Thumo la Yahwe
1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti, 2 “Nkololo we nthu, lingisana ne Jerusalema usumikile ngekwe ng'umba ye Ndzimu. Lebesambeli ngekwe shango ye Iziraela 3 uti ku ili, ‘Yahwe tjabanoleba etji, bakati, Imi ndobhayana nawe. Ndowoshomola mu ikhata tjalo ngono mu muli abulaya balulwami ne babi. 4 Se ndowobulaya balulwami ne babi, thumo langu lowoshomolegwa mmwe ne mmwe kudwa mu burwa kuyenda ku bunandzwa. 5 Ipapo bathu bose banowoziba kuti imi Yahwe ndashomola thumo langu ku ikhata tjalo ngono andingaligwilize kakale.’
6 “Ndizo wali susuthika mbeli kwabo iwe nkololo we nthu nge moyo umu kuhwa zogwadza kukulu. 7 Ngono ha bekubhuzwa beti, ‘Unolililani?’ Iwe ubadwe uti, ‘Ndolidziwa nge thawu dzinozha. Moyo mmwe ne mmwe unowolobgwa nge hana, luboko gumwe ne gumwe gowotuthuka, mmwe ne mmwe unowotimbama ne tjidwi tjimwe ne tjimwe tjowotetema.’ Bonani, dzaswika ngono dzowozhadzisika. Koleba She Yahwe.”
8 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 9 “Nkololo we nthu, lebesambeli uti, ‘Tjinoleba She etji,
“ ‘Thumo, thumo,
lakakuswiwa likakuyungiwa
10 Lakakuswigwa kubulaya,
likakuyungigwa kupenya se lupenyo gwe vula.
“ ‘Apa tingashathila swimbo ye nkololo wangu kene? Thumo lokunda kose. 11 Thumo lokuyungiwa kubhakhwa nge maboko, lokuswiwa likakuyungiwa, lilulwamisigwa luboko gwe mbulayi. 12 Lila ubokolele nkololo we nthu, nge kuti lobhayana ne bathu bangu, lakalingisana ne makomba wose e Iziraela. Babhayiwa nge thumo, kose ne bathu bangu. Ndizo bhata lutibatiba gugo.
13 “ ‘Kulikwa kowozha nge malebeswa, ngono kowobe tjini ha swimbo inokuligwa nge thumo isingadwilile? Koleba Yahwe.’
14 “Ndizo wali nkololo we nthu lebesambeli, ngono ulobe phande. Thumo ngalibhaye kabili kene katatu. I thumo le kubulaya, thumo le kubulaya kukulukulu, lobakomba midzibo yose. 15 Kobe kuthama kuti moyo itimbame, ngono banjinji bakawa. Ndabiga thumo pa mikoba yabo yose kubulaya. 16 Bhaya ku lubizho gwe luji, ushandukile kuna gwe lumeshwe, kumwe ne kumwe theswi kwayalinga. 17 Namibo ndowoloba phande, bushongola gwangu gowogutshika. Kwaleba imi Yahwe.”
18 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 19 “Nkololo we nthu, tjwaya zila mbili dzinowotobegwa ndi mambo we Bhabhiloni ezha ne thumo lile, dzose dzitangise mu shango ing'ompela. Ubige tjilakidzo zila painopambuka ilinga ku nzi nkulu. 20 Tjwaya zila inowotogwa nge thumo linobhayana ne Rabha nzi nkulu we Baamoni, imwe ibe inotobegwa nge thumo linobhayana ne Juda ne nzi nkulu wakasima Jerusalema. 21 Nge kuti mambo we Bhabhiloni umile pa phalalano dze zila, pa phandana dze zila mbili kukandila. Unowokandila nge misebe, unowobhuzwa midzimu iye ye zwifano ebe elingisisa tjilopa. 22 Akata yawila ku lubizho gwe luji ngeye Jerusalema kwaanoyisa nyundo dzinokatsha ebe edusa ndaulo ye kubulaya, kumimila mima ye ngwa, kubiga nyundo dzinopkhwanya kulingisana ne mikoba, kubaka matuluthulu ne ngolo kuupoteleka. 23 Koga ku bathu be Jerusalema ngowonga kukandila kwe manyepkhwa ngekwe tjidumano tjabakathama, koga unowobakumbuludza nlandu wabo ebuya ebatapa.”
24 Ndizo wali Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, “Imwi bathu se makumbula nlandu wenyu nge kupanduka kwenyu, mu zwimbunula tjibi tjenyu mu tjimwe ne tjimwe tjamunothama. Se mathama ikoku, mowotapiwa.
25 “Iwe gombgwa le Iziraela biibi,
wapelegwa nge mazhuba,
tjibaka tje kulobgwa kuko ndiwo iyawa,
26 tjinolebgwa ndi She Yahwe ndietji,
Ambula tjiala, ambula hwutshe ye bumambo.
Zwithu azwitowodwilila zwigala sekwa zwigele.
Bapasi banowomilidziwa,
bapezhugwi bakayisiwa pasi.
