Ezekieli 15
1 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, liksema,
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Mwanadamu, je ni jisni gani mzabibu ulivo bora kuliko mti na matawi yaliyomo kwenye miti katika msitu?
“Son of man, is wood from a vine better than the wood from any other tree in the forest?
3 Je watu huwa wanachukua mbao kutoka kwenye mzabbibu kufanyia chochote? au huwa wanatengenezea vitu kutokana na huo kuning'iniza chochote juu ya huo?
Can you make anything useful from vine wood? Can you use it to make even just a peg to hang up pots and pans?
4 Tazama! Kama umetupwa kwenye moto kama kuni, na kama moto umezichoma ncha zake zote na katikati pia, je unafaa kwa chochote?
No, you just throw it on the fire to keep the fire burning. Even then the fire burns both ends, but only chars the middle part. Can you use it for anything?
5 Tazama! Wakati ulipokuwa umekamilika, haukuweza kufanya chochote; kisha hakika, wakati moto ulipouchoma, lakini bado haukuweza kutengeneza kitu chochote kwa ajili ya matumizi yoyote.
Even before you burned it you couldn't make it into anything useful. It's even less useful once the fire has burned and charred it!
6 Kwa hiyo Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: haufanani na miti katika misitu, niliyoitoa mzabibu kama kuni kwa moto; nitatenda vivyo hivyo mbele ya wakaao Yerusalemu.
So this is what the Lord God says: In the same way that I have taken the wood of a vine from the forest and thrown it on the fire to be burned, so I'm going to throw away the people of Jerusalem.
7 Kwa kuwa nitauweka uso wangu juu yao. Ingawa watatoka kutoka kwenye moto, bado moto utawala; hivyo mtajua kwamba mimi ni Yahwe, wakati nitakapoona uso wangu juu yenu.
I will turn against them. While they might have escaped this fire, another fire is going to burn them up. When I turn against them, then you will know that I am the Lord.
8 Kisha nitaifanya nchi kuwa ukiwa kwa sababu wamefanya dhambi-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.”
I'm going to turn the country into a wasteland, because they were unfaithful to me, declares the Lord God.”
