Hali inobila
1 Mu gole le buzhanalume, mu mwedzi we bugumi, mu zhuba le bugumi le mwedzi we bugumi, dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti, 2 “Nkololo we nthu, kwala nasi kuti mwedzi nngana nasi zhuba lino nge kuti mambo we Bhabhiloni wakomba Jerusalema nge ngwa. 3 Leba ngopesa ku bapanduki ibaba uti, ‘She Yahwe banolebeleka bakati,
“ ‘Biga hali pa moto, uibige pa moto
udile vula muili.
4 Ulonge muili thango dze nyama,
thango dzose dzakanaka,
tjidzwa ne bhandabuko,
uizhadze nge mafupa akanaka.
5 Ushalule inodzipinda dzose mu ngubi
ulobele hwuni kusi kwe hali,
ukapaidze thango dze nyama dzimu ili
ubhike kose ne mafupa muili.
6 “ ‘Ndizo wali Yahwe banolebeleka bakati,
“ ‘Yee mme wee iwe nzi nkulu unotebula malopa
hali ina bulala muili,
isakatongo sukiwa bulala.
Dusa nyama muili thango ne thango
usingashalule.
7 Nge kuti malopa aakatebula amuili
wakaitebulila pezhugwi kwe shongwe,
aazoitebulila pasi
kuti aivukidze nge mavu.
8 Ku musa bushongola gwangu, kuti ndibgwilizile,
ndakadila malopa aakatebula
pezhugwi kwe shongwe
kuti asivukidziwe.
9 “ ‘Ndizo wali tjinoleba She Yahwe ndi etji,
“ ‘Yee mme wee wapalala iwe nzi nkulu uzhele malopa.
Imi namibo ndowothama swinga gulu le hwuni.
10 Ndizo tathikanya hwuni njinji,
ubhatidze moto
Bhika nyama zubuyanana,
uyishanganye ne zwinoizipisa
mafupa apisiwe.
11 Uyigadze pa masimbe isina tjimukati,
kuita kuti ipise, khopa yayo ipenye,
shambgwa yayo inyawuke, bulala gutshwe gupele.
12 Ndakazwinyadzila suli,
bulala gwayo bukodu agutopedziwa nge moto.
13 Shambgwa iyo bupombgwe gugo,
ndakati ndokutjenapadza ndikudusa mu bupombgwe gugo
koga auzotjenapala mu shambgwa iyo,
aungatongo tjenapala kakale
kuswikila bushongola gwangu gwagutshika mukuli.
14 “ ‘Imi Yahwe ndalebeleka. Tjibaka tjabe itjo tjekuti nditole thambo. Anditowononoka, anditowohwila zogwadza kene kuli kuzwidziba. Unowosumikilisiwa kuyendidzana ne mazwiibhato awo nenge mishingo iyo. Koleba She Yahwe.’ ”
Nkadzi wa Ezekiele unofa
15 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 16 “Nkololo we nthu, bona nge hwada ing'ompela ndowodusa mukuli tje moyo uwo. Koga usitongo lila kene kuli kutebula mishodzi. 17 Ususuthike nge kunyalala, usitongo lilila nfi. Mbala tjiala tjitjo mu nsholo ne shangu dzidzo mu makumbo, usitongo zwimba buso gugo ne zojiwa zwe balili usitongo zwija.”
18 Ndizo ndakalebeleka ne bathu mangwanana ngono madekwana nkadzi wangu kafa. Tjimuka mangwanana ashinga sekwa ndakadwiwa.
