Ezekieli 18
1 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 “Je, ninyi watu mna maana gani kutumia mithali hii inayohusu nchi ya Israeli: “‘Baba wamekula zabibu zenye chachu, nayo meno ya watoto yametiwa ganzi’?
“Why is it that you circulate among yourselves this parable, as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers ate a bitter grape, and the teeth of the sons have been affected.’
3 “Hakika kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, hamtatumia tena mithali hii katika Israeli.
As I live, says the Lord God, this parable shall no longer be a proverb for you in Israel.
4 Kwa kuwa kila roho ni mali yangu, kama vile ilivyo roho ya baba, vivyo hivyo roho ya mtoto ni mali yangu. Roho itendayo dhambi ndiyo itakayokufa.
Behold, all souls are mine. Just as the soul of the father is mine, so also is the soul of the son. The soul that sins, the same shall die.
5 “Mtu aweza kuwa ni mwenye haki atendaye yaliyo haki na sawa.
And if a man is just, and he accomplishes judgment and justice,
6 Hakula katika mahali pa ibada za miungu kwenye milima wala hakuziinulia macho sanamu za nyumba ya Israeli. Hakumtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake, wala hakukutana kimwili na mwanamke wakati wa siku zake za hedhi.
and if he does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and if he has not violated the wife of his neighbor, nor approached a menstruating woman,
7 Hamwonei mtu yeyote, bali hurudisha kilichowekwa rehani kwake. Hanyangʼanyi, bali huwapa wenye njaa chakula chake na huwapa nguo walio uchi.
and if he has not grieved any man, but has restored the collateral to the debtor, if he has seized nothing by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,
8 Hakopeshi kwa riba wala hajipatii faida ya ziada. Huuzuia mkono wake usifanye mabaya, naye huhukumu kwa haki kati ya mtu na mtu.
if he has not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase, if he has averted his hand from iniquity, and has executed true judgment between man and man,
9 Huzifuata amri zangu na kuzishika sheria zangu kwa uaminifu. Huyo mtu ni mwenye haki; hakika ataishi, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
if he has walked in my precepts and kept my judgments, so that he acts in accord with truth, then he is just; he shall certainly live, says the Lord God.
10 “Aweza kuwa ana mwana jeuri, amwagaye damu au atendaye mojawapo ya mambo haya
But if he raises a son who is a robber, who sheds blood, and who does any of these things,
11 (ingawa baba yake hakufanya mojawapo ya haya): “Hula katika mahali pa ibada za miungu kwenye milima. Humtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake.
(even though he himself does not do any of these things, ) and who eats upon the mountains, and who defiles the wife of his neighbor,
12 Huwaonea maskini na wahitaji. Hunyangʼanyana. Harudishi kile kilichowekwa rehani kwake. Huziinulia sanamu macho. Hufanya mambo ya machukizo.
who grieves the needy and the poor, who seizes with violence, who does not restore the collateral, and who lifts up his eyes to idols, committing abomination,
13 Hukopesha kwa riba na kutafuta faida ya ziada. Je, mtu wa namna hii ataishi? Hapana, hataishi! Kwa sababu amefanya mambo haya yote ya machukizo, hakika atauawa na damu yake itakuwa juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe.
who lends upon usury, and who takes an increase, then shall he live? He shall not live. Since he has done all these detestable things, he shall certainly die. His blood shall be upon him.
14 “Lakini yawezekana mwana huyo ana mwana aonaye dhambi hizi zote anazofanya baba yake, naye ingawa anaziona, yeye hafanyi mabaya kama haya:
But if he raises a son, who, seeing all his father’s sins that he has done, is afraid and so does not act in a way similar to him,
15 “Hakula katika mahali pa ibada za miungu kwenye milima, wala hainulii macho sanamu za nyumba ya Israeli. Hakumtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake.
who does not eat upon the mountains, nor lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and who does not violate the wife of his neighbor,
16 Hakumwonea mtu yeyote wala hakutaka rehani kwa ajili ya mkopo. Hanyangʼanyi, bali huwapa wenye njaa chakula chake na huwapa nguo walio uchi.
and who has not grieved any man, nor withheld the collateral, nor seized by violence, but instead has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,
17 Huuzuia mkono wake usitende dhambi, hakopeshi kwa riba wala hajipatii faida ya ziada. Huzishika amri zangu na kuzifuata sheria zangu. Hatakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi za baba yake; hakika ataishi.
who has averted his hand from injuring the poor, who has not taken usury and an overabundance, who has acted according to my judgments and walked in my precepts, then this one shall not die for the iniquity of his father; instead, he shall certainly live.
18 Lakini baba yake atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake mwenyewe, kwa sababu alitoza bei isiyo halali kwa nguvu, akamnyangʼanya ndugu yake na kufanya yaliyo mabaya miongoni mwa watu wake.
