< Ezekieli 33 >
1 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
Again the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
2 “Mwanadamu, sema hivi kwa watu wako; waambie, 'Nitakapoleta upanga juu ya nchi, kisha watu wa hiyo nchi wakamchukua mtu mmoja kutoka mingoni mwao na kumfanya awe mlinzi wao.
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man out of their whole number, and set him for their watchman,
3 Atazamapo kwa upanga kama unakuja juu ya nchi, na apige tarumbeta kuwaonya watu!
and he seeth the sword coming on the land, and bloweth the trumpet, and warneth the people,
4 Kama watu wakisikia sauti ya tarumbeta lakini bila kusikia, na kama upanga ukija na kuwaua, kisha damu ya kila mmoja iko juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe.
then whoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, and the sword cometh and taketh him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5 Kama mtu akisikia sauti ya tarumbeta na hakusikiliza, damu yake iko juu yake; lakini kama akisikia, ataokoa maisha yake mwenyewe.
He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning. His blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall save his life.
6 Bali, kama mlinzi akiona upanga unakuja, lakini kama asipopiga tarumbeta, pamoja na matokeo kwamba watu hawajaonywa, na kama upanga ukija na kuchukua uhai wa mtu yeyote, kisha yule mtu akafa kwenye dhambi yake mwenyewe, lakini nitaitaka damu yake kutoka mlinzi.'
But if the watchman see the sword coming, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, and the sword come and take away any person from among them, he is taken away for his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
7 Sasa wewe mwenyewe, mwanadamu! Nimekufanya kuwa mlinzi kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Israeli; utasikia maneno kutoka kinywani mwangu na uwaonye badala yangu.
So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman to the house of Israel, that thou shouldst hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me.
8 Kama nikimwambia mtu mwovu, 'Mwovu, hakika utakufa!' lakini kama hutangazi hivi ili kwa ajili ya kumuonya mtu mwovu kuhusu hii njia, kisha huyo mtu mwovu atakufa katika dhambi yake, lakini nitaitaka damu yake kutoka kwenye mkono wako!
When I say to the wicked, “O wicked man, thou shalt surely die!” and thou speakest not to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die for his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand.
9 Lakini wewe, kama ukimwonya mwovu kuhusu hii njia, hivyo basi anaweza kurudi kutoka hiyo, na kama kama asipogeuka kutoka njia yake, kisha atakufa katika dhambi yake, lakini wewe mwenyewe utakuwa umeokoa maisha yako.
Yet if thou warn the wicked of his way, to turn from it, and he turneth not from his way, he shall die for his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thyself.
10 Basi wewe, mwanadamu, sema kwa nyumba ya Israeli, 'Mnasema hivi, Makosa yetu na dhambi zetu zi juu yetu, na tunadhoofika kwa ajili yao! Je! tutaishije?”'
Thou, therefore, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: Rightly do ye say, “Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and through them we pine away. How then can we live?”
11 Waambie, 'Kama niishivyo-asema Bwana Yahwe-sifurahii kifo cha mwovu, kwa kuwa kama mwovu akitubu kutoka njia yake, kisha ataishi! Tubu! Tubu kutoka njia zako mbaya! Kwa nini mnataka kufa, nyumba ya Israeli?'
Say to them, As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways! for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
12 Hivyo basi wewe, mwanadamu, waambe watu wako, 'Haki ya mwenye haki haitamwokoa kama akikosa! Uovu wa mtu mwovu hautamfanya kuangamia kama akitubu dhambi zake! Kwa kuwa mtu mwenye haki hataweza kuishi kwa sababu ya haki yake kama akikosa.
Thou also, son of man, say to the sons of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and through his wickedness shall not the wicked man fall in the day when he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live in the day when he sinneth.
13 Kama nikisema kwa mwenye haki, “Hakika ataisha!” na kama akiamini katika haki yake na kisha akafanya udhalimu, sitokumbuka haki yake yoyote. Atakufa kwa ajili ya uovu alioufanya.
When I say concerning the righteous, “He shall surely live,” and he trusteth in his righteousness, and doeth iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered, but for his iniquity which he hath committed shall he die.
14 Hivyo kama nikisema kwa mwovu, “Utakufa hakika,” lakini kama akitubu kutoka kwenye dhambi zake na kufanya yaliyo halali na haki-
Again, when I say concerning the wicked, “He shall surely die,” and he turneth from his sin, and doeth that which is just and right,
15 kama akirudisha dhamana ambayo aliyomnyang'anya, au kama akirudisha alichokipoteza, na kama akitembea katika amri zitoazo uhai na bila kufanya dhambi-kisha ataishi hakika. Hatakufa.
and the wicked restoreth the pledge, giveth back that which he hath taken by violence, and walketh in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16 Dhambi alizozifanya hazitakumbukwa kwa ajili yake. Ametenda halali na haki, na hivyo, ataishi hakika!
