< Ezekieli 8 >
1 Hivyo ikawa kuhusu katika mwaka wa sita na mwezi wa sita, katika siku ya tano ya mwezi, nilipokuwa nimeketi kwenye nyumba yangu na wazee wa Yuda waliketi mbele yangu, kwamba mkono wa Bwana Yahwe ukanijaza juu yangu huko.
In the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the Lord GOD’s hand fell on me there.
2 Hivyo nikaona, na tazama, kulikuwa na mfano kama mwonekano wa mwanadamu. Kutoka kwenye mwonekano wake wa nyonga kwenda chini kulikuwa na moto. Na kutoka kwenye nyonga kwenda juu kulikuwa na mwonekano wa kitu kinachong'aa, kama mng'ao wa chuma.
Then I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire—from the appearance of his waist and downward, fire, and from his waist and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.
3 Kisha akanyoosha kutoka kwenye mkono na kunichukua kwa nywele za kichwa changu; Roho akaniacha juu kati ya dunia na mbingu, na katika maono kutoka kwa Mungu, akaniletea hata Yerusalemu, kwenye mlango wa kuingia ndani ya lango la kaskazini, ambako sanamu ile iletayo wivu mkubwa ilipokuwa imesiamama.
He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks toward the north, where there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
4 Kisha tazama, utukufu wa Mungu wa Israeli ulikuwa huko, kulingana na ono nililokuwa nimeliona kwenye uwanda.
Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.
5 Kisha akanambia, “Mwanadamu, inua juu macho yako kwenda upande wa kaskazini.” Hivyo nikainua macho yangu kuelekea kaskazini, na kwenye lango la kaskazini kulekea kwenye madhabahu, huko kwenye lango la kuingilia, kulikuwa na sanamu ya wivu.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north.” So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and saw, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6 Hivyo akanambia, “Mwanadamu, unaona wanayoyafanya? Haya ni machukizo makubwa ambayo nyumba ya Israeli wanayoyafanya hapa kunifanya niende mbali kutoka patakatifu pangu. Lakini utageuka na kuona machukizo makubwa zaidi.”
He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you will again see yet other great abominations.”
7 Kisha akanileta hata kwenye mlango wa uzio, na nikatazama, kulikuwa na shimo kwenye ukuta.”
He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
8 Akanambia, “Mwanadamu, chimba kwenye huu ukuta.” Basi nikachimba kwenye huo ukuta, na kulikuwa na mlango.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig now in the wall.” When I had dug in the wall, I saw a door.
9 Kisha akanambia, “Nenda na ukaone machukizo ya uovu ambayo wanayoyafanya hapa.”
He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.”
10 Basi nilipokuwa nikienda ndani na nikaona, na tazama! Kulikuwa na kila umbo la vitu vikitembea polepole na mnyama achukizaye sana! Kila sanamu wa nyumba ya Israeli ilikuwa imechongwa kwenye ukuta pande zote.
So I went in and looked, and saw every form of creeping things, abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed around on the wall.
11 Wazee sabini wa wa nyumba ya Israeli walikuwa huko, na Yaazania mwana wa Shafani alikuwa amesimama katikati yao. Walikuwa wamesimama mbele ya picha, na kila mtu alikuwa na chetezo kwenye mkono wake ili kwamba harufu ya ubani ingeweza kupanda juu.
Seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel stood before them. In the middle of them Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan stood, every man with his censer in his hand; and the smell of the cloud of incense went up.
12 Akanambia, “mwanadamu, unaona kile ambacho wazee wa nyumba ya Israeli wanachokifanya kwenye giza? Kila mmoja hufanya hivi kwenye chumba cha sanamu yake, kwa kuwa husema, 'Yahwe hatuone! Yahwe ameitelekeza hii nchi.”'
Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us. The LORD has forsaken the land.’”
13 Kisha akanambia, “Geuka tena na tazama machukizo makubwa ambayo wanayoyafanya.”
He said also to me, “You will again see more of the great abominations which they do.”
14 Tena akanileta kwenye lango la kuingia la nyumba ya Yahwe lililokuwa upande waa kaskazini, na tazama! Wanawake walikuwa wameketi huko wakimlilia Tamuzi.
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and I saw the women sit there weeping for Tammuz.
15 Hivyo akanambia, “Umeiona hii, mwanadamu? Geuka tena na uone machukizo makubwana zaidi kuliko hayo.”
Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see yet greater abominations than these.”
16 Akanileta hata kwenye uzio wa ndani wa nyumba ya Yahwe, na tazama! huko kwenye lango la kuingia kwenye madhabahu, kulikuwa na takribani watu ishirini na tano waliokuwa wamelipa mgongo hekalu la Yahwe na nyuso zao kuelekea mashariki, na walikuwa wakiabudu jua.
He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and I saw at the door of the LORD’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the LORD’s temple and their faces toward the east. They were worshiping the sun toward the east.
17 Akanambia, “Unaona hii, mwanadamu? Je ni kitu kidigo kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Yuda kufanya haya machukizo wanayoyafanya? Kwa kuwa wameijaza nchi kwa uovu na wamerudi tena ili kuniletea hasira, kuweka tawi kwenye pua zao.
Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger. Behold, they put the branch to their nose.
18 Hivyo nitatenda miongoni mwao pia; jicho langu halitakuwa na huruma, sitaacha kuwaharibu. hata watalia kwenye masikio yangu kwa sauti kubwa, sitawasikia.”
Therefore I will also deal in wrath. My eye will not spare, neither will I have pity. Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them.”