’ Geenụ ntị, unu ụlọ Izrel. Ọ bụ nʼụzọ m ezighị ezi? Ọ bụghị ụzọ unu niile bụ nke na-ezighị ezi?
And you have said, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Therefore, listen, O house of Israel. How could it be that my way is not fair? And is it not instead your ways that are perverse?
26 Ọ bụrụ na onye ezi omume esite nʼezi omume ya chigharịa malite ime mmehie, ọ ga-anwụ maka ya; nʼihi mmehie ahụ o mere ka ọ ga-anwụ.
For when the just man turns himself away from his justice, and commits iniquity, he shall die by this; by the injustice that he has worked, he shall die.
27 Ọ bụrụ na onye ajọ omume esite nʼajọ omume niile nke o mere chigharịa malite ime ihe ziri ezi na nke dị mma, ọ ga-azọpụta ndụ ya.
And when the impious man turns himself away from his impiety, which he has done, and accomplishes judgment and justice, he shall cause his own soul to live.
28 Nʼihi na ọ tuleela nʼobi ya, kpebiekwa ịhapụ mmehie ya niile, ma malite ibi ndụ ziri ezi. Ndụ ga-abụ nke ya. Ọ gaghị anwụ.
For by considering and turning himself away from all his iniquities, which he has worked, he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.
29 Ma ụlọ Izrel na-asị, ‘Ụzọ Onyenwe anyị ezighị ezi!’ Ọ bụ nʼụzọ m niile ezighị ezi, unu ụlọ Izrel? Ọ bụghị ụzọ unu niile bụ nke na-ezighị ezi?
And yet the sons of Israel say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ How could it be that my ways are not fair, O house of Israel? And is it not instead your ways that are perverse?
30 “Ya mere, unu ụlọ Izrel, aga m ekpe onye ọbụla nʼime unu ikpe dịka ụzọ ya si dị, otu a ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị kwubiri ya. Chegharịanụ, sitenụ na njehie unu niile unu chigharịa, mgbe ahụ, mmehie agaghị a bụrụ unu ihe ịsọ ngọngọ.
Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge each one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities, and then iniquity will not be your ruin.
31 Wezuganụ njehie niile unu jehiere nʼime ya, ka unu nweta obi ọhụrụ na mmụọ ọhụrụ. Ụlọ Izrel, gịnị mere unu ga-eji nwụọ?
Cast all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, away from you, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. And then why should you die, O house of Israel?
32 Nʼihi na ọ dịghị atọ obi m ụtọ ịhụ na onye ọbụla na-anwụ, otu a ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara. Chegharịakwanụ, ka unu dịrị ndụ!
For I do not desire the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. So return and live.”