Ezekieli 33
1 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:
2 “Mwanadamu, sema na watu wako uwaambie, ‘Nitakapoleta upanga dhidi ya nchi, nao watu wa nchi wakamchagua mmoja wa watu wao na kumfanya awe mlinzi wao,
Son of man Speak unto the sons of thy people and thou shalt say unto them, A land—when I bring upon it a sword, And the people of the land shall take one man out of their whole number, and appoint him for them, as watchman;
3 naye auonapo upanga unakuja dhidi ya nchi na kupiga tarumbeta kuonya watu,
And he shall see the sword coming upon the land, —and shall blow with the horn and warn the people
4 kama mtu yeyote asikiapo sauti ya tarumbeta hakukubali kuonywa, basi upanga ujapo na kuutoa uhai wake, damu yake itakuwa juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe.
Then as for him who really heard the sound of the horn and took not warning, The sword indeed hath come and taken him away, — His blood, upon his own head shall remain: —
5 Kwa kuwa alisikia sauti ya tarumbeta lakini hakukubali maonyo, damu yake itakuwa juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe. Kama angekubali maonyo, angelijiokoa mwenyewe.
The sound of the horn, he heard, but took not warning, His blood, upon himself shall remain, — Whereas had he taken warning, his own soul, he should have delivered.
6 Lakini kama mlinzi akiona upanga unakuja na asipige tarumbeta kuonya watu na upanga ukija na kutoa uhai wa mmoja wao, yule mtu ataondolewa kwa sababu ya dhambi yake, lakini damu yake nitaitaka mkononi mwa mlinzi huyo.’
But as for the watchman-When he seeth the sword coming. And hath not blown with the horn. And the people, have not been warned, And the sword, hath come and taken away from among them any person he, for his iniquity, hath been taken away, But his blood at the hand of the watchman will I require.
7 “Mwanadamu, nimekufanya wewe kuwa mlinzi kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Israeli, kwa hiyo sikia neno nisemalo na uwape maonyo kutoka kwangu.
Thou therefore Son of man, A watchman, have I appointed thee, to the house of Israel, So then thou shalt hear at my mouth a message, and shalt warn them from me.
8 Nimwambiapo mtu mwovu, ‘Ewe mtu mwovu, hakika utakufa,’ nawe hukusema neno la kumwonya ili atoke katika njia zake, yule mtu mwovu atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, mimi nitaitaka damu yake mkononi mwako.
When I say to the lawless man O lawless man thou shalt surely die, And thou have not spoken to warn the lawless man from his way He the lawless man for his iniquity shall die, But his blood- at thy hand- will I demand.
9 Lakini kama utamwonya huyo mtu mwovu aache njia zake mbaya naye hafanyi hivyo, atakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake, lakini utakuwa umejiokoa mwenyewe.
But as for thyself When thou hast warned a lawless man from his way, to turn therefrom, And he hath not turned from his way He, for his own iniquity shall die, But thou hast delivered thine own life,
10 “Mwanadamu, sema na nyumba ya Israeli uwaambie, ‘Hili ndilo mnalosema: “Makosa yetu na dhambi zetu zimetulemea, nasi tunadhoofika kwa sababu ya hayo. Tutawezaje basi kuishi?”’
Thou, therefore, Son of man, Say unto the house of Israel, Thus, have ye spoken saying: When our transgressions and our sins are upon us, —and for them, we are melting away How then can we live?
11 Waambie, ‘Hakika kama mimi niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, sifurahii kifo cha watu waovu, bali kwamba wageuke kutoka njia zao mbaya wapate kuishi. Geukeni! Geukeni kutoka njia zenu mbaya! Kwa nini mkafe, ee nyumba ya Israeli?’
Say unto them, As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely, I can take no pleasure in the death of the lawless man, But that the lawless man turn from his way, and live, - Turn ye, turn ye, from your wicked ways, For wherefore should ye die. O house of Israel?
