1 Ngono bakandidwa bakati, “Nkololo we nthu, ija tjaunobona, ija lukwalo igogu ube uyenda unolebeleka ne itjaba tje Iziraela.” 2 Ndizo aashama ngono bakandipa lukwalo kuguja. 3 Ipapo bakati kundili, “Nkololo we nthu, ija lukwalo igogu gwandinokupa uzhadze ntumbu uwo ndigo.” Ndizo aguja ngono mu nlomo wangu guzipa se butji gwe nyutji. 4 Ipapo bakabe beti kundili, “Nkololo we nthu, tjiyenda ngwenu ku itjaba tje Iziraela uswike ulebe matama angu ku bali. 5 Ngobe anditokutuma ku bathu be ndebeleko isingazibgwe ne lulimi gwakasima, koga ndokutuma ku itjaba tje Iziraela. 6 Anditokutuma ku bathu banjinji be ndebeleko isingazibgwe ne lulimi gwakasima, bana matama ausingake ukahwa. Nge malebeswa ha ndabe ndakutuma kuna bakajalo, ibo babe bangakuhwilila. 7 Koga itjaba tje Iziraela atjingakuhwilile, ngoti atjitoda kundihwilila se tjili itjaba tje misholo inopanda ne tjina bukomba. 8 Bona, ndowosunganya buso gugo sekwa bakasunganya njiso dzabo, ndowothama kuti usime moyo bo sekwa bakasima moyo. 9 Phazha iyo ndathama kuti isime se bgwe lakasima kupinda hwulungwana, usibatje kene ukapaluka moyo nge kwabo nenguba bali itjaba tje bapanduki.” 10 Kakale bakandidwa bakati, “Nkololo we nthu, matama wose andinokudwa ualonge mu moyo uhwe nge zebe dzidzo. 11 Ndizo yenda ku bathu bakanyi kwenyu ba mu kutapiwa ulebeleke nabo. Ubadwe uti, ‘Koleba She Yahwe,’ kusingati tjimwe kene banohwilila kene abatohwilila.”
Ezekiele pa gwizi gwe Kheba
12 Ipapo meya ikandimilidzila pezhugwi, ngono ahwa hwi gulu shule kwangu liti, “Gudzo la Yahwe ngalikudziwe mu bugalo gwabo.” 13 Ngono ahwa nsindo we mapapilo e zwibumbiwa zwinotjila ekuthana ahwa ne nsindo we makumbgwana amu hwunde yazo, nsindo unodidima nge simba. 14 Meya ikandimilidza ikandisenga ngono ayenda ndilizhele shungu ndakagwadza moyo, luboko gwa Yahwe gwakandibhata nge simba. 15 Ndakanoswika ku batapiwa ku Tele Avivi ne gwizi gwe Kheba. Ngono agala pakati kwabo ndakakaabala mazhuba ali kutendeka ikoko kwabakabe begala. 16 Shule kwe mazhuba ali kutendeka dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 17 “Nkololo we nthu, ndakuthama ntjengeti we itjaba tje Iziraela, ndizo wali ihwa dama landinoleba nge nlomo ubatjenjedze nge tjinodwa ku ndili. 18 Ha ndingadwa nthu mbiimbi ati, ‘Nge malebeswa unowofa.’ Iwe ube usingantjenjedze, kene usingalebe wakasima kubhatsha mbiimbi kuthubukana ne bubi gugwe kuti atjile, mbiimbi iwoyu unowofila zwibi zwizwe, koga malopa awe ndowoashaka mu kuli. 19 Koga ha ungatjenjedza nthu mbiimbi koga ebe asingathubukane ne bubi gugwe kene zila dzidze dzakabipa, unowofila jinyo lile, koga iwe unowobe wazwitjidza.
20 “Kakale ha nthu wakalulwama eshanduka mu kululwama kukwe ebe etjinya ndibe ndibiga ikuthi mbeli kukwe, unowofa. Se usakankumbuludza, unowofa efila mu zwibi zwizwe. Zwakalulwama zwaakashinga azwitowokumbugwa, koga lopa lile ndowolishaka mukuli. 21 Koga ha ungatjenjedza nthu wakalulwama kuti asitjinye ebe asingatjinye unowotjila ngoti waamutjila butjenjedu, ngono iwe wazwitjidza.”
