Ezekieli 36
1 “Mwanadamu, itabirie milima ya Israeli na useme, ‘Ee milima ya Israeli, sikieni neno la Bwana.
You human, prophesy about the mountains in Israel. Say to them, “You mountains in Israel, listen to what Yahweh says.
2 Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Kwa sababu adui wanasema juu yako, “Aha! Mahali palipoinuka pa zamani pamekuwa milki yetu.”’
This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Your enemies [happily] said about you, ‘Aha! The mountains in Israel that have existed for a long time have become ours!’”
3 Kwa hiyo tabiri na useme, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Kwa sababu wamewafanya ukiwa na kuwagandamiza kila upande ili mpate kuwa milki ya mataifa mengine na kuwa kitu cha kusimangwa na kudhihakiwa miongoni mwa watu,
Therefore prophesy about those mountains and say, “This is what Yahweh the Lord declares: [Armies of other nations] attacked you [DOU] from every direction, with the result that your land became abandoned, and people of other nations occupied you, and they spoke maliciously about you and slandered you.
4 kwa hiyo, ee milima ya Israeli, sikieni neno la Bwana Mwenyezi: Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo kwa milima na vilima, kwa makorongo na mabonde, kwa mahame yaliyo ukiwa, miji iliyoachwa ambayo imetekwa nyara na kudharauliwa na mataifa mengine yanayowazunguka,
Therefore, you mountains in Israel, listen to this message from me. I, Yahweh the Lord, have something to say to the hills and mountains, to the ravines and valleys, to the deserted ruins and towns whose valuable possessions have been taken and their people ridiculed by the people of other nations around them. This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, declare: I am very angry [DOU] with the people of Edom and other nations; they have forced you [Israeli people] to endure them insulting you.
5 hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Katika wivu wangu uwakao nimenena dhidi ya mataifa mengine na dhidi ya Edomu yote, kwa maana kwa furaha na hila katika mioyo yao waliifanya nchi yangu kuwa milki yao ili wapate kuteka nyara sehemu yake ya malisho.’
6 Kwa hiyo tabiri kuhusu nchi ya Israeli na uiambie milima na vilima, makorongo na vijito na mabonde: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Ninanena katika wivu wa ghadhabu yangu kwa sababu mmedharauliwa na mataifa.
7 Kwa hiyo hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Ninaapa kwa mkono wangu ulioinuliwa kwamba mataifa wanaowazunguka nao pia watadharauliwa.
Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Lifting up my arm, I solemnly declare that the people of the nations that are around you will also endure being insulted.
8 “‘Lakini ninyi, ee milima ya Israeli, mtatoa matawi na matunda kwa ajili ya watu wangu Israeli, kwa sababu hivi karibuni watakuja nyumbani.
But [I say to] you mountains in Israel that huge crops of fruit will grow on your trees for my Israeli people, because they will soon return home [from Babylonia].
9 Mimi ninawajibika nanyi na nitawaangalia kwa upendeleo, mtalimwa na kupandwa mbegu,
I (am concerned about/will take care of) you, and I will bless you. I will [enable farmers to] plow the ground and plant seed there.
10 nami nitaizidisha idadi ya watu kwenu, naam, nyumba yote ya Israeli. Miji itakaliwa na watu na magofu yatajengwa upya.
I will cause the number of people who live on you mountains and everywhere else in Israel to greatly increase. People will live in the towns and rebuild [houses where there are now only] ruins.
11 Nitaongeza idadi ya watu na wanyama juu yenu, nao watazaana sana na kuwa wengi mno. Nitawakalisha watu ndani yenu kama ilivyokuwa wakati uliopita, nami nitawafanya mfanikiwe kuliko hapo kwanza. Ndipo mtakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.
I will cause the number of people and domestic animals to increase. People will have many children [IDM, DOU]. I will enable people to live there like they did previously, and I will enable them to prosper like they did before. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].
12 Nitawafanya watu, watu wangu Israeli, kutembea juu yenu. Watawamiliki ninyi, nanyi mtakuwa urithi wao, kamwe hamtawaondolea tena watoto wao.
I will enable my Israeli people to walk through your mountains. They will own you; you will be their permanent possession. Never again will their children die.