12 “Kwa hiyo, mwanadamu, waambie watu wako, ‘Haki ya mtu mwenye haki haitamwokoa wakati anapoacha kutii, wala uovu wa mtu mwovu hautamsababisha yeye kuanguka anapotubu na kuacha uovu. Mtu mwenye haki, kama akitenda dhambi, hataishi kwa sababu ya uadilifu wake wa awali.’
Thou, therefore, Son of man Say unto the sons of thy people— The righteousness of the righteous man, shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression, And as for the lawlessness of the lawless man, He shall not stumble thereby, in the day of his return from his lawlessness, - Nor shall the righteous man be able to live thereby, in the day of his sin.
13 Kama nikimwambia mtu mwenye haki kwamba hakika utaishi, lakini akategemea hiyo haki yake na kutenda uovu, hakuna tendo lolote la haki alilotenda litakalokumbukwa, atakufa kwa ajili ya uovu alioutenda.
When I say of the righteous man He shall surely live but he hath trusted in his righteousness and committed perversity None of his righteous deeds shall be mentioned, But by his perversity which he hath committed—thereby, shall he die.
14 Nami kama nikimwambia mtu mwovu, ‘Hakika utakufa,’ kisha akageuka kutoka dhambi yake na kufanya lile lililo haki na sawa,
And when I say to the lawless man Thou shalt surely die, but he shall turn from his sin, and do justice and righteousness:
15 kama akirudisha kile alichochukua rehani kwa ajili ya deni, akarudisha alichoiba na kufuata amri zile ziletazo uzima, wala hafanyi uovu, hakika ataishi, hatakufa.
The debt-pledge, the lawless man shall restore Plunder, shall pay back, In the statutes of life, hath walked, so as not to commit perversity. He shall surely live he shall not die: —
16 Hakuna dhambi yoyote aliyoitenda itakayokumbukwa juu yake. Ametenda lile lililo haki na sawa, hakika ataishi.
None of his sins which he hath committed shall be called to mind against him, — Justice and righteousness, hath he done He shall surely live.
17 “Lakini watu wako wanasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si sawa.’ Lakini ni njia zao ambazo si sawa.
And can the sons of thy people say, The way of The Lord will not be equal? Nay! but as for them, their way will not be equal!
18 Kama mtu mwenye haki akigeuka kutoka uadilifu wake na kufanya uovu, atakufa kwa ajili ya huo uovu.
When the righteous man shall turn from his righteousness and commit perversity Then shall he die for them;
19 Naye mtu mwovu kama akigeuka kutoka uovu wake na kufanya lile lililo haki na sawa, kwa kufanya hivyo ataishi.
But when the lawless man shall turn from his lawlessness, and do justice and righteousness Upon them, shall he live.
20 Lakini, ee nyumba ya Israeli, unasema, ‘Njia ya Bwana si sawa.’ Lakini nitamhukumu kila mmoja wenu sawasawa na njia zake mwenyewe.”
And can ye then say, The way of The Lord will not be equal? Every man—according to his own ways so will I judge you O house of Israel?
21 Mwaka wa kumi na mbili wa uhamisho wetu, mwezi wa kumi, siku ya tano, mtu aliyekuwa ametoroka kutoka Yerusalemu akanijia na kusema, “Mji wa Yerusalemu umeanguka!”
And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the tenth month on the fifth of the month of our exile, that there came unto me one that had escaped out of Jerusalem saying. Smitten is the city!
22 Basi jioni kabla mtu huyo hajaja, mkono wa Bwana, ulikuwa juu yangu, naye alifungua kinywa changu kabla ya mtu yule aliyenijia asubuhi hajafika. Basi kinywa changu kilifunguliwa na sikuweza tena kunyamaza.
Now the hand of Yahweh, had come unto me in the evening, before the coming of him who had escaped, and he had opened my mouth, by the time that he came to me in the morning, —so my mouth, was opened, and I was dumb no longer.
