< 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, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me.
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 looked and saw a figure like that of a man. From His waist down His appearance was like fire, and from His waist up He was as bright as the gleam of amber.
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 what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated.
4 Kisha tazama, utukufu wa Mungu wa Israeli ulikuwa huko, kulingana na ono nililokuwa nimeliona kwenye uwanda.
And there I saw the glory of the God of Israel, like the vision I had seen 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.
“Son of man,” He said to me, “now lift up your eyes to the north.” So I lifted up my eyes to the north, and in the entrance north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol of jealousy.
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.”
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing—to drive Me far from My sanctuary? Yet you will see even greater abominations.”
7 Kisha akanileta hata kwenye mlango wa uzio, na nikatazama, kulikuwa na shimo kwenye ukuta.”
Then He brought me to the entrance to the court, and I looked and saw a hole in the wall.
8 Akanambia, “Mwanadamu, chimba kwenye huu ukuta.” Basi nikachimba kwenye huo ukuta, na kulikuwa na mlango.
“Son of man,” He told me, “dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall and discovered a doorway.
9 Kisha akanambia, “Nenda na ukaone machukizo ya uovu ambayo wanayoyafanya hapa.”
Then He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations they are committing 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 engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel.
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.
Before them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.
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.”'
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”
13 Kisha akanambia, “Geuka tena na tazama machukizo makubwa ambayo wanayoyafanya.”
Again, He told me, “You will see them committing even greater abominations.”
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 entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz.
15 Hivyo akanambia, “Umeiona hii, mwanadamu? Geuka tena na uone machukizo makubwana zaidi kuliko hayo.”
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Yet you will see even 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.
So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.
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.
“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the abominations they are practicing here, that they must also fill the land with violence and continually provoke Me to anger? Look, they are even putting 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 respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”