< Ezekieli 33 >
1 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
Again the word of the LORD 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, if the people of the land take a man of their borders, and set him for their watchman:
3 Atazamapo kwa upanga kama unakuja juu ya nchi, na apige tarumbeta kuwaonya watu!
If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he shall blow the trumpet, and warn 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; if the sword shall come and take 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 deliver his soul.
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 shall see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword shall come, and take [any] person from among them, he is taken away in 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, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at 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; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die in 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.
Nevertheless, if thou shalt warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he shall not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
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?”'
Therefore, O thou son of man, speak to the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins [are] upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then 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 GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked should 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.
Therefore, thou son of man, say to the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his [righteousness] in the day that 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 shall say to the righteous, [that] he shall surely live; if he shall trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
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 to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he shall turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful 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.
[If] the wicked shall restore the pledge, give again that which he had robbed, walk 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 that he hath committed shall be mentioned to him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 Lakini watu wako husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” lakini ni njia zako ndizo haziko sawa!
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the LORD is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 Wakati mtu mwenye haki ageukapo kutoka kwenye haki na kufanya dhambi, kisha atakufa katika hiyo!
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, for that he shall even die.
19 Wakati mtu mbaya ageukapo kutoka kwenye ubaya wake na kufanya iliyo halali na haki, ataishi kwa sababu ya hayo mambo!
But if the wicked shall turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, for that he shall live.
20 Lakini ninyi watu husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” Nitawahukumu kila mmoja wenu kulingana na njia yake, nyumba ya Israeli!”'
Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after 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], in the fifth [day] of the month, [that] one that had escaped out of 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 the LORD was upon me in the evening, before he that had escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
23 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
Then the word of the LORD 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 of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we [are] many; the land is given to us for 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?
Wherefore say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes towards 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 stand upon your sword, ye work 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 GOD; [As] I live, surely they that [are] in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that [is] in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that [are] in the forts and in the caves shall die 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.'
For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, 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] the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.
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!
Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.
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 come, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness.
32 Kwa kuwa umekuwa kama wimbo mzuri kwao, sauti nzuri awezaye kucheza kinanda vizuri, hivyo watasikia maneno yako, lakini hakuna atakaye yatii.
And lo, 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 they do not perform them.
33 Hivyo wakati haya yote yatakapotokea-tazama! itatokea! -watajua yakwamba nabii alikuwa miongoni mwao.”
And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come, ) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.