Those Who Sin Will Die
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, I hear the people of Israel using the old saying,
“Sour grapes eaten by parents
leave a sour taste in the mouths
of their children.”
3 Now tell them that I am the Lord God, and as surely as I live, that saying will no longer be used in Israel. 4 The lives of all people belong to me—parents as well as children. However, only those who sin will be put to death.
5 Suppose there is a truly good man who always does what is fair and right. 6 He refuses to eat meat sacrificed to foreign gods at local shrines or to worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman having her monthly period. 7 He never cheats or robs anyone and always returns anything taken as security for a loan; he gives food and clothes to the poor 8 and doesn't charge interest when lending money. He refuses to do anything evil; he is fair to everyone 9 and faithfully obeys my laws and teachings. This man is good, and I promise he will live.
10 But suppose this good man has an evil son who is violent and commits sins 11 his father never did. He eats meat at local shrines, has sex with someone else's wife, 12 cheats the poor, and robs people. He keeps what is given to him as security for a loan. He worships idols, does disgusting things, 13 and charges high interest when lending money. An evil man like that will certainly not live. He is the one who has done these horrible sins, so it's his own fault that he will be put to death.
14 But suppose this evil man has a son who sees his father do these things and refuses to act like him. 15 He doesn't eat meat at local shrines or worship Israel's idols, and he doesn't have sex with someone else's wife. 16 He never cheats or robs anyone and doesn't even demand security for a loan. He gives food and clothes to the poor 17 and refuses to do anything evil or to charge interest. And he obeys all my laws and teachings. Such a man will live. His own father sinned, but this good man will not be put to death for the sins of his father. 18 It is his father who will die for cheating and robbing and doing evil.
19 You may wonder why a son isn't punished for the sins of his father. It is because the son does what is right and obeys my laws. 20 Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won't suffer for the sins of their parents, and parents won't suffer for the sins of their children. Good people will be rewarded for what they do, and evil people will be punished for what they do.
21 Suppose wicked people stop sinning and start obeying my laws and doing right. They won't be put to death. 22 All their sins will be forgiven, and they will live because they did right. 23 I, the Lord God, don't like to see wicked people die. I had much rather see them turn back from their sins and live.
24 But when good people start sinning and doing disgusting things, will they live? No! All their good deeds will be forgotten, and they will be put to death because of their sins.
25 You people of Israel accuse me of being unfair! But listen—I'm not unfair; you are! 26 If good people start doing evil, they must be put to death, because they have sinned. 27 And if wicked people start doing right, they will save themselves from punishment. 28 They will think about what they've done and stop sinning, and so they won't be put to death. 29 But you still say that I am unfair. You are the ones who have done wrong and are unfair!
30 I will judge each of you for what you've done. So stop sinning, or else you will certainly be punished. 31 Give up your evil ways and start thinking pure thoughts. And be faithful to me! Do you really want to be put to death for your sins? 32 I, the Lord God, don't want to see that happen to anyone. So stop sinning and live!
Mazwidabiligo
1 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 2 “Apa mobe mudwani ha muleba gungulupeswa eli ngekwe shango ye Iziraela?
“ ‘Botate bakaja zhambi dzinoshababa,
ngono meno e bana akapuma?’
3 “Nge malebeswa se nditjila, koleba She Yahwe, amutjawobgwilulula gungulupeswa ileli mu Iziraela kakale. 4 Nge kuti mmwe ne mmwe unotjila nge wangu, tate ne nkololo, kofanana koga bose nge bangu. Nthu unotjinya ndiye unofa.
5 “Ngatiti kuna nthu wakalulwama unotjila akatambunuka, 6 asingaje pezhugwi kwe dombo kene kuli kuthigamila midzimu ye zwifano zwe bathu be Iziraela, asingatemapadze nkadzi we mbakidzani uwe kene kuwalilana ne nkadzi ali mu misi iye. 7 Aatotshambilidza nthu, unobuza tjaakaadzima kagadzabgwe kutjibgwiliza. Aatotolela, koga unopa banazhala zojiwa zwizwe kaswingidza banoyenda mbujo. 8 Aatoshaka mmwiso muna tjaaadzima nthu kene kuli kushaka mmwiso wakapindilila. Unozwidziba mu kuthama tjisiitjo kasumikilisa nge ndizandizanyo pakati kwe nthu ne nthu. 9 Unotobela zila dzangu kalondolodza milayo yangu nge njele. Nlume iwoyu wakalulwama unowotjila.
