< Ezekieli 21 >
1 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2 “Mwanadamu, uelekeze uso wako juu ya Yerusalemu na uhubiri dhidi ya mahali patakatifu. Tabiri dhidi ya nchi ya Israeli
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop [thy word] toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
3 uiambie: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: Mimi niko kinyume nawe. Nitautoa upanga wangu kwenye ala yake na kumkatilia mbali mwenye haki na mwovu.
and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
4 Kwa sababu nitamkatilia mbali mwenye haki na mwovu, upanga wangu utakuwa wazi dhidi ya kila mmoja kuanzia kusini mpaka kaskazini.
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5 Ndipo watu wote watajua ya kuwa Mimi Bwana nimeutoa upanga wangu kwenye ala yake, nao hautarudi humo tena.’
and all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.
6 “Kwa hiyo lia kwa uchungu, mwanadamu! Lia kwa uchungu mbele yao kwa moyo uliopondeka na kwa huzuni nyingi.
Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes.
7 Nao watakapokuuliza, ‘Kwa nini unalia kwa uchungu?’ Utasema hivi, ‘Kwa sababu ya habari zinazokuja. Kila moyo utayeyuka na kila mkono utalegea, kila roho itazimia na kila goti litalegea kama maji.’ Habari hizo zinakuja! Hakika zitatokea, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.”
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord Jehovah.
8 Neno la Bwana likanijia, kusema:
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
9 “Mwanadamu, tabiri na useme, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: “‘Upanga, upanga, ulionolewa na kusuguliwa:
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished;
10 umenolewa kwa ajili ya mauaji, umesuguliwa ili ungʼae kama umeme wa radi! “‘Je, tuifurahie fimbo ya utawala ya mwanangu Yuda? Upanga unaidharau kila fimbo ya namna hiyo.
it is sharpened that it may make a slaughter; it is furbished that it may be as lightning: shall we then make mirth? the rod of my son, it contemneth every tree.
11 “‘Upanga umewekwa tayari ili kusuguliwa, ili upate kushikwa mkononi, umenolewa na kusuguliwa, umewekwa tayari kwa mkono wa muuaji.
And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled: the sword, it is sharpened, yea, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
12 Piga kelele na uomboleze, ee mwanadamu, kwa kuwa upanga u dhidi ya watu wangu; u dhidi ya wakuu wote wa Israeli. Wametolewa wauawe kwa upanga pamoja na watu wangu. Kwa hiyo pigapiga kifua chako.
Cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon my people, it is upon all the princes of Israel: they are delivered over to the sword with my people; smite therefore upon thy thigh.
13 “‘Kwa maana upanga huu umejaribiwa na kuhakikishwa, itakuwaje basi fimbo ya ufalme ya Yuda inayoudharau kama haitakuwepo tena, bali itakuwa imeondolewa kabisa? asema Bwana Mwenyezi.’
For there is a trial; and what if even the rod that contemneth shall be no more? saith the Lord Jehovah.
14 “Hivyo basi, mwanadamu, tabiri na ukapige makofi. Upanga wako na upige mara mbili, naam, hata mara tatu. Ni upanga wa kuchinja, upanga wa mauaji makuu, ukiwashambulia kutoka kila upande.
Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the deadly wounded: it is the sword of the great one that is deadly wounded, which entereth into their chambers.
15 Ili mioyo ipate kuyeyuka na wanaouawa wawe wengi, nimeweka upanga wa kuchinja kwenye malango yao yote. Lo! Umetengenezwa umetemete kama umeme wa radi, umeshikwa kwa ajili ya kuua.
I have set the threatening sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied: ah! it is made as lightning, it is pointed for slaughter.
16 Ee upanga, kata upande wa kuume, kisha upande wa kushoto, mahali popote makali yako yatakapoelekezwa.
Gather thee together, go to the right, set thyself in array, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
17 Mimi nami nitapiga makofi, nayo ghadhabu yangu itapungua. Mimi Bwana nimesema.”
I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my wrath to rest: I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
18 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
The word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying,
19 “Mwanadamu, weka alama njia mbili ambazo upanga wa mfalme wa Babeli utapitia, njia hizo zikianzia katika nchi hiyo hiyo. Weka kibao pale ambapo njia zinagawanyika kuelekea mjini.
Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they twain shall come forth out of one land: and mark out a place, mark it out at the head of the way to the city.
20 Weka alama njia moja kwa ajili ya upanga upate kuja dhidi ya Raba ya Waamoni na nyingine upate kuja dhidi ya Yuda na Yerusalemu iliyozungushiwa ngome.
Thou shalt appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.
21 Kwa kuwa mfalme wa Babeli sasa amesimama katika njia panda, katika makutano ya njia mbili, akipiga ramli: anapiga kura kwa kutumia mishale, anataka shauri kwa sanamu zake, anachunguza maini ya wanyama.
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows to and fro, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver.
22 Upande wake wa kuume inakuja kura ya Yerusalemu, ambapo ataweka vyombo vya kuvunjia boma, ili kuamrisha mauaji, kupiga ukelele wa vita, kuweka vyombo vya kuvunjia boma kwenye malango, kuweka jeshi kuzunguka na kufanya uzingiraji.
In his right hand was the divination [for] Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build forts.
23 Itakuwa kama kupiga ramli kwa uongo kwa wale watu ambao wameapa kumtii yeye. Lakini mfalme wa Babeli atawakumbusha juu ya uovu wao na kuwachukua mateka.
And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths unto them; but he bringeth iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
24 “Kwa hiyo hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: ‘Kwa sababu enyi watu mmekumbusha uovu wenu kwa kuasi waziwazi, mkidhihirisha dhambi zenu katika yale yote mfanyayo, kwa kuwa mmefanya jambo hili, mtachukuliwa mateka.
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
25 “‘Ee mtawala kafiri na mwovu wa Israeli, ambaye siku yako imewadia, ambaye wakati wako wa adhabu umefikia kilele chake,
And thou, O deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
26 hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Vua kilemba, ondoa taji. Kwa kuwa mambo hayatakuwa kama yalivyokuwa. Aliye mnyonge atakwezwa na aliyekwezwa atashushwa.
thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Remove the mitre, and take off the crown; this [shall be] no more the same; exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high.
27 Mahame! Mahame! Nitaufanya mji kuwa mahame! Hautajengwa upya mpaka aje yule ambaye ndiye mwenye haki nao; yeye ndiye nitakayempa.’
I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it [him].
28 “Nawe, mwanadamu, tabiri na useme, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo kuhusu Waamoni na matukano yao. “‘Upanga, upanga, umefutwa kwa ajili ya kuua, umesuguliwa ili kuangamiza na unametameta kama umeme wa radi!
And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach; and say thou, A sword, a sword is drawn, for the slaughter it is furbished, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning;
29 Wakati wakitoa maono ya uongo kwa ajili yako, wanapobashiri uongo kwa ajili yako, wanakuweka wewe kwenye shingo za watu wapotovu, wale walio waovu, wale ambao siku yao imewadia, wakati wa adhabu yao ya mwisho.
while they see for thee false visions, while they divine lies unto thee, to lay thee upon the necks of the wicked that are deadly wounded, whose day is come in the time of the iniquity of the end.
30 Urudishe upanga kwenye ala yake! Katika mahali ulipoumbiwa, katika nchi ya baba zako, huko nitakuhukumu.
Cause it to return into its sheath. In the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy birth, will I judge thee.
31 Nitamwaga ghadhabu yangu juu yako na kupuliza moto wa hasira yangu dhidi yako; nitakutia mikononi mwa watu wakatili, watu stadi katika kuangamiza.
And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee; I will blow upon thee with the fire of my wrath; and I will deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy.
32 Mtakuwa kuni za kuwashia moto, damu yenu itamwagwa katika nchi yenu, wala hamtakumbukwa tena; kwa maana Mimi Bwana nimesema.’”
Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I, Jehovah, have spoken it.