< Ezekieli 33 >
1 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
And there is a word of Jehovah unto 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 unto the sons of thy people, and thou hast said unto them: A land — when I bring in against it a sword, And the people of the land have taken one man out of their borders, And made him to them for a watchman.
3 Atazamapo kwa upanga kama unakuja juu ya nchi, na apige tarumbeta kuwaonya watu!
And he hath seen the sword coming against the land, And hath blown with a trumpet, and hath warned 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.
And the hearer hath heard the voice of the trumpet, and he hath not taken warning, And come in doth the sword, and taketh him away, His blood is on his head.
5 Kama mtu akisikia sauti ya tarumbeta na hakusikiliza, damu yake iko juu yake; lakini kama akisikia, ataokoa maisha yake mwenyewe.
The voice of the trumpet he heard, And he hath not taken warning, his blood is on him, And he who took warning his soul hath delivered.
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.'
And the watchman, when he seeth the sword coming in, And he hath not blown with a trumpet, And the people hath not been warned, And come in doth a sword, And taketh away of them — a soul, He in his iniquity is taken away, And his blood from the hand of the watchman I require.
7 Sasa wewe mwenyewe, mwanadamu! Nimekufanya kuwa mlinzi kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Israeli; utasikia maneno kutoka kinywani mwangu na uwaonye badala yangu.
And thou, son of man, A watchman I gave thee to the house of Israel, And thou hast heard from My mouth a word, And thou hast warned 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!
In My saying to the wicked, O wicked one — thou dost surely die, And thou hast not spoken to warn the wicked from his way, He — the wicked — in his iniquity doth die, And his blood from thy hand I require.
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.
And thou, when thou hast warned the wicked of his way, to turn back from it, And he hath not turned back from his way, He in his iniquity doth die, And thou thy soul hast delivered.
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?”'
And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Rightly ye have spoken, saying: Surely our transgressions and our sins [are] on us, And in them we are wasting away, How, then, do 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 unto them, I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, I delight not in the death of the wicked, But — in the turning of the wicked from his way, And he hath lived, Turn back, turn back, from your evil ways, Yea, why do 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.
And thou, son of man, say unto the sons of thy people: The righteousness of the righteous doth not deliver him in the day of his transgression, And the wickedness of the wicked, He doth not stumble for it in the day of his turning from his wickedness, And the righteous is not able to live in it in the day of his sinning.
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.
In My saying of the righteous: He surely liveth, And — he hath trusted on his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, All his righteous acts are not remembered, And for his perversity that he hath done, For it he doth die.
14 Hivyo kama nikisema kwa mwovu, “Utakufa hakika,” lakini kama akitubu kutoka kwenye dhambi zake na kufanya yaliyo halali na haki-
And in My saying to the wicked: Thou surely diest, And — he hath turned back from his sin, And hath done judgment and righteousness,
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.
(The pledge the wicked restoreth, plunder he repayeth, ) In the statutes of life he hath walked, So as not to do perversity, He surely liveth — he doth not die.
16 Dhambi alizozifanya hazitakumbukwa kwa ajili yake. Ametenda halali na haki, na hivyo, ataishi hakika!
None of his sin that he hath sinned is remembered to him, Judgment and righteousness he hath done, He doth surely live.
17 Lakini watu wako husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” lakini ni njia zako ndizo haziko sawa!
And the sons of thy people have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, As to them — their way is not pondered.
18 Wakati mtu mwenye haki ageukapo kutoka kwenye haki na kufanya dhambi, kisha atakufa katika hiyo!
In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity — he dieth for it.
19 Wakati mtu mbaya ageukapo kutoka kwenye ubaya wake na kufanya iliyo halali na haki, ataishi kwa sababu ya hayo mambo!
And in the turning back of the wicked from his wickedness, And he hath done judgment and righteousness, by them he liveth.
20 Lakini ninyi watu husema, “Njia ya Bwana haiko sawa!” Nitawahukumu kila mmoja wenu kulingana na njia yake, nyumba ya Israeli!”'
And ye have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, Each according to his ways do I judge you, O house of Israel.'
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 cometh to pass, in the twelfth year — in the tenth [month], in the fifth of the month — of our removal, come in unto me doth one who is escaped from Jerusalem, saying, 'The city hath been 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!
And the hand of Jehovah hath been unto me in the evening, before the coming in of the escaped one, and He openeth my mouth till the coming in unto me in the morning, and opened is my mouth, and I have not been silent again.
23 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,
And there is a word of Jehovah unto 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, the inhabitants of these wastes on the ground of Israel are speaking, saying: Alone hath been Abraham — and he possesseth the land, and we [are] many — to us hath the land been given for a possession.
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 unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: With the blood ye do eat, And your eyes ye lift up unto your idols, And blood ye shed, and the land ye inherit!
26 Mnategemea upanga wenu na mmetenda mambo maovu; kila mtu amemnajisi mke wa jirani yake. Je! kweli mtaimiliki nchi?'
Ye have stood on your sword, Ye have done abomination, Each the wife of his neighbour ye have defiled, And the land ye possess!
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.
Thus dost thou say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I live — do not they who [are] in the wastes by the sword fall? And they who [are] on the face of the field, To the beast I have given for food, And they who are in strongholds and in caves by pestilence die.
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 have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, And ceased hath the excellency of its strength, And desolated have been mountains of Israel, Without any one passing through.
29 Hivyo watajua kwamba mimi ni Yahwe, nitakapoifanya nchi ukiwa na tishio kwa sababu ya machukizo yote waliyoyafanya.
And they have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My making the land a desolation and an astonishment, For all their abominations that they have done.
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!
And thou, son of man, the sons of thy people who are speaking about thee, By the walls, and in openings of the houses, Have spoken one with another, each with his brother, Saying: Come in, I pray you, And hear what [is] the word that cometh out 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 in unto thee as the coming in of a people, And they sit before thee — My people, And have heard thy words, and they do them not, For doting loves with their mouth they are making, After their dishonest gain their heart is going.
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 singer of doting loves, A pleasant voice, and playing well on an instrument, And they have heard thy words, and they are not doing them.
33 Hivyo wakati haya yote yatakapotokea-tazama! itatokea! -watajua yakwamba nabii alikuwa miongoni mwao.”
And in its coming in — lo, it hath come, And they have known that a prophet hath been in their midst!'