Ezekiele unobe mbebebe
22 Luboko gwa Yahwe gwakabe gwakandibhata ikoko, ngono bakandidwa bakati, “Milika uyende ku lubala ngono ndowolebeleka nawe ikweno.” 23 Ndizo amilika ayenda ku lubala. Bonani, tjedza tja Yahwe tjakabe tjilimile ipapo tjinga tjedza tjandakabona pa gwizi gwe Kheba, ngono awila pasi nge buso.
24 Ipapo Meya ikangina mu ndili ikandimilidza ama nge makumbo. Ngono Yahwe bakalebeleka nami bakati, “Yenda unozwizhalilila mu ng'umba iyo. 25 Ngono iwe nkololo we nthu, bona, banowokusunga nge mitjili, unowosungwa ukasiboneke uyendayenda pakati kwe bathu. 26 Ndowothama kuti lulimi gugo gunamatile mu bgwasha ndizo unyalale usitubule ku batjemela nenguba bali itjaba tje bapanduki. 27 Koga ndowoti ndilebeleka nawe ndowozhula nlomo uwo ngono unowobadwa ukati, ‘She Yahwe bakati.’ ” “Iye unowohwa ngaahwe, naiye unowolamba kuhwilila ngaalambe, ngoti ba itjaba tje bupanduki.”
1 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, after you eat this scroll, go speak to the people of Israel.”
2-3 He handed me the scroll and said, “Eat this and fill up on it.” So I ate the scroll, and it tasted sweet as honey.
4 The Lord said:
Ezekiel, I am sending you to your own people. 5-6 They are Israelites, not some strangers who speak a foreign language you can't understand. If I were to send you to foreign nations, they would listen to you. 7 But the people of Israel will refuse to listen, because they have refused to listen to me. All of them are stubborn and hardheaded, 8 so I will make you as stubborn as they are. 9 You will be so determined to speak my message that nothing will stop you. I will make you hard like a diamond, and you'll have no reason to be afraid of those arrogant rebels.
10 Listen carefully to everything I say and then think about it. 11 Then go to the people who were brought here to Babylonia with you and tell them you have a message from me, the Lord God. Do this, whether they listen to you or not.
12 The Spirit lifted me up, and as the glory of the Lord started to leave, I heard a loud, thundering noise behind me. 13 It was the sound made by the creatures' wings as they brushed against each other, and by the rumble of the wheels beside them. 14 Then the Spirit carried me away.
The Lord's power had taken complete control of me, and I was both annoyed and angry.
15 When I was back with the others living at Abib Hill near the Chebar River, I sat among them for seven days, shocked at what had happened to me.
The Lord Appoints Ezekiel To Stand Watch
(Ezekiel 33.1-9)16 Seven days after I had seen the brightness of the Lord's glory, the Lord said:
17 Ezekiel, son of man, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me. 18 When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways so they won't be punished. If you refuse, you are responsible for their death. 19 However, if you do warn them, and they keep on sinning, they will die because of their sins, and you will be innocent.
20 Now suppose faithful people start sinning, and I decide to put stumbling blocks in their paths to make them fall. They deserve to die because of their sins. So if you refuse to warn them, I will forget about the times they were faithful, and I will hold you responsible for their death. 21 But if you do warn them, and they listen to you and stop sinning, I will let them live. And you will be innocent.
Ezekiel Cannot Talk
22 The Lord took control of me and said, “Stand up! Go into the valley, and I will talk with you there.”
23 I immediately went to the valley, where I saw the brightness of the Lord's glory, just as I had seen it near the Chebar River, and I bowed with my face to the ground. 24 His Spirit took control of me and lifted me to my feet. Then the Lord said:
Go back and lock yourself in your house! 25 You will be tied up to keep you inside, 26 and I will make you unable to talk or to warn those who have rebelled against me. 27 But the time will come, when I will tell you what to say, and you will again be able to speak my message. Some of them will listen; others will be stubborn and refuse to listen.