Ezekieli 18
1 Neno la Yahwe likanijia tena, kusema,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Je mnamaana gani, ninyi mliotumia hii mithali kuhusiana na nchi ya Israeli na kusema, 'Wababa wamekula zabibu mbichi, na meno ya watoto imetiwa ganzi'?
Son of man, what mean you by this parable amongst the children of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten unripe grapes, and the children's teeth have been set on edge?
3 Kama nishivyo-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo-bila shaka hakutakuwa na fursa yoyote tena kwa ajili yenu kuitumia hii mithali katika Israeli.
[As] I live, says the Lord, surely this parable shall no more be spoken in Israel.
4 Tazama! Kila uhai ni mali yangu-uhai wa baba na uhai wa mwana pia, ni mali yangu! roho itendayo dhambi ndiyo itakayokufa!
For all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son, they are mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.
5 Itasemwaje kuhusu mtu mwenye haki na achukuaye yaliyo halali na haki-
But the man who shall be just, who executes judgement and righteousness,
6 kama asipokula juu ya milima au kuinua macho yake kwa sananmu za nyumba ya Israeli, na hakumnajisi mke wa jirani yake, wala kumsemesha mwanamke katika kipindi chake cha mwezi, je! Yu mwenye haki?
who shall not eat upon the mountains, and shall not at all lift up his eyes to the devices of the house of Israel, and shall not defile his neighbour's wife, and shall not draw near to her that is removed,
7 Je! Itasemwaje kuhusu mtu ambaye hakumkandamiza yeyote, na kumrudisha mdeni wake kwa kile kilichokuwa kimewekwa kwa ajili ya rehani, na hakuiba lakini kuwapatia chakula wenye njaa na kuwafunika uchi kwa nguo, je yu mwenye haki?
and shall not oppress any man, [but] shall return the pledge of the debtor, and shall be guilty of no plunder, shall give his bread to the hungry, and clothe the naked;
8 Je! Itasemwaje kuhusu mtu ambaye hakuchukua faida kubwa kwa ile pesa aliyokopa, na hakuchukua faida kubwa kwa kile alichokiuza?
and shall not lend his money upon usury, and shall not receive usurious increase, and shall turn back his hand from injustice, shall execute righteous judgement between a man and his neighbour,
9 Amesemwa kwamba amechukua yaliyo halali na kuimarisha uaminifu kati ya watu. Kama huyo mtu akitembea katika sheria zangu na kuzishika hukumu zangu kufanya kwa uaminifu, kisha ahadi kwa ajili ya mtu mwenye haki ni hii: Ataishi hakika! -hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.
and has walked in my commandments and kept mine ordinances, to do them; he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord.
10 Lakini akizaa mwana mnyang'anyi mmwaga damu na kufanya mengi katika haya mambo kama yalivyotajwa hapa,
And if he beget a mischievous son, shedding blood and committing sins,
11 hata kama baba yake hakufanya mojawapo katika haya mambo, lakini akala juu ya milima na akamnajisi mke wa jirani yake, Je! itasemwaje juu yake?
who has not walked in the way of his righteous father, but has even eaten upon the mountains, and has defiled his neighbour's wife,
12 Huyu mtu huwakandamiza maskini na wahitaji, na huwakamata na kuwanyang'anya, na hawarudishii dhamana, na huyanua macho yake kwa sanamu na kufanya matendo maovu,
and has oppressed the poor and needy, and has committed robbery, and not restored a pledge, and has set his eyes upon idols, has wrought iniquities,
13 na hukopesha pesa kwa faida ya juu sana na kufanya faida kubwa juu ya anachokiuza, Je! huyo mtu ataishi? Hakika hataishi! Atakufa hakika na damu yake itakuwa juu yake kwa sababu amefanya haya mambo ya chuki.
has lent upon usury, and taken usurious increase; he shall by no means live: he has wrought all these iniquities; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
14 Lakini Tazama! tuseme kuna mtu aliyezaa mwana, na mwana wake huona dhambi zote za baba yake alizozifanya, na kupitia kuziona, hakuyafanya hayo mambo.
And if he beget a son, and [the son] see all his father's sins which he has wrought, and fear, and not do according to them,
15 Huyo mwana hakula juu ya milima, na hakuinua macho yake kwa sanamu za nyumba ya Israeli, na hakumtia unajisi mke wa jirani yake, Je! itasemwaje juu yake?
and [if he] has not eaten on the mountains, and has not set his eyes on the devices of the house of Israel, and has not defiled his neighbour's wife,
16 Yule mwana hakumkandamiza yeyote, au kutwaa dhamana, au kupoteza vitu, lakini badala yake kutoa chakula chake kwa wenye njaa na kuwafunika wenye uchi kwa nguo.
and has not oppressed a man, and has not retained the pledge, nor committed robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has clothed the naked,
17 Huyo mwana hakumkandamiza yeyote au au kuchukua faida ambayo ni ya juu sana au kufanya manufaa kwa ajili ya mkopo, lakini ameyashika maagizo yangu na kuenenda sawa sawa na sheria zangu; huyo mwana hatakufa kwa ajili ya dhambi za baba yake: Ataishi hakika!
and has turned back his hand from unrighteousness, has not received interest or usurious increase, has wrought righteousness, and walked in mine ordinances; he shall not die for the iniquities of his father, he shall surely live.
