Ezekieli 14
1 Baadhi ya wazee wa Israeli walinijia na kuketi mbele yangu.
And men among the elders of Israel came to me, and they sat down before me.
2 Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
3 “Mwanadamu, watu hawa wameweka sanamu katika mioyo yao na kuweka vitu viovu vya kukwaza mbele ya macho yao. Je, kweli niwaruhusu waniulize jambo lolote?
“Son of man, these men have placed their uncleanness in their hearts, and they have stationed the scandal of their iniquities before their face. So why should I respond when they inquire of me?
4 Kwa hiyo sema nao uwaambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Wakati Mwisraeli yeyote anapoweka sanamu moyoni mwake na kuweka kitu kiovu cha kukwaza mbele ya macho yake na kisha akaenda kwa nabii, Mimi Bwana nitamjibu peke yangu sawasawa na ukubwa wa ibada yake ya sanamu.
Because of this, speak to them, and you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: The man, the man of the house of Israel, who places his uncleanness in his heart, and who stations the scandal of his iniquities before his face, and who approaches a prophet, so as to inquire of me through him: I, the Lord, will respond to him in accord with the multitude of his uncleannesses,
5 Nitafanya jambo hili ili kukamata tena mioyo ya watu wa Israeli, ambao wote wameniacha kwa ajili ya sanamu zao.’
so that the house of Israel may be seized within their own heart, by which they have withdrawn from me to all their idols.
6 “Kwa hiyo iambie nyumba ya Israeli, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Tubuni! Geukeni kutoka kwenye sanamu zenu na mkatae matendo yenu yote ya machukizo!
Because of this, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Be converted, and withdraw from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.
7 “‘Mwisraeli yeyote au mgeni yeyote anayeishi katika Israeli anapojitenga nami na kujiwekea sanamu katika moyo wake na kwa hivyo kuweka kitu kiovu cha kukwaza mbele ya macho yake na kisha akamwendea nabii kuuliza shauri kwangu, mimi Bwana nitamjibu mwenyewe.
For the man, the man of the house of Israel, and the new arrival among the converts who may be in Israel, if he is alienated from me, and he sets his idols in his heart, and he stations the scandal of his iniquity before his face, and he approaches the prophet, so that he may inquire of me through him: I, the Lord, will respond to him through myself.
8 Nitaukaza uso wangu dhidi ya mtu huyo na kumwadhibu na kumfanya ishara kwa watu. Nitamkatilia mbali kutoka watu wangu. Ndipo mtakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.
And I will set my face against that man, and I will make him an example and a proverb. And I will perish him from the midst of my people. And you shall know that I am the Lord.
9 “‘Naye nabii kama atakuwa ameshawishika kutoa unabii, Mimi Bwana nitakuwa nimemshawishi nabii huyo, nami nitaunyoosha mkono wangu dhidi yake na kumwangamiza kutoka miongoni mwa watu wangu Israeli.
And when a prophet has gone astray and has spoken a word: I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet. And I will extend my hand over him, and I will wipe him away from the midst of my people, Israel.
10 Watachukua hatia yao, nabii atakuwa na hatia sawa na yule mtu aliyekuja kuuliza neno kwake.
And they shall bear their iniquity. In accord with the iniquity of the one who inquires, so shall the iniquity of the prophet be.
11 “‘Ndipo watu wa Israeli hawataniacha tena, wala kujitia unajisi tena kwa dhambi zao zote. Ndipo watakuwa watu wangu nami nitakuwa Mungu wao, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.’”
So may the house of Israel no longer go astray from me, nor be polluted by all their transgressions. Instead, may they be my people, and may I be their God, says the Lord of hosts.”
12 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
13 “Mwanadamu, kama nchi itanitenda dhambi kwa kutokuwa waaminifu nami nikinyoosha mkono wangu dhidi yake kukatilia mbali upatikanaji wake wa chakula na kuipelekea njaa na kuua watu wake na wanyama wao,
“Son of man, when a land will have sinned against me, so that it transgresses grievously, I will extend my hand over it, and I will crush the staff of its bread. And I will send a famine upon it, and I will destroy from it both man and beast.
14 hata kama watu hawa watatu: Noa, Danieli na Ayubu wangekuwa ndani ya nchi hiyo, ndio hao tu wangeweza kujiokoa wenyewe kwa uadilifu wao, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
And if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver their own souls by their justice, says the Lord of hosts.
15 “Au kama nikipeleka wanyama pori katika nchi hiyo yote na kuifanya isiwe na watoto, nayo ikawa ukiwa kwamba hakuna mtu apitaye katika nchi hiyo kwa sababu ya wanyama pori,
And if I also lead in very harmful beasts upon the land, so that I devastate it, and it becomes impassable, so that no one may cross through it because of the beasts,
16 hakika kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, hata kama watu hawa watatu wangekuwa humo ndani yake, wasingeweza kuokoa wana wao wala binti zao. Wao peke yao wangeokolewa, lakini nchi ingekuwa ukiwa.
if these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they will deliver neither sons, nor daughters. But only they themselves will be delivered, for the land shall be desolated.
17 “Au kama nikileta upanga dhidi ya nchi hiyo na kusema, ‘Upanga na upite katika nchi yote,’ nami nikiua watu wake na wanyama wao,
Or if I lead in the sword upon that land, and if I say to the sword, ‘Pass through the land,’ and so I destroy from it both man and beast,
18 hakika kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, hata kama watu hawa watatu wangekuwa humo ndani yake, wasingeweza kuokoa wana wao wala binti zao. Wao wenyewe tu wangeokolewa.
and if these three men were in its midst, as I live, says the Lord God, they will deliver neither sons, nor daughters, but only they themselves will be delivered.
19 “Au kama nikipeleka tauni katika nchi hiyo na kumwaga ghadhabu yangu juu yake kwa njia ya kumwaga damu, kuua watu wake na wanyama wao,
Then, if I also send the pestilence upon that land, and I pour out my indignation upon it with blood, so that I take away from it both man and beast,
20 hakika kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, hata kama Noa, Danieli na Ayubu wangekuwa humo ndani yake, wasingeweza kumwokoa mwana wala binti. Wao wangeweza kujiokoa wenyewe tu kwa uadilifu wao.
and if Noah, and Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live, says the Lord God, they will deliver neither son, nor daughter, but they will deliver only their own souls by their justice.
21 “Kwa maana hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Itakuwa vibaya kiasi gani nitakapopeleka dhidi ya Yerusalemu hukumu zangu nne za kutisha, yaani, upanga, njaa, wanyama pori na tauni, ili kuua watu wake na wanyama wao!
For thus says the Lord God: Even though I will send upon Jerusalem my four most grievous judgments, sword and famine and harmful beasts and pestilence, so that I destroy from it both man and beast,
22 Lakini watakuwepo wenye kuokoka, wana na binti wataletwa kutoka nje ya nchi hiyo. Watawajia ninyi, nanyi mtakapoona mwenendo wao na matendo yao, mtafarijika kuhusu maafa niliyoleta juu ya Yerusalemu, kwa ajili ya yale yote niliyoleta juu yake.
yet still there shall be left within it some who will be saved, who shall lead away their own sons and daughters. Behold, they will enter to you, and you will see their way and their accomplishments. And you shall be consoled concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, concerning all the things that I have brought to bear upon it.
23 Mtafarijika wakati mtakapoona mwenendo wao na matendo yao, kwa kuwa mtajua kwamba sikufanya lolote ndani yake bila sababu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.”
And they shall console you, when you see their ways and their accomplishments. And you shall know that I have not acted to no purpose in all that I have done within it, says the Lord God.”
