Ezekieli 3
1 Naye akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, kula kile kilichoko mbele yako, kula huu ukurasa wa kitabu, kisha uende ukaseme na nyumba ya Israeli.”
He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to 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 the scroll.
3 Ndipo akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, kula ukurasa huu wa kitabu ninaokupa ujaze tumbo lako.” Kwa hiyo nikaula, ulikuwa mtamu kama asali kinywani mwangu.
He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your belly and your bowels with it.” Then I ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 Kisha akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, sasa nenda katika nyumba ya Israeli ukaseme nao maneno yangu.
He said to me, “Son of man, go 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 sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard 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 many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words you can’t understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen 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 not listen to you, for they will not listen to me; for all the house of Israel are obstinate 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 have made your face hard against their faces, and your 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.”
I have made your forehead as a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”
10 Naye akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, sikiliza kwa makini na uyatie moyoni mwako maneno yote nitakayosema nawe.
Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you.
11 Kisha nenda kwa watu wa taifa lako walio uhamishoni, ukaseme nao. Waambie, ‘Hivi ndivyo Bwana Mwenyezi asemavyo,’ kwamba watasikiliza au hawatasikiliza.”
Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.”
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 behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, “Blessed be the LORD’s glory from his place.”
13 Ilikuwa ni sauti ya mabawa ya wale viumbe hai yakisuguana moja kwa jingine, sauti kama ya ngurumo.
I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise 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.
So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the LORD’s hand was strong on 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.
Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv who lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.
16 Mwishoni mwa hizo siku saba neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
At the end of seven days, the LORD’s word 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 to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and warn them 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 tell the wicked, ‘You will surely die;’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your 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.
Yet if you warn the wicked, and he doesn’t turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your 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.
“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he will die. Because you have not given him warning, he will die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered; but I will require his blood at your hand.
21 Lakini ukimwonya mwenye haki asitende dhambi na akaacha kutenda dhambi, hakika ataishi kwa sababu alipokea maonyo na utakuwa umejiokoa nafsi yako.”
Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous not sin, and he does not sin, he will surely live, because he took warning; and you have delivered your soul.”
22 Mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa juu yangu huko, naye akaniambia, “Simama uende mpaka sehemu tambarare, nami nitasema nawe huko.”
The LORD’s hand was there on me; and he said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and I will talk with you there.”
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.
Then I arose, and went out into the plain, and behold, the LORD’s glory stood there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar. Then I fell on my face.
24 Ndipo Roho akaja ndani yangu akanisimamisha kwa miguu yangu. Akasema nami akaniambia: “Nenda ukajifungie ndani ya nyumba yako.
Then the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet. He spoke with me, and said to me, “Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25 Nawe, ee mwanadamu, watakufunga kwa kamba, watakufunga ili usiweze kutoka na kuwaendea watu.
But you, son of man, behold, they will put ropes on you, and will bind you with them, and you will 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.
I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and will not be able to correct them, 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.
But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.”
