< Izikiel 4 >

1 “Ugbu a, gị nwa nke mmadụ, were otu ọkpụrụkpụ aja, tọgbọ ya nʼihu gị. Sepụtakwa obodo Jerusalem nʼelu ya.
[Yahweh also said to me, ] “You human, take a large clay tablet/brick and put it in front of you. Then on the [engrave/draw] on it lines that represent Jerusalem.
2 Seekwa ihe nnọchigide nʼagha megide ya, wuokwa ụlọ ndị agha gburugburu ya, wukọta ụlọ ikwu dị iche iche megide ya na ihe e ji akụdasị mgbidi ya niile.
[draw figures around it to represent enemy soldiers who will] surround the city. Make mounds around it and a dirt ramp up against the [around the city]. [figures around it that represent] (battering rams/heavy logs that will break though the walls).
3 Werekwa efere igwe debe nʼetiti gị na obodo ahụ dịka mgbidi e ji igwe wuo. Chee obodo ahụ ihu gị, ka ị chegide ya nke ọma nʼihi na ndị iro gbara ya gburugburu. Nke a ga-abụ ihe ama nye ndị Izrel.
Then take an iron pan, and place it [to be] like an iron wall between you [the drawing of] the city. Then turn your face toward the drawing. It will symbolize [enemy troops will] surround the city to attack it. That will be a warning to the Israeli people [MTY].
4 “Ugbu a, dinara ala nʼakụkụ aka ekpe gị, aga m enye gị ntaramahụhụ mmehie ndị Izrel, ị ga-ata ahụhụ mmehie ha ụbọchị niile nke ị ga-edina nʼakụkụ gị.
Then lie on your left side, and stay like that for 390 days. That [symbolize that the Israeli people will be punished for] their sins; you must lie like that one day for each year during which they will be punished.
5 Nʼihi na ana m enye gị narị ụbọchị atọ na iri ụbọchị itoolu, ọnụọgụgụ nke a na ọnụọgụgụ nke afọ ntaramahụhụ ha ga-abụ otu, ọ bụ oge ha. Otu a ka ị ga-esi buru mmehie Izrel.
6 “Mgbe i mesịrị nke a, ị ga-edina ala nke ugboro abụọ, ma ọ ga-abụ nʼakụkụ aka nri gị, ị ga-eburu ntaramahụhụ mmehie ndị Juda. Ọ bụ iri abalị anọ, otu ụbọchị ga-anọchi anya otu afọ.
After that, lie down again. This time, lie on your right side for 40 days. That [symbolize that the Israeli people will be punished more] for their sins, one day for each [during which they will be punished].
7 Chee ihu gị nʼebe nnọchibido Jerusalem, gbara aka nkịtị buo amụma megide ya.
Turn your face [the drawing of] Jerusalem and bare your [like a soldier does who prepares to go into a battle] [MTY], and prophesy [what will happen to] the city.
8 Aga m eke gị eriri ahụ gị niile, ka ị ghara inwe ike tụgharịa site nʼotu akụkụ gaa nʼakụkụ nke ọzọ tutu ụbọchị nnọchigide gị ahụ niile ezuo.
[You will not be able to move; it will be as though] I have tied you with ropes in order that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have [symbolizing how many years the city] will be (besieged/surrounded by enemy soldiers).
9 “Ma gị were ọka wiiti na ọka balị, werekwa akịdị na lentil, na ọka milet na spelti. Tinyekọta ha nʼotu ite were ha meere onwe gị achịcha. Nʼụbọchị ole ahụ niile nke ị ga-edina nʼakụkụ gị, narị ụbọchị atọ na iri ụbọchị itoolu, ọ bụ ya ka ị ga-eri.
[Before you do that, ] take some wheat and barley, beans, lentils, spelt and millet, and put them in a [storage] jar, and use that to bake [for yourself]. That is what you will eat during the 390 days while you lie on your [left] side.
10 A ga-atụ ihe oriri gị atụ, nri nke ị ga-eri otu mgbe ga-abụ narị gram abụọ na iri gram atọ; naanị otu mgbe ka ị ga-eri nri nʼụbọchị.
You will eat (8 ounces/a small loaf) of bread each day.
11 A ga-ekupụtakwa mmiri ị ga-aṅụ, ị ga-aṅụ mmiri naanị otu ugboro nʼụbọchị, otu udu mmiri e kere ụzọ isii.
[Also] measure out (1.5 pints/0.6 liter) of water to drink each day.
12 Ị ga-eri ya dịka ogbe achịcha ọka balị, ị ga-eghe ya nʼelu nsị mmadụ kpọrọ nkụ mgbe ndị mmadụ nọ na-ele gị anya.”
Eat that bread like you would eat a loaf of barley bread. But use your own dried dung for fuel to bake the bread while people are watching.
13 Onyenwe anyị kwuru, “Otu a ka ndị Izrel ga-esi rie nri rụrụ arụ, nʼetiti mba dị iche iche ebe m ga-achụga ha.”
That will symbolize that the Israeli people will be forced to eat food that is unacceptable to me when they are living in the nations to which I will force them to go.”
14 Mgbe ahụ, asịrị m, “E e, Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị lee, emerụbeghị m onwe m site na nwantakịrị m ruo ugbu a, eribeghị ihe ọbụla nwụrụ nʼonwe ya, maọbụ nke anụ ọhịa dọgburu, anụ na-adịghị ọcha abatụbeghị m nʼọnụ.”
Then I said, “No, Yahweh God![Do not force me to do that]! I have never caused myself to become unacceptable to you [by doing anything like that]. From the time when I was young, I have never eaten meat of any [animal] that was found dead or that had been killed by wild animals. And I have never eaten any meat that is unacceptable to you.”
15 Ọ sịrị, “Ọ dị mma, aga m enye gị nsị ehi nʼọnọdụ nke mmadụ, nʼelu ya ka ị ga-akwado achịcha gị.”
Yahweh replied, “Okay, I will allow you to bake your bread using dried cow manure instead of human [for fuel].”
16 Mgbe ahụ, ọ gwara m, “Nwa nke mmadụ, lee, aga m eme ka nri kọ na Jerusalem; ha ga-eji nchegbu rie nri a tụpụtara atụpụta, jirikwa egwu ṅụọ mmiri e kupụtara ekupụta.
Then he said to me, “You human, I will cause the supply of food to Jerusalem to be cut off. [Then] the people will eat the small amounts of food and drink the small amounts of [that the government permits them to have], and they will be [very] distressed and anxious as they do that,
17 Aga m eme ka ihe oriri na mmiri ọṅụṅụ kọọ ha. Ha ga na-elerịta onwe ha anya nʼoke egwu, ha ga-anwụkwa nʼihi mmehie ha.”
because water and food will be very scarce. They will see each other becoming extremely thin, and they will be appalled; [but this will happen] because they are being punished [for the sins that they have committed].”

< Izikiel 4 >