Ezekieli 18
1 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And there is a word of YHWH 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’?
“What [is it] to you [that] you are using this allegory Concerning the ground of Israel, saying, Fathers eat unripe fruit, And the sons’ teeth are blunted?
3 “Hakika kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, hamtatumia tena mithali hii katika Israeli.
[As] I live,” a declaration of Lord YHWH, “You no longer have the use of this allegory 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 the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son—they are Mine, The soul that is sinning—it dies.
5 “Mtu aweza kuwa ni mwenye haki atendaye yaliyo haki na sawa.
And a man, when he is righteous, And has done judgment and righteousness,
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.
He has not eaten on the mountains, And has not lifted up his eyes To idols of the house of Israel, And did not defile his neighbor’s wife, And did not come near to a separated woman,
7 Hamwonei mtu yeyote, bali hurudisha kilichowekwa rehani kwake. Hanyangʼanyi, bali huwapa wenye njaa chakula chake na huwapa nguo walio uchi.
He does not oppress a man, He returns his pledge to the debtor, He does not take away plunder, He gives his bread to the hungry, And covers 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.
He does not give in usury, and does not take increase, He turns back his hand from perversity, He does 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.
He walks in My statutes, And he has kept My judgments—to deal truly, He [is] righteous—he surely lives,” A declaration of Lord YHWH.
10 “Aweza kuwa ana mwana jeuri, amwagaye damu au atendaye mojawapo ya mambo haya
“And he has begotten a son, A burglar—a shedder of blood, And he has made a brother of one of these,
11 (ingawa baba yake hakufanya mojawapo ya haya): “Hula katika mahali pa ibada za miungu kwenye milima. Humtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake.
And he has not done all those, For he has even eaten on the mountains, And he has defiled his neighbor’s wife,
12 Huwaonea maskini na wahitaji. Hunyangʼanyana. Harudishi kile kilichowekwa rehani kwake. Huziinulia sanamu macho. Hufanya mambo ya machukizo.
He has oppressed the afflicted and needy, He has taken away plunder violently, He does not return a pledge, And he has lifted up his eyes to the idols, He has done 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.
He has given in usury, and taken increase, And he lives? He does not live, He has done all these abominations, He surely dies, his blood is on him.
14 “Lakini yawezekana mwana huyo ana mwana aonaye dhambi hizi zote anazofanya baba yake, naye ingawa anaziona, yeye hafanyi mabaya kama haya:
And—behold, he has begotten a son, And he sees all the sins of his father, That he has done, and he fears, And does not do like them,
15 “Hakula katika mahali pa ibada za miungu kwenye milima, wala hainulii macho sanamu za nyumba ya Israeli. Hakumtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake.
He has not eaten on the mountains, And he has not lifted up his eyes To idols of the house of Israel, He has not defiled his neighbor’s wife,
16 Hakumwonea mtu yeyote wala hakutaka rehani kwa ajili ya mkopo. Hanyangʼanyi, bali huwapa wenye njaa chakula chake na huwapa nguo walio uchi.
He has not oppressed a man, He has not bound a pledge, And he has not taken away plunder, He has given his bread to the hungry, And he 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.
He has turned back his hand from the afflicted, He has not taken usury and increase, He has done My judgments, He has walked in My statutes, He does not die for the iniquity of his father, He surely lives.
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.
His father—because he used oppression, Violently plundered a brother, And did that which [is] not good in the midst of his people, And behold, he is dying in his 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 have said, Why has the son not borne of the iniquity of the father? And the son has done judgment and righteousness, He has kept all My statutes, And he does them, he surely lives.
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—it dies. A son does not bear of the iniquity of the father, And a father does not bear of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous is on him, And the wickedness of the wicked is on him.
21 “Lakini mtu mwovu akiacha dhambi zake zote alizozitenda na kushika amri zangu zote na kufanya lililo haki na sawa, hakika ataishi, hatakufa.
And the wicked—when he turns back From all his sins that he has done, And he has kept all My statutes, And has done judgment and righteousness, He surely lives, he does not die.
22 Hakuna kosa lolote alilotenda litakalokumbukwa juu yake. Kwa ajili ya mambo ya haki aliyoyatenda, ataishi.
All his transgressions that he has done Are not remembered to him, In his righteousness that he has done he lives.
23 Je, mimi ninafurahia kifo cha mtu mwovu? Asema Bwana Mwenyezi. Je, si mimi ninafurahi wanapogeuka kutoka njia zao mbaya na kuishi?
Do I take pleasure [or] delight in the death of the wicked?” A declaration of Lord YHWH, “Is it not in his turning back from his way—And he has lived?
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.
And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he has done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked has done, Does he then live? All his righteous deeds that he has done are not remembered, For his trespass that he has trespassed, And for his sin that he has sinned, For them he dies.
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 pondered. Now hear, O house of Israel, My way—is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?
26 Kama mtu mwenye haki akiacha haki yake na kutenda dhambi, atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, kwa sababu ya dhambi alizotenda, atakufa.
In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he has done perversity, And he is dying by them, He dies for his perversity that he has done.
27 Lakini mtu mwovu akigeuka kutoka maovu aliyoyatenda na kufanya yaliyo haki na sawa, ataokoa maisha yake.
And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he has done, And he does judgment and righteousness, He keeps his soul alive.
28 Kwa kuwa anayafikiria na kugeuka kutoka makosa yake yote aliyoyatenda na kuyaacha, hakika ataishi, hatakufa.
And he sees and turns back, From all his transgressions that he has done, He surely lives, he does 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 the house of Israel has said, The way of the Lord is not pondered, My ways—are they not pondered? O house of Israel—are not your ways unpondered?
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, I judge each according to his ways, O house of Israel,” A declaration of Lord YHWH, “Turn back, indeed, turn yourselves back, From all your transgressions, And iniquity is not for a stumbling-block to you,
31 Tupilieni mbali makosa yenu yote mliyoyatenda, nanyi mpate moyo mpya na roho mpya. Kwa nini mfe, ee nyumba ya Israeli?
Cast away all your transgressions from over you, By which you have transgressed, And make a new heart and a new spirit for yourselves, And why do 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 have no pleasure in the death of the dying,” A declaration of Lord YHWH, “Therefore turn back and live!”
