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 against Jerusalem, and drop [words] against the holy places, 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 I 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 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 then, thou son of man; with breaking of the loins, and with bitterness 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 dost thou sigh? 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 languish, and all knees shall melt into water: behold, it cometh; it is here, 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 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 for sore slaughter, it is furbished that it may glitter. Shall we then make mirth, [saying, ] The sceptre of my son contemneth all wood?
11 “‘Upanga umewekwa tayari ili kusuguliwa, ili upate kushikwa mkononi, umenolewa na kusuguliwa, umewekwa tayari kwa mkono wa muuaji.
And he hath given it to be furbished that it may be handled. The sword, — it is sharpened, and 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 howl, son of man; for it shall be against my people, it shall be against all the princes of Israel: they are given up to the sword along with my people: smite therefore upon the 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 the trial [is made]; and what if even the contemning sceptre 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.
And thou, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; for [the strokes of] the sword shall be doubled the third time: it is the sword of the slain, the sword that hath slain the great one, which encompasseth them privily.
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.
In order that the heart may melt, and the stumbling-blocks be multiplied, I have set the threatening sword against all their gates: ah! it is made glittering, it is whetted for the slaughter.
16 Ee upanga, kata upande wa kuume, kisha upande wa kushoto, mahali popote makali yako yatakapoelekezwa.
Gather up [strength], go to the right hand, turn thee, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is appointed.
17 Mimi nami nitapiga makofi, nayo ghadhabu yangu itapungua. Mimi Bwana nimesema.”
And I myself will smite my hands together, and I will satisfy my fury: I Jehovah have spoken [it].
18 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And the word of Jehovah came unto 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 thou, son of man, set thee two ways, by which the sword of the king of Babylon may come — out of one land shall they both come — and make thee a signpost, make it 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.
Appoint a way for the coming of the sword to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah at the fenced [city] of Jerusalem.
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 standeth at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shaketh [his] arrows, he inquireth of the teraphim, he looketh 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 is the lot of Jerusalem to appoint battering-rams, to open the mouth for bloodshed, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering-rams against the gates, to cast mounds, to build siege-towers.
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 this shall be a false divination in their sight, for them that have sworn oaths; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, 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 make your iniquity to be remembered in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear; because 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, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, at 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; what is shall be no [more]. 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 [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 thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus speaketh the Lord Jehovah concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach; and thou shalt say, A sword, a sword is drawn; for the slaughter is it furbished, that it may consume, that it may glitter:
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.
whilst they see vanity for thee, whilst they divine a lie unto thee, to lay thee upon the necks of the wicked that are slain, whose day is come at the time of the iniquity of the end.
30 Urudishe upanga kwenye ala yake! Katika mahali ulipoumbiwa, katika nchi ya baba zako, huko nitakuhukumu.
Restore [it] to its sheath. I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy birth.
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 the fire of my wrath, and give 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 not be remembered: for I Jehovah have spoken.
