Ezekieli 14
1 Baadhi ya wazee wa Israeli walinijia na kuketi mbele yangu.
Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat 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 set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face: 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 speak to them, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
5 Nitafanya jambo hili ili kukamata tena mioyo ya watu wa Israeli, ambao wote wameniacha kwa ajili ya sanamu zao.’
That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged 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, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn [yourselves] from your idols; and turn away 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 of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, who separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by 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 will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye 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 if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will 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.
And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh [to 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.’”
That the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.
12 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema,
The word of the LORD came again 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 the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out my hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
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.
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver their own souls only by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
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 cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they lay it waste, so that it be desolate, that 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.
[Though] these three men [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
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 upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off 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.
Though these three men [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
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 pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it 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.
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall deliver their own souls only 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 thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four severe judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it 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 behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, [both] sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth to you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, [even] concerning all that I have brought 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 comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.