23 Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
Then came the word of Yahweh unto me saying:
24 “Mwanadamu, watu wanaoishi katika magofu hayo katika nchi ya Israeli wanasema hivi, ‘Abrahamu alikuwa mtu mmoja tu, hata hivyo akaimiliki nchi. Lakini sisi ni wengi, hakika tumepewa nchi kuwa milki yetu.’
Son of man These inhabitants of waste places on the soil of Israel are saying thus, One, was Abraham. Yet he inherited the land, - But, we, are many, To us, is the land given as an inheritance.
25 Kwa hiyo waambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Kwa kuwa mnakula nyama pamoja na damu na kuinulia sanamu zenu macho na kumwaga damu, je, mtaimiliki nchi?
Wherefore say unto them Thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh. -With the blood, ye do eat. And your eyes, ye do lift up unto your manufactured gods. And blood, ye do shed; And the land, shall ye inherit?
26 Mnategemea panga zenu, mnafanya mambo ya machukizo na kila mmoja wenu humtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake. Je, mtaimiliki nchi?’
Ye men have taken your stand by your sword. Ye women have wrought abomination, And every man—with the wife of his neighbour, have ye defiled yourselves; And the land, shall ye inherit?
27 “Waambie hivi: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Hakika kama niishivyo, wale waliobaki katika magofu wataanguka kwa upanga, wale walio nje mashambani nitawatoa wararuliwe na wanyama pori, nao wale walio katika ngome na kwenye mapango watakufa kwa tauni.
Thus shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, As I live, surely, they who are in the waste places by the sword, shall fall, And him who is on the face of the field to the wild beast, have I given to be devoured, - And they who are in the mountain holds and in the pits: by pestilence, shall die;
28 Nitaifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa na utupu na kiburi cha nguvu zake zitafikia mwisho, nayo milima ya Israeli itakuwa ukiwa ili mtu yeyote asipite huko.
And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment, So shall be made to cease the pride of her strength, - And the mountains of Israel shall be too desolate for any to pass through.
29 Kisha watajua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana, nitakapokuwa nimeifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa na utupu kwa sababu ya mambo yote ya machukizo waliyotenda.’
So shall they know that I, am Yahweh, — When I make the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.
30 “Kwa habari yako wewe, mwanadamu, watu wako wanaongea habari zako wakiwa karibu na kuta na kwenye milango ya nyumba, wakiambiana kila mmoja na mwenzake, ‘Njooni msikie ujumbe ule utokao kwa Bwana.’
Thou therefore Son of man, the sons of thy people who are talking against thee Near the walls and in the entrances of the houses, are speaking one with another, every man with his brother saying. Come in we pray you and heat, what is the word that is coming forth from Yahweh;
31 Watu wangu wanakujia, kama wafanyavyo, nao wanaketi mbele yako kama watu wangu na kusikiliza maneno yako, lakini hawayatendi. Kwa maana udanganyifu u katika midomo yao, lakini mioyo yao ina tamaa ya faida isiyo halali.
That they may come unto thee as people do come And may sit before thee as my people, And they will hear thy words, But, the words themselves, will they not do, — though fond with their mouths, they seem to be, After their unjust gain, their heart is going.
32 Naam, mbele yao umekuwa tu kama yeye aimbaye nyimbo za mapenzi kwa sauti nzuri za kuvutia na kupiga vyombo kwa ustadi, kwa kuwa wanasikia maneno yako lakini hawayatendi.
And lo! thou art to them— As a bewitching song, Of one with a beautiful voice. And skilfully touching the strings, —So will they hear thy words, And yet be going to do none of them.
33 “Wakati mambo haya yote yatakapotimia, kwa kuwa hakika yatatokea, ndipo watakapojua kwamba nabii amekuwepo miongoni mwao.”
But when it cometh Lo! it is coming, Then shall they know that a prophet hath been in their midst.
