Ezekieri 18
1 Shoko raJehovha rakasvika kwandiri richiti,
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Munoreveiko vanhu imi zvamunodzokorora tsumo iyi pamusoro penyika yeIsraeri, muchiti, “‘Madzibaba akadya mazambiringa anovava, meno avana akaita ugugu’?
“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 “Zvirokwazvo noupenyu hwangu, ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha, hamuchazodzokororizve tsumo iyi muIsraeri.
As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
4 Nokuti mweya mupenyu mumwe nomumwe ndowangu, baba pamwe chete nomwanakomana vose saizvozvo ndevangu. Mweya unotadza ndiwo uchafa.
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 “Ngatiti pane munhu akarurama anoita zvinhu nokururamisira uye nokururama.
Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
6 Haadyiri pashongwe dzezvifananidzo mumakomo kana kutarira kuzvifananidzo zveimba yaIsraeri. Haasvibisi mukadzi womuvakidzani wake, kana kuvata nomukadzi ari kumwedzi.
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 Haamanikidzi mumwe munhu, asi anodzorera rubatso rwaakatora pachikwereti. Haaiti zvougororo, asi anopa zvokudya zvake kune vane nzara uye anopfekedza vakashama.
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 Haarevi chimbadzo paanokweretesa kana kutora mhindu yakakurisa. Anodzivisa ruoko rwake kuita zvakaipa, uye anotonga zvakarurama pakati pomunhu nomunhu.
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 Anotevera mitemo yangu, uye akatendeka pakuchengeta mirayiro yangu. Munhu uyo akarurama; zvirokwazvo achararama, ndizvo zvinotaura Ishe Jehovha.
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 “Ngatiti ane mwanakomana anoita zvechisimba, anoteura ropa kana chimwe chezvinhu izvi
What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed
11 (kunyange baba vake vasina kumboita chimwe chazvo): “Anodya pashongwe dzezvifananidzo mumakomo. Anochinya mukadzi womuvakidzani wake.
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 Anomanikidza varombo navanoshayiwa. Anoita zvougororo. Haadzoreri zvaakakwereta. Anotarisira kuzvifananidzo. Anoita zvinonyangadza.
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 Anokweretesa achireva chimbadzo uye anotora mhindu yakakura. Munhu akadaro achararama here? Kwete, haangararami! Nokuda kwokuti akaita zvinhu izvi zvinonyangadza, achafa, zvirokwazvo, uye ropa rake richava pamusoro pake.
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 “Asi ngatimboti, mwanakomana uyu ane mwanakomana anoona zvivi zvose zvinoitwa nababa vake, uye kunyange achivaona, haaiti zvinhu zvakadai:
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 “Haadyi pashongwe dzamakomo kana kutarisira kuzvifananidzo zveimba yaIsraeri. Haachinyi mukadzi womuvakidzani wake.
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 Haamanikidzi munhu upi zvake kana kureva rubatso pachikwereti. Haaiti ugororo, asi anopa zvokudya zvake kuna vaya vane nzara, uye anopfekedza vanoshaya zvipfeko.
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 Anodzivisa ruoko rwake kutadza uye haarevi chimbadzo kana mhindu yakakura. Anochengeta mirayiro yangu nokutevera mitemo yangu. Haangafi nokuda kwechivi chababa vake; zvirokwazvo achararama.
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 Asi baba vake vachafa nokuda kwechivi chavo, nokuti vaiita zvinhu nokumanikidza, vakapamba mununʼuna wavo uye vakaita zvakaipa pakati pavanhu vavo.
But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
19 “Kunyange zvakadaro munobvunza muchiti, ‘Mwanakomana anoregereiko kuva nemhosva yezvakaipa zvababa vake?’ Sezvo mwanakomana akaita nokururamisira uye nokururama uye kuti akanga akangwaririra kuchengeta mitemo yangu, iye achararama zvirokwazvo.
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 Mweya unotadza ndiwo uchafa. Mwanakomana haangagovani nababa vake pamhosva yavo, uye baba havangagovani mhosva yavo nomwanakomana. Kururama kwowakarurama kuchava pamusoro pake, uye kuipa kwowakaipa kuchava pamusoro powakaipa.
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 “Asi kana akaipa akatendeuka kubva pazvivi zvaakaita uye akachengeta mitemo yangu, akaita nokururamisira uye nokururama, zvirokwazvo achararama; haangafi zvirokwazvo.
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 Kudarika kwake kwose kwaakaita hakungarangarirwi. Nokuda kwezvinhu zvakarurama zvaakaita, iye achararama.
None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.
23 Ko, ndingafarira rufu rwowakaipa here? Ndizvo zvinotaura Ishe Jehovha. Asi handifari here pavanotendeuka kubva panzira dzavo kuti vararame?
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 “Asi kana munhu akarurama akatsauka pakururama kwake akaita chivi uye akaitawo zvinonyangadza zvinoitwa nomunhu akaipa, angararama here? Zvakarurama zvaakaita hazvizorangarirwi. Nokuda kwemhosva yokusatendeuka kwaanako uye nokuda kwezvivi zvaakaita, iye achafa zvirokwazvo.
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 “Asi munoti, ‘Nzira yaJehovha haina kururama.’ Haiwa imi imba yaIsraeri: Nzira yangu haina kururama here? Ko, hadzisi nzira dzenyu imi dzisakarurama here?
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 Kana munhu akarurama akatsauka akaita chivi, achafa nokuda kwechivi chake; nokuda kwechivi chaakaita achafa.
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 Asi kana munhu akaipa akadzoka pane zvakaipa zvake zvaakaita akaita zvakarurama nokururamisira, achaponesa mweya wake.
But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
28 Nokuti anorangarira kudarika kwake kwose kwaakaita uye anotendeuka kubva panzira dzake, zvirokwazvo achararama; haangafi.
Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.
29 Asi imba yaIsraeri inoti, ‘Nzira yaJehovha haina kururama.’ Nzira dzangu hadzina kururama here, imi imba yaIsraeri? Ko, hadzisi nzira dzenyu dzisakarurama here?
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 “Naizvozvo, imi imba yaIsraeri, ndichakutongai, mumwe nomumwe zvakafanira nzira dzake, ndizvo zvinotaura Ishe Jehovha. Tendeukai! Dzokai pakudarika kwenyu kwose; ipapo chivi hachingakuwisirei pasi.
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 Rasai kudarika kwenyu kwamakaita, mufuke mwoyo mutsva nomweya mutsva. Ko, muchafirei, imi imba yaIsraeri?
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 Nokuti handifariri rufu rwomunhu upi zvake, ndizvo zvinotaura Ishe Jehovha. Tendeukai murarame!
I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
