Ezekieli 3
1 Naye akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, kula kile kilichoko mbele yako, kula huu ukurasa wa kitabu, kisha uende ukaseme na nyumba ya Israeli.”
“Son of man,” He said to me, “eat what you find here. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel.”
2 Ndipo nikafungua kinywa changu, naye akanilisha ule ukurasa wa kitabu.
So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll.
3 Ndipo akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, kula ukurasa huu wa kitabu ninaokupa ujaze tumbo lako.” Kwa hiyo nikaula, ulikuwa mtamu kama asali kinywani mwangu.
“Son of man,” He said to me, “eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you.” So I ate, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 Kisha akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, sasa nenda katika nyumba ya Israeli ukaseme nao maneno yangu.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak My words to them.
5 Hukutumwa kwa taifa lenye maneno ya kutatiza na lugha ngumu, bali kwa nyumba ya Israeli.
For you are not being sent to a people of unfamiliar speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel—
6 Sikukutuma kwa mataifa mengi yenye maneno ya kutatiza na lugha ngumu ambao maneno yao hutayaelewa. Hakika ningekutuma kwa watu hao, wangekusikiliza.
not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
7 Lakini nyumba ya Israeli haitakusikiliza kwa kuwa hawako radhi kunisikiliza mimi, kwa kuwa nyumba yote ya Israeli ni wenye vipaji vya nyuso vigumu na mioyo ya ukaidi.
But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.
8 Tazama nimefanya uso wako mgumu dhidi ya nyuso zao na kipaji cha uso wako kigumu dhidi ya vipaji vya nyuso zao.
Behold, I will make your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
9 Kama vile almasi ilivyo ngumu kuliko gumegume, ndivyo nilivyokifanya kipaji cha uso wako. Usiwaogope wala usiwahofu, ijapokuwa ni nyumba ya kuasi.”
I will make your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or dismayed at their presence, even though they are a rebellious house.”
10 Naye akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, sikiliza kwa makini na uyatie moyoni mwako maneno yote nitakayosema nawe.
“Son of man,” He added, “listen carefully to all the words I speak to you, and take them to heart.
11 Kisha nenda kwa watu wa taifa lako walio uhamishoni, ukaseme nao. Waambie, ‘Hivi ndivyo Bwana Mwenyezi asemavyo,’ kwamba watasikiliza au hawatasikiliza.”
Go to your people, the exiles; speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”
12 Ndipo Roho akaniinua, nikasikia sauti kubwa nyuma yangu ya ngurumo. (Utukufu wa Bwana na utukuzwe katika mahali pa makao yake!)
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me: ‘Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His dwelling place!’
13 Ilikuwa ni sauti ya mabawa ya wale viumbe hai yakisuguana moja kwa jingine, sauti kama ya ngurumo.
It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, a great rumbling sound.
14 Ndipo Roho aliponiinua na kunipeleka mbali. Nikaenda nikiwa na uchungu na hasira moyoni mwangu, nao mkono wa Bwana ukiwa juu yangu.
So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
15 Nikafika kwa wale watu waliokuwa uhamishoni huko Tel-Abibu karibu na Mto Kebari. Nikakaa miongoni mwao kwa muda wa siku saba, nikiwa nimejawa na mshangao.
I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who dwelt by the River Kebar. And for seven days I sat where they sat and remained there among them, overwhelmed.
16 Mwishoni mwa hizo siku saba neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
17 “Mwanadamu, nimekufanya uwe mlinzi wa nyumba ya Israeli, kwa hiyo sikia neno nisemalo, ukawape onyo litokalo kwangu.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
18 Nimwambiapo mtu mwovu, ‘Hakika utakufa,’ na wewe usipomwonya mtu huyo au kumshauri aache njia zake mbaya ili kuokoa maisha yake, huyo mtu mwovu atakufa katika dhambi yake na damu yake nitaidai mkononi mwako.
If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood.
19 Lakini ukimwonya mtu mwovu naye akakataa kuacha uovu wake na njia zake mbaya, atakufa katika dhambi yake, lakini wewe utakuwa umejiokoa nafsi yako.
But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.
20 “Tena, mtu mwenye haki akiacha haki yake na kutenda maovu, nami nikaweka kikwazo mbele yake mtu huyo atakufa. Kwa kuwa hukumwonya, atakufa katika dhambi yake. Mambo ya haki aliyotenda, hayatakumbukwa, damu yake nitaidai mkononi mwako.
Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood.
21 Lakini ukimwonya mwenye haki asitende dhambi na akaacha kutenda dhambi, hakika ataishi kwa sababu alipokea maonyo na utakuwa umejiokoa nafsi yako.”
But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
22 Mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa juu yangu huko, naye akaniambia, “Simama uende mpaka sehemu tambarare, nami nitasema nawe huko.”
And there the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.”
23 Kwa hiyo niliinuka nikaenda mpaka mahali pa tambarare. Utukufu wa Bwana ulikuwa umesimama huko, kama utukufu ule niliouona kando ya Mto Kebari, nami nikaanguka kifudifudi.
So I got up and went out to the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD was present there, like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar, and I fell facedown.
24 Ndipo Roho akaja ndani yangu akanisimamisha kwa miguu yangu. Akasema nami akaniambia: “Nenda ukajifungie ndani ya nyumba yako.
Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet. He spoke with me and said, “Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25 Nawe, ee mwanadamu, watakufunga kwa kamba, watakufunga ili usiweze kutoka na kuwaendea watu.
And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes, and you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people.
26 Nitaufanya ulimi wako ushikamane kwenye kaa la kinywa chako, ili uwe kimya usiweze kuwakemea, wajapokuwa ni nyumba ya kuasi.
I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house.
27 Lakini nitakaposema nawe, nitafungua kinywa chako nawe utawaambia, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo.’ Yeyote atakayesikiliza na asikilize, na yeyote atakayekataa na akatae; kwa kuwa wao ni nyumba ya kuasi.
But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.
