Jerusalem Is Unfaithful
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, remind the people of Jerusalem of their disgusting sins 3 and tell them that I, the Lord God, am saying:
Jerusalem, you were born in the country where Canaanites lived. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. 4 When you were born, no one cut you loose from your mother or washed your body. No one rubbed your skin with salt and olive oil, and wrapped you in warm blankets. 5 Not one person loved you enough to do any of these things, and no one even felt sorry for you. You were despised, thrown into a field, and forgotten.
6 I saw you lying there, rolling around in your own blood, and I couldn't let you die. 7 I took care of you, like someone caring for a tender, young plant. You grew up to be a beautiful young woman with mature breasts and hair, but you were still naked.
8 When I saw you again, you were old enough to have sex. So I covered your naked body with my own robe. Then I solemnly promised that you would belong to me and that I, the Lord God, would take care of you.
9 I washed the blood off you and rubbed your skin with olive oil. 10 I gave you the finest clothes and the most expensive robes, as well as sandals made from the best leather. 11 I gave you bracelets, a necklace, 12 a ring for your nose, some earrings, and a beautiful crown. 13 Your jewelry was gold and silver, and your clothes were made of only the finest material and embroidered linen. Your bread was baked from fine flour, and you ate honey and olive oil. You were as beautiful as a queen, 14 and everyone on earth knew it. I, the Lord God, had helped you become a lovely young woman.
15 You learned that you were attractive enough to have any man you wanted, so you offered yourself to every passerby. 16 You made shrines for yourself and decorated them with some of your clothes. That's where you took your visitors to have sex with them. These things should never have happened! 17 You made idols out of the gold and silver jewelry I gave you, then you sinned by worshiping those idols. 18 You dressed them in the clothes you got from me, and you offered them the olive oil and incense I gave you. 19 I supplied you with fine flour, olive oil, and honey, but you sacrificed it all as offerings to please those idols. I, the Lord God, watched this happen.
20 But you did something even worse than that—you sacrificed your own children to those idols! 21 You slaughtered my children, so you could offer them as sacrifices. 22 You were so busy sinning and being a prostitute that you refused to think about the days when you were young and were rolling around naked in your own blood.
23 Now I, the Lord God, say you are doomed! Not only did you do these evil things, 24 but you also built places on every street corner 25 where you disgraced yourself by having sex with anyone who walked by. And you did that more and more every day! 26 To make me angry, you even offered yourself to Egyptians, who were always ready to sleep with you.
27 So I punished you by letting those greedy Philistine enemies take over some of your territory. But even they were offended by your repulsive behavior.
28 You couldn't get enough sex, so you chased after Assyrians and slept with them. You still weren't satisfied, 29 so you went after Babylonians. But those merchants could not satisfy you either.
30 I, the Lord God, say that you were so disgusting that you would have done anything to get what you wanted. 31 You had sex on every street corner, and when you finished, you refused to accept money. That's worse than being a prostitute! 32 You are nothing but an unfaithful wife who would rather have sex with strangers than with your own husband. 33 Prostitutes accept money for having sex, but you bribe men from everywhere to have sex with you. 34 You're not like other prostitutes. Men don't ask you for sex—you offer to pay them!
Jerusalem Must Be Punished
The Lord said:
35 Jerusalem, you prostitute, listen to me. 36 You chased after lovers, then took off your clothes and had sex. You even worshiped disgusting idols and sacrificed your own children as offerings to them. 37 So I, the Lord God, will gather every one of your lovers, those you liked and those you hated. They will stand around you, and I will rip off your clothes and let all of those lovers stare at your nakedness. 38 I will find you guilty of being an unfaithful wife and a murderer, and in my fierce anger I will sentence you to a violent death! 39 Then I will hand you over to your lovers, who will tear down the places where you had sex. They will take your clothes and jewelry, leaving you naked and empty-handed.