19 Ipapo bathu bakandibhuzwa bakati, “Apa aungatibudze kuti zwithu izwezwi zodwani ku tili kene?”
20 Ndizo abadwa ati, “Dama la Yahwe lazha kundili likati, 21 Idwa bathu be Iziraela uti, ‘Tjinolebgwa ndi She Yahwe etji, Bona ndipejo nge kulengudza bugalo gwangu gwakayengemala, mbako yakasima yamunozwikudza ndiyo, shathiso ye moyo yenyu, tje ludo gwenyu. Bakololo ne bakololokadzi bamakasiya banowonofa nge thumo. 22 Ngono mowothama sekwa ndathama. Amutowozwimba njiso dzenyu kene kuli kuja zojiwa zwe balili. 23 Mowombala zwiala zwenyu mu misholo yenyu ne shangu dzenyu mu makumbo enyu. Amutowolila koga mowokorotela ngekwe zwibi zwenyu, mowosusuthika pakati kwenyu. 24 Ndizo Ezekiele unowobe tjilakidzo kumuli, imwi mowothama sekwa athama. Ikoku kowoti kushingikala mowoziba kuti ndimi She Yahwe.’
25 “Ngono iwe nkololo we nthu, mu zhuba ilelo landinowobatolela ng'umba yabo yakasima, nditola kushatha kwabo ne gudzo labo, shathiso yabo ne tje moyo yabo ne bakololo babo ne bakololokadzi babo naibobo, 26 mu zhuba ilelo, wasiya unozha kuwomubikila tjashingikala. 27 Mu zhuba ilelo nlomo wenyu unowozhuka ngono mukalebeleka naye ngono mukasinyalale. Ndizo unowobe tjilakidzo ku bali, ngono banowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe.”
A Cooking Pot
1 Nine years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the tenth day of the tenth month. He said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, write down today's date, because the king of Babylonia has just begun attacking the city of Jerusalem. 3 Then tell my rebellious people:
“Pour water in a cooking pot
and set it over a fire.
* 4 Throw in the legs and shoulders
of your finest sheep
and put in the juicy bones.
5 Pile wood underneath the pot,
and let the meat and bones
boil until they are done.”
6 These words mean that Jerusalem is doomed! The city is filled with murderers and is like an old, rusty pot. The meat is taken out piece by piece, and no one cares what happens to it. 7 The people of Jerusalem murdered innocent people in the city and didn't even try to cover up the blood that flowed out on the hard ground. 8 But I have seen that blood, and it cries out for me to take revenge.
9 I, the Lord God, will punish that city of violence! I will make a huge pile of firewood, 10 so bring more wood and light it. Cook the meat and boil away the broth to let the bones scorch. 11 Then set the empty pot over the hot coals until it is red-hot. That will clean the pot and burn off the rust. 12 I've tried everything else. Now the rust must be burned away.
13 Jerusalem is so full of sin and evil that I can't get it clean, even though I have tried. It will stay filthy until I let loose my fierce anger against it. 14 That time will certainly come! And when it does, I won't show the people of Jerusalem any pity or change my mind. They must be punished for the evil they have done. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Ezekiel's Wife Dies
15 The Lord said, 16 “Ezekiel, son of man, I will suddenly take the life of the person you love most. But I don't want you to complain or cry. 17 Mourn in silence and don't show that you are grieving. Don't remove your turban or take off your sandals; don't cover your face to show your sorrow, or eat the food that mourners eat.”
18 One morning, I was talking with the people as usual, and by sunset my wife was dead. The next day I did what the Lord had told me, 19 and when people saw me, they asked, “Why aren't you mourning for your wife?”
20 I answered:
The Lord God says 21 he is ready to destroy the temple in which you take such pride and which makes you feel so safe. Your children who now live in Jerusalem will be killed. 22 Then you will do the same things I have done. You will leave your face uncovered and refuse to eat the food that mourners usually eat. 23 You won't take off your turbans and your sandals. You won't cry or mourn, but all day long you will go around groaning because of your sins.
24 I am a warning sign—everything I have done, you will also do. And then you will know the Lord God has made these things happen.
25 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, I will soon destroy the temple that makes everyone feel proud and safe, and I will take away their children as well. 26 On that same day, someone will escape from the city and come to tell you what has happened. 27 Then you will be able to speak again, and the two of you will talk. You will be a warning sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord.”