Ezekieli 21
1 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Mwanadamu, weka uso wako kuelekea Yerusalemu, na neno juu ya patakatifu; tabiri juu ya nchi ya Israeli.
“Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
3 Sema juu ya nchi ya Israeli, 'Yahwe asema hivi: Tazama! Ni juu yako! Nitautoa upanga wangu kutoka kwenye ala yake na kuwakatilia mbali wote yaani mtu mwenye haki na mtu mwovu kutoka kwako!
and tell her that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
4 Ili niwakatilie mbali wote, mwenye haki na mwovu kutoka kwako, upanga wangu utatoka kwenye ala yake juu ya wote wenye mwili kutoka kusini hata kaskazini.
Because I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.
5 Kisha wote wenye mwili watajua yakwamba mimi, Yahwe, nimeutoa upanga wangu kutoka kwenye ala yake. Hautarudi tena!'
Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have taken My sword from its sheath, not to return it again.’
6 Kwa hiyo, mwanadamu, gumia kama kuvunjika kwa viuno vyako! Katika uchungu gumia mbele ya macho yao!
But you, son of man, groan! Groan before their eyes with a broken heart and bitter grief.
7 Kisha itatokea kwamba watakuuliza, 'Kwa sababu gani unalia?' Kisha utasema, 'Kwa sababu ya habari inayokuja, kwa kuwa kila moyo utakuwa dhaifu, na kila mkono utasita! Kila roho itazimia, na kila goti litatiririrka kama maji. Tazama! Inakuja na itakuwa kama hivi! -hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.”'
And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.”
8 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 “Mwanadamu, tabiri na sema, 'Bwana asema hivi: sema: Upanga! Upanga! Utachongwa na kusuguliwa!
“Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—
10 Utanolewa ili kushiriki katika machinjio makubwa! Utasuguliwa ili uwe kama mng'ao wa radi! Je! Tufanye furaha katika fimbo ya mwana wa mfalme? Upanga ujao huchukia kila hiyo fimbo!
it is sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice in the scepter of My son? The sword despises every such stick.
11 Hivyo upanga utatolewa kwa ajili ya kusuguliwa, na kisha kushikika kwa mkono! Upanga umechongwa na umesuguliwa na utatolewa kwenye mkono wa yule auaye!'
The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished, to be placed in the hand of the slayer.
12 Ita msaada na omboleza, mwanadamu! Kwa kuwa upanga umekuja juu ya watu wangu! Uko juu ya wakuu wote wa Israeli. Wametolewa dhidi ya upanga pamoja na watu wangu. Kwa hiyo, piga paja lako!
Cry out and wail, O son of man, for the sword is wielded against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel! They are tossed to the sword with My people; therefore strike your thigh.
13 Kwa kuwa kuna kujaribiwa, lakini itakuwaje kama fimbo ya kifalme haitakuwepo tena? -hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.
Surely testing will come! And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue?’
14 Basi wewe, mwanadamu, tabiri, na piga makofi, kwa kuwa upanga utakushambulia hata mara tatu! Upanga kwa wale watakaochinjwa! Utakuwa upanga kwa ajili ya kuchinjia, ukiwatoboa pande zote!
‘So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword that slays, a sword of great slaughter closing in on every side!
15 Ili kuyeyusha mioyo yao na kuongeza kuanguka kwao, nimeweka machinjio ya upanga juu ya malango! Ole! Umeundwa kama mng'ao wa radi, umetengwa kwa ajili ya kuua!
So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter.
16 Wewe, upanga! Nyooka upande wa kuume! Nyooka upande wa kushoto! Nenda popote ulipoelekeza uso wako.
Slash to the right; set your blade to the left— wherever your blade is directed.
17 Kwa kuwa pia nitapiga mikono yangu miwili kwa pamoja (makofi), na kisha nitaleta ghadhabu yangu kwa waliobakia! Mimi, Yahwe, nimesema hivi!”
I too will strike My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath.’
