< Ezekieli 33 >
1 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
The LORD’s word 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 your people, and tell them, ‘When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from amongst them, and set him for their watchman,
3 Atazamapo kwa upanga kama unakuja juu ya nchi, na apige tarumbeta kuwaonya watu!
if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the shofar and warns 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 hears the sound of the shofar and doesn’t heed the warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on 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 shofar and didn’t take warning. His blood will be on him; whereas if he had heeded the warning, he would have delivered 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 sees the sword come and doesn’t blow the shofar, and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from amongst them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will 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 you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warnings 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 tell the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your 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 you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he doesn’t turn from his way; he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your 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?”'
“You, son of man, tell the house of Israel: ‘You say this, “Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them. 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?'
Tell them, ‘“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why will you die, 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.
“You, son of man, tell the children of your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him in the day of his disobedience. And as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not fall by it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither will he who is righteous be able to live by it in the day that he sins.
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 tell the righteous that he will surely live, if he trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but he will die in his iniquity that he has committed.
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, “You will surely die,” if he turns from his sin and does 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 restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity, he will surely live. He will not die.
16 Dhambi alizozifanya hazitakumbukwa kwa ajili yake. Ametenda halali na haki, na hivyo, ataishi hakika!
None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done that which is lawful and right. He will surely live.
17 Lakini watu wako husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” lakini ni njia zako ndizo haziko sawa!
“‘Yet the children of your people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair;” but as for them, their way is not fair.
18 Wakati mtu mwenye haki ageukapo kutoka kwenye haki na kufanya dhambi, kisha atakufa katika hiyo!
When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he will even die therein.
19 Wakati mtu mbaya ageukapo kutoka kwenye ubaya wake na kufanya iliyo halali na haki, ataishi kwa sababu ya hayo mambo!
When the wicked turns from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he will live by it.
20 Lakini ninyi watu husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” Nitawahukumu kila mmoja wenu kulingana na njia yake, nyumba ya Israeli!”'
Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” House of Israel, I will judge every one of you 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!”
In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, “The city has been defeated!”
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 LORD’s hand had been on me in the evening, before he who had escaped came; and he had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
23 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
The LORD’s word 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, those who inhabit the waste places in Eretz-Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many. The land is given 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?
Therefore tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. So should you possess the land?
26 Mnategemea upanga wenu na mmetenda mambo maovu; kila mtu amemnajisi mke wa jirani yake. Je! kweli mtaimiliki nchi?'
You stand on your sword, you work abomination, and every one of you defiles his neighbour’s wife. So should you 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.
“You shall tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword. I will give whoever is in the open field to the animals to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of 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.'
I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment. The pride of her power will cease. The mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that no one will pass through.
29 Hivyo watajua kwamba mimi ni Yahwe, nitakapoifanya nchi ukiwa na tishio kwa sababu ya machukizo yote waliyoyafanya.
Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment 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!
“As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk about you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak to one another, everyone to his brother, saying, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes out 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.
They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.
32 Kwa kuwa umekuwa kama wimbo mzuri kwao, sauti nzuri awezaye kucheza kinanda vizuri, hivyo watasikia maneno yako, lakini hakuna atakaye yatii.
Behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they don’t do them.
33 Hivyo wakati haya yote yatakapotokea-tazama! itatokea! -watajua yakwamba nabii alikuwa miongoni mwao.”
“When this comes to pass—behold, it comes—then they will know that a prophet has been amongst them.”