Ezekieli 3
1 Naye akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, kula kile kilichoko mbele yako, kula huu ukurasa wa kitabu, kisha uende ukaseme na nyumba ya Israeli.”
And he said unto me, Son of man, eat what thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel.
2 Ndipo nikafungua kinywa changu, naye akanilisha ule ukurasa wa kitabu.
So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
3 Ndipo akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, kula ukurasa huu wa kitabu ninaokupa ujaze tumbo lako.” Kwa hiyo nikaula, ulikuwa mtamu kama asali kinywani mwangu.
And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll which I give thee. And I ate, and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
4 Kisha akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, sasa nenda katika nyumba ya Israeli ukaseme nao maneno yangu.
And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
5 Hukutumwa kwa taifa lenye maneno ya kutatiza na lugha ngumu, bali kwa nyumba ya Israeli.
For thou art not sent to a people of strange language, and of difficult speech, [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 many peoples of strange language and of difficult speech, whose words thou canst not understand: had I sent thee to them, would they not hearken unto thee?
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 not hearken unto thee, for none of them will hearken unto me. For all the house of Israel are hard of forehead and stiff of heart.
8 Tazama nimefanya uso wako mgumu dhidi ya nyuso zao na kipaji cha uso wako kigumu dhidi ya vipaji vya nyuso zao.
Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads.
9 Kama vile almasi ilivyo ngumu kuliko gumegume, ndivyo nilivyokifanya kipaji cha uso wako. Usiwaogope wala usiwahofu, ijapokuwa ni nyumba ya kuasi.”
As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead. Fear them not, neither be dismayed at them, for they are a rebellious house.
10 Naye akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, sikiliza kwa makini na uyatie moyoni mwako maneno yote nitakayosema nawe.
And he said unto me, Son of man, all my words which I shall speak unto thee, receive in thy heart, and hear with thine ears;
11 Kisha nenda kwa watu wa taifa lako walio uhamishoni, ukaseme nao. Waambie, ‘Hivi ndivyo Bwana Mwenyezi asemavyo,’ kwamba watasikiliza au hawatasikiliza.”
and go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, — whether they will hear or whether they will forbear.
12 Ndipo Roho akaniinua, nikasikia sauti kubwa nyuma yangu ya ngurumo. (Utukufu wa Bwana na utukuzwe katika mahali pa makao yake!)
And the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound of a great rushing, [saying, ] Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from his place!
13 Ilikuwa ni sauti ya mabawa ya wale viumbe hai yakisuguana moja kwa jingine, sauti kama ya ngurumo.
— and the sound of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great rushing.
14 Ndipo Roho aliponiinua na kunipeleka mbali. Nikaenda nikiwa na uchungu na hasira moyoni mwangu, nao mkono wa Bwana ukiwa juu yangu.
And the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Jehovah was strong 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.
And I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river Chebar, and I sat where they sat; and I sat there astonied among them seven days.
16 Mwishoni mwa hizo siku saba neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of Jehovah came unto 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 appointed thee a watchman unto the house of Israel, and thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and give them 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.
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt certainly die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, that he may live: the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
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 thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
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.
And when a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and do what is wrong, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die; because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous acts which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
21 Lakini ukimwonya mwenye haki asitende dhambi na akaacha kutenda dhambi, hakika ataishi kwa sababu alipokea maonyo na utakuwa umejiokoa nafsi yako.”
And if thou warn the righteous [man], that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall certainly live, for he hath taken warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.
22 Mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa juu yangu huko, naye akaniambia, “Simama uende mpaka sehemu tambarare, nami nitasema nawe huko.”
And the hand of Jehovah was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the valley, and there I will talk with thee.
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.
And I arose, and went forth into the valley, and behold, the glory of Jehovah stood there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face.
24 Ndipo Roho akaja ndani yangu akanisimamisha kwa miguu yangu. Akasema nami akaniambia: “Nenda ukajifungie ndani ya nyumba yako.
And the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and he spoke with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thy house.
25 Nawe, ee mwanadamu, watakufunga kwa kamba, watakufunga ili usiweze kutoka na kuwaendea watu.
And thou, son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee therewith, and thou shalt not go out among them.
26 Nitaufanya ulimi wako ushikamane kwenye kaa la kinywa chako, ili uwe kimya usiweze kuwakemea, wajapokuwa ni nyumba ya kuasi.
And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover; for 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.
And when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