18 Neno la Yahwe likanijia tena, kusema,
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
19 “Sasa wewe, mwanadamu, teua njia mbili kwa ajili ya upanga wa mfalme wa Babeli upate kuja. Njia hizo mbili zitaanza katika nchi moja, na kibao cha barabarani kitamwonyesha mmoja wao kama kuuelekea mji.
“Now you, son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same land. And make a signpost where the road branches off to each city.
20 Onyesha njia moja kwa ajili ya jeshi la Wababeli kuja Raba, mji wa Waamoni. Onyesha nyingine kuelekea jeshi la Yuda na mji wa Yerusalemu, ambayo imeimarishwa.
Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.
21 Kwa kuwa mfalme wa Babeli atasimama kwenye makutano ya barabara, kwenye njia panda, ili kufanya uganga. Alitingisha mishale na kuuliza mwelekeo kutoka kwa sanamu na atalichunguza ini.
For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver.
22 Katika mkono wake wa kuume kutakuwa na dalili kuhusu Yerusalemu, kuweka mitambo ya kubomolea juu ya hiyo, kufungua kinywa chake kupanga kuchinja, kutoa sauti ya vita, kuweka mitambo ya kubomolea juu ya malango, kujenga ngazi, na kusimamisha wima minara ya boma.
In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.
23 Itaonekana kuwa ishara isiyofaa katika macho ya wale walio katika Yerusalemu, wale walioapa kiapo kwa Wababeli! Lakini mfalme atawashtaki kwa kuvunja sheria ya mkataba ili kuwabariki!
It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.
24 Kwa hiyo Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Kwa sababu umeuleta uovu wako kwenye kumbukumbu zangu, makosa yenu yatafunuliwa! Dhambi zenu zitaonekana katika matendo yenu yote! Kwa sababu hii utamkumbusha kila mtu mtakamatwa kwa mkono wa adui yenu!
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds—because you have come to remembrance—you shall be taken in hand.
25 Kama wewe, mchafu na mtawala mwovu wa Israeli, ambaye siku ya hukumu imekuja, na ambaye mda wa kufanya uovu umekoma,
And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your final punishment.’
26 Bwana Yahwe asema hivi kwako: Toa kilemba na vua taji! Mambo hayatakuwa tena kama yalivyokuwa! Kiinue kilicho chini na kiinue kilichoinuka!
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted.
27 Uharibifu! Uharibifu! Nitaiharibu! Haitakuwa tena hadi atakapokuja yeye ambaye ameteuliwa kutekeleza hukumu.
A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! And it will not be restored until the arrival of Him to whom it belongs, to whom I have assigned the right of judgment.’
28 Basi wewe, mwanadamu, tabiri na sema, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi hawa ni watu wa Amoni kuhusiana na ujio wa aibu yao: Upanga, upanga umechirwa! Umenolewa kwa ajili ya kuchinja, hivyo utakuwa kama kimuli muli cha radi!
Now prophesy, son of man, and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt: ‘A sword! A sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, to flash like lightning—
29 Wakati manabii wameona maono ya uongo juu yako, wakati watakapofanya matambiko kuuijia kwa uongo juu yako, huu upanga utaanguka chini juu ya shingo za mwovu ambao wako karibu kuuawa, ambao siku ya ghadhabu imekuja na ambao mda wa uovu unakaribia kuisha.
while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you— to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.
30 Rudisha upanga kwenye gala yake. Katika mahali ulipoumbwa, katika nchi ya chimbuko lako, nitakuhukumu!
Return the sword to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.
31 Nitamwaga hasira yangu juu yako! Nitapuliza upepo wa moto wa ghadhabu juu yako na kukuweka kwenye mkono wa watu wakatili, watu wajuao kuangamiza!
I will pour out My anger upon you; I will breathe the fire of My fury against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled in destruction.
32 Utakuwa kuni kwa ajili ya moto! Damu yako itakuwa kati ya nchi. Hutakumbukwa tena, kwa kuwa mimi, Yahwe nimesema hivi!”'
You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will stain your own land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.’”