40 Your lovers and an angry mob will stone you to death; they will cut your dead body into pieces 41 and burn down your houses. Other women will watch these terrible things happen to you. I promise to stop you from being a prostitute and paying your lovers for sex.
42 Only then will I calm down and stop being angry and jealous. 43 You made me furious by doing all these disgusting things and by forgetting how I took care of you when you were young. Then you made things worse by acting like a prostitute. You must be punished! I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Jerusalem's Two Sisters
The Lord said:
44 People will use this saying about you, Jerusalem: “If the mother is bad, so is her daughter.” 45 You are just like your mother, who hated her husband and her own children. You are also like your sisters, who hated their husbands and children. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. 46 Your older sister was Samaria, that city to your north with her nearby villages. Your younger sister was Sodom, that city to your south with her nearby villages. 47 You followed their way of life and their wicked customs, and soon you were more repulsive than they were.
48 As surely as I am the living Lord God, the people of Sodom and its nearby villages were never as sinful as you. 49 They were arrogant and spoiled; they had everything they needed and still refused to help the poor and needy. 50 They thought they were better than everyone else, and they did things I hate. And so I destroyed them.
51 You people of Jerusalem have sinned twice as much as the people of Samaria. In fact, your evil ways have made both Sodom and Samaria look innocent. 52 So their punishment will seem light compared to yours. You will be disgraced and put to shame because of your disgusting sins.
Jerusalem Will Be Ashamed
The Lord said to Jerusalem:
53 Someday I will bless Sodom and Samaria and their nearby villages. I will also bless you, Jerusalem. 54 Then you will be ashamed of how you've acted, and Sodom and Samaria will be relieved that they weren't as sinful as you. 55 When that day comes, you and Sodom and Samaria will once again be well-off, and all nearby villages will be restored.
56 Jerusalem, you were so arrogant that you sneered at Sodom. 57 But now everyone has learned how wicked you really are. The countries of Syria and Philistia, as well as your other neighbors, hate you and make insulting remarks. 58 You must pay for all the vulgar and disgusting things you have done. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Makes a Promise to Jerusalem
The Lord said:
59 Jerusalem, you deserve to be punished, because you broke your promises and ignored our agreement. 60 But I remember the agreement I made with you when you were young, and so I will make you a promise that will last forever. 61 When you think about how you acted, you will be ashamed, especially when I return your sisters to you as daughters, even though this was not part of our agreement. 62 I will keep this solemn promise, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 I will forgive you, but you will think about your sins and be too ashamed to say a word. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Jerusalema usingagalikemoyo
1 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 2 “Nkololo we Nthu, lingisa Jerusalema mishingo yawo inoshimisa 3 ube uti, ‘Tjinolebgwa ndi She Yahwe ku Jerusalema etji, Wakatangisa ku shango ye Bakanana kwawakazwaligwa, tate babo bakabe bali N'amori, ngono mme yabo bali Nhiti. 4 Zhuba lawakazwagwa ikombo tjitjo atjizothubugwa, awuzongudziwa nge vula kuti ube mbuyanana, auzotshikitidziwa mwenyu kene ukapetegwa nge matyila. 5 Akuna wakakuhwila zogwadza, kene kukuhwila ngoni kakuthamila tjimwe tje zwithu izwezwi, koga wakalashigwa kutjena ngoti wakashimiwa mu zhuba lawakazwagwa ndilo.
6 “ ‘Ndakapinda pawakabe walashigwa akubona uthulana mu malopa awo, ngono ukati ulilele ipapo abe nditi ku kuli, “Tjila!” 7 Ndakakuthama kuti ukule se nti umu nnda. Wakakula ukabundila ukabe mbuya kupinda. Mazhamu awo kabhuda ne mavudzi awo kakula, iwe wakabe uli mbujo. 8 Ndakapinda pakuli kakale akulinga, ngono bona wakula walizana ludo. Ndakamilidza bhapilo le hazu yangu akufukidza kusafuka kuko. Ndakatuna ku kuli ngono angina mu tjidumano nawe ngono ukabe wangu. Koleba She Yahwe.