None of his sins which he hath committed shall be mentioned to him; he hath done that which is just and right; he shall surely live.
17 Lakini watu wako husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” lakini ni njia zako ndizo haziko sawa!
And yet the sons of thy people say, “The way of the Lord is not right!” But it is their way which is not right.
18 Wakati mtu mwenye haki ageukapo kutoka kwenye haki na kufanya dhambi, kisha atakufa katika hiyo!
When the righteous man turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he dieth because of it.
19 Wakati mtu mbaya ageukapo kutoka kwenye ubaya wake na kufanya iliyo halali na haki, ataishi kwa sababu ya hayo mambo!
And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is just and right, he shall live thereby.
20 Lakini ninyi watu husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” Nitawahukumu kila mmoja wenu kulingana na njia yake, nyumba ya Israeli!”'
And yet ye say, “The way of the Lord is not right!” O house of Israel, I will judge you every one according to his ways!
21 Ikawa katika mwaka wa kumi na mbili, siku ya tano ya mwezi wa kumi ya uhamisho wetu, mtu mmoja akatoroka kutoka Yerusalemuna kusema, “Mji umetekwa!”
And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me, saying, “The city is smitten!”
22 Mkono wa Yahwe ulikuwa juu yangu jioni kabla yule mtoro hajaja, na mdomo wangu ulikuwa wazi mda huo alikuja kwangu wakati wa mapambazuko. Hivyo mdomo wangu ulikuwa wazi; sikuwa bubu tena!
Now the hand of Jehovah had been upon me in the evening before he that had escaped came; and he opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; he opened my mouth, so that I was no longer dumb.
23 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
24 “Mwanadamu, wale waishio mahali palipoharibika katika nchi ya Israeli huongea na kusema, 'Ibrahimu alikuwa mtu pekee, na alirithi nchi, lakini sisi tukowengi! Tumepewa nchi kama wamiliki.”
Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes in the land of Israel say, “Abraham was but one, and he inherited the land; but we are many; to us is the land given for an inheritance.”
25 Kwa hiyo waambie, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Mnakula damu, na mmeziinulia macho yenu sanamu, kisha mnazimwagia damu za watu. Je! mna uhakika wa kuimiliki hii nchi?
Therefore say to them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Ye eat with the blood, and life up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood; and shall ye possess the land?
26 Mnategemea upanga wenu na mmetenda mambo maovu; kila mtu amemnajisi mke wa jirani yake. Je! kweli mtaimiliki nchi?'
Ye trust to your swords, ye commit abomination, and ye defile, every one, his neighbor's wife; and shall ye possess the land?
27 Utawaambia hivi, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Kama niishivyo, hakika wale walio katika uharibifu wataanguka kwa upanga, na nitawapatia wale walio katika mashamba viumbe hai kama chakula, na wale walio katika ngome na mapango watakufa kwa tauni.
Say thou thus to them: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open country will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that are in the forts and caves shall fall by the pestilence.
28 Kisha nitairudisha nchi kwenye ukiwa na tishio, na kiburi cha uwezo wake kitakoma, kwa kuwa milima ya Israeli itakuwa jangwa, na hakutakuwa na mtu yeyote atakayewapitia.'
And I will make the land an utter desolation; and the pride of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through.
29 Hivyo watajua kwamba mimi ni Yahwe, nitakapoifanya nchi ukiwa na tishio kwa sababu ya machukizo yote waliyoyafanya.
Then shall they know that I am Jehovah, when I have made the land an utter desolation, on account of all the abominations which they practise.
30 Hivyo basi wewe, mwanadamu-watu wako wanasema mambo yako karibu na kuta na malango ya nyumba, na kila mmoja anaambizana na mwenzake-kila mtu na ndugu yake, 'Twende na tukasikilize neno la nabii lililotoka kwa Yahwe!
As for thee, O son of man, the sons of thy people speak concerning thee by the walls, and in the doors of houses; and speak one to another, every man to his neighbor, saying, “Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that goeth forth from Jehovah.”
31 Hivyo watu wangu watakuja kwako, kama wafanyavyo mara nyingi, na nitaketi mbele yako na kusikiliza maneno yako, lakini mioyo yao inafuata udhalimu kwa faida yao.
And they come to thee, as the people assembleth, and they sit before thee, as my people, and they hear thy words: but will not do them; for with their mouth they do what is lovely, but their heart goeth after gain.
32 Kwa kuwa umekuwa kama wimbo mzuri kwao, sauti nzuri awezaye kucheza kinanda vizuri, hivyo watasikia maneno yako, lakini hakuna atakaye yatii.
And behold, thou art to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but do them not.
33 Hivyo wakati haya yote yatakapotokea-tazama! itatokea! -watajua yakwamba nabii alikuwa miongoni mwao.”
But when this cometh to pass, (and behold, it shall come to pass, ) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.