13 “‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Kwa sababu watu wanakuambia, “Unawala watu na kuliondolea taifa lako watoto wake,”
This is also what I, Yahweh the Lord, say to you: People say that [only a small amount of food is produced on your mountains, and as a result the people of Israel] die from hunger.
14 kwa hiyo hutakula tena watu wala kulifanya tena taifa lako lisiwe na watoto, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
Therefore, I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that no longer will that happen.
15 Sitakufanya tena usikie dhihaka za mataifa, wala kudharauliwa na kabila za watu, wala kulifanya taifa lako lianguke, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.’”
No longer will the people of other nations ridicule you; no longer will they laugh at you; no longer will [the armies of] other nations conquer you. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have declared that it will happen.”
16 Neno la Bwana likanijia tena, kusema:
Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
17 “Mwanadamu, nyumba ya Israeli walipokuwa wakiishi katika nchi yao wenyewe, waliinajisi kwa mwenendo wao na matendo yao. Mwenendo wao mbele zangu ulikuwa kama mwanamke aliye katika hedhi.
“You human, when the Israeli people were living in their own land, they (defiled it/caused it to become unacceptable to me) by the things that they did. I considered that their behavior was [disgusting], like [SIM] the rags/cloths that women use during their monthly menstrual periods.
18 Hivyo nilimwaga ghadhabu yangu juu yao kwa sababu walikuwa wamemwaga damu katika nchi na kwa sababu walikuwa wameitia nchi unajisi kwa sanamu zao.
So I severely punished [MTY] them, because they had murdered [MTY] many people and because they had defiled the land by [worshiping] idols there.
19 Nikawatawanya miongoni mwa mataifa, nao wakaenda huku na huko katika nchi mbalimbali, nikawahukumu sawasawa na mwenendo wao na matendo yao.
I caused them to be scattered among many nations [DOU]. I punished [MTY] them like they deserved to be punished because of their very evil behavior [DOU].
20 Tena popote walipokwenda miongoni mwa mataifa walilitia unajisi Jina langu takatifu, kwa kuwa watu walisema kuwahusu, ‘Hawa ndio watu wa Bwana, lakini imewapasa kuondoka katika nchi yake.’
And wherever they went among those nations, they caused my reputation [MTY] to be disgraced. What has happened is that the people in those countries said about the Israeli people, ‘They belong to Yahweh, but they were forced to leave the land that he [gave to them].’
21 Lakini niliwahurumia kwa ajili ya Jina langu takatifu, ambalo nyumba ya Israeli imelitia unajisi miongoni mwa mataifa huko walikokwenda.
But I was concerned about my reputation, which the people of Israel had disgraced among the nations to which they were forced to go.
22 “Kwa hiyo iambie nyumba ya Israeli, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Si kwa ajili yako, ee nyumba ya Israeli, kwamba ninafanya mambo haya, bali ni kwa ajili ya Jina langu takatifu, ambalo mmelitia unajisi miongoni mwa mataifa mliyoyaendea.
Therefore, say to the Israeli people, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: You Israeli people, it is not for your sake that I am going to do these things. Instead, it is for the sake of my sacred reputation, which you have disgraced among the nations to which you were forced to go.
23 Nitauonyesha utakatifu wa Jina langu kuu, ambalo limetiwa unajisi miongoni mwa mataifa, jina ambalo limetiwa unajisi miongoni mwao. Ndipo mataifa watakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, nitakapojionyesha mwenyewe kuwa mtakatifu kwa kuwapitia ninyi mbele ya macho yao.
I will show that my reputation is sacred, a reputation which you have disgraced among the nations to which you were forced to go. And when I show the nations that I am holy, the people of those nations will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].
24 “‘Kwa kuwa nitawaondoa ninyi toka mataifa, nitawakusanya kutoka nchi zote na kuwarudisha kwenye nchi yenu wenyewe.
What I will do is to bring you back from those nations. I will gather you from all the countries [to which you were forced to go], and bring you back to your own land.
25 Nitawanyunyizia maji safi, nanyi mtakuwa safi, nitawatakasa kutoka uchafu wenu wote na kutoka sanamu zenu zote.
[It will be as though] [MET] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and then you will be clean. I will cause you to be cleansed from everything that has defiled you, and I will cause you to stop worshiping idols.