18 Baba yake, kwa kuwa aliwakandamiza wengine kwa nguvu nyingi na kumnyang'anya ndugu yake, na kufanya yasiyo mema miongoni mwa watu wake-tazama, atakufa katika uovu wake.
But if his father grievously afflict, or plunder, he has wrought enmity in the midst of my people, and shall die in his iniquity.
19 Lakini ninyi husema, 'Kwa nini mwana asibebe uovu wa baba yake?' Kwa sababu mwana hubeba yaliyo halali na haki na kuzitunza amri zangu; huzifanya. Ataishi hakika!
But you will say, Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father? Because the son has wrought judgement and mercy, has kept all my statues, and done them, he shall surely live.
20 Yule atendaye dhambi, ndiye ambaye atakufa. Mwana hatabeba uovu wa baba yake, na baba hatabeba uovu wa mwana wake. Haki ya yule atendaye haki itakuwa juu yakwe mwenyewe, na uovu wa mwenye uovu utakuwa juu yake mwenyewe.
But the soul that sins shall die: and the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the iniquity of the transgressor shall be upon him.
21 Lakini kama mwovu ageukapo kutoka dhambi zake zote alizofanya, na kuzitunza sheria zangu zote na kufanya yaliyo halali na haki, kisha hakika ataishi na hatakufa.
And if the transgressor turn away from all his iniquities which he has committed, and keep all my commandments, and do justice and mercy, he shall surely live, and shall by no means die.
22 Makosa yote aliyoyafanya hayatakumbukwa juu yake. Ataishi kwa hiyo haki aliyoitenda.
None of his trespasses which he has committed shall be remembers: in his righteousness which he has done he shall live.
23 Je! Nitafurahia juu ya kifo cha mwovu-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo-na sio katika kugeuka kwake kutoka njia yake ili kwamba aweze kuishi?
Shall I at all desire death of the sinner, says the Lord, as I [desire] that he should turn from [his] evil way, and live?
24 Lakini kama mtu mwenye haki ageukapo kutoka kwenye haki yake na kufanya maovu na kutenda machukizo kama machukizo yote ambayo mtu mwovu afanyayo, basi ataishi? Haki yake yote aliyoifanya haitakumbukwa wakati atakaponisaliti katika uhaini wake. Hivyo atakufa katika dhambi alizofanya.
But when the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, according to all the transgressions which the transgressor has wrought, none of his righteousness which he has wrought shall be at all remembered: in his trespass wherein he has trespassed, and in his sins wherein he has sinned, in them shall he die.
25 Lakini ninyi husema, 'Njia ya Bwana si sawa!' sikilizeni, nyumba ya Israeli! Je njia zangu haziko sawa? Je si njia ambazo haziko sawa?
Yet you have said, The way of the Lord is not straight. Hear now, all the house of Israel; will not my way be straight? Is your way straight?
26 Wakati mtu mwenye haki ageukapo kutoka kwenye makosa yake, na kufanya maovu na kufa kwa sababu ya hayo, kisha atakufa katika uovu ambao alioufanya.
When the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits a trespass, and dies in the trespass he has committed, he shall [even] die in it.
27 Lakini wakati mtu mwovu ageukapo kutoka uovu wake alioufanya na kufanya yaliyo halali na haki, kisha ataulinda uhai wake.
And when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and shall do judgement and justice, he has kept his soul,
28 Kwa kuwa ameona na kugeuka kutokana na makosa yake yote ambayo aliyoyafanya. Hakika ataishi, na hatakufa.
and has turned away from all his ungodliness which he has committed: he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29 Lakini nyumba ya Israeli husema, 'Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!' Ni namna gani njia zangu si sawa, nyumba ya Israeli? Ni njia zenu ndizo si sawa.
Yet the house of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not right. Is not my way right, O house of Israel? is not your way wrong?
30 Kwa hiyo nitamuhukumu kila mtu miongoni mwenu kulingana na njia zake, nyumba ya Israeli! -hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo. Tubuni na rudini kutoka kwenye makosa yenu yote ili kwamba wasiwe kikwazo cha uovu dhidi yenu.
I will judge you, O house of Israel, says the Lord, each one according to his way: be converted, and turn from all your ungodliness, and it shall not become to you the punishment of iniquity.
31 Tupilia mbali makosa yenu yote mliyoyafanya; jifanyieni moyo mpya na roho mpya. Kwa nini mfe, nyumba ya Israeli?
Cast away from yourselves all your ungodliness wherein you have sinned against me; and make to yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: for why should you die, O house of Israel?
32 Kwa kuwa sifurahii kifo cha yule afaye-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo-hivyo tubuni na muishi!”
For I desire not the death of him that dies, says the Lord.
