Ezekieli 14
1 Baadhi ya wazee wa Israeli walinijia na kuketi mbele yangu.
Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
2 Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
Then the word of Yahweh 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 taken their idols into their hearts and have put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their own faces. Should I be inquired of at all by them?
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.
Therefore announce this to them and say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart, or who puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and who then comes to a prophet—I, Yahweh, will answer him according to the number of his idols.
5 Nitafanya jambo hili ili kukamata tena mioyo ya watu wa Israeli, ambao wote wameniacha kwa ajili ya sanamu zao.’
I will do this so that I may take back the house of Israel in their hearts that have been driven far from me through 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!
Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Repent and turn away from your idols! Turn back your faces 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 every one from the house of Israel and every one of the foreigners staying in Israel who deserts me, who takes his idols into his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his own face, and who then comes to a prophet to seek me—I, Yahweh, will answer him 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.
So I will set my face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, for I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and you will know that I am Yahweh.
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.
If a prophet is deceived and speaks a message, then I, Yahweh, will deceive that prophet; I will reach out with my hand against him and destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 Watachukua hatia yao, nabii atakuwa na hatia sawa na yule mtu aliyekuja kuuliza neno kwake.
They will carry their own iniquity; the iniquity of the prophet will be the same as the iniquity of the one who inquires from him.
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.’”
Because of this, the house of Israel will no longer wander away from following me nor defile themselves any longer through all their transgressions. They will be my people, and I will be their God—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”
12 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema,
Then the word of Yahweh 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 sins against me by committing a sin so that I reach out with my hand against it and break the staff of its bread, and send out over it a famine and cut off both man and beast from the land;
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.
then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in the land's midst, they could only rescue their own lives by their righteousness—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.
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,
If I send evil beasts through the land and make it barren so that it becomes a wasteland where no man may pass through 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.
then even if these same three men were in it—as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh—they would not be able to rescue even their own sons or daughters; only their own lives would be rescued, but the land would become a wasteland.
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 bring a sword against that land and say, 'Sword, go through the land and cut off both man and beast from it',
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.
then even if these three men were in the midst of the land—as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh—they would not be able to rescue even their own sons or daughters; only their own lives would be rescued.
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,
Or if I send a plague against this land and pour out my fury against it through bloodshed, in order to cut off 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.
then even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that land—as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh—they would not be able to rescue even their own sons or daughters; only their own lives would be rescued by their righteousness.
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 the Lord Yahweh says this: I will certainly make things worse by sending my four punishments—famine, sword, wild animals, and plague—against Jerusalem to cut off both man and beast from her.
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, behold! A remnant will be left in her, survivors who will go out with sons and daughters. Behold! They will go out to you, and you will see their ways and actions and be comforted concerning the punishment that I have sent to Jerusalem, and about everything else that I have sent against the land.
23 Mtafarijika wakati mtakapoona mwenendo wao na matendo yao, kwa kuwa mtajua kwamba sikufanya lolote ndani yake bila sababu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.”
The survivors will comfort you when you see their ways and their actions, so you will know all these things I have done against her, that I have not done them in vain!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”