9 “ ‘Ipapo akungudza nge vula adusa malopa mukuli ngono akuzhodza mafuta. 10 Ndakakuambadza zwiambalo zwakanakisiwa ne shangu dze ganda buya. Ndakakuambadza zwiambalo zwe jila lakanaka ne zwifuko zwe themba ipezhugwi. 11 Ndakakunakisa nge zwakanaka: Ndakakuambadza maseka mu maboko awo ne ndalama mu ntshibha uwo, 12 ne ng'ina mu tjimilo tjitjo ne mang'ina mu zebe dzidzo ndibe ndikuambadza tjiala tjakanaka mu nsholo uwo. 13 Wakabe wakanakisiwa nge golide ne siliva, zwiambalo zwizo zwakabe zwili zwe jila buya zwe themba ipezhugwi, jila lakanakisiwa nge thali. Zojiwa zwizo zwakabe zwili bgwisa gwakanathiwa ne butji ne mafuta. Wakati ukanaka kwazo ngono ukalizana kube nfumakadzi. 14 Kuzibika kuko kukayenda nge njudzi ngekwe bubuya gugo ngoti gwakabe gwakapelela nge kukunakisa kwandakakuthama. Koleba She Yahwe. 15 Koga iwe ukabiga mu bubuya gugo ngono ngozibika kuko ungafukula. Wakada mmwe ne mmwe wakapinda pakuli bubuya gugo gukabe gugwe. 16 Wakatola zwimwe zwe zwiambalo zwizo ukazwibakila unakisa paunonamatila uthama bufebe gugo. Akuna tjakajali tjakatongoshingikala kene tjitjawoshingikala kakale. 17 Iwe kakale wakatola zwakanaka zwakathamiwa nge golide yangu ne siliva yandakakupa ube uzwithamila midzimu ye zwifano ye tjilume ube ufukula nayo. 18 Ngono wa katola zwiambalo zwizo zwakathumiwa nge thali ukazwifukidza ukazwipa mafuta angu ne motsha. 19 Zojiwa zwandakakupa naizobo, bgwisa gwakanathiwa ne mafuta ne butji zwandakakupa kuti uje, wakazwipa se nnuhwo unozipa ku zwili. Ikoku ndiko kwakashingikala. Koleba She Yahwe.
20 “ ‘Ipapo wakatola bakololo ne bakololokadzi babo bawakandizwalila ube ubathama zwibhayilo zwe zojiwa ku midzimu ye zwifano. Kukanga kunodwa kuti bufukula gugo aguzogutshika. 21 Wakabulaya bana bangu ukabathama zwibhayilo zwe midzimu. 22 Ngono mu mishingo iyo yose inoshimika ne bufebe gugo auzokumbula mazhuba e butjetjana gugo, pawakabe uli mbujo usakambala, uthulana mu malopa awo.
23 “ ‘Yee mme wee! Wapalala ngekwe bubi gugo. Koleba She Yahwe, 24 wakazwibakila dala ukazwithamila bugalo gupezhugwi mu tjibata tjimwe ne tjimwe. 25 Ku mapelelo e zila imwe ne imwe ukabaka matembezelelo awo akakula ukafukula nge bubuya gugo, uzwipa mu mmwe ne mmwe unopinda paulipo uwatsha bufebe gugo. 26 Wakangina mu bufebe ne Baegipiti, babakidzani nawe be yemula mbi, undithumula kuti ndigwadze moyo nge kuwandisa bufebe gugo. 27 Ndizo ndakamilidza luboko gwangu kukuloba, ndakatapudza ntuthu uwo abe ndikulonga mu maboko e zwita zwizo, bakololokadzi be Bafilisitiya ibo bakabhatisiwa shoni nge bufebe gugo. 28 Wakafukula ne Baasiriya, ngono wakabe usingagutshike, wakafukula nabo ngono ukasigutshikezo. 29 Ipapo ukawatsha bufukula gugo nge Bakhaladiya, shango ye baseenyi ngono ukasigutshikezo ndiyibaba.
