Ezekiel Acts Out an Attack on Jerusalem
The Lord said:
1 Ezekiel, son of man, find a brick and sketch a picture of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then prepare to attack the brick as if it were a real city. Build a dirt mound and a ramp up to the top and surround the brick with enemy camps. On every side put large wooden poles as though you were going to break down the gate to the city. 3 Set up an iron pan like a wall between you and the brick. All this will be a warning for the people of Israel.
4-5 After that, lie down on your left side and stay there for 390 days as a sign of Israel's punishment —one day for each year of its suffering. 6 Then turn over and lie on your right side 40 more days. That will be a sign of Judah's punishment—one day for each year of its suffering.
7 The brick stands for Jerusalem, so attack it! Stare at it and shout angry warnings. 8 I will tie you up, so you can't leave until your attack has ended.
9 Get a large bowl. Then mix together wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and millet, and make some bread. This is what you will eat for the 390 days you are lying down. 10 Eat only a small loaf of bread each day 11 and drink only two large cups of water. 12 Use dried human waste to start a fire, then bake the bread on the coals where everyone can watch you. 13 When I scatter the people of Israel among the nations, they will also have to eat food that is unclean, just as you must do.
14 I said, “Lord God, please don't make me do that! Never in my life have I eaten food that would make me unacceptable to you. I've never eaten anything that died a natural death or was killed by a wild animal or that you said was unclean.”
15 The Lord replied, “Instead of human waste, I will let you bake your bread on a fire made from cow manure. 16 Ezekiel, the people of Jerusalem will starve. They will have so little food and water that they will be afraid and hopeless. 17 Everyone will be shocked at what is happening, and, because of their sins, they will die a slow death.”
Ezekiele unolakidza kukombiwa kwe Jerusalema nge ngwa
1 Yahwe bakadwa Ezekiele bakati, “Nkololo we nthu, tola itina utjibige mbeli kuko ube unyemba nzi nkulu Jerusalema mu tjili, 2 uukombe nge ngwa, uthame nyundo dzinoupkhwanya kuupoteleka, uthame matatho aunotathiligwa ndiwo ube uthama makotokelo ebanougwisa. 3 Ipapo ubeutola ndilo ye butale uyibige pakati kuko ne nzi nkulu se guma linokuthubukanya ne nzi. Ulingisane ne nzi uthame kuti ukombiwe nge ngwa. Iwe uukombe nge ngwa. Ikoku tjilakidzo ku itjaba tje Iziraela.
4 “Ipapo ulale nge lubadu gwe lumeshwe ube uzwilonga jinyo le itjaba tje Iziraela. Unowosenga jinyo le itjaba tje Iziraela tjibaka tjinolizana mazhuba awakalala ipapo. 5 Ndakubalila mazhuba anoyendidzana ne makole e jinyo labo. Unowosenga jinyo le itjaba tje Iziraela mazhuba ali mazana matatu ana mazhuba ali makumi ali zhanalume (390).
6 “Shule kwe wawidza mazhuba iyawa, ulale pasi kakale, koga ngwenu ulale nge lubadu gwe luji ube usenga jinyo le itjaba tje Juda. Ndakubalila mazhuba ali makumi manna, zhuba limwe ne limwe limilile gole. 7 Uzwilingisanye nge kukomba Jerusalema nge ngwa, umilidze luboko gugo gusakazwimbiwa nge tjimwe ulebelembeli nge kwawo. 8 Bona, ndowokusunga nge mitjili kuti usitongoshanduka ukalala nge gumwe lubadu kuswikila uwidza mazhuba ekuukomba nge ngwa.”
9 “Tola koroni ne bhali ne nyemba ne ipimbo ne zembgwe ne lukwezha uzwishanganye mu tjija tjing'ompela. Unowothama tjiwunga ndizo tjaunowobe uja mu mazhuba iyawa ali mazana matatu ana mazhuba ali makumi ali zhanalume (390) ulilele nge lubadu. 10 Zojiwa zwaunobe uja uzwiyele, uje tjilizanyo seme dzili mazana mabili ana dzili makumi matatu (230) nge zhuba ngono uja nge zwibaka zwakabigwa. 11 Ne vula unowong'wa yakalizanyidziwa, unowong'wa kopi mbili nge zwibaka zwakabigwa. 12 Tjiwunga tje bhali tjaunowoja utjibhike nge zwilobe zwe bathu ibo bakalinga.”
13 Yahwe bakabe beti, “Bathu be Iziraela banowoja zwakatemapala saikoku pakati kwe zwitjaba zwandinowobatatila ku zwili.” 14 Ipapo imi ashandula nditi, “Bonani, She Yahwe, ngakusijalo. Imi andithu azwitemapadza kudwila mu butjetjana gwangu kuswikila ngwenu, andithu aja tjakazwifila kene tjakazandabugwa nge zwibandana, akuna tjakashoba tjathu tjikangina mu nlomo wangu.” 15 Ipapo Yahwe bakati kundili, “Kwakalulwama, ndowokuletja ukabhika tjiwunga tjitjo nge zwilobe zwe ng'ombe pana kuti ubhike nge zwe bathu.” 16 Bakandidwa ipapo bakati, “Nkololo we nthu, ndowotapudza zojiwa mu Jerusalema, banowoja zojiwa belizanyidza ngono hana dzabo dzowobe dzisakadzikama, beng'wa vula belizanyidza bakatemeka mafupa, 17 Ngoti zojiwa ne vula zowobe zwisingabalizane, banowokaabala ha belingana, banowokorotela ngekwe shamu inobaloba ngekwe zwibi zwabo.”