Ezekieli 37
1 Mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa juu yangu, naye akanitoa nje kwa Roho wa Bwana na kuniweka katikati ya bonde lililokuwa limejaa mifupa tele.
One day Yahweh gave me another vision. In the vision I felt the power [MTY] of God on me, and by his Spirit he took me to the middle of a valley. It was full of bones [of people who had been killed].
2 Akanipitisha pande zote kwenye hiyo mifupa, nami nikaona mifupa mingi sana ndani ya lile bonde, mifupa iliyokuwa imekauka sana.
He led me to walk back and forth among those bones. I saw that there were very many bones there, bones that were very dry.
3 Akaniuliza, “Mwanadamu, mifupa hii yaweza kuishi?” Nikajibu, “Ee Bwana Mwenyezi, wewe peke yako wajua.”
He asked me, “You human, [do you think that] these bones can become living [people again]?” I replied, “Yahweh my Lord, only you know [if that can happen].”
4 Ndipo akaniambia, “Itabirie mifupa hii na uiambie, ‘Enyi mifupa mikavu, sikieni neno la Bwana!
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones. Say to them, ‘You dry bones, listen to what Yahweh says.
5 Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo kwa hii mifupa: Nitatia pumzi ndani yenu, nanyi mtaishi.
This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you bones: I will put my breath into each of you, and you will become alive again.
6 Nitawawekea mishipa, nami nitaifanya nyama ije juu yenu na kuwafunika kwa ngozi. Nitatia pumzi ndani yenu, nanyi mtakuwa hai. Ndipo mtakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.’”
I will fasten tendons to your bones, and cause your bones to be covered with flesh. I will cover the flesh with skin. Then I will breathe into you, and you will become alive. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
7 Basi nikatabiri kama nilivyoamriwa. Wakati nilipokuwa ninatabiri, kukawa na sauti, sauti ya kugongana, nayo mifupa ikasogeleana, mfupa kwa mfupa mwenziwe.
So I spoke to the bones what Yahweh commanded me to speak. As I was speaking, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bones joining to each other.
8 Nikatazama, mishipa na nyama vikatokea juu ya mifupa na ngozi ikaifunika, lakini hapakuwepo pumzi ndani yake.
While I was looking, I saw tendons fastening to them and flesh covering them, and then skin covered the flesh, but they did not breathe.
9 Ndipo aliponiambia, “Utabirie upepo, tabiri, mwanadamu na uuambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Njoo kutoka pande nne, ee pumzi, nawe upulizie pumzi ndani ya hawa waliouawa, ili wapate kuishi.’”
Then he said to me, “You human, prophesy to the wind. Say to the wind, ‘Wind [APO], Yahweh says to you, blow from all four directions. Breathe into these people who have been killed, in order that they can become alive again!’”
10 Hivyo nikatabiri kama alivyoniamuru, nayo pumzi ikawaingia, wakawa hai na wakasimama kwa miguu yao, jeshi kubwa mno.
So I said what he commanded me to say, and then breath entered them. They became alive and stood up, like a huge army.
11 Ndipo akaniambia: “Mwanadamu, mifupa hii ni nyumba yote ya Israeli. Nao wanasema, ‘Mifupa yetu imekauka na tumaini letu limetoweka, tumekatiliwa mbali.’
Then he said to me, “You human, these bones represent all the Israeli people [MTY]. The people say, ‘[It is as though] our bones are dried up; there are no more good things that we can (hope for/confidently expect to happen to us); our nation is destroyed/finished.’
12 Hivyo watabirie na uwaambie: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Enyi watu wangu, nitayafunua makaburi yenu na kuwatoa ndani yake, nami nitawarudisha tena katika nchi ya Israeli.
So prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: My people, [it will be as though] I will open your graves and cause your corpses to become alive again. I will bring you back to Israel.
13 Ndipo ninyi watu wangu, mtakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana, nitakapoyafunua makaburi yenu na kuwatoa humo.
Then, what that happens, you my people will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].
14 Nitatia Roho yangu ndani yenu nanyi mtaishi, nami nitawakalisha katika nchi yenu wenyewe. Ndipo mtakapojua kwamba Mimi Bwana nimenena, nami nitalitenda, asema Bwana!’”
I will put my Spirit in you, and [it will be as though] you will become alive again, and I will enable you to live in your own land again. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who said [that it would happen] and who has caused it to happen. That is what I, Yahweh, declare.’”
15 Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema:
Yahweh gave me [another] message. He said,
16 “Mwanadamu, chukua fimbo na uandike juu yake, ‘Hii ni kwa ajili ya Yuda na Waisraeli waliofungamana naye.’ Kisha chukua fimbo nyingine, uandike juu yake, ‘Fimbo ya Efraimu, ni kwa ajili ya Yosefu na nyumba yote ya Israeli wanaofungamana naye.’
“You human, take a piece of wood and write on it, ‘This represents Judah and all the tribes of Judah.’ Then take another piece of wood and write on it, ‘This represents Israel and all the tribes of Israel.’
17 Ziunganishe pamoja kuwa fimbo moja ili kwamba ziwe fimbo moja katika mkono wako.
Then join them together to become [as though they were] one piece of wood in your hand.
18 “Watu wako watakapokuuliza, ‘Je, hutatuambia ni nini maana ya jambo hili?’
When your fellow Israelis ask you, ‘What does (this action/what you just did) mean?’,
19 Waambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Nitaichukua fimbo ya Yosefu, iliyoko mikononi mwa Efraimu na ya makabila ya Israeli yanayofungamana naye na kuiunganisha na fimbo ya Yuda, nikizifanya kuwa fimbo moja, nao watakuwa wamoja katika mkono wangu.’
tell them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: One of the pieces of wood in my hand represents Israel and all the tribes of Israel. I am joining it to the piece of wood that represents Judah, to form one piece of wood in his hand.’
20 Inua mbele ya macho yao zile fimbo ulizoziandika
Then, [you human], hold up the pieces of wood that you have written on, in order that the people can see them.
21 kisha waambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Nitawatoa Waisraeli katika mataifa walikokuwa wamekwenda. Nitawakusanya popote walipo na kuwarudisha katika nchi yao wenyewe.
Say to the people, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: I will take you Israeli people out of the countries to which you have been forced to go. I will gather you from all those nations and bring you back to your own land.
22 Nitawafanya kuwa taifa moja katika nchi, katika milima ya Israeli. Patakuwa na mfalme mmoja juu yao wote na kamwe hawatagawanyika tena kuwa mataifa mawili au kugawanyika katika falme mbili.
And I will cause you to again be one nation in that land, on the mountains in Israel. And there will be one king to rule over all of you. Never again will you be two nations or divided into two kingdoms.
23 Hawatajitia tena unajisi kwa sanamu zao na vinyago vyao visivyo na maana wala kwa makosa yao yoyote, kwa maana nitawaokoa kutoka dhambi zao zote zilizowarudisha nyuma, nami nitawatakasa. Wao watakuwa watu wangu, nami nitakuwa Mungu wao.
No longer will you (defile yourselves/make yourselves unacceptable to me) by [worshiping] idols and disgusting statues [of your gods], because I will enable you to quit your sinful behavior and to stop rejecting me. You will be my people, and I will be your God.
24 “‘Mtumishi wangu Daudi atakuwa mfalme juu yao, nao wote watakuwa na mchungaji mmoja. Watafuata sheria zangu na kuzishika amri zangu kwa uangalifu.
[Someone who will be like] [MET] [King] David who served [me well] will be the king [of your descendants], and [it will be as though] [MET] he will be their shepherd. They will carefully obey all my laws [DOU].
25 Wataishi katika nchi niliyompa mtumishi wangu Yakobo, nchi ambamo baba zenu waliishi. Wao na watoto wao na watoto wa watoto wao wataishi humo milele, naye Daudi mtumishi wangu atakuwa mkuu wao milele.
They will live in the land that I gave to Jacob, who also served [me well]; they will live in the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren will live there forever, and [the one who will be like] [MET] [King] David will be their king forever.
26 Nitafanya nao Agano la amani, litakuwa Agano la milele. Nitawafanya imara na kuongeza idadi yao, nami nitaweka mahali patakatifu pangu miongoni mwao milele.
I will make a peace agreement with them; it will be an agreement that will endure forever. I will again give them that land and cause their population to increase. And I will put my temple among them forever.
27 Maskani yangu yatakuwa pamoja nao, nitakuwa Mungu wao, nao watakuwa watu wangu.
The place where I will live will be among them; I will be their God and they will be my people.
28 Ndipo mataifa watakapojua kwamba Mimi Bwana ndiye ninayeifanya Israeli kuwa takatifu, wakati mahali patakatifu pangu patakapokuwa miongoni mwao milele.’”
Then, when my temple is forever there among them, the people of other nations will know that I, Yahweh, have caused the Israeli people to be set apart [to belong to me].’”
