Balebesambeli be manyepkhwa
1 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 2 “Nkololo we nthu, lebesambeli ngekwe balebesambeli be Iziraela banolebesambeli, uti kunaibabo banolebesambeli beleba zwe mikumbulo yabo, ‘Ihwani dama la Yahwe! 3 She Yahwe bakati, Yee mme wee Mapalala imwi balebesambeli be zwilengwe banotobela zwe meya yabo kusina tjababona! 4 Balebesambeli babo iwe Iziraela banonga phungubgwe dzimu matongo. 5 Amuzotongo tathila pezhugwi ku mabuli kene kululwamisa guma kuti ndizo bathu be Iziraela batubule kuzwivikilila mu ngwa mu zhuba la Yahwe. 6 Banoleba mbono dze manyepkhwa ne kukandila kwe manyepkhwa beti, “Yahwe bakati.” Koga Yahwe basabatuma bebe bemilila kuzhadzisika kwe matama abo. 7 Apa amuzobona mbono ye manyepkhwa pamakabe muti, “Yahwe bakati.” Nenguba imi kusina tjandaleba kene?
8 “ ‘Ndizo wali She Yahwe bakati, Nge kuti makaleba manyepkhwa mukabona mbono dze manyepkhwa, ndobhayana namwi. Koleba She Yahwe. 9 Ndowobulayisa maboko balebesambeli be manyepkhwa bana mbono dze manyepkhwa ne kukandila manyepkhwa, abatowobe mu nshangano we bathu bangu kene kukwalisiwa mu lukwalo gwe bathu be Iziraela. Abatowongina mu shango ye Iziraela, ipapo mowoziba kuti ndimi She Yahwe. 10 Nge kuti bakatungamilila bathu bangu ntome beti, “Kunyalala.” Koga ipapa kusina kunyalala, kakale nge kuti bathu ha bebaka guma lisakasima, balebesambeli ibaba banolidzulula nge suko. 11 Idwa ibabo banolidzulula nge suko uti lowowa. Kowona vula njinji ina tjivulamabgwe tjikulu ne dutu gulu lowotutudza. 12 Apa guma alitoti liwa bathu bakabhuzwa beti, “Suko ingayi yamakalidzulula nayo kene?” 13 Ndizo wali She Yahwe bakati, Mu kugwadzamoyo kwangu ndowozhulila phepo inotutudza ina tjivulamabgwe tjina bushongola tjikolomodza. 14 Ndowotshindika guma lamakadzulula nge suko, ndowoliligila pasi, kunowoti thiwa dzalo dzikasala dzili patjena. Lowoti liwa, namwibo mukaloba mukati kwalo ngono mukaziba kuti ndimi Yahwe. 15 Ndizo wali ndowoshingisa bushongola gwangu kukolomodza guma na ibabo bakalidzulula nge suko. Ngono ndowoti kumuli, “Guma alitjipo kose naibabo bakalidzulula nge suko, 16 balebesambeli be Iziraela bakalebesambeli ngekwe Jerusalema be bona mbono dze kunyalala muili koga kusina kunyalala. Koleba She Yahwe.” ’
17 “Ngwenu nge kuko nkololo we nthu, lingisana ne bakololokadzi be bathu bakanyi kwenyu banolebesambeli ngekwe zwinodwa mu mikumbulo yabo, lebesambeli ngekwabo 18 uti, She Yahwe bakati, ‘Yee mme wee mapalala imwi bakadzi banothumila zwitshweku zwe mishonga mu maboko enyu wose mube muthama zwisitilo zwe misholo yenyu zwinosiyana nge ndizanyo kuti mubhatshile bathu. Apa mowolonga butjilo gwe bathu bangu mu mbatsha imwi mu bakilila gwenyu kene? 19 Makandilengudza pakati kwe bathu bangu ngekwe bhali isiingapani nenge zwikwamu zwe tjiwunga, mubulaya bathu basakafanilofa, mutjidza bathu basakafanilotjila munyepela bathu bangu banohwilila manyepkhwa.
20 “Ndizo wali tjinoleba She Yahwe ndietji, ‘Ndolambana ne zwitshweku zwenyu zwe miti zwamunoteya bathu ndizo se munoteya nyuni. Ngono ndowozwimwawula ndizwidusa mu maboko enyu, ndowosunungula bathu ibaba bamunoteya se nyuni. 21 Ndowopalula zwisitilo zwenyu ndibe ndisunungula bathu bangu mu maboko enyu ngono abatowofa babhakhwa nge simba lenyu kakale. Ngono ipapo mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe. 22 Nge kuti makanyadzamoyo balulwami nge manyepkhwa, nenguba imi ndisakabanyadzamoyo, kakale makasimisa babi kuti basisiye zila dzabo mbiimbi kuti batjidziwe, 23 ndizo wali amutjowobona mbono dze manyepkhwa kene mukakandila. Ndowosunungula bathu bangu mu maboko enyu. Ngono ipapo mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe.’ ”
Lying Prophets
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the prophets of Israel who say they speak in my name, but who preach messages that come from their own imagination. Tell them it's time to hear my message.
3 I, the Lord God, say those lying prophets are doomed! They don't see visions—they make up their own messages! 4 Israel's prophets are no better than jackals that hunt for food among the ruins of a city. 5 They don't warn the people about coming trouble or tell them how dangerous it is to sin against me. 6 Those prophets lie by claiming they speak for me, but I have not even chosen them to be my prophets. And they still think their words will come true. 7 They say they're preaching my messages, but they are full of lies—I did not speak to them!
8 So I am going to punish those lying prophets for deceiving the people of Israel with false messages. 9 I will turn against them and no longer let them belong to my people. They will not be allowed to call themselves Israelites or even to set foot in Israel. Then they will realize that I am the Lord God.
10 Those prophets refuse to be honest. They tell my people there will be peace, even though there's no peace to be found. They are like workers who think they can fix a shaky wall by covering it with paint. 11 But when I send rainstorms, hailstones, and strong winds, the wall will surely collapse. 12 People will then ask the workers why the paint didn't hold it up.
13 That wall is the city of Jerusalem. And I, the Lord God, am so angry that I will send strong winds, rainstorms, and hailstones to destroy it. 14 The lying prophets have tried to cover up the evil in Jerusalem, but I will tear down the city, all the way to its foundations. And when it collapses, those prophets will be killed, and everyone will know that I have done these things.
15 The city of Jerusalem and its lying prophets will feel my fierce anger. Then I will announce that the city has fallen and that the lying prophets are dead, 16 because they promised my people peace, when there was no peace. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Women Who Wear Magic Charms
The Lord said:
17 Ezekiel, son of man, now condemn the women of Israel who preach messages that come from their own imagination. 18 Tell them they're doomed! They wear magic charms on their wrists and scarves on their heads, then trick others into believing they can predict the future. They won't get away with telling those lies. 19 They charge my people a few handfuls of barley and a couple pieces of bread, and then give messages that are insulting to me. They use lies to sentence the innocent to death and to help the guilty go free. And my people believe them!
20 I hate the magic charms they use to trick people into believing their lies. I will rip those charms from their wrists and set free the people they have trapped like birds. 21 I will tear the scarves from their heads and rescue my people from their power once and for all. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.
22 They do things I would never do. They lie to good people and encourage them to do wrong, and they convince the wicked to ruin their own lives by not turning from sin. 23 I will no longer let these women give false messages and use magic, and I will free my people from their control. Then they will know that I, the Lord, have done these things.