Ezeekyeri 18
1 Ekigambo kya Mukama Katonda ne kinzijira, n’aŋŋamba nti,
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Mutegeeza ki bwe mugerera olugero luno ensi ya Isirayiri nti, “‘Bakitaabwe balidde ezabbibu ezikaawa, n’amannyo g’abaana ganyenyeera’?
“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 “Nga bwe ndi omulamu, bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda, temuliddayo kugera lugero olwo mu Isirayiri.
As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
4 Buli kiramu, kyange; obulamu bw’omuzadde n’obw’omwana bwonna nabwo bwange.
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 “Emmeeme eyonoona ye erifa, omuntu bw’abeera omutuukirivu n’akola ebyalagirwa era ebituufu;
Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
6 nga talya mu masabo agali ku nsozi newaakubadde okusinza bakatonda abalala ab’ennyumba ya Isirayiri; n’atayenda ne mukazi wa muliraanwa we, newaakubadde okwebaka n’omukazi ali mu biseera bye eby’abakyala;
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 omuntu atalyazaamaanya muntu yenna, naye asasula ebbanja lye lyonna, atanyaga muntu yenna, naye emmere ye agigabira abayala, n’ayambaza n’abali obwereere;
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 atawola lwa magoba newaakubadde okutwala ensimbi ezisukkamu mu ezo ze yawola. Yeewala okukola ekibi, era asala emisango egy’ensonga.
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 Agoberera ebiragiro byange, n’akuuma amateeka gange n’obwesigwa, oyo ye muntu omutuukirivu era aliba mulamu,” bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda.
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 “Bw’aba n’omwana omulalu, ayiwa omusaayi, oba akola ebifaanana ng’ebyo,
What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed
11 newaakubadde nga kitaawe ebyo tabikola: “N’alya mu masabo agali ku nsozi, n’ayenda ku mukazi wa muliraanwa we,
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 n’anyigiriza omwavu n’omunaku, n’okubba n’abba, n’atasasula kye yeeyama, n’asinza bakatonda abalala, n’akola eby’ekivve,
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 n’awola ng’asuubira amagoba, oba n’okutwala ensimbi ezisukka mu ezo ze yawola; omuntu ng’oyo aliba mulamu? Taliba mulamu. Kubanga akoze ebintu ebyo byonna eby’ekivve, kyaliva attibwa, n’omusaayi gwe guliba ku mutwe gwe ye.
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 “Naye bw’aba n’omuzzukulu, alaba ebibi byonna kitaawe by’akola, n’atakola bya ngeri eyo;
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 “N’atalya mu masabo agali ku nsozi newaakubadde okusinza bakatonda abalala ab’ennyumba ya Isirayiri, n’atayenda na mukazi wa muliraanwa we,
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 atanyigiriza muntu yenna newaakubadde okusaba amagoba ku bbanja lye yawola, atabba, naye agabira emmere abayala n’abali obwereere n’abambaza.
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 Yeekuuma obutakola kibi, n’atalya magoba ku bbanja newaakubadde okutwala ensimbi ezisukiridde, era akuuma amateeka gange n’agoberera n’ebiragiro byange. Talifa olw’ebibi bya kitaawe, naye aliba mulamu.
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 Naye kitaawe alifa olw’ebibi bye ye kubanga yalyazaamanya, n’anyaga muliraanwa we, n’akola ebitaali birungi mu bantu banne.
But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
19 “Mubuuza nti, ‘Lwaki omwana tabonaabona olw’ebibi bya kitaawe?’ Omwana bw’aba akoze eby’ensonga era ebituufu, ng’agoberedde ebiragiro byange, aliba mulamu.
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 Emmeeme eyonoona ye erifa. Omwana talibonaabona olw’ebibi bya kitaawe, so ne kitaawe talibonaabona olw’ebibi eby’omwana we. Obutuukirivu bw’omuntu omutuukirivu bulibalirwa ye, n’obutali butuukirivu bw’oyo atali mutuukirivu bulibalirwa ye.
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 “Naye omuntu atali mutuukirivu bw’alikyuka n’alekeraawo okukola ebibi byonna, n’akuuma ebiragiro byange byonna n’akola eby’ensonga era ebituufu, aliba mulamu, talifa.
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 Tewaliba kyonoono na kimu ku ebyo bye baakola ebirijjukirwa, naye olw’eby’obutuukirivu bye baliba bakoze, baliba balamu.
None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.
23 Mulowooza nga nsanyukira okufa kw’atali mutuukirivu? Bw’ayogera Mukama. Sisinga kusanyuka nnyo bwe ndaba ng’akyuse okuva mu ngeri ze n’aba omulamu?
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 “Naye omuntu omutuukirivu bw’alekeraawo okukola eby’obutuukirivu, n’akola eby’ekivve bye bimu n’eby’omuntu atali mutuukirivu, aliba mulamu? Tewaliba ne kimu ku ebyo eby’obutuukirivu bye yakola, ebirijjukirwa: Olw’obutaba mwesigwa aliba n’omusango, era n’olw’ebibi bye yakola, alifa.
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 “Mugamba nti, ‘Mukama si mwenkanya.’ Kaakano muwulire mwe ennyumba ya Isirayiri, enkola yange y’etali ya bwenkanya oba mmwe mutali benkanya?
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 Omuntu omutuukirivu bw’aleka okukola ebikolwa bye eby’obutuukirivu n’akola ebibi, mw’alifiira, kubanga ebibi by’akoze bye birimuleetera okufa.
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 Naye bw’alikyuka okuva mu butali butuukirivu bwe bw’akoze, n’akola eby’ensonga era ebituufu, alirokola obulamu bwe.
But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
28 Era bw’alirowooza ku bibi byonna by’akoze, n’akyuka n’alekeraawo okubikola, mazima ddala aliba mulamu, talifa.
Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.
29 Naye oluvannyuma ennyumba ya Isirayiri ne mwogera nti, ‘Ekkubo lya Mukama si lya bwenkanya.’ Mmwe ennyumba ya Isirayiri, engeri zange ze zitali za bwenkanya? Engeri zammwe si ze zitali za bwenkanya?
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 “Kyendiva mbasalira omusango, mmwe ennyumba ya Isirayiri, buli muntu ng’ebikolwa byammwe bwe biri, bw’ayogera Mukama. Mwenenye, muleke ebikolwa ebitali bya butuukirivu, oba nga ssi weewaawo ebibi byammwe biribaleetera okuzikirira.
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 Mweggyeeko ebikolwa byonna ebitali bya butuukirivu, bye mukoze, mufune omutima omuggya n’omwoyo omuggya. Kiki ekibaleetera okufa, mmwe ennyumba ya Isirayiri?
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 Sisanyukira kufa kwa muntu yenna, bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda. Mwenenye mube balamu.”
I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
