Ezekieli 18
1 Neno la Yahwe likanijia tena, kusema,
The word of Yahweh came to me again, 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 do you mean, you who use this proverb concerning the land of Israel and say, 'Fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are made blunt'?
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—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—there will certainly no longer be any occasion for you to use this proverb 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!
Behold! Every life belong to me—the life of the father as well as the life of the son, they belong to me! The soul who sins is the one who will die!
5 Itasemwaje kuhusu mtu mwenye haki na achukuaye yaliyo halali na haki-
What can be said about a man who is righteous and who carries out justice 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?
if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and he does not defile his neighbor's wife, nor approached a woman during her monthly period, is he a righteous man?
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?
What can be said about a man who does not oppress anyone, and he gives back to the debtor what was put up as security for a loan, and he does not commit theft but gives his food to the hungry and he covers the naked with clothes, is he a righteous man?
8 Je! Itasemwaje kuhusu mtu ambaye hakuchukua faida kubwa kwa ile pesa aliyokopa, na hakuchukua faida kubwa kwa kile alichokiuza?
What can be said about a man who does not charge too much interest for the money he loans, and he does not take too much profit for what he sells? It is said of him that he carries out justice and establishes faithfulness 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.
If that man walks in my statutes and keeps my decrees to act faithfully, then the promise for this righteous man is this: He will surely live!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.
10 Lakini akizaa mwana mnyang'anyi mmwaga damu na kufanya mengi katika haya mambo kama yalivyotajwa hapa,
But suppose that he has a violent son who sheds blood and does any one of these things that were mentioned,
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?
(though his father has not done any of these things). He eats upon the mountains and he defiles his neighbor's wife, what can be said about him?
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,
This man oppresses the poor and needy, and he seizes and robs, and he does not return a pledge, and he lifts up his eyes to the idols and commits disgusting actions,
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.
and he lends out money at too high interest and he makes too much profit on what he sells, should that man live? Surely he will not! He will certainly die and his blood will be on him because he has done all these detestable things.
14 Lakini Tazama! tuseme kuna mtu aliyezaa mwana, na mwana wake huona dhambi zote za baba yake alizozifanya, na kupitia kuziona, hakuyafanya hayo mambo.
But behold! Suppose there is a man who bears a son, and his son sees all the sins that his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do those things.
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?
That son does not eat upon the mountains, and he does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and he does not defile his neighbor's wife, what can be said about him?
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.
That son does not oppress anyone, or seize a pledge, or take stolen things, but instead gives his food to the hungry and covers up the naked with clothes.
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!
That son does not oppress anyone or take interest that is too high or make too much profit for a loan, but he carries out my decrees and walks according to my statutes; that son will not die for his father's sin: He will 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.
His father, since he oppressed others by extortion and robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people—behold, he will 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 say, 'Why does the son not bear the iniquity of his father?' Because the son carries out justice and righteousness and keeps all my statutes; he does them. He will 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.
The one who sins, he is the one who will die. A son will not bear his father's iniquity, and a father will not bear his son's iniquity. The righteousness of the one who acts rightly will be on himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be on himself.
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.
But if the wicked turns away from all his sins that he has done, and keeps all my statutes and performs justice and righteousness, then he will certainly live and not die.
22 Makosa yote aliyoyafanya hayatakumbukwa juu yake. Ataishi kwa hiyo haki aliyoitenda.
All the transgressions that he has committed will not be called to mind against him. He will live by the righteousness that he practices.
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 greatly rejoice over the death of the wicked—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—and not in his turning away from his way so that he may 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 if the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and practices abominations like all the abominations that the wicked person does, then will he live? All the righteousness that he had done will not be called to mind when he betrays me in his treason. So he will die in the sins that he 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?
But you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' Listen, house of Israel! Are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?
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 man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity and dies because of them, then he will die in the iniquity that he has done.
27 Lakini wakati mtu mwovu ageukapo kutoka uovu wake alioufanya na kufanya yaliyo halali na haki, kisha ataulinda uhai wake.
But when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has done and performs justice and righteousness, then he will preserve his life.
28 Kwa kuwa ameona na kugeuka kutokana na makosa yake yote ambayo aliyoyafanya. Hakika ataishi, na hatakufa.
For he has seen and turned away from all the transgressions that he had done. He will surely live, and he will 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.
But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' How is my way not fair, house of Israel? It is your ways that are not 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.
Therefore I will judge each man among you according to his ways, house of Israel!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration. Repent and turn away from all your transgressions so that they will not be stumbling blocks of iniquity against you.
31 Tupilia mbali makosa yenu yote mliyoyafanya; jifanyieni moyo mpya na roho mpya. Kwa nini mfe, nyumba ya Israeli?
Throw away from yourselves all of the transgressions that you have committed; make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?
32 Kwa kuwa sifurahii kifo cha yule afaye-hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo-hivyo tubuni na muishi!”
For I have no delight in the death of the one who dies—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—so repent and live!”
