< Izikiel 18 >

1 Okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru m ntị, sị, sị,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning?
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.’
That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.
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, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb 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: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, 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 be just, and do 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 hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife, nor come near to a menstruous 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 hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath 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.
Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man: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.
Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith 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,
And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that hath done some one 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;
Though he doth not all these things, but that eateth upon the mountains, and that defileth his neighbour’s wife:
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.
That grieveth the needy and the poor, that taketh away by violence, that restoreth not the pledge, and that lifteth up his eyes to idols, that committeth 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.
That giveth upon usury, and that taketh an increase: shall such a one live? he shall not live. Seeing he hath done all these detestable things, he shall surely 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 beget a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins, which he hath done, is afraid, and shall not do the like to them:
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.
That hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife:
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 hath not grieved any man, nor withholden the pledge, nor taken away with violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and 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.
That hath turned away his hand from injuring the poor, hath not taken usury and increase, but hath executed my judgments, and hath walked in my commandments: this man shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but living he shall 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 offered violence to his brother, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, behold he is dead in 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 hath not the son borne the iniquity of his father? Verily, because the son hath wrought judgment and justice, hath kept all my commandments, and done them, living, he shall 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 sinneth, 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 shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
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 wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and 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 that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, 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?
Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith 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 the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them 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 right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways 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 turneth himself away from his justice, and committeth iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought 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 wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, and doeth judgment, and justice: he shall save his soul alive.
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.
Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and 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 the children of Israel say: The way of the Lord is not right. Are not my ways right, O house of Israel, and are not rather your ways 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 will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall 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 away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will 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 desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye and live.

< Izikiel 18 >