Ezekieli 18
1 Neno la Yahwe likanijia tena, kusema,
A message from 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'?
“What's this proverb you people are quoting about the country of Israel: ‘The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste’?
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, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
4 Tazama! Kila uhai ni mali yangu-uhai wa baba na uhai wa mwana pia, ni mali yangu! roho itendayo dhambi ndiyo itakayokufa!
Can't you see that everyone belongs to me? Whether parents or children, they are all mine. It's the person who sins who will die.
5 Itasemwaje kuhusu mtu mwenye haki na achukuaye yaliyo halali na haki-
Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
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?
He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman during her period.
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?
He doesn't exploit anyone. He gives back what a debtor has given him as security. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
8 Je! Itasemwaje kuhusu mtu ambaye hakuchukua faida kubwa kwa ile pesa aliyokopa, na hakuchukua faida kubwa kwa kile alichokiuza?
He doesn't lend with interest or make a profit from loans. He refuses to do wrong and makes sure he's truly fair in his decisions between people.
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.
He follows my rules and keeps my regulations faithfully. Such a man lives by what's right and he will certainly live, declares the Lord God.
10 Lakini akizaa mwana mnyang'anyi mmwaga damu na kufanya mengi katika haya mambo kama yalivyotajwa hapa,
What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed
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?
even though the father doesn't act like that at all. The son goes to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal. He has sex with someone else'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,
He exploits the poor and those in need. He robs others, and he doesn't give back what a debtor has given him as security. He worships idols. He commits disgusting sins.
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.
He lends with interest and makes a profit from loans. Is someone like this going to live? No, he won't! Because he has done all these offensive things, he will die for certain, and he will be responsible for his own death.
14 Lakini Tazama! tuseme kuna mtu aliyezaa mwana, na mwana wake huona dhambi zote za baba yake alizozifanya, na kupitia kuziona, hakuyafanya hayo mambo.
Now what if this man has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed. He sees them but doesn't do the same.
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?
He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else'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.
He doesn't exploit anyone. He doesn't demand security for a loan. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes 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!
He refuses to do wrong and does not charge interest or make a profit on loans. He keeps my regulations and follows my laws. A man like that won't die because of his father's sins, he will certainly 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 his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
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!
You ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son pay for his father's sins?’ If the son has done what is fair and right, keeping all my laws, then he'll live, he won't be punished.
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.
It's the person who sins who will die. A son won't pay for his father's sins, and a father won't pay for his son's sins. The good consequences of living right will come to those who are good; the evil consequences of wickedness will come to those who are evil.
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.
However, if someone who is wicked stops sinning and keeps my laws, doing what is fair and right, they will certainly live—they won't die.
22 Makosa yote aliyoyafanya hayatakumbukwa juu yake. Ataishi kwa hiyo haki aliyoitenda.
None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will 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?
Do I like it when wicked people die? declares the Lord God. Of course not—I would be delighted if they stopped sinning and lived!
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 if someone who is living according to what's right stops and does wrong, doing the same offensive things as the wicked, will that person live? Of course not! In fact, all the good things they did previously will be forgotten. That person will die because of their betrayal of me and the sins they've committed.
25 Lakini ninyi husema, 'Njia ya Bwana si sawa!' sikilizeni, nyumba ya Israeli! Je njia zangu haziko sawa? Je si njia ambazo haziko sawa?
Even so you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ People of Israel, listen to me! Is it what I'm doing that isn't right? Isn't it what you're doing that isn't right?
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.
If someone who lives according to what's right stops doing right and does wrong, they will die. They will die because of wrong things they've done.
27 Lakini wakati mtu mwovu ageukapo kutoka uovu wake alioufanya na kufanya yaliyo halali na haki, kisha ataulinda uhai wake.
But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
28 Kwa kuwa ameona na kugeuka kutokana na makosa yake yote ambayo aliyoyafanya. Hakika ataishi, na hatakufa.
Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't 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.
But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord's way isn't right.’ Are my ways unfair, people of Israel? Isn't it your ways that aren't fair?
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.
Consequently I'm going to judge you, people of Israel! I will judge each of you depending on what you've done, declares the Lord God. Repent and stop rebelling so that your sins won't bring you down.
31 Tupilia mbali makosa yenu yote mliyoyafanya; jifanyieni moyo mpya na roho mpya. Kwa nini mfe, nyumba ya Israeli?
Get rid of all your rebellious sins! Change your way of thinking and have a new spirit. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?
32 Kwa kuwa sifurahii kifo cha yule afaye-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo-hivyo tubuni na muishi!”
I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