27 Dongo! Dongo!
Ndouthama kuti ube dongo!
Autowomusiwa kuswikila ezha
iye wakalingisana nge kuti ube uwe,
ngono iye ndowompa iwo.”
28 “Ngono iwe nkololo we nthu lebesambeli uti, ‘Tjinolebgwa ndi She Yahwe ngekwe Baamoni ne masapa abo ndi etji,
“ ‘Thumo, thumo,
lashomolegwa kubulaya,
lakuyungigwa kulobesa
ne kupenya se lupenyo gwe vula!
29 Lisina tjimwe nge mbono dze manyepkhwa ngekwenyu
ne manyepkhwa e kukandila ngekwenyu,
lowobigwa mu mitshibha
ye babi banowobulawa,
mazhuba abo azha,
tjibaka tje kulobgwa kwabo nditjo itjetji.
30 Bgwiliza thumo mu ikhata tjalo.
Mu magalo amakabumbigwa,
mu shango ya botate benyu,
ndiko kwandinowo musumikilisilako.
31 Ndiko kwandinowo shingisa bushongola gwangu mumuliko,
ndiko kwandinowo mulakidza bushongola gwangu gunopisa se moto.
Ndowomulonga mu maboko e zwilalume,
balume bana bunyambi gwe kukolomodza.
32 Mowobe hwuni dzinothutisa moto,
malopa enyu anowotebuligwa mu shango yenyu,
amutjawo kumbugwa kakale,
nge kuti imi Yahwe ndalebeleka.’ ”
The Lord Will Punish Jerusalem
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the places in Jerusalem where people worship. Warn everyone in Israel 3 that I am about to punish them. I will pull out my sword and have it ready to kill everyone, whether good or evil. 4 From south to north, people will die, 5 knowing that my sword will never be put away.
6 Ezekiel, groan in sorrow and despair so that everyone can hear you. 7 When they ask why you are groaning, tell them you have terrifying news that will make them faint and tremble in fear and lose all courage. These things will happen soon. I, the Lord God, make this promise!
A Sword Is Ready To Attack Israel
8 The Lord said:
9-10 Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Jerusalem:
I have sharpened my sword
to slaughter you;
it is shiny and will flash
like lightning!
Don't celebrate—
punishment is coming,
because everyone has ignored
my warnings.
11 My sword has been polished;
it's sharp and ready to kill.
12 Groan in sorrow, Ezekiel;
the sword is drawn against
my people and their leaders.
They will die!
So give up all hope.
13 I am testing my people,
and they can do nothing
to stop me.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
14 Ezekiel, warn my people,
then celebrate my victory
by clapping your hands.
My vicious sword will attack
again and again,
killing my people
with every stroke.
15 They will lose all courage
and stumble with fear.
My slaughtering sword
is waiting at every gate,
flashing and ready to kill.
16 It will slash right and left,
wherever the blade is pointed.
17 Then I will stop being angry,
and I will clap my hands
in victory.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The King of Babylonia and His Sword
18 The Lord said:
19 Ezekiel, son of man, mark two roads for the king of Babylonia to follow when he comes with his sword. The roads will begin at the same place, but be sure to put up a signpost where the two roads separate and go in different directions. 20 Clearly mark where the two roads lead. One goes to Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and the other goes to Jerusalem, the fortified capital of Judah. 21 When the Babylonian king stands at that signpost, he will decide which way to go by shaking his arrows, by asking his idols, and by carefully looking at the liver of a sacrificed animal. 22 His right hand will pull out the arrow marked “Jerusalem.” Then he will immediately give the signal to shout the battle cry, to build dirt ramps up to the top of the city walls, to break down its walls and gates with large wooden poles, and to kill the people. 23 Everyone in Jerusalem had promised to be loyal to Babylonia, and so none of them will believe that this could happen to them. But Babylonia's king will remind them of their sinful ways and warn them of their coming captivity.
24 Ezekiel, tell the people of Jerusalem and their ruler that I, the Lord God, am saying:
Everything you do is wicked and shows how sinful you are. You are guilty and will be taken away as prisoners.
25 And now, you evil and wicked ruler of Israel, your day of final punishment is almost here. 26 I, the Lord God, command you to take off your royal turban and your crown, because everything will be different. Those who had no power will be put in charge, and those who now rule will become nobodies. 27 I will leave Jerusalem in complete ruins like no one has ever seen until my chosen one comes to punish this city.
Judgment against Ammon
28 The Lord God said:
Ezekiel, son of man, the Ammonites have insulted Israel, so condemn them and tell them I am saying:
A sword is drawn,
ready to slaughter;
it is polished and prepared
to kill as fast as lightning.
29 You wicked Ammonites see false visions and believe untrue messages. But your day of punishment is coming soon, and my sword will slaughter you!
30 Your days to punish others are over, so put your swords away. You will be punished in the land of your birth. 31 My furious anger will scorch you like fire, and I will hand you over to cruel men who are experts in killing. 32 You will be burned and will die in your own land. Then you will be forgotten forever. I, the Lord, have spoken.