As for his father, because he oppressed and did violence to his brother, and worked evil in the midst of his people, behold, he has died by his own iniquity.
19 “Lakini mnauliza, ‘Kwa nini mwana asiadhibiwe kwa uovu wa baba yake?’ Kwa vile mwana ametenda yaliyo haki na sawa na amekuwa mwangalifu kuzishika amri zangu zote, hakika ataishi.
And you say, ‘Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father?’ Clearly, since the son has worked judgment and justice, has observed all my precepts, and has done them, he shall certainly live.
20 Roho itendayo dhambi ndiyo itakayokufa. Mwana hataadhibiwa kwa ajili ya makosa ya baba yake, wala baba hataadhibiwa kwa ajili ya makosa ya mwanawe. Haki ya mtu mwenye haki itahesabiwa juu yake na uovu wa mtu mwovu utalipizwa juu yake.
The soul that sins, the same shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The justice of the just man shall be upon himself, but the impiety of the impious man shall be upon himself.
21 “Lakini mtu mwovu akiacha dhambi zake zote alizozitenda na kushika amri zangu zote na kufanya lililo haki na sawa, hakika ataishi, hatakufa.
But if the impious man does penance for all his sins which he has committed, and if he keeps all my precepts, and accomplishes judgment and justice, then he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.
22 Hakuna kosa lolote alilotenda litakalokumbukwa juu yake. Kwa ajili ya mambo ya haki aliyoyatenda, ataishi.
I will not remember all his iniquities, which he has worked; by his justice, which he has worked, he shall live.
23 Je, mimi ninafurahia kifo cha mtu mwovu? Asema Bwana Mwenyezi. Je, si mimi ninafurahi wanapogeuka kutoka njia zao mbaya na kuishi?
How could it be my will that an impious man should die, says the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?
24 “Lakini kama mtu mwenye haki akiacha haki yake na kutenda dhambi na kufanya mambo ya machukizo ambayo mtu mwovu hufanya, Je, ataishi? Hakuna hata mojawapo ya matendo ya haki aliyotenda litakalokumbukwa. Kwa sababu ya kukosa uaminifu kwake anayo hatia na kwa sababu ya dhambi alizozitenda, atakufa.
But if a just man turns himself away from his justice, and does iniquity in accord with all the abominations that the impious man so often does, why should he live? All his justices, which he has accomplished, shall not be remembered. By the transgression, in which he has transgressed, and by his sin, in which he has sinned, by these he shall die.
25 “Lakini mnasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si ya haki.’ Sikia, ee nyumba ya Israeli: Njia yangu siyo iliyo ya haki? Je, si njia zenu ndizo ambazo si za haki?
And you have said, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Therefore, listen, O house of Israel. How could it be that my way is not fair? And is it not instead your ways that are perverse?
26 Kama mtu mwenye haki akiacha haki yake na kutenda dhambi, atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, kwa sababu ya dhambi alizotenda, atakufa.
For when the just man turns himself away from his justice, and commits iniquity, he shall die by this; by the injustice that he has worked, he shall die.
27 Lakini mtu mwovu akigeuka kutoka maovu aliyoyatenda na kufanya yaliyo haki na sawa, ataokoa maisha yake.
And when the impious man turns himself away from his impiety, which he has done, and accomplishes judgment and justice, he shall cause his own soul to live.
28 Kwa kuwa anayafikiria na kugeuka kutoka makosa yake yote aliyoyatenda na kuyaacha, hakika ataishi, hatakufa.
For by considering and turning himself away from all his iniquities, which he has worked, he shall certainly live, and he shall not die.
29 Lakini nyumba ya Israeli inasema, ‘Njia za Bwana si haki.’ Je, njia zangu si za haki, ee nyumba ya Israeli? Je, si njia zenu ndizo ambazo si za haki?”
And yet the sons of Israel say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ How could it be that my ways are not fair, O house of Israel? And is it not instead your ways that are perverse?
30 “Kwa hiyo, ee nyumba ya Israeli, nitawahukumu, kila mmoja sawasawa na njia zake, asema Bwana Mwenyezi. Tubuni! Geukeni kutoka makosa yenu yote, ndipo dhambi haitakuwa anguko lenu.
Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge each one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities, and then iniquity will not be your ruin.
31 Tupilieni mbali makosa yenu yote mliyoyatenda, nanyi mpate moyo mpya na roho mpya. Kwa nini mfe, ee nyumba ya Israeli?
Cast all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, away from you, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. And then why should you die, O house of Israel?
32 Kwa maana sifurahii kifo cha mtu awaye yote afaye katika uovu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi. Tubuni basi, mkaishi!
For I do not desire the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. So return and live.”