10 “Ngatiti nthu iwoyu una nkololo, we tjilalume unobulaya bathu, unothama tjimwe ne tjimwe tje zwakajalo, 11 nenguba tate babe basakatongo thama zwakajalo. Iye unoja zwe midzimu pezhugwi kwe dombo. Unotemapadza nkadzi we mbakidzani uwe. 12 Unotshambilidza bashayi ne basheti. Unotolela. Aatobgwiliza tjaakaadzima. Unonamata midzimu ye zwifano. Unothama zwithu zwinoshimika. 13 Unoadzima ebe eshaka mwiso wakapindilila. Apa nthu wakajali ungatjila kene? Ha angatjile! Nge kuti wakathama zwithu zose izwezwi zwinoshimika, nge malebeswa unowofa, ngono malopa awe anowobe pezhugwi kwe nsholo uwe.
14 “Koga ngatiti nlume iwoyu una nkololo unobona zwibi izwezwi zose zwakashingwa ndi tate babe, ebe ekumbula, ngono ebe asingashinge sekwakashinga tate babe. 15 Asingaje pezhugwi kwe dombo zwe midzimu, asinganamate midzimu ye bathu be Iziraela ye zwifano. Asingatemapadze nkadzi we mbakidzani uwe. 16 Asina waanotshambilidza kene kuli kushaka mwiso muna tjaaadzima mmwe. Asingatolele, koga ekobana zojiwa zwizwe ne bana zhala, kakale eswingidza banoyenda mbujo. 17 Ezwidziba mu kuthama tjibi asingashake mwiso muna tjaaadzima mmwe kene mmwiso wakapindilila. Elondolodza milayo yangu kakale eyenda mu zila dzangu. Aatowofa efila tjibi tja tate babe, nge malebeswa unowotjila. 18 Koga tate babe banowofa befila tjibi tjabo, nge kuti bakathama tjisakalulwama, bakatolela ikamu tjabo, ngono bakashinga tjisakalulwama pakati kwe bathu bakanyi kwabo.
19 “Koga mutjabhuzwa muti, ‘Ini nkololo asingakobane na tate babe nlandu wabo?’ Se nkololo akashinga tjakalulwama tjakatambunuka, kabe ne njele kulondolodza milayo yangu, nge malebeswa unowotjila. 20 Nthu unotjinya unowofa. Nkololo aatowobe ne gobe mu jinyo la tate babe, tate nayibobo abatowobe ne gobe mu jinyo le nkololo wabo, ndulamo ye wakalulwama inowobe iye, mbipo ye wakabipa inowobe iye.
21 “Koga ha babiibi beshandukila zwibi zwabo zwabakathama bebe belondolodza milayo yangu yose bethama tjimu nlayo tjakalulwama, nge malebeswa banowotjila, abatowofa. 22 Akuna tjimwe tje zwibi zwaakathama tjinowokumbugwa kakale. Se ashinga zwakalulwama, unowotjila. 23 Apa ndina tjimwe tjinondishathisa mu lufu gwe mbiimbi kene? Apa anditoshathisiwa nge kubona eshandukila zila dzidze ebe etjila kene? 24 Koga ha nlulwami eshandukila ndulamo iye ebe ethama tjibi ngono ethama zwakabipa zwinofana ne zwinothamiwa ne mbiimbi, unowotjila kene? Akuna tjimwe tje zwithu zwaakashinga zwakalulwama tjinowokumbugwa. Ngekwe kusagalikamoyo kukwe unlandu nge zwibi zwaakathama, ngono unowofa.
25 “Koga ne kwakajalo imwi moti, ‘Zila ya She aizolulwama.’ Ihwani imwi bathu be Iziraela, Apa zila yangu aizolulwama kene? Apa ate dzili dzenyu zila dzisakalulwama kene? 26 Ha nlulwami eshandukila ndulamo iye ebe ethama tjibi unowotjifila, se akathama tjibi unowofa. 27 Kakale ha mbiimbi eshandukila bubi gugwe gwaakathama ebe ethama tjakalulwama tjakatambunuka unowozwitjidza. 28 Se ekumbula zwibi zose zwaakathama ebe ezwishandukila, nge malebeswa unowotjila, aatowofa. 29 Nenguba kwakajalo bathu be Iziraela bakati, ‘Zila ya She aizolulwama.’ Apa zila dzangu adzizolulwama kene imwi bathu be Iziraela? Ate dzilidzenyu kene zila dzisakalulwama?
30 “Ndizowali imwi bathu be Iziraela, ndowomusumikilisa, mmwe ne mmwe ndowonsumikilisa kuyendidzana nge mishingo iye.” Koleba She Yahwe. “Muzwibone nlandu mushandukile zwibi zwenyu, ipapo tjibi atjitowobe bhelelo lenyu. 31 Lashilani kutjena namwi zwibi zwenyu zose zwamakandithamila, mu amutjile moyo ntshwa ne meya mitshwa. Mungafilani wali bathu be Iziraela? 32 Kana akuna tjinondishathisa mu lufu gwe unofa, koleba She Yahwe. Shandukani mu tjile.”