26 Nitawapa moyo mpya na kuweka roho mpya ndani yenu, nitaondoa ndani yenu moyo wenu wa jiwe na kuwapa moyo wa nyama.
I will give you a completely new way of thinking [IDM]. I will enable you to stop being stubborn [IDM], and I will enable you to obey me from your inner beings [IDM].
27 Nami nitaweka Roho yangu ndani yenu na kuwafanya ninyi mfuate amri zangu na kuwafanya kuwa waangalifu kuzishika sheria zangu.
I will put my Spirit within you and enable you to carefully obey all my laws [DOU].
28 Mtaishi katika nchi niliyowapa baba zenu, ninyi mtakuwa watu wangu nami nitakuwa Mungu wenu.
You will again live in the land that I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God.
29 Nitawaokoa ninyi kutoka unajisi wenu wote. Nitaiita nafaka na kuiongeza iwe nyingi sana nami sitaleta njaa juu yenu.
I will free you from all your disgraceful behavior. I will cause your grain to be plentiful, and I will not send a famine to you again.
30 Nitaongeza matunda ya miti na mazao ya mashamba, ili kwamba msipate tena aibu miongoni mwa mataifa kwa ajili ya njaa.
I will cause your fruit trees to produce plenty of fruit and your ground to produce plenty of good crops, with the result that you will no longer be ridiculed by the people of other nations because of your not having enough food.
31 Ndipo mtakapozikumbuka njia zenu za uovu na matendo yenu maovu, nanyi mtajichukia wenyewe kwa ajili ya dhambi zote na matendo yenu ya kuchukiza.
When that happens, you will think about your previous evil behavior and wicked deeds, and you will (be very displeased with/hate) yourselves for your sins and the detestable things that you did.
32 Ninataka ninyi mjue kwamba sifanyi hili kwa ajili yenu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi. Oneni aibu na mkatahayari kwa ajili ya mwenendo wenu, ee nyumba ya Israeli!
But I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that I want you to know that it is not for your sake that I will do those things. You Israeli people ought to be ashamed of your behavior.
33 “‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Siku ile nitakapowasafisha kutoka dhambi zenu zote, nitarudisha watu waishi katika miji yenu na magofu yatajengwa upya.
This is also what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: At the time that I forgive you for all the sins that you have committed, I will enable you to live in your towns again and to build houses where there are now only ruins.
34 Nchi iliyokuwa ukiwa italimwa badala ya kukaa ukiwa machoni mwa wale wote wanaopita ndani yake.
People who walk through your country will see that your land is again cultivated instead of (being desolate/having nothing growing in it).
35 Watasema, “Hii nchi iliyokuwa imeachwa ukiwa sasa imekuwa kama bustani ya Edeni, miji ile iliyokuwa magofu, ukiwa na kuangamizwa, sasa imejengewa ngome na kukaliwa na watu.”
They will say, “This land that was ruined has become [very fertile/productive] like [SIM] the garden of Eden! The cities that were piles of ruins, empty and destroyed, now have walls around them, and people live in those cities.”
36 Ndipo mataifa yanayowazunguka yaliyobakia watakapojua kuwa Mimi Bwana nimejenga tena kile kilichoharibiwa na nimepanda tena kile kilichokuwa ukiwa. Mimi Bwana nimenena, nami nitalifanya.’
When that happens, the people in the nations that are around you that still exist will know that it is I, Yahweh, who have enabled you to rebuild what was destroyed, and to again plant crops in the fields that had nothing growing in them. I, Yahweh, have said [that it will happen], and I will cause it to happen.
37 “Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Mara nyingine tena nitasikia maombi ya nyumba ya Israeli na kuwatendea jambo hili: Nitawafanya watu wake kuwa wengi kama kondoo,
This is also what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Again I will heed what you Israeli people are pleading for me to do for you. I will cause your people to be as numerous as your sheep,
38 kuwa wengi kama kundi la kondoo kwa ajili ya dhabihu huko Yerusalemu wakati wa sikukuu zao za wakati ulioamriwa. Hivyo ndivyo miji iliyokuwa magofu itajazwa na makundi ya watu. Ndipo watakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.”
as numerous as the flocks of sheep that will be needed for offerings in Jerusalem during your regular festivals. The cities that are now ruined will be filled with people, and then you will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
