Jerusalema inopiwa nlandu
1 Meya ikandimilidza ikandiyisa ku nkoba we ku bhezhuba we ng'umba ya Yahwe wakalinga ku bhezhuba. Kwakabe kuna balume bali makumi mabili ana bashanu (25) ipapo pa bunginilo gwe nkoba, pakati kwabo ndakabona Jaazaniya nkololo wa Zuri na Pelatiya nkololo wa Bhenaya batungamili be bathu.
2 Yahwe bakabe beti kundili, “Nkololo we nthu, balume ibaba ndibo banolunganya jinyo bebe bepa ikumbuludzo tjakabipa mu nzi nkulu iwoyu, 3 banoti, ‘Tjibaka ate tjili pejo tje kubaka ng'umba, nzi nkulu iwoyu i hali inobhika, iswi ti nyama.’ 4 Ndizo wali lebesambeli nge kwabo, lebesambeli nkololo we nthu.”
5 Ipapo meya ya Yahwe ikadelukila mu ndili ngono ikati ku ndili, “Uti Yahwe bakati, ikoku ndiko kwamunokumbula imwi bathu be Iziraela, ndoziba zwithu zwinozha mu mikumbulo yenyu. 6 Makabulaya bathu banjinji mu nzi iwoyu, mukazhadza zila dzawo nge zwitumbu. 7 Ndizo wali She Yahwe bakati, zwitumbu zwamakalashila muuli ndizo nyama, nzi nkulu iwo i hali inobhika koga imwi mowodusiwa muuli. 8 Motja thumo, ngono thumo ndilo landinowozhisa mu muli, kojalo She Yahwe. 9 Ndowomudusa mu nzi iwoyu ngono amulonga mu maboko e bataya ngono amuloba shamu. 10 Mowofa mu bulawa nge thumo, amusumikilisa pa n'gathu we Iziraela. Ngono mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe. 11 Nzi nkulu iwoyu autowobe hali inomubhika, kakale amutowobe nyama muuli, ndowomusumikilisa pa n'gathu we Iziraela. 12 Ipapo mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe wamakalamba kutobela milayo iye ne milawana iye mukalamba kuilondolodza, koga makashinga kunoyendidzana ne milayo ye njudzi idzedzi dzakamupoteleka.”
13 Kwakati ipapo nditjalebesambeli, Pelatiya nkololo wa Bhenaya kafa. Ipapo awila pasi nge buso ngono alilila pezhugwi, ati, “She Yahwe, apa mowolobesa malimbelimbe e Iziraela kene?”
Ndzimu unogadzabgwe batapiwa kubgwilila kanyi
14 Ipapo dama la Yahwe likazha kundili likati, 15 “Nkololo we nthu, hama dzidzo, ludzi gugo dumbu, ludzi gose gwe Iziraela, bose koga ndibo ibaba bakati bagali be Jerusalema bakati, ‘Bakayendila kule na Yahwe, iswi shango iyeyi takaipiwa kube yedu.’
16 “Ndizo wali lebeleka uti, ‘She Yahwe bakati, nenguba ndakabatatila kule pakati kwe zwitjaba, abapaladza nge shango, koga ndakabe bugalo gwabo gwakayengemala mu shango dzabakayenda ku dzili.’ 17 Ndizo lebeleka uti, ‘She Yahwe bakati, ndowomukubunganya kudwa mu zwitjaba, kudwa mu shango dzamakabe mapaladzigwa kudzili ngono ndowomubgwilizila shango ye Iziraela.’ 18 Banowoti bebuya bakadusa muili zwamwi ne zwimwe zose zwinoshimika. 19 Ndowobapa moyo nng'ompela ngono alonga mu bali meya tshwa, ndowodusa moyo wabo we bgwe mu bali ngono alonga moyo we nyama, 20 ndizo banowotobela milayo yangu bakaihwa ngono bakailondolodza. Ipapo banowobe bathu bangu ngono imi abe Ndzimu wabo. 21 Koga ngekwa ibabo be moyo yakasala shule zwamwi zwabo ne zwinoshimika zwabo, ndowobasengesa mija yabo, koleba She Yahwe.”
Gudzo le Ndzimu losiya Jerusalema
22 Ipapo dzikherubhu dzikamilidza mapapilo adzo makumbgwana adzo ali mu hwunde yadzo, ngono tjedza tje Ndzimu we Iziraela tjili pezhugwi kwadzo. 23 Tjedza tja Yahwe tjikamilika kudwa pakati kwe nzi nkulu tjikanoma pezhugwi kwe dombo liku bhezhuba kwe nzi nkulu. 24 Meya ikandimilidza ikandiyisa ku Khaladiya ku batapiwa ndili mu mbono yandapiwa nge Meya ye Ndzimu. Ipapo mbono yandakabe ndabona ikandisiya. 25 Ngono abudza batapiwa zwithu zose Yahwe zwabandilakidza.
Ezekiel Condemns Jerusalem's Wicked Leaders
1 The Lord's Spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the temple, where I saw 25 men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. 2 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, these men are making evil plans and giving dangerous advice to the people of Jerusalem. 3 They say things like, ‘Let's build more houses. This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.’ 4 So, Ezekiel, condemn them!”
5 The Lord's Spirit took control of me and told me to tell these leaders:
I, the Lord God, know what you leaders are saying. 6 You have murdered so many people that the city is filled with dead bodies! 7 This city is indeed a cooking pot, but the bodies of those you killed are the meat. And so I will force you to leave Jerusalem, 8 and I'll send armies to attack you, just as you fear. 9 Then you will be captured and punished by foreign enemies. 10 You will be killed in your own country, but not before you realize that I, the Lord, have done these things.
11 You leaders claim to be meat in a cooking pot, but you won't be protected by this city. No, you will die at the border of Israel. 12 You will realize that while you were following the laws of nearby nations, you were disobeying my laws and teachings. And I am the Lord!
13 Before I finished speaking, Pelatiah dropped dead. I bowed down and cried out, “Please, Lord God, don't kill everyone left in Israel.”
A Promise of Hope
14 The Lord replied:
15 Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in Jerusalem claim that you and the other Israelites who were taken to Babylonia are too far away to worship me. They also claim that the land of Israel now belongs only to them. 16 But here is what I want you to tell the Israelites in Babylonia:
It's true that I, the Lord God, have forced you out of your own country and made you live among foreign nations. But for now, I will be with you wherever you are, so that you can worship me. 17 And someday, I will gather you from the nations where you are scattered and let you live in Israel again. 18 When that happens, I want you to clear the land of all those idols I hate so much. 19 Then I will take away your stubbornness and make you eager to be completely faithful to me. You will want to obey me 20 and all my laws and teachings. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 21 But those who worship idols will be punished and get what they deserve. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
The Lord's Glory Leaves Jerusalem
22 After the Lord had finished speaking, the winged creatures spread their wings and flew into the air, and the wheels were beside them. The brightness of the Lord's glory above them 23 left Jerusalem and stopped at a hill east of the city.
24 Then in my vision, the Lord's Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to the other exiles in Babylonia. The vision faded away, 25 and I told them everything the Lord had shown me.