< Ezekieli 14 >
1 Baadhi ya viongozi wa Israeli wakaja kwangu na kuketi mbele yangu.
Now certain men of the elders of Israel came to me, and sat before me.
2 Ndipo neno la Yahwe likanijia, likisema,
And the word of Jehovah 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 set up their idols in their heart, and have put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face; shall I hear them when they inquire of me?
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 with them, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, —I, Jehovah, will answer him 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 lay hold of the house of Israel in their hearts, 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 say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Turn ye, even turn yourselves from your idols, and from all your abominations turn ye your faces!
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 every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire of me through him, —I, Jehovah, 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 a sign and a proverb, and will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
9 Kama nabii atadanganywa na kuongea ujumbe, kisha Mimi Yahwe, nitamdanganya huyo nabii; Nitanyoosha mkono wangu na kumwangamizaku toka kati watu wangu Israeli.
And when the prophet is deceived when he speaketh anything, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet; and I will stretch out my hand upon 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.
And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that inquireth of 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 no more go astray from me, nor be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah.
12 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, likisema,
Again the word of Jehovah 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 sinneth against me, and grievously transgresseth, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast,
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 were in it, Noah, Daniel, and Job, they should deliver only themselves by their righteousness, saith the Lord Jehovah.
15 Kama nikileta wanyama waovu kwenye nchi na kuwafanya wasizae hivyo basi itakuwa hakuna mtu asiweze kupita kwa sababu ya hao wanyama,
When I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, and it be desolate so that none passeth through it because of the beasts,
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, saith the Lord Jehovah, 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 when I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land so that I cut off from it man and beast,
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, saith the Lord Jehovah, 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 when I send a pestilence upon that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast,
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, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should deliver only themselves 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.
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: How much more, when I send my four grievous judgments against Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the wild beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
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 behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth to you, and ye shall see their way and their doings, and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil which I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all which I have brought upon her.
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 ye see their ways and their doings; and ye shall know that not without cause I have done all that I have done to her, saith the Lord Jehovah.