< Ezekieli 14 >
1 Baadhi ya viongozi wa Israeli wakaja kwangu na kuketi mbele yangu.
Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
2 Ndipo neno la Yahwe likanijia, likisema,
Then the word of Yahweh 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 hearts and have put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their own faces. 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 announce this to them and say to them, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart, or who puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and who then comes to a prophet—I, Yahweh, will answer him according to the number 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.'
I will do this so that I may take back the house of Israel in their hearts that have been driven far 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, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Repent and turn away from your idols! Turn back 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 every one from the house of Israel and every one of the foreigners staying in Israel who deserts me, who takes his idols into his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his own face, and who then comes to a prophet to seek me—I, Yahweh, will answer him 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.
So I will set my face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, for I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and you will know that I am Yahweh.
9 Kama nabii atadanganywa na kuongea ujumbe, kisha Mimi Yahwe, nitamdanganya huyo nabii; Nitanyoosha mkono wangu na kumwangamizaku toka kati watu wangu Israeli.
If a prophet is deceived and speaks a message, then I, Yahweh, will deceive that prophet; I will reach out with my hand against him and 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 will carry their own iniquity; the iniquity of the prophet will be the same as the iniquity of the one who inquires from 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.”'
Because of this, the house of Israel will no longer wander away from following me nor defile themselves any longer through all their transgressions. They will be my people, and I will be their God—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”
12 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, likisema,
Then the word of Yahweh 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 sin so that I reach out with my hand against it and break the staff of its bread, and send out over it a famine and cut off both man and beast from the land;
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.
then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in the land's midst, they could only rescue their own lives by their righteousness—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.
15 Kama nikileta wanyama waovu kwenye nchi na kuwafanya wasizae hivyo basi itakuwa hakuna mtu asiweze kupita kwa sababu ya hao wanyama,
If I send evil beasts through the land and make it barren so that it becomes a wasteland where no man may pass through 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.
then even if these same three men were in it—as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh—they would not be able to rescue even their own sons or daughters; only their own lives would be rescued, but the land would become a wasteland.
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 against that land and say, 'Sword, go through the land and cut off both man and beast from it',
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.
then even if these three men were in the midst of the land—as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh—they would not be able to rescue even their own sons or daughters; only their own lives would be rescued.
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 plague against this land and pour out my fury against it through bloodshed, in order to cut off both 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.
then even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that land—as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh—they would not be able to rescue even their own sons or daughters; only their own lives would be rescued 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 the Lord Yahweh says this: I will certainly make things worse by sending my four punishments—famine, sword, wild animals, and plague—against Jerusalem to cut off both man and beast from her.
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! A remnant will be left in her, survivors who will go out with sons and daughters. Behold! They will go out to you, and you will see their ways and actions and be comforted concerning the punishment that I have sent to Jerusalem, and about everything else that I have sent against the land.
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.”
The survivors will comfort you when you see their ways and their actions, so you will know all these things I have done against her, that I have not done them in vain!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”