30 “ ‘Moyo uwo nlelulelu kungapani, koleba She Yahwe, kwaunodza ukashinga zwithu zose izwezwi, mishingo ye fukula isingatjatilimuke. 31 Unobaka dala mu mapelelo e zila imwe ne imwe, uthama paunonamatila pakamilikila pezhugwi mu tjibata tjimwe ne tjimwe! Koga usingange fukula nge kulamba mari anokulipa. 32 Phombgwekadzi ndiwe unoda bataya kupinda nlume uwo! 33 Fukula imwe ne imwe inoamutjila tja inolipiwa nditjo, koga iwe wakapa zwamba zwizo zose zwipo, ubatenga kuzha ku kuli kudwa kumwe ne kumwe kwaunofukulila. 34 Ndizo wali mu bufukula gugo autonga bamwe, akuna unokusala shule ekushaka. Autonga bamwe, iwe unolipa koga iwe usingalipiwe. 35 Ndizo wali iwe fukula, ihwa dama la Yahwe. 36 Tjinolebgwa ndi She Yahwe etji, Nge kuti yemula dzidzo wakadziletjedzela, wakaambuka ukasala uli mbujo mu bufebe gugo ne zwamba zwizo, kakale nenge kwe midzimu iyo yose ye zwifano inoshimika, nenge kuti wakaipa malopa e bana babo, 37 ndizo wali ndowokubunganya zwamba zwizo zose bawakatongo shatha nabo, ibabo bakabe bekuda ne bakabe bekubenga. Ndowobakubunganya bedwa mu mbizho dzose kugwa nawe ngono ndowokuambula mbeli kwabo ngono banowobona bumbujo gugo gose. 38 Ndowokusumikilisila shamu ye bakadzi banothama bupombgwe kakale betebula malopa, ndowokubgwilizila nge bushongola gwangu ndakagwadza moyo nlandu we kutebula malopa. 39 Ndowokulonga mu maboko abo, ngono banowoliga dala lilo ngono bakakolomodza matembezelelo awo akamilidzika. Banowokumbula zwiambalo zwizo ngono bakatola zwakanaka zwizo ngono bakakusiya uli mbujo. 40 Banowokudanila mbunga unowokukatsha nge mabgwe ukakutemelela nge bukano. 41 Banowopisa ng'umba dzidzo bakakuloba shamu mbeli kwe bakadzi banjinji. Ndowomisa bufukula gugo, ne zwamba zwizo autjowozwilipa. 42 Ndizo bushongola gwangu gowotapudzika ne kugwadzamoyo kwangu nge fupa nge kuko kowopela, ndowogadzikana ndisingatjagwadze moyo.
43 “ ‘Nge kuti auzokumbula mazhuba e butjetjana gugo koga ukandigwadzisa moyo nge zwithu zose izwezwi, ndizo wali ndakabgwilizila mishingo iyo. Koleba She Yahwe. Apa auzopaphidza mishingo iyo yose yakabipa nge bufebe gugo kene?
44 “ ‘Mmwe ne mmwe unoshingisa makungulupeswa, unoleba gungulupeswa eli ngekuko, “Nkololokadzi unotodza mmeyabe.” 45 Iwe u nkololokadzi wa mmeyabo nge malebeswa, ibo bakashima nlume wabo ne bana babo kakale u nnung'una we malebeswa ku bakulu babo be tjikadzi, ibo bakashima balume babo ne bana babo. Mmeyabo bakabe bali Nhiti, tate babo bali N'amori. 46 Nkulu uwo hwola we tjikadzi ndi Samariya wakabe egala ku bunandzwa gugo ne bakololokadzi babe, nnung'una uwo we tjikadzi wakabe egala ku burwa gugo ndi Sodoma ana bakololokadzi babe. 47 Iwe auzoyenda mu zila dzabo uka idzelela mipanga yabo inoshimika koga, mu tjibaka tjitukununu wanyanya mu zila dzidzo. 48 Nge malebeswa se ndi tjila, koleba She Yahwe, nnung'una uwo we tjikadzi Sodoma ne bakololokadzi babe abazotongo thama iwe tjawakathama ne bakololokadzi babo.
49 “ ‘Nlandu we nnung'una uwo we tjikadzi Sodoma ndiwoyu: Iye ne bakololokadzi babe bakabe bezwida, beguta, basina anya, abazoda kubhatsha bashayi ne banosheta. 50 Bakabe bezwikudza bethama zwithu zwinoshimika mbeli kwangu. Ndizo wali ndakabalobesa sekwa unoziba. 51 Samariya aazothama gaswa le zwibi zwawakathama. Iwe wakathama zwinoshimika kubapinda, ngono nge mishingo iyo yawakashinga ukathama nkulu uwo we tjikadzi ne nnung'una uwo bakanga bakalulwama. 52 Senga mabhatisashoni awo, ngoti wathama kuti nkulu uwo ne nnung'una uwo bawang'we bakalulwama. Zwibi zwizo sezwakabipa kupinda zwabo, banolingika bakalulwama kukupinda. Ndizo wali bhakhwa nge shoni usenge mabhatisashoni awo, nge kuti wathama nkulu uwo ne nnung'una uwo bakalingika bakalulwama.
53 “ ‘Ndowobabgwiliza mu tjimo tjabo, tjimo tje Sodoma ne bakololokadzi babe ne tjimo tje Samariya ne bakololokadzi babe ne tjimo tjitjo kang'ompela ne zwabo, 54 kuita kuti usenge mabhatisashoni awo ndizo ubhakhwe nge shoni ngekwe mishingo yose yawakashinga kubapa kushatha. 55 Ngekwe nkulu uwo ne nnung'una uwo, Sodoma ne bakololokadzi babe banowobgwilila mu tjimo tjabo tje kutanga, Samariya ne bakololokadzi babe banowobgwilila mu tjimo tjabo tje kutanga, iwe ne bakololokadzi babo mowobgwilila mu tjimo tjenyu tje kutanga. 56 Wakabe usingake ukadana zina le nnung'una uwo Sodoma tjibaka tjawakabe utjazwida, 57 tjibaka tjakabe mbipo iyo isathu ikazwimbunugwa. Ngwenu utjiseko ku bakololokadzi ba Aramu ne ku babakidzani naye, ne ku bakololokadzi be Bafilisitiya, bose koga kukupoteleka banokushima. 58 Wakafanila uamutjile shamu ye bufukula gugo ne mishingo iyo yakabipa. Koleba She Yahwe.
Tjidumano tjisingapele
59 “ ‘She Yahwe bakati, Ndowokubhata nge zila yakalingisana ne tjawakashinga, wakazwikangang'wisa kutuna kwangu nge kutjuluka tjidumano tjangu. 60 Koga ndowokumbula tjidumano tjangu tjandakathama nawe mu mazhuba e butjetjana gugo, ngono ndowothama tjidumano nawe tjisingapele. 61 Ipapo unowokumbula zila dzidzo ngono ukabhakhwa nge shoni uamutjila nkulu uwo ne nnung'una uwo be tjikadzi. Ndowokupa ibo kube bakololokadzi babo, koga kuzhe kwe tjidumano tjangu nawe. 62 Ndowothama tjidumano tjangu nawe, ngono unowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe. 63 Ndowoti ndithama mbakisano nawe ngekwe zwawakathama, unowokumbula ngono ukabhakhwa nge shoni ngono ukasitongo zhula nlomo kakale ngekwe kuzwiyisa pasi kuko. Koleba She Yahwe.’ ”