< Ezekieli 14 >
1 Baadhi ya viongozi wa Israeli wakaja kwangu na kuketi mbele yangu.
Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat before me.
2 Ndipo neno la Yahwe likanijia, likisema,
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
3 “Mwanadamu, hawa watu wamchukua sanamu zao kwenye mioyo yao na kuweka pingamizi la uovu wao mbele ya nyuso zao wenyewe. Je naweza kuulizwa yote na wao?
"Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
4 Kwa hiyo watangazie hivi na waambie, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Kila mtu wa nyumba ya Israeli achukuaye sanamu moyoni mwake, au awekeye pingamizi la uovu mbele ya uso wake, na kisha yule ajaye kwa nabii-Mimi, Yahwe, nitamjibu kulingana na sanamu zake.
Therefore speak to them, and tell them, 'Thus says the LORD: "Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him in it according to the multitude of his idols;
5 Nitafanya hivi ili kwamba niweze kuirudisha nyumba ya Israeli katika mioyo yao ambayo ilikuwa mbali nami kwa ajili ya sanamu zao.'
that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols."'
6 Kwa hiyo sema kwa nyumba ya Israeli, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Tubuni na rudini kutoka kwenye sanamu zenu! Rudisheni nyuma nyuso zenu kutoka kwenye kachukizo yenu yote.
"Therefore tell the house of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD: "Return, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 Kwa kuwa kila mmoja kutoka kwenye nyumba ya Israeli na kila mmoja wa wageni wanaoishi katika Israeli ajitengaye nami, achukuaye sanamu zake kwenye moyo wake na kuweka kwazo la uovu wake mbele ya uso wake mwenyewe, na kisha yule ajaye kwa nabii kunitafuta-mimi, Yahwe, nitamjibu mimi mwenyewe.
For everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me, and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
8 Hivyo nitauweka uso wangu juu ya huyo mtu na kumfanya ishara na mithali, kwa kuwa nitamkata kutoka kati ya watu wangu, na mtajua kuwa mimi ni Yahwe.
and I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
9 Kama nabii atadanganywa na kuongea ujumbe, kisha Mimi Yahwe, nitamdanganya huyo nabii; Nitanyoosha mkono wangu na kumwangamizaku toka kati watu wangu Israeli.
"'"If the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 Watabeba uovu wao wenyewe; uwovu wa nabii utakua uleule kama uovu wa yule aulizaye kutoka kwake.
They shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him who seeks him;
11 Kwa sababu hiyo basi, nyumba ya Israeli haitaenda mbali kutoka kunifuata mimi wala kujinajisi wenyewe kupitia dhambi zao zote. Watakuwa watu wangu, nami nitakuwa Mungu wao-hivi ndivyo Yahwe asemavyo.”'
that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God," says the LORD.'"
12 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, likisema,
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
13 “Mwanadamu, wakati nchi itakapo asi dhidi yangu kwa kufanya dhambi ili kwamba ninyooshe mkono wangu dhidi yake na kuvunja tegemea la mkate wake, na kuleta njaa juu yake na kukata mnyama kutoka kwenye nchi;
"Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal;
14 kisha hata kama hawa watu watatu-Nuhu, Danieli, na Ayubu-walikuwa katikati ya nchi, wangeweza kuokoa maisha yao wenyewe kwa haki-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.
though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, says the LORD."
15 Kama nikileta wanyama waovu kwenye nchi na kuwafanya wasizae hivyo basi itakuwa hakuna mtu asiweze kupita kwa sababu ya hao wanyama,
"If I cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals;
16 kisha hata kama watu hawa hawa watatu ndani yake-kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Yahwe-wasingeweza kuwaokoa hata watoto wao wala binti; isipokuwa maisha yao yataokoka, lakini nchi itakuwa ukiwa.
though these three men were in it, as I live," says the LORD, "they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.
17 Au nikileta upanga juu ya hiyo nchi na kusema, 'Upanga, nenda kwenye nchi na wakate wote mtu na mnyama kutoka huo',
"Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, 'Sword, go through the land'; so that I cut off from it man and animal;
18 kisha hata kama hawa watu watatu watakuwa katikatai ya nchi-kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Yahwe-wasingeweza kuwaokoa japo watoto wao wala binti; ila tu maisha yao wenyewe yangeokolewa.
though these three men were in it, as I live, says the LORD, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should be delivered themselves.
19 Au kama nikipeleka tauni juu ya nchi na kumwaga dhahabu yangu juu yake kwa damu, ili kuwakata mtu na mnyama,
"Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal;
20 kisha hata kama Nuhu, Danieli, na Ayubu wangekuwa kwenye hiyo nchi-kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Yahwe-wasingeweza kuokoa hata watoto wao au binti; maisha yao pekee yangeokoka kwa haki.
though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, says the LORD, they could not save either son nor daughter; they would save only their own souls by their righteousness.
21 Kwa kuwa Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: hakika nitafanya mambo makali sana kwa kuleta adhabu zangu nne-njaa, upanga, wanyama wa porini, na tauni-juu ya Yerusalemu kuwakata wote mtu na mnyama kutoka kwake.
"For thus says the LORD: 'How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil animals, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and animal.
22 Kisha, tazama! mabaki yatasalia kwake, watakaokoka wataenda pamoja na wana na binti. Tazama! Watawatokea, na mtaona njia zao na matendo yao yakiwafariji kuhusu adhabu niliyoipeleka Yerusalemu, na kuhusu kila kitu kingine ambacho nilichopeleka juu ya nchi.
Yet, look, there shall be left a remnant that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: look, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their way and their doings; and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it.
23 Waliokoka watawafariji ninyi mtakapoona njia zao na matendo yao, hivyo mtayajua haya mambo niliyoyafanya juu yake, kwamba sijayafanya bure! -hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.”
They shall comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it,' says the LORD."