< Ezekieli 21 >
1 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And the word of the Lord came to 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 your face toward Jerusalem, and pour in drops toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the soil 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 you shall say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, and I will cast my sword from its sheath, and I will slay the just and the impious among you.
4 Kwa sababu nitamkatilia mbali mwenye haki na mwovu, upanga wangu utakuwa wazi dhidi ya kila mmoja kuanzia kusini mpaka kaskazini.
But in as much as I have slain among you the just and the impious, for this reason my sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh, from the south even to the north.
5 Ndipo watu wote watajua ya kuwa Mimi Bwana nimeutoa upanga wangu kwenye ala yake, nao hautarudi humo tena.’
So may all flesh know that I, the Lord, have led my sword out of its sheath irrevocably.
6 “Kwa hiyo lia kwa uchungu, mwanadamu! Lia kwa uchungu mbele yao kwa moyo uliopondeka na kwa huzuni nyingi.
And as for you, son of man, groan in the breaking of your back, and groan in bitterness before them.
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 when they will say to you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say: ‘On behalf of the report, for it is approaching. And every heart will waste away, and every hand will be broken, and every spirit will be weakened, and water will flow across every knee.’ Behold, it is approaching and it will happen, says the Lord God.”
8 Neno la Bwana likanijia, kusema:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
9 “Mwanadamu, tabiri na useme, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: “‘Upanga, upanga, ulionolewa na kusuguliwa:
“Son of man, prophesy, and you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: Speak: The sword! The sword has been sharpened and polished!
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 has been sharpened, so that it may cut down victims! It has been polished, so that it may shine! You are disturbing the scepter of my son. You have cut down every tree.
11 “‘Upanga umewekwa tayari ili kusuguliwa, ili upate kushikwa mkononi, umenolewa na kusuguliwa, umewekwa tayari kwa mkono wa muuaji.
And I have sent it to be made smooth, so that it may be handled. This sword has been sharpened, and it has been polished, so that it may be in the hand of the one who kills.
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 out and wail, O son of man! For this has been done among my people, this is among all the leaders of Israel, who have fled. They have been handed over to the sword, with my people. Therefore, slap your 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 it has been tested. And this one, when he will have overthrown the scepter, will not be, says the Lord God.
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.
You therefore, O son of man, prophesy, and strike hand against hand, and let the sword be doubled, and let the sword of the slain be tripled. This is the sword of the great slaughter, which causes them to be utterly stupefied,
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.
and to waste away in heart, and which multiplies ruin. At all their gates, I have presented the consternation of the sword, which has been sharpened and polished so as to shine, which has been dressed for the slaughter.
16 Ee upanga, kata upande wa kuume, kisha upande wa kushoto, mahali popote makali yako yatakapoelekezwa.
Be sharpened! Go to the right or to the left, whichever way is the desire of your face.
17 Mimi nami nitapiga makofi, nayo ghadhabu yangu itapungua. Mimi Bwana nimesema.”
And then I will clap hand against hand, and I will fulfill my indignation. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
18 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And the word of the Lord came to me, 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.
“And as for you, son of man, set for yourself two ways, so that the sword of the king of Babylon may approach. Both shall go forth from one land. And with a hand, he will grasp and cast lots; he will cast at the head of the way of the community.
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.
You shall appoint a way, so that the sword may approach to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, or to Judah, into Jerusalem, greatly 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 fork, at the head of the two ways, seeking divination, shuffling arrows; he inquired of idols, and he consulted entrails.
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.
To his right was set the divination over Jerusalem, to place battering rams so as to open a mouth for the slaughter, to lift up the voice of wailing, to place battering rams opposite the gates, to cast up a rampart, to build fortifications.
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 he shall be, in their eyes, like someone consulting an oracle in vain, or imitating the leisure of Sabbaths. But he will call to mind iniquities, so that it will be captured.
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 says the Lord God: Because you have been remembered in your iniquities, and you have revealed your betrayals, and your sins have appeared within all your plans, because, I say, you have been remembered, you will be captured by a hand.
25 “‘Ee mtawala kafiri na mwovu wa Israeli, ambaye siku yako imewadia, ambaye wakati wako wa adhabu umefikia kilele chake,
But as for you, O impious leader of Israel, whose day has arrived that was predetermined at the time of iniquity:
26 hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Vua kilemba, ondoa taji. Kwa kuwa mambo hayatakuwa kama yalivyokuwa. Aliye mnyonge atakwezwa na aliyekwezwa atashushwa.
Thus says the Lord God: Take away the diadem, remove the crown. Is this not what has exalted the lowly one, and brought low the sublime one?
27 Mahame! Mahame! Nitaufanya mji kuwa mahame! Hautajengwa upya mpaka aje yule ambaye ndiye mwenye haki nao; yeye ndiye nitakayempa.’
Iniquity, iniquity, iniquity I will make it. And this was not done until the one arrived to whom judgment belongs, and I will hand it over to 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 as for you, son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God to the sons of Ammon, and to their disgrace, and you shall say: O sword, O sword, unsheathe yourself so as to slay; polish yourself so as to kill and to shine,
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 look upon you in vain, and they divine lies, so that you may be given over to the necks of the wounded impious, whose day has arrived that was predetermined at the time of iniquity.
30 Urudishe upanga kwenye ala yake! Katika mahali ulipoumbiwa, katika nchi ya baba zako, huko nitakuhukumu.
Be returned to your sheath! I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land of your nativity.
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 upon you my indignation. In the fire of my fury, I will fan you, and I will give you over to the hands of cruel men, who have devised destruction.
32 Mtakuwa kuni za kuwashia moto, damu yenu itamwagwa katika nchi yenu, wala hamtakumbukwa tena; kwa maana Mimi Bwana nimesema.’”
You will be food for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land; you will be delivered to oblivion. For I, the Lord, have